Still sniffing and hiccupping softly Carlos was coaxed back into the school building but Ben lead them to the kitchen, after a quick stop off to pick up Carlos's now dry clothes, because none of them had eaten.
The young De Vil wasn't sure how he should feel at that moment; he was surrounded by people who cared about him, he was warm in a huge dark kitchen and a large tub of ice cream was in front of him, it felt like he was dreaming.
Suddenly a wet nose touched his arm and Carlos flinched away.
"here Dude." Jay called the dog away but he refused to move.
Carlos's grip on the spoon tightened, not taking his eyes from Dude's he slowly reached out and touched the soft fur.
A sense of relief washed over Carlos, like an unknown strain had snapped, the dog wasn't scary or going to attack him only lick him all over.
"I'm going to call my folks." Ben announced and held his hand out to Mal.
Looking annoyed Mal began to dig around in her pocket for his phone before going back to eating the strawberry cheesecake.
"everyone can stay the night." Ben added as he speed-dialled a number.
Carlos looked up from scratching Dude behind the ear, a frown creasing his freckled forehead, "what does he mean 'stay the night'? like in the school." He whispered to Jay on his left.
"no, like, at his house." The long haired boy replied.
Carlos had never stayed over at anyone else's before; his mother didn't like him being away overnight but it was probably too late for him to care about that.
Ben shut off his phone after a couple of short convocations, "my dad will be here in about ten." He told them.
"oh, you're dad is coming personally, don't we feel important." Mal joked and Ben smiled warmly at her.
The four teens quickly cleaned away all their mess, with Ben leaving a couple of note to cover the cost of everything they had eaten, before leaving for the front gates to wait for President Beast.
Walking though the hallways was still a bit chilled but with Jay's muscled around slung around him Carlos barely felt it.
A Government official car was waiting for them by the time they made to the gates, Adam Beast emerged in a long coat to cover the fact he was wearing his pyjamas.
"there had better be a good explanation." Beast said as they got to the car.
Guilt swirled in Carlos's gut, "it's my fault." He suddenly blurted out.
Five pairs of eyes spun around to look at him, "don't be dumb De Vil, none of this was you're fault." Mal spat.
"yeah, the Tourney team are to blame." Evie added and gripped Carlos's hand tightly, her eyes shining with tears.
Beast's eyebrows shot up, "the Tourney team?" he turned to Ben.
Ben sighed deeply, "can we explain in the morning, it's been an eventful evening." He looked at his dad hopefully.
Without a thought Beast nodded and they all climbed into the back of the shiny black car; the drive to Ben's house didn't take very long which was lucky because there wasn't much room in the back with every packed in.
President Beast had 'down-graded' from his family's castle like estate beyond the woods and had a much closer townhouse; it had ten bedrooms, five bathrooms, a state-of-the-art kitchen and a built gym in the basement.
Belle was waiting for them at the door, looking kind and elegant even though it was late, "we were getting worried." She said softly as Ben approached her, she smiled softly at his friends, "a sleepover dear?"
Carlos didn't know what to say, normally if his mother met him at the door it was quickly followed by being hit by her handbag and shouted at.
Belle ushered them all inside; there was a grand chandler hanging in the foyer, a stain glass window depicting a fairytale of 'Beauty and the Beast' at the top of the stairs.
Two staff were waiting at the bottom of stairs' a portly man with a small moustache and a pocketwatch, the other was a young woman in a black uniform and beauty spot.
"Babette please take their coats." Belle instructed the woman.
Babette moved with a swish in her hips and she quickly disappeared, Dude following her loyally.
"come on, you guys can borrow some clothes." Ben said to Carlos and Jay.
Belle took Mal and Evie by the hand, "you two come with me."
Ben's room was full of trophies for one thing or another, all painted a royal blue and a beautiful photo of Mal on his windowsill.
Carlos doubted anything belonging to Ben would fit his much smaller frame but he took the clothes none the less and followed him further down the hall to another blue room.
There was double bed, large white dresser and ottoman at the end of the bed, there was also an adjourning bedroom.
"this is your room Carlos." Ben told him softly.
"what all of it?" Carlos spluttered out.
Ben laughed softly, if not a little uncomfortably, "of course." He lent in closer, "for more than tonight if needed." He whispered.
"I wanna sleep in here too." Jay suddenly said, sliding his arm tightly back around Carlos's shoulders.
Carlos span to the taller boy, why was Jay wanting to stay in the same room, the same bed, as the small De Vil but the thought made Carlos feel much safer and it hadn't even happened yet.
"do you mind Carlos?" Ben asked, glancing from him to Jay, who still hadn't let go of Carlos's shoulders.
Carlos shook his head and could almost hear the smug smile creep over Jay's face.
Ben bid them goodnight and Carlos went to investigate the bed; it was soft and warm, the duvet was so thick is squished under his hand.
"getting in?" Jay was already in the loose bottoms and sports t-shirt Ben had lent him and was climbing into one side of the huge bed.
Blushing Carlos took off his clothes, feeling Jay's eyes on him the whole time, but the Arabian teen had seen him completely naked earlier so it didn't bother Carlos too much.
As expected the pyjamas were huge of Carlos's slight frame, it seemed pointless to wear bottoms since the shirt was so long so he quickly jumped into the other side of the bed.
Carlos bit back a groan of pleasure; he had never been surrounded by so much comfort in his life and he began to fall asleep instantly, Jay's even breaths were soothing.
"I like your freckles." Jay whispered in the dark just as Carlos fell asleep.
The young De Vil wasn't sure how he should feel at that moment; he was surrounded by people who cared about him, he was warm in a huge dark kitchen and a large tub of ice cream was in front of him, it felt like he was dreaming.
Suddenly a wet nose touched his arm and Carlos flinched away.
"here Dude." Jay called the dog away but he refused to move.
Carlos's grip on the spoon tightened, not taking his eyes from Dude's he slowly reached out and touched the soft fur.
A sense of relief washed over Carlos, like an unknown strain had snapped, the dog wasn't scary or going to attack him only lick him all over.
"I'm going to call my folks." Ben announced and held his hand out to Mal.
Looking annoyed Mal began to dig around in her pocket for his phone before going back to eating the strawberry cheesecake.
"everyone can stay the night." Ben added as he speed-dialled a number.
Carlos looked up from scratching Dude behind the ear, a frown creasing his freckled forehead, "what does he mean 'stay the night'? like in the school." He whispered to Jay on his left.
"no, like, at his house." The long haired boy replied.
Carlos had never stayed over at anyone else's before; his mother didn't like him being away overnight but it was probably too late for him to care about that.
Ben shut off his phone after a couple of short convocations, "my dad will be here in about ten." He told them.
"oh, you're dad is coming personally, don't we feel important." Mal joked and Ben smiled warmly at her.
The four teens quickly cleaned away all their mess, with Ben leaving a couple of note to cover the cost of everything they had eaten, before leaving for the front gates to wait for President Beast.
Walking though the hallways was still a bit chilled but with Jay's muscled around slung around him Carlos barely felt it.
A Government official car was waiting for them by the time they made to the gates, Adam Beast emerged in a long coat to cover the fact he was wearing his pyjamas.
"there had better be a good explanation." Beast said as they got to the car.
Guilt swirled in Carlos's gut, "it's my fault." He suddenly blurted out.
Five pairs of eyes spun around to look at him, "don't be dumb De Vil, none of this was you're fault." Mal spat.
"yeah, the Tourney team are to blame." Evie added and gripped Carlos's hand tightly, her eyes shining with tears.
Beast's eyebrows shot up, "the Tourney team?" he turned to Ben.
Ben sighed deeply, "can we explain in the morning, it's been an eventful evening." He looked at his dad hopefully.
Without a thought Beast nodded and they all climbed into the back of the shiny black car; the drive to Ben's house didn't take very long which was lucky because there wasn't much room in the back with every packed in.
President Beast had 'down-graded' from his family's castle like estate beyond the woods and had a much closer townhouse; it had ten bedrooms, five bathrooms, a state-of-the-art kitchen and a built gym in the basement.
Belle was waiting for them at the door, looking kind and elegant even though it was late, "we were getting worried." She said softly as Ben approached her, she smiled softly at his friends, "a sleepover dear?"
Carlos didn't know what to say, normally if his mother met him at the door it was quickly followed by being hit by her handbag and shouted at.
Belle ushered them all inside; there was a grand chandler hanging in the foyer, a stain glass window depicting a fairytale of 'Beauty and the Beast' at the top of the stairs.
Two staff were waiting at the bottom of stairs' a portly man with a small moustache and a pocketwatch, the other was a young woman in a black uniform and beauty spot.
"Babette please take their coats." Belle instructed the woman.
Babette moved with a swish in her hips and she quickly disappeared, Dude following her loyally.
"come on, you guys can borrow some clothes." Ben said to Carlos and Jay.
Belle took Mal and Evie by the hand, "you two come with me."
Ben's room was full of trophies for one thing or another, all painted a royal blue and a beautiful photo of Mal on his windowsill.
Carlos doubted anything belonging to Ben would fit his much smaller frame but he took the clothes none the less and followed him further down the hall to another blue room.
There was double bed, large white dresser and ottoman at the end of the bed, there was also an adjourning bedroom.
"this is your room Carlos." Ben told him softly.
"what all of it?" Carlos spluttered out.
Ben laughed softly, if not a little uncomfortably, "of course." He lent in closer, "for more than tonight if needed." He whispered.
"I wanna sleep in here too." Jay suddenly said, sliding his arm tightly back around Carlos's shoulders.
Carlos span to the taller boy, why was Jay wanting to stay in the same room, the same bed, as the small De Vil but the thought made Carlos feel much safer and it hadn't even happened yet.
"do you mind Carlos?" Ben asked, glancing from him to Jay, who still hadn't let go of Carlos's shoulders.
Carlos shook his head and could almost hear the smug smile creep over Jay's face.
Ben bid them goodnight and Carlos went to investigate the bed; it was soft and warm, the duvet was so thick is squished under his hand.
"getting in?" Jay was already in the loose bottoms and sports t-shirt Ben had lent him and was climbing into one side of the huge bed.
Blushing Carlos took off his clothes, feeling Jay's eyes on him the whole time, but the Arabian teen had seen him completely naked earlier so it didn't bother Carlos too much.
As expected the pyjamas were huge of Carlos's slight frame, it seemed pointless to wear bottoms since the shirt was so long so he quickly jumped into the other side of the bed.
Carlos bit back a groan of pleasure; he had never been surrounded by so much comfort in his life and he began to fall asleep instantly, Jay's even breaths were soothing.
"I like your freckles." Jay whispered in the dark just as Carlos fell asleep.