Christmas comes quickly, and after the scare he had with his report card, John finds it wise to start picking up the pieces of what he's broken with his new life. Of course he starts with Mike.
Mike, of course, doesn't give him the time of day. John knows that what he did is unforgivable, that the incident on Halloween is one for the 'never speak to you again' history books, but he tries anyway.
He tries in their joint science class, but Mike ignores him. When the bell rings, Mike gathers his things quickly and rushes out of the room.
John follows.
"Mike!" he tries. "Mike, wait! I…I can explain—"
"Took you long enough," Mike mutters between clenched teeth.
"Mike! Will you please talk to me?!"
Mike sidesteps a group of girls and gets past John, but Sebastian and Greg pass Mike, so John stops because of them.
Trying to be cool in front of the guys, John calls after Mike, "Alright you're not invited anyway!"
Greg playfully punches John in the stomach. "Invited to what?"
"My house, New Year's Day. Watch a little football, eat our weight in pizza."
"A party?" Sebastian eagerly asks.
"A party!" John cries.
"Hey, alright!" Sebastian and Greg say, high-fiving John.
"That is," Greg adds, "If we're not dead from my party the night before."
"Hopefully we'll survive it, man," John says.
The boys stop at John's locker, and Sebastian glances around John.
"Someone wants your bones bad, man."
John grins. "Who is it?"
The guys spin John around, where Mary is seductively staring at him from a few lockers down. John's never caught her looking at him before, and an excited chill runs through his body.
"Get it!" Sebastian whispers, then he and Greg leave.
John smiles at Mary and is about to walk up to her when Sherlock hops in front of him.
No time like the present, Sherlock thinks, spotting John down the hall. Since breaking it off with Brett and still not hearing a word from Victor, Sherlock's feelings for John have grown and he actually knows they're real feelings.
He misses John, not only John's company, as he's told himself previously, but John's everything. John's smile, John's warmth, John's kind heart, John's beautiful eyes. His longing to be near John in every way he can has grown so much the past few months.
He wants everything John has to offer, and he wants to give John everything he has.
So, without hesitating, Sherlock walks up to John with all intentions of asking him out on a real date.
Stunned, John stands still. They haven't talked much, not really, because ever since their 'break-up' months ago, Sherlock's been giving John the cold shoulder. And John is over it, decidedly. He thinks he can do better than Sherlock Holmes, better than a fake relationship that he bought.
And honestly he's grown a little bit resentful that Sherlock's treated him this way all of these months. Sherlock didn't need to cut him off completely, Sherlock didn't need to huff and roll his eyes every time John was near.
"Hey, hi," Sherlock says. John can tell he's nervous. Sherlock Holmes, nervous.
"Long time no talk, huh?" Sherlock adds.
"Yeah, uh…I've been busy, you know."
"Right, yeah. Popularity, it's time consuming."
John props himself against his locker.
Sherlock clears his throat. "So, listen, I, uhm…I was thinking, maybe sometime we could…we could go out to that spot in the woods again. The snow there will be gorgeous and—"
John stops him. "You're not under any contract anymore. You're not obligated to even be seen with me."
"I know, I know, it's just…" Sherlock clears his throat and tries to compose himself. John has never seen Sherlock act this way. "I did a new experiment recently, I think you'd like it. It's about—"
"Hey, why don't you talk about this stuff with your college boy?"
"I…" Sherlock furrows his beautiful eyebrows. "I want to tell you."
"You ignored me every year we've been in school together. And suddenly you feel the need to share this crap with me?"
"It's not crap," Sherlock says, defensive.
"You've ignored me for months now, and suddenly you want to ride the John Watson Express."
Sherlock grows a disgusted look on his face. "I don't want to ride the John Watson anything."
John pointedly looks at Mary, who is still a few lockers down. "Looks like you're the only one."
Sherlock turns around. "What, Mary? She's punched her ticket with every guy at school."
"Yeah?" John asks. "Well, at least her ticket won't cost me a thousand pounds."
Sherlock visibly turns red. John's never seen him look so angry, and he instantly feels sorry for saying that and being so rude. Sherlock turns around and walks away, and John runs after him.
"Sherlock!" he calls down the hall.
Mary steps away from her locker to impede John's route to Sherlock.
"M-Mary, hi…" John stutters, nervous because he's never really had one-on-one time with Mary.
"John," she sighs, her voice making his name sound gorgeous. "What are you doing Friday night?"
Glancing towards Sherlock one more time, John mentally shrugs and lets him go. He smiles at Mary.
Sherlock wipes his eyes as he marches down the hall. He's never, ever, ever cried over a boy, not even in primary school when his first love, Peter, called him a freak in front of everyone. He didn't even cry when Vic moved away. But here, at school, he's crying over John Watson, of all people.
Regretting trying to talk to John, Sherlock vows to stop trying with John. He vows to not let John near him either, because John's clearly got his heart and eyes set on figures who aren't like him.
Sherlock wipes his eyes one last time, then stands up straight and composes himself. He isn't going to let this bother him.