The plan was simple, really. It surprised Arthur with how long it had taken him to get to the point where he currently was, but the long-term effort would produce long-term success, he supposed.
The three strolled down the hallway in a horizontal line, not particularly caring about the traffic they were causing, as the final bell had rung. Freshman and sophomores- Arthur being proud of himself that he could finally tell which grade went with which name- swarmed around them, casting angry looks and curses in their direction. Vlad stuck his tongue at one, laughing much to their infuriation.
Lukas shook his head, tsking at his friend's antics. "We could stand to go a bit faster, at least."
"It's the end of the day. They don't have any classes to get to." Vlad mimicked Lukas' movements as he spoke.
"No, only buses that'll leave in a few minutes."
Vlad frowned while Arthur stayed silent. The courtyard was fast approaching, along with the final stages of his plan. Arthur couldn't help but feel nervous, an unfamiliar tightness in his stomach and stiffness in his shoulder blades.
The group fell silent for all but two seconds until Vlad changed the subject. He clapped his hands together, rubbing his palms. Arthur cringed at the whisking sound it made. "So, are both of you down to come over to my place tonight?"
Lukas nodded.
Arthur frowned as Vlad turned, waiting for an answer. He pulled his phone out, clicking it open to check the time, before sliding it back into his pocket. "I haven't ask my mum yet, but she'll let me. Maybe." It wasn't necessary to mention the fact that he was currently grounded. He would take care of that.
Vlad laughed as they pushed the door open, the cold and biting air of the outside rushing in the lobby. It was even busier than the halls of the building they had just left, several overstuffed backpacks bumping into them as they broke their line into a cluster.
Arthur eyed the designated spot for his meeting with Heracles, sighing. He tipped his head back, eying the bleak and drab blue of the sky, brainstorming for a way that he could quickly end the current conversation and go where he needed to.
Breaking from their cluster, Arthur bee-lined towards the opposite direction, looking over his shoulder to see Vlad and Lukas following. He stopped at the concrete edge lining the pit, nearly hitting another student with his backpack as he turned.
He ignored the dirty look he received, instead focusing on Lukas and Vlad. "I have to go." They didn't say anything, waiting for him to continue, Lukas crossing his arms with a deadpan expression on his face. To make his excuse at least somewhat more believable, he reached for his phone. "I have Madrigal practice in…" he checked the time. "Five minutes."
More like twenty, but that wouldn't do anything to help his cause.
Vlad shook his head. "We can wait for you."
"It's going to be a few hours." That was the truth. Mr. Vargas had become increasingly stressed these past few weeks, his joking attitude turning into a strict frown in a span of seconds, his normally short and laid-back practices now long and filled with yelling and frustrated glares. "If I'm late, he's probably going to crucify me." Another truth, if a bit exaggerated.
"You're still coming over, right?" Arthur could've sworn that Vlad almost sounded disappointed.
He nodded, giving the two what he hoped would be a reassuring smile. "Yes, of course. I'll go straight home, get my stuff, and hurry over to your place." Arthur nodded again, cementing his plans.
Arthur checked his phone again, sighing. "I really have to go now. I'll be late." He readjusted the straps of his backpack, beginning his trek towards the designated spot, conveniently placed in the direction of the choir room, and, even better, out of plain sight. "Bye."
Not bother to turn back towards them while he was walking, Arthur took the stairs two at a time, sliding down onto the cold concrete. He scanned the crowd pouring out of the second-floor lobby, waiting for a certain person to walk through one of the double doors. It then occurred to Arthur that he had no idea where Heracles' seventh-period class was and, in addition, didn't have his phone number to ask.
But maybe that would be a good thing in the long run, with what he was about to do.
He shook his head, cursing himself for not bothering to ask that morning. It was a stupid mistake, one that he definitely wouldn't have made at the beginning of the semester. Arthur tugged at his khakis, his annoyance with the loose fabric suddenly renewed. Frowning, he rubbed the seam between his index finger and thumb, squeezing tight and pulling it away from his thigh and wrapping it under. It looked much better when it was tighter, and Arthur started to weigh the pros and cons of taking his mother's sewing kit and starting a secret little project.
"Arthur?"
He snapped his head up to see Heracles standing there, eyebrows raised and eyes wide, his lips curled into a grimace. Curiosity, with maybe a hint of judgment. Heracles narrowed his eyes, tipping his head and opening his mouth to speak.
"You're late." Arthur cut him off before he could go any further, pushing himself to his feet. He brushed off the back of his pants before checking the time, his frown growing. "We were supposed to start two minutes ago." Another lie, but he wanted to get this done as soon as possible.
Heracles scoffed. "Being two minutes late isn't going to kill you. And what? You got somewhere to be?"
"Truth and lies" was the mantra that Arthur constantly chanted to himself, a Mother Kirkland special that Arthur had learned by watching and practicing rather than listening. He debated about telling Heracles about his role in the Madrigal choir, running through his head what could be used against him with that small bit of information.
He realized that Heracles was staring at him as they walked through the doors into the second-floor lobby. Arthur stopped, rapidly blinking his eyes, pretending to have just spaced out. "I'm sorry?"
Heracles sighed, starting up their walk again, but this time, much slower. "I was asking if you had somewhere to be." Arthur nodded, making a high humming sound and bopping his head side to side.
"I have to be at the choir room for Madrigals in-" he checked the time- "Fifteen minutes."
Heracles slowed into a stroll, Arthur following. The former turned his head towards him as they walked, cocking it to the side just a little, his eyebrows knitting together. "Madrigals? You mean that fancy choir thing with the old-time-y costumes?" Arthur nodded, not bother to speak, waiting for Heracles to continue on. "Ah, I went to go see the show last year. I don't think I saw you. Did you just get in this year?"
"I moved to the country over the summer."
"Odd."
"What do you mean?"
Heracles made a humming noise, tipping his head back. The two fell silent, the only noise a distant echo of cheerleaders practicing in the large gym.
Arthur checked his phone, frowning. Three minutes off schedule. He picked up the pace, not bothering to turn to check if Heracles was following, trusting the clicking of shoes echoing off the walls.
He winced at the way his backpack jostled as the two went down a steep yet small set of stairs, one that Arthur always feared he would end up tripping down. Behind him, he heard Heracles let out a breath and Arthur braved himself for the question he knew was eventually going to come.
"So, what exactly is the plan?"
It was Arthur's turn to sigh, but he didn't stop or even start to slow as they sharply turned the corner. He quickly thought of a way to break it to him, settling on giving it to him straight and blunt, without serving it to him on any silver platter."You walk up to him, tell him you like him, and grab him and kiss him before he can run away in horror." Not entirely thought through in the way that he normally would plan such things, but it would work.
Provided that his new "friend" actually went along with it.
Heracles froze. Sighing inwardly, Arthur stopped his walk as well, turning to face the former. He crossed his arms, waiting for the inevitable, something he realized he probably should have prepared for.
"That's the plan?"
"Yes. Is there a problem?"
Heracles' mouth gaped before snapping shut. He slowly slid his jaw side to side, his eyes narrowing. When he spoke, it came out in a harsh whisper, almost like a hiss. "That is the stupidest idea I've ever heard."
Arthur shrugged. "But it will be effective." Hopefully. They had only one chance to get this right, and if his something were to go wrong…
Arthur would have to start the entire plan over again. He clenched his jaw.
Heracles still seemed unconvinced, shaking his head. "And how, exactly, do you think this will work?" his foot tapped impatiently on the tile, and he deadpanned as he spoke.
Arthur pushed down the strong urge to punch Heracles straight in the jaw, or maybe the throat, flexing his fingers into a closed fist and back into an open palm. He noticed Heracles eying his hand, but ignored it. Let him think whatever he wants.
"Well," Arthur tried his best to keep his voice cool and leveled. Gone were the days he could beat his way through his problems, no matter how much he yearned for them back. He resumed his walk, not caring at that point where or not Heracles followed. "If- when you kiss him, if he goes along with it, then you have your answer, and if he pushes you away…"
He trailed off, allowing Heracles to be able to come to his own conclusion. The latter, who was- surprisingly- still following him, sighed, and Arthur turned back to see him pushing his fingers through his hair.
Arthur expected some angered denial or maybe for Heracles to leave without saying a single word. Instead, he got a: "I don't understand. Why wouldn't he just come up and tell me? It doesn't make sense."
He inwardly cursed himself. "Lad, he has a boyfriend. A boyfriend who has friends everywhere. Telling you outright wouldn't really be good for either of you."
Either he didn't hear it or he ignored it, as Heracles stayed silent, the only noise in the hall being the scuffing of their shoes against the tile. Arthur took the time to bring up his mental map of the school, bopping his head side to side as he calculated their trip.
They had just entered the north portion of the second floor, the library taking up the entirety of the west portion. Heracles had told him earlier that morning that Kiku would be there, waiting for Alfred. That gave them two more minutes, at the maximum, of walking.
He pulled out his phone, once again checking the time. Arthur had to be sitting in his seat at the choir room in ten minutes.
"So you are positive that Kiku will be in the library?" Absolutely positive?" Arthur decided that he would actually punch Heracles if they walked in and didn't see him. Maybe even throw him into one of the rows of computers, if he felt like it.
Heracles nodded, making a humming sound. "He's usually here waiting when Alfred has a club or sports meet. They switch off taking each other home." Arthur didn't say anything about the clear jealously laced in Heracles' words. He held down a laugh, biting his lower lip.
"So, when we get there, you're going-" Arthur stopped as he saw Kiku start to turn the corner, grabbing Heracles and pulling them both out of sight.
He didn't dare peek around the corner, staying still and listening as Kiku spoke. "Hello?" His voice echoed off the walls. "Heracles?"
Arthur cursed, looking at Heracles. The latter's eyes were wide, his cheeks turning into a rosy red.
It was time. Arthur mouthed the words "Go for the" before hitting his hand against his open mouth, making a soft popping sound. Heracles nodded, his blush growing even darker, if that was possible.
And then, without giving him any time to prepare, Arthur shoved Heracles into the thick of it, keeping a straight face even as he stumbled.
Heracles froze before taking a deep breath, a large smile spreading across his face. "Kiku! What's up?"
Active frowned as he glanced in his direction, but had to hold down a snicker as Heracles' voice seemed to go up half an octave higher. The latter clasped his arm behind his back, his fingers twitching and fidgeting.
He couldn't see Kiku without compromising his position, but Arthur could hear him clearly. Paying close attention to the starting conversation, he tapped his fingers lightly against his thigh, praying to any powerful deity out there that Heracles wouldn't mess this up.
"I'm going down to the office to make copies for the librarian." A light creaking sound of paper being held up. "The copier in the library is out of toner."
"Ah." Arthur peered over the corner to see Heracles nodding. Kiku started to continue walking, but Heracles stepped in his way, holding his hand out. "Hey, so, before you go. Can I talk to you for a second?"
Kiku nodding his head was the last thing Arthur saw before he looked away from the scene in front of him.
"So, uh, I saw your texts." Arthur frowned as he gently set his backpack on the floor, careful to make as little noise as possible. He slowly lowered it, holding onto the strap, cringing when it collapsed against the tile floor. Quietly cursing, he quickly checked over the corner. They hadn't noticed.
"Heracles, I-"
"Can I just get this all out for a second?" the nerves in Heracles' voice were obvious, though Arthur was a bit disappointed at the fact that Kiku wasn't able to finish his sentence. If he had said that he hadn't been the one to send those texts or that he had no clue what Heracles was talking about…
Suspension and record be damned, Arthur would've pounded him into the wall.
He pulled out his cell phone from his pocket, tugging his sweater back down to prevent any wrinkles. Arthur pushed his sleeves up, an itch that he thought had faded months ago flaring up on his forearms. He scratched his arm, returning to the conversation.
"And, I've liked you for awhile now- God, this is so embarrassing." Heracles' words were quickly spat out. He laughed with more breath than sound, and Arthur could only think that it sounded fake. "And I know that you're with Alfred, I'm so painfully aware, and if you're happy, I'll be happy, too."
Arthur couldn't help but grin, inching his way past the corner and towards the two. As he opened up the camera app on his phone, he noticed Kiku with his arms crossed and shoulders tense. Heracles stood across from him, his blush reaching to the roots of his hair and down to the bottom of his neck. He quickly glanced over in Arthur's direction before returning his attention to Kiku, clasping his hands together.
"So, um, I'm sorry." It happened quickly. As Heracles gently grabbed Kiku's wrist, Arthur saw a wave of guilt spread across his face, but it was too late. Arthur focused his camera as Heracles kissed Kiku, slamming his thumb against the button to take the photo. He stepped to the side, seeing if he could get another with a better angle. It wouldn't matter if he was seen now.
As soon as his phone vibrated, Kiku pushed Heracles away. The latter hit the wall, his backpack making a crunching sound, and Arthur couldn't help but cringe.
Grabbing his backpack from the floor, Arthur hauled it over his shoulder. He checked the time, grinning at the fact that he still had ten minutes left. Starting to walk, he retraced his steps on route to the choir room. Slowing his pace for a moment, he let his curiosity get the best of him, turning his head over his shoulder.
The last thing he saw before turning the corner was seeing Heracles slide down the wall, hiding a lost and regretful expression by covering his face with his hands.
Spiders crawled down Arthur's back and arms as he walked to the courtyard. He rolled his shoulders, the weight of his backpack slowing his movements somewhat.
He had asked Lukas to invite Mathias to their table that morning for lunch, and he supposed that the former would think it would be for some "couple's counseling". Which would be unnecessary, anyway, considering that he remembered seeing the two with their lips locked on their way to third period.
Arthur winced at the memory.
Just to be safe, however, Arthur had texted Vlad his plans for their "counseling" session, or at least, the portion where Arthur would not be starting the final stage of his plan. His friend had seemed excited, saying that he would make an outline in one of his free periods to drive the conversation. A bit overboard, but it would work.
He waved when he saw his friends sitting at their table, their short-sleeves and skinny jeans replaced with fleece jackets and sweatpants. It was getting cold, they would have to move inside soon.
Arthur dropped his backpack on the concrete next to his usual seat, digging through his medium-sized pocket for food. Making a small humming noise, he pulled out the blue package and tossed it on the table. He resumed his search, this time for water bottles. "Mathias, I hope you like Christmas Oreos."
Mathias nodded. "They're always better when they're shaped like Santa Claus. I like to eat the head first." Vlad laughed, waving Lukas off when the latter gently nudged his boyfriend in the side. Arthur couldn't help but grin.
Pulling the package in his direction, Vlad flipped it over, wincing at the sound of cookies crashing against each other. He scanned the back, a habit never explained, though Arthur supposed that he was just curious or maybe used the nutrition facts as a source of reading material. When he was done, Vlad nodded, humming, and slowly pushed the package towards the middle. "I have to say, Arthur, this is quite an upgrade from your usual."
Arthur clicked his tongue. "Indeed. My mother was feeling generous at the supermarket last night." It was true, technically. Peter had begged and begged for them after seeing a giant Christmas display at the store, and his mother, being who she was, told him to pick out whatever he liked. Nevermind that Arthur had been told no when he asked for new pencils and lead.
He grinned. Unfortunately for Peter, Arthur woke up first.
Mathias looked around the table, frowning. He leaned in towards Lukas, speaking in a soft whisper. "What does he usually bring?"
"Anything that I can grab from the pantry and run away with before I'm dragged back in." He pulled out the fourth and final water bottle, tossing it on the table with a thump. "That could be chips, cereal, a granola bar-"
Vlad cut him off. "There was one time when he brought leftovers."
"Chinese takeout leftovers," Lukas added.
Arthur shrugged as he sat down, turning himself to face those at the table. Vlad stared at him, as if to see what he would say next, and Mathias sat still, looking uncomfortable. "Well, you ate it. It wasn't that bad. We have those fucking microwaves in the cafeteria, why not put them to use?"
Lukas cringed. "Do you know how often they clean those things?"
"Once a year- in August before the school year starts." Mathias nodded as he spoke, a large smile spreading across his face as he wrapped his arm around Lukas. "And when you heat up your lunch, you get that nice whiff and added taste of everything that's ever been cooked in it. It's magical." He pressed his fingers up to his lips, kissing them before spreading his hand into an open palm. Lukas gagged.
Vlad snickered, shaking his head and covering his mouth with his hand. He paused for a moment, his eyes growing wide, and Arthur knew that he had gotten an idea. "So, you two." He scooted in his seat towards the table, crossing his arms and resting his chin on his uncovered wrist. When he spoke, it was slow and deliberate, sounding slightly breathless. "Speaking of wonderful, how's the old relationship going?"
Arthur rolled his eyes. He sent a pointed glare in Vlad's direction, not spending any effort to attempt to make it subtle, receiving a quick wink in return. Of course, his friend wouldn't take any time to try and gently nip the situation in the bud. Not when it needed to be sugar-coated.
Lukas froze, shifting his attention to Arthur. He mouthed the words, "You told him?", and before Arthur could answer, Vlad nodded.
"Not everything, but enough."
Frowning, Lukas' shoulder slumped. He glanced over to Mathias, who was staring at him with knitted eyebrows, his smile having faded. Arthur cringed and couldn't help but feel sorry for his friend.
Shrugging at Mathias' stare, he pulled the Oreo package towards him. He grabbed the pink resealable tab at the side, pulling it all the way to the other side, revealing rows upon rows of Santa Claus shaped cookies. Lukas grabbed one from the middle, letting out a quick, "I think it's going great. Mathias?" before popping it into his mouth. Arthur noticed that he bit the head off first.
Mathias nodded, squeezing Lukas' shoulder. "Of course!" He smiled at the latter, looking like he just came from one of those cheesy Hallmark films that his mother binged every Sunday evening. Arthur crinkled his nose, trying his best to keep the cringe to a minimum. "I couldn't ask for anyone better." Mathias tugged Lukas closer to him, and from the corner of his eye, Arthur could see Vlad wince.
The two went in for a kiss and Arthur looked away, shaking his head. He took his time scanning his surroundings, his eyes moving from table to table before finally landing on the one on the other side of the courtyard. The group looked like they normally did, laughing and occasionally tossing bits of food at each other. Arthur noticed the arm Alfred had around Kiku, just like the one Mathias had around Lukas.
He also noticed Kiku slowly trying to inch his way from Alfred's touch.
Arthur smirked. He reached into his back pocket for his phone, running his thumb against the ridges of his case. Pulling it out, he gently set it on the table, the back of his case facing the sky.
Kiku turned in his direction, making eye contact with him. Arthur let his grin widen, showing some teeth. He chuckled when he saw Kiku pale as if he realized what, exactly, had happened a few days prior. Arthur shook his head, lightly tapping the table.
"Arthur?" He blinked, turning to see Vlad staring at him, along with Lukas and Mathias, unbridled concern on their faces. "You ok, bud?"
He smiled sheepishly, trying his best to seem embarrassed that he was caught. Scratching the back of his neck, Arthur went slow as he spoke, making sure to take multiple pauses in between his words. "Sorry. I was, um, I was thinking about stuff."
Vlad cocked his head to the side. "Stuff? What kind of-" He stopped, pausing for a few moments before letting a large and cheeky grin spread across his cheeks. "Were you thinking about-" he then mouthed Alfred's name, and Arthur shook his head.
He was just about to snap at his friend, just about to tell him for perhaps the thirtieth time in the past month that he could fuck off about Alfred, when an idea popped into his head. Arthur frowned, sighing and glancing at his phone.
"I was heading to Madrigal practice Friday afternoon, you know, after I left you two." Vlad and Lukas both nodded, Mathias leaning in, bracing his forearms on the edge of the table. "Well, I was walking and-" He huffed, letting his shoulders deflate, trying his best to make his act seem as convincible as possible. Arthur grabbed his phone, clicking it open and instinctively typing in his password, one that was long and complicated, designed to keep any prying eyes- his mother specifically- out. The photo gallery was already open, running in the background. He tapped it open, swiping to the picture he had taken three days prior. He slid it to the three.
Arthur had to hold back his smile at the sharp intake from Mathias, softly biting the insides of his cheeks to keep the frown strong. Mathias lifted his arm from Lukas' shoulders, reaching forward to pull Arthur's phone closer. He looked up. "What is this?"
The photo was perfect. The edges were a bit blurred due to Arthur's haste to take it, but that only served in adding an extra element to it. The point he was trying to make was present, and there, in the middle, was Heracles and Kiku, their lips locked in what seemed to be a passionate kiss. And, even better, in Arthur's opinion, was the fact that he had managed to take the picture while Kiku was in mid-blink, giving the illusion of his eyes being closed. It was perfect, absolutely perfect, and Arthur almost had the nerve to pat himself on the back.
Arthur shook his head, resting his elbows on the table and covering his face with his hands. "I- I just saw them in the hallway like that." He looked up, making sure to hook his fingers slightly so they would pull at his cheeks. Arthur sighed. "I'm so sorry."
Mathias stood, almost tripping over the bench. "Can you sent that to Lukas so he can send it to me?" Arthur nodded, taking back his phone. He stayed silent as he opened up the messenger app, listening to Mathias as the latter continued speaking. "Fucking Kiku. I knew that he and Alfred were going through a rough spot, but this. I didn't fucking expect this." He huffed, rotating himself around in a small circle. Mathias mumbled something, but it was too quiet for Arthur to hear.
Vlad shrugged, reaching for and taking three Oreo cookies from the package. He took a large bite out of one, holding the other two, using his free hand to cover his mouth as he spoke. "I always knew that there was something going on with one of those two. They never looked like they were happy with each other." The corners of his eyes wrinkled. "Not like you two do."
Everyone at the table ignored him as Lukas' phone buzzed. Lukas picked it up, and not too long after, a pinging sound came from Mathias' pocket.
Mathias clicked open his phone, nodding at what he saw. He leaned in towards Lukas, kissing him on the cheek before letting out a quiet yet audible "Thanks, babe".
Lukas turned around in his seat, the three watching as Mathias stalked over to his usual table. Arthur grinned as Mathias started yelling at Kiku, who stayed seated at the table, a guilty look on his face. Alfred stood from his seat, stepping in between the two, putting his hands on Mathias' shoulders and slightly pushing him back.
The pit fell silent as everyone stopped eating to watch, Arthur hearing an underclassman ask what was happening behind him. Arthur covered his mouth with his hand, if only to hide his smile, and scooted closer to the table.
Vlad cursed and shook his head when Mathias opened his phone, showing Alfred the photo. The confused and annoyed look on Alfred's face slackened, and Arthur swore that he would've seen the blood drain from his cheeks if he were closer. Alfred froze before gently taking Mathias' phone from his hand, dipping his head and staring. Alfred looked up, a strand of hair bobbing up and down, saying something to Mathias that left his friends, along with Kiku, straining to hear. Mathias replied, nodding his head.
Alfred turned to Kiku, the latter not meeting his gaze. The entire courtyard could hear when Alfred yelled for him to burn in hell, and watched as he stalked back inside the building, Kiku getting up to follow. Vlad chuckled, only to stop when Lukas sent a glare towards his direction. Arthur shared a look with Vlad, silently communicating to his friend that he, too, was having a lot of fun. Even if it was for a very, very different reason.
Arthur sighed, hunching over the table and grinning. He sat up straight, stretching his back, and pumped his fist into the air, not caring if anyone saw and took note.
The plan was done and over with, executed in such a way that made those long months of preparation seem worth it.
Hey, guys! Before I start, I would just like to say that I do not condone the actions of Heracles in this chapter. Please, please get permission to kiss someone before you do so. It'll save you a whole lot of trouble if you respect someone's personal space and wishes.
Also, for all of y'all who read Cross Life on Fanfiction (yes, that's you guys!), I am super, super sorry that I forgot to put in the author's note last chapter! I'll be sure to stick that in there along with putting it under this one. Be sure to read! Super big announcement!
Now that that's done and over with, the big plan is finally revealed! I hope you guys liked it, the consequences of it will basically cover the entirety of the second half of the story, including the romance ::))
Speaking of the second half, next chapter will seem like a filler, but it's not! Plus, there'll be a surprise Alfred POV in it (Well, a surprise for those who don't read my notes), so that's definitely a reason! This will be the only time in Cross Life that the POV switches from Arthur, and it's also going to act as a sort-of prep for Mega-Watt, which is the current name for Alfred's companion fic.
Speaking of Alfred, Arthur does not have any feelings for him yet! Some people have been wondering and I just want to make that clear!
Anyways, please, please comment what you think about the events of this chapter! I'm super nervous about how it's going to go over.
I hope you have an amazing morning, day, and evening and I will see you next time for Chapter Fifteen: Feast!
(Also I think that Arthur would call a lot of people 'Lad". P funny, imo)
This is the A/N from Chapter 13
Hey, guys! Sorry for disappearing for five months! After I posted this last chapter, I got hit with a giant bout of writer's block, and by the time that was done and over with, I had December's secret santas and February birthday gifts to write! (I'm still working on one of the latter atm)So, unfortunately, Little Artie and his quest to ruin lives was put on the backburner :( I'll try to cut down the wait time for Chapter 14, but I can't make any promises.
But anyways, major announcement! Due to several requests in comments and that little survey I did a couple chapters back, I'm happy to say that after Cross Life, there will be a companion fic! This fic will be entirely in Alfred's POV, and while it will go over some scenes you see in CL (such as that one in the courtyard), there'll be a lot more new stuff, along with more appearances of some characters we've yet to meet, such as Alfred's family (who'll show up in the second part of the story).
Speaking of the second part of story, we're almost there! Chapter fourteen will finally reveal all of Arthur's plan, if you haven't guessed already! I'm pretty nervous, considering that I've been dragging this along for almost ten chapters, but I feel like that it's almost exactly something that a revenge-driven and petty high schooler would do. I can say that what will happen will come with some major consequences ::))
Don't be afraid to leave a comment saying what I need to work on! I've been trying some different sites to help with the bane of my existence that is proofreading, so we'll see how that goes. If you need to contact me, whether it's because you have a question or want to be spoiled (I'll tell you everything you want to know ::)) ) then just hit me up on Tumblr! My blog is RantingFangirl!
I'm sorry, my author's notes are pretty much longer than the actual chapters. Thank you guys for reading Cross Life Chapter Thirteen: Blue Light and I hope that you all have a wonderful morning, day, and evening!