The ONLY reason this is up now instead of yesterday or earlier today is because I was playing Pokémon Moon because I wanted to jump right into my Nuzlocke for it.

Bad idea I'm constantly getting blown back.

I've kind of hit a wall in general for all work, so this break is nice to leave a stressful situation in my apartment and hang out, so definitely some R&R will help my mental block... but now the issue is I have Pokémon Sun and Moon and that's very distracting whoops.

The Five Fabulous Suspects
Confrontations

"Svea, hey."

Svea groaned as she turned her attention from her phone, crossing her arms as Alfred stood across from her. "Great, what do you want?"

"You're acting like a bitch."

"You tell people I'm a slut, I think I have a right." Svea rolled her eyes. Alfred snorted, crossing his arms.

"You slept with two different guys yesterday, and somebody else Sunday for money. You're not a slut, just a whore." Alfred's words stung and she winced. "So, how much is Väinämöinen paying you?"

"Excuse me?" she spat. "First, who I do or do not sleep with is not any of your business. Second, my relationship with Timo or lack thereof is also none of your business." She rolled her eyes. "Unbelievable. I'm so over this."

"So you're fucking a nobody now? That's how desperate you are?"

"We're just friends," Svea grumbled. "And even if I was fucking him, it's… none of your concern, as previously stated. Besides, you've been acting weird. Getting Erikur trashed last weekend?"

"He was already shitfaced when he came to talk to me."

"And you kept feeding him shots why?"

"Hey, kid needs to know his limits." Svea fumed and shook her head. She tried to step around Alfred, but he cut her off, pushing her back against his car. "Look, I wanted to talk about us."

"Oh, funny, because last I recall, there is no 'us' and I told you I was done with your shit last Friday."

"That was the alcohol talking."

"Well," Svea started. "I'm sober now and I'm saying it again: I am done with you, Alfred Franklin Jones!"

"Don't say that." Alfred grabbed her arms, stepping closer. "Look, I know we weren't a good official couple, but yeah, I'm jealous. The other guys… Erikur… the nerd and punk… it makes my blood boil. I've always provided for you, and you know I pay the best. Let's make a deal – exclusively sleep together?"

Svea rolled her eyes. "Ridiculous."

"Svea, I care about you, and I appreciate you in my circle," Alfred explained. "But, we know that it's been a real bitch to keep up your rich, spoiled façade… and I want you to be able to help your dad… so let me help you."

Svea huffed and he leaned in, capturing his lips in a heated and messy kiss. Moments passed and he broke it off. She sighed. "Fine."

"I'll see you tonight at eight, and wear that bra… the cute one I bought you for Christmas." Alfred winked, walking away as Svea leaned against her car. Her stomach dropped and she felt like shit.

This day could not get any worse.

x x x

"He keeps glaring."

Mathilde and Lukas both yawned as they turned their attention to Timo. "Lukas, you should fight his ass," Timo insisted, motioning to Feliks. "Like, look at that, he's practically asking for it!"

"Too tired," Lukas mumbled.

"He lost the pillow fight last night."

Timo blinked, mouthing oh-kay as Svea approached the group. "Svea, tell Lukas to fight Feliks," he insisted.

"Why should he fight Feliks?"

"He keeps giving him dirty looks! He's asking for it!"

Svea shook her head. "The point of confronting him is to not start a fight. Jesus, Timo." She rubbed her temples. A headache was definitely coming on right now. "We can, I don't know, talk to him, like normal humans. Use our words, maybe?"

"People use words?" Timo slapped his forehead, gasping dramatically as Svea groaned. "Wow, I had no idea." Svea rolled her eyes and turned her back towards the three, walking over to where Feliks stood. She forced a smile, waving to him as he blinked.

"Svea, hi," he greeted her, looking over her shoulder at the trio she had been talking to. "Uh… didn't know you ran with that crowd…"

"Well, we spend a lot of time together," she explained, crossing her arms. "A lot of time being punished for something I'm certain none of us did. Maybe, just maybe, someone else did it, trying to see if they could pass the blame off onto someone else?"

Feliks frowned. "Oh, let me guess. Thomassen thinks I'm trying to blame him?"

"Well, you certainly don't have bad blood with just him." Feliks shrugged, looking over her shoulder again. "So, what's up?"

"I swear, it's not me." Feliks tapped his foot. "I can give you my alibi and you can check it out. But, I think you're right… someone's framing one or some of you. Even I know Timo Väinämöinen isn't a total asshole. Come on, the dude is best friends with Elizabeta and Eduard! Those two would never let him do that."

Svea blinked. "Eduard told me he was doing some investigating for Timo."

"I didn't know you and Eduard were close," Svea replied.

"Well, it's hard to explain…" Feliks rubbed the back of his head. "Eduard… he's still good with Indre… and like, I fucked up two years ago, so like, I try to get info from him to make things right, but…"

"So, stop right there." Svea smirked, holding up her hand. "You give me your alibi. If it checks out, then I'll give you a deal. You help be the eyes and ears."

"What's in it for me?"

Svea motioned behind her. "You know Indre is next door neighbors with Lukas and they're friends too, right?" Feliks nodded, his scowl ever present. "So, I know for a fact, Lukas doesn't see Indre like that, and… she might just be using him as a placeholder for another blond boy…"

Svea hoped her lie helped him take the bait. Feliks quirked an eyebrow, his sour expression fading. "And?"

"Lukas can help you make up with her and help you ask her to prom, with a bit of insight from me, of course. Lukas!" Svea waved him over and the boy grumbled, slowly walking over. "Lu, if Feliks' alibi checks out and he agrees to help us, you can get him back on Indre's good side, yeah?"

Lukas just immediately nodded. "Definitely."

"And help with a killer promposal for her?"

"She likes cupcakes, so just use those and she'll say yes," Lukas said without hesitation. Feliks nodded.

"Okay, fine, I'm in…"

Svea held out her hand. "Pleasure doing business. Send me all the information needed and we'll be in contact."

x x x

"It was that easy?"

Svea frowned as Erikur tilted his head. She had noted that his left check was swollen and bruised, as well as a laceration on his left arm. "Yeah, and, I checked out the alibi." Svea sighed, looking down at the time sheets Feliks had gave her at the start of the lunch period. "It all checks out. I called during lunch and they confirmed everything, even sent me an email confirmation on these hours."

"And he's going to be the eyes and ears for us?"

"Yeah," Mathilde confirmed. "He's so social and gossipy, that people just will somehow tell him anything and everything. It's great to have him on our side. He even said he was sure we're being framed."

"So, uh, Erikur, you gonna tell us what happened to your face? Or, let me guess, you 'ran into another door.'" Lukas rolled his eyes as Erikur huffed, covering the laceration with his hand as best as he could.

"It's nothing. It just… sometimes, it happens."

"Are you bullied in school? Like, I know Jones got you drunk, but does he like, corner your ass and take your lunch money?" Timo asked, perched on the top of the back of his chair, trying to steady his balance before it tipped over.

"It's not that, it's fine," Erikur snapped. "Come on, just… don't…"

"Don't what? Push the issue that this is the third time that I can remember you coming to school with significant, visual bruising and cuts?" Svea shouted. She covered her mouth and looked over at the office. "Erikur, come on! We're not stupid!"

"I said it's fine, and that's that. Now leave the subject alone!"

"What's going on?" Willie's head popped out from the doorway and everyone grew quiet. Timo fell backwards, tumbling away from the table as the vice-principal sighed. "Watch it, Väinämöinen."

When he disappeared, Mathilde shook her head as Timo stood up. "I don't believe you," she told him. "I don't believe you one bit."

Erikur frowned. "Well, you better… I don't know what else to say."

x x x

"Hey, Ki!"

Kiet scowled as he opened the door to his apartment. "What do you want?" he hissed. Mathilde tried to keep her smile from faltering, but it was hard with how angry he looked. She had never seen him this upset.

"I wanted to talk about yesterday."

"I don't think we need to."

"Listen, I wasn't lying," Mathilde insisted. "Erikur… he is kind of a brat. He's like those boys in kindergarten that pulls the ponytail of the girl they like. He's totally in a super heteronormative environment with the fact he's an athlete, and… he doesn't have a support system at home, I think."

She pretty much knew the last one was true. In fact, she assumed his parents did a lot more than not support him…

"So, like, he's kind of in the closet. Really far in the closet. Like, 'in Narnia fighting a war' deep. That far in." Kiet snorted, which helped ease her nerves. "But like, he says you're hot."

"Okay, cool, and how do I know he's not doing this to be an ass?"

Mathilde rolled her eyes. "Because, trust me, if there's one thing we have made Erikur become during this antagonizing detention hell, I think it's honest. He told me he was jealous you could be who you are, when he's like… he feels he has to hide?"

"Not my problem," Kiet said, waving it off. Mathilde frowned.

"Well, he kind of sort of has a huge crush on you. Like, was upset you're graduating and he's only admired you from afar kind of crush. Like, teen romance movie trope shit."

Kiet rolled his eyes and Mathilde offered a sheepish grin. "Okay, so, you think I'm interested in this asshole why?" Kiet snarled.

"You'd like him," Mathilde insisted. "I mean, he comes off as unlikeable, but I think it's a defense mechanism. He's not that bad, and besides, you like tall, athletic white boys with light hair and eyes who could probably pin you to the bed and…"

"Mathilde Wilhelmina," Kiet warned. Mathilde smirked as Kiet shook his head. "Okay, but… I don't fuck with boys in the closet anymore."

"I think he'd come out, just for you," Mathilde said thoughtfully. "At least to the school. His parents are… traditional, I think." Kiet crossed his arms. "If he talked to you, would you consider it?"

Kiet looked down at his watch, shrugging. "Whatever. Maybe."

"Are we cool?" Mathilde asked. "I mean, I know there was a lot of miscommunication, but you're like, my best friend, and I wouldn't do anything to hurt your feelings…"

Kiet finally smiled, pulling Mathilde in for a quick hug. "Yeah, we're cool."