A/N: Someone complained that I spoiled stuff in the first Author's Note, so I won't say anything up here other than THANK YOU ALL FOR READING AND SUPPORTING! I honestly would have given up on this story if it weren't for your reviews!
See you at the bottom!
~Webs
BE THE SURPRISED, JEALOUS YOUTH STARING AT HIS CRUSH ALMOST MAKING OUT WITH A GIRL
That's pretty easy, considering Karkat looks like he actually wants to start making out with her!
Well, I guess its unfair for me to assume he's gay, just because of the other day, but still. I think I might hate Jade Harley now. And what the fuck is with those wide eyes, Karkat? She's not even that pretty!
Aw, who am I kidding? She's drop-dead gorgeous.
The next half an hour is a blur, mostly me being pissed off at Jade, Karkat noticing, Jade being close to freaking out, and Karkat ordering me away before I start attacking her or something. It's lucky Aradia drove me to school today, leaving my car behind, because I probably would have crashed into something if I had been allowed behind the wheel.
I make it home alright walking, but I completely ignore Aradia's greeting from the living room before stomping up the stairs to my room and slamming the door behind me.
I know I'm being completely unfair, to both Karkat and Jade, but I can't exactly help but feel protective of KK. I mean, where was she what Karkat was so scared he ran ten miles? Where was she when he was attacked by Michael? Where was she when all Karkat needed was a good hug?
I groan, flopping down onto my comforter. Karkat's going to be pissed; I can tell they used to be fucking close, and KK isn't going to take to me being angry as fuck lightly. I'm constantly torn between wanting to tell Karkat everything, and not saying anything for fear of ruining our friendship.
I honestly haven't had one this close, but I can't tell if it's because of my feelings for him, or if we're just that: friends.
I probably would have continued feeling sorry for myself for my behavior if my phone didn't start buzzing from its place in my coat pocket, something I had neglected to take off.
-CarcinoGeneticist started pestering TwinArmageddons at 4:11 p.m.-
CG: DUDE, ARE YOU ALRIGHT?
CG: YOU WERE ACTING FUCKING WEIRD
-I don't really feel like responding, but I'm thankful he didn't call me, because he'd be able to tell everything from my tone of voice. It still takes me a moment to answer though; recomposing your thoughts while feeling like fucking shit is rather difficult.-
TA: ii'm fiine
TA: 2orry, you know, about jade...
CG: IT'S FINE, BUT WHY THE HELL WERE YOU SO ANGRY?
TA: you wouldn't beliieve me iif ii told you
CG: HEY, YOU LISTENED TO MY STORY, SO I'LL LISTEN TO WHATEVER SHIT YOU'VE FUCKED UP
TA: that mean2 a lot kk, but ii thiink ii'm fiine for now
CG: HA
TA: what?
CG: WHAT KIND OF IDIOT DO YOU TAKE ME FOR, CAPTOR?
CG: GO ON, SPILL THE BEANS
-What the hell do I tell him? That I have an automatic grudge against Jade because she got to kiss him first? Because she thinks she can just waltz in after eight years and expect KK to fall at her feet?
Hell, he had almost even done that.-
TA: kk, ii really don't want to talk about iit
CG: DUDE, IS SOMETHING GOING ON WITH YOUR UNCLE OR SOME SHIT?
TA: no, iit'2 nothiing liike that
CG: THEN WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?
TA: kk, ii really can't 2ay. not riight now, not for a whiile
CG: WHY?
TA: becau2e...
TA: ii'm not going to 2ay
CG: IF IT'S ABOUT JADE, I'M KINDA OVER HER
-That stops me in my tracks. That fear had passed through me many times: that Karkat, newly reunited with Jade, would happily skip off into the sunset with the prettiest girl in the school.-
TA: what do you mean "you're over her"?
CG: I'M NOT GOING TO LIE: I USED TO LIKE HER. A LOT. BUT EIGHT YEARS IS A LONG TIME TO HOLD ONTO A SIMPLE CRUSH
CG: 'SIDES, I LIKE SOMEONE ELSE NOW
CG: WHOOPS. I DIDN'T MEAN TO TYPE THAT
-I won't deny I'm grateful for the conversation change, but I don't think I really want to know who Karkat likes. I swear to god, if its a girl, I might scream.
TA: who?
CG: UM...
CG: YOU WOULDN'T BELIEVE ME IF I TOLD YOU
TA: try me
CG: IT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN, CAPTOR
TA: aw, c'mon kk, plea2e?
CG: NOPE
CG: 401 ACCESS DENIED
TA: ...
TA: ii don't thiink ii can top the iinternet reference
CG: HELLS NO, YOU CAN'T
TA: look, ii 2hould probably go
CG: ALRIGHT, BUT THIS CONVERSATION ISN'T OVER, CAPTOR
CG: I'LL GET IT OUT OF YOU EVENTUALLY
-CarcinoGeneticist ceased pestering TwinArmageddons at 4:21 p.m.-
"Sollux?" I don't look up at Aradia's voice, rather content to keep my face buried in my pillow. "Is everything okay?"
"I wath being an athhole." I growl.
"Oh, well, um... I don't think I have a big-sis pep-talk for that." I snort. God, now I'm being an ass to Aradia.
"Thankth for athking though, AA."
"Sollux, what kind of sister would I be if I didn't?"
"Tch, a normal one." Oh god, how can she be laughing when I feel like the lowest piece of shit to ever crawl out of the ground?
"You've got a point there!" She stops laughing and flips her huge mess of hair over her shoulder. "Hey, I know you're feeling down, so why don't you help me cook dinner tonight?"
"Mumph."
"I'll see you downstairs in five minutes then." I hear my door close softly behind her, followed by the padding of her feet on the marble staircase.
We may have maids and stuff, but my aunt is very adamant that we cook our own food, so "we don't get too lazy".
It's actually really fun to cook with Aradia, because we're both on the same level: nonexistent. Hell, we don't even know how to boil water, so it takes a really long time to get the pasta started. From there, we only needed to heat the sauce, and we're lucky we had two jars, because we burned the first.
I've almost forgotten about my exceedingly asshole behavior when Aradia tells me to make garlic toast. Normally, I don't know how to use a toaster-oven, but I mirror the movements KK had made Friday night, and I actually turn out some pretty good toast, but the whole process leaves a sour taste in my mouth, knowing KK is probably still mad at me.
Uncle is really surprised we managed to fend for ourselves in the kitchen when it didn't involve the microwave, and says he actually likes the pasta sauce. Dinner passes happily, but I find myself unable to eat too much. I think Aradia notices, but I ignore her, and her completely spotless plate. Had she licked the thing clean?
Once back in my room, I send a quick message to KK.
-TwinArmageddons started pestering CarcinoGeneticist at 6:23 p.m.-
TA: hey, can you 2end me jade'2 number?
CG: HUH? WHY?
TA: um, ii thiink ii 2hould apologiize
TA: you know, for earliier
CG: OH
CG: WELL, THEN YEAH
CG: HER HANDLE IS GARDENGNOSTIC
TA: thank2 kk
CG: NO PROBLEM
-TwinArmageddons ceased pestering CarcinoGeneticist at 6:28 p.m.-
-TwinArmageddons started pestering GardenGnostic at 6:29 p.m.-
TA: um, hey jade
GG: who is this?
TA: 2ollux captor
TA: kk gave me your number
GG: oh, well, um...
TA: ii ju2t wanted to apologiize for earliier
TA: ii gue22 ii wa2 haviing a bad day?
GG: i completely understand!
GG: we all have one of those every now and then! :)
TA: yeah, so um...
TA: friiend2?
GG: friends ^-^
-TwinArmageddons ceased pestering GardenGnostic at 6:34 p.m.-
Wow, that was extremely awkward.
Actually, Art isn't as bad as I'd thought it would be, with KK, Jade and I all at the same table. Things between me and her returned to how they were before KK: simple, a little quiet, but nothing short of friends.
I catch KK smiling every now and then, but he quickly tries to hide it, especially from Jade. The two still seem really close, which surprises me a little. Apparently they had this huge feelings-jam out on the soccer field and now they're completely fine. There was certainly some fucked up crap in fourth grade, but I don't ask about it, because, hey, that was eight years ago.
We're working on our final pastel projects, ones drawn from an object we brought into class. KK is doing what looks like a pair of knitting needles (the fuck?) and Jade a small dog tree-ornament. She says she's even named it Bec. I, having forgotten to bring anything in today, am drawing my wrist-watch at KK's suggestion.
God, Jade is terrible. I can't even tell what she's managed to draw, but it certainly isn't the ornament. It could possible be a plushie squid, but it looks as far away from Bec as you can get.
KK's, of course, is gorgeous. I will never understand how he got those to look so 3D with just the oil pastels, or how they look like you can just pick them up from off the paper. I guess I'm doing alright, my watch looks pretty good, but I still try to hide it from KK at the end of the period. He'd probably just laugh.
We say goodbye to Jade, and start heading up to math. On our way, Feferi passes us, and waves to us, beaming as usual. I stiffly wave back, and KK smiles, but damn does it look forced. Curious, I try to read his expression, but I'm saved from having to by KK's question.
"Hey, are you still into Feferi?" I hold back a laugh.
"Ha, far from it. Nah, thee'th Eridan'th."
"'Doesn't mean you still can't be into her." We walk to our normal seats at the back of classroom, KK automatically getting out a sketchbook to while away the passing period.
"Well, I'm not. I like thomeone elthe." He raises his eyebrows.
"Who?"
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." I smirk.
"God, you're a bastard." He shakes his head and starts drawing; it's so easy to turn his own words against him.
"Tho, what do you wanna do for free period? We can go back to the planetarium if you want." He perks up significantly at that, and math passes without a hitch.
I keep wanting to think KK's fallen asleep, but I'm comforted by the sound of his charcoal against his paper. I honestly have no idea what he's drawing, but he seems really concentrated on it, so I don't bother him. We're sitting in one of the back rows of the planetarium, and I'm reclined almost all the way back. KK is sitting a seat away, but turned towards me with his sketchbook open over his knees, which are hooked over the armrest facing me. He keeps glancing up at me, then back down to the paper, making my neck heat up uncomfortably.
I shift for the eighth time in the past five minutes, trying to shake my blush.
"Jesus Christ, would you stop moving?" KK barks, surprising me into stopping.
"Why? You got a problem?" His eyes glare at be over the top of his paper.
"Just hold still. I'm almost done." I raise my eyebrow, about to ask 'almost done with what?', but his middle finger in my face cuts me off.
I smirk and, just for the hell of it, stand up to stretch the kink out of my back. KK protests loudly, much to my amusement.
"Whoopth." I snerk. He just chucks his eraser at me, which hits my neck rather painfully. "Jethuth chritht, KK!" He sticks out his tongue and packs up all his stuff, then starts walking away without me.
He keeps up the silent treatment all through History and lunch, until the last five minutes before passing period. I was about to give up on trying to get him to speak to me, when he reaches across the table we're sitting at to jab the palm of his hand to my forehead, effectively silencing me.
"Geeze, are you ever going to shut the fuck up?" He rolls his eyes, then a smile finds its way to his lips. "You really are desperate." That causes me to furrow my eyebrows.
"What do you mean 'dethperate'?" He shrugs.
"Just something Feferi said during English yesterday." Oh, you've got to be kidding me.
"What did thee thay?"
"Nothing, dude. It's not a big deal." Well, I beg to differ.
Unluckily for me, the passing period bell rings, and KK and I go our separate ways to get our English stuff. It's while I'm looking for an extra pencil in the depths of my locker that Jade appears, looking as innocent as ever.
"Hey, Sollux!"
"Oh, um, hey Jade." She trots up to me, hands behind her back harmlessly, but she looks damn suspicious. I close my locker awkwardly.
She just stands there a minute, eyes following Mrs. Martin as she passes behind us and heads around a corner, then Jade's smile vanishes.
Before I can protest, she's hit me across the chest, shoving me against the lockers. Her green eyes are locked into mine, staring intensely, as if reading me.
"U-Um, w-what're you doing-"
"You like Karkat, don't you?" The words leave her lips as more of a statement than a question.
"U-Uh-"
"Don't deny it, buster." Her hand is now clamped onto the collar of my shirt, a thousand thoughts racing through my head. "I've seen the way you look at him." She squints, and I know she'll see right through anything I'm about to say. "So I ask again, do you like him?" I know I'm blushing, because Jade is smirking triumphantly. "I knew it."
"U-Um, Jade, can you let go of me?"
"Not until we get something straight, buster." She leans in closer, until I can feel her breath against my skin. "Break his heart, and Nanda'll be the least of your worries."She hisses, looking far more menacing than someone of her stature should.
Then her words sink in.
"W-Wait, what?"
"Kat's my best friend, Sollux. Break his heart, and I will kill you." Her threat doesn't really register in my thoughts. She's not telling me to back off?
She seems to sense my confusion and smiles again, but this time it's warmer.
"He's all yours, tiger."
A/N: For those of you following me as an author, you'll notice I've started another story. DON'T FREAK OUT. It'll be difficult, but I'll be writing these two simultaneously, and Runners will probably be continued after I finish C&S. But I WILL finish it. I'm not giving up on it.
So yah, so more long beginning author's notes. I'l probably shorten the heck out of the ones down here too, since several people say they aren't really relevant :/
Anyhoo, I think I'm ok with this chapter. Sollux is confused, I want a best friend like Jade, and Feferi's called Sollux desperate. WHAT COULD POSSIBLY BE WRONG?
Caio for now!
~Webs