thanks everyone for support as usual. delayed in posting because holidaze kept me from the laptop.

a lot of drama happens a lot in this chapter here ig.

I'll be on vacation from tomorrow until Wednesday, so no updates tomorrow or Tuesday (because at this point I'm trying to update daily), but I'll be working and writing (and Netflixing) what's left to come. I'm, once again, struggling on a part in chapter 39, and ironically, it's another Svea scene (my problem spot in 38 was also Svea related).

pray for my liver, friends, 42 oz. margaritas are calling my name.

The Five Fabulous Suspects
Fallout

"And so, I just wanted you to know…" Lovino's voice echoed over the school intercom. "That I am still Lovino Vargas, and that if you would care to donate even a dollar to the local LGBTQIA Resource Center, which the donations will go to mental health resources for homosexual and transgendered teens alike… because really, nobody should feel threatened and intimidated and I'm not taking that sh- crap from anyone."

Erikur's head snapped back to Lukas and Svea, who lingered by the table as Lukas began to violently cough, spilling his sports drink all over the table. Svea blinked, looking over at Lukas as hit his chest aggressively. "Lu?" she asked, because, to be fair, the kid was weird, and showed shock in weird ways.

"Holy shit, I didn't think he would…"

"You knew?" Erikur asked, his eyes widened as Lukas shrugged.

"We talked yesterday…" Lukas winced as his throat burned. "I uh, I told him what had happened… and what was happening with Feliciano. I figured he had a right to know, and if he knows, maybe this can help Feliciano go to our side, and we can get out of this soon…"

"Timo comes back tomorrow, too. I'm sure if we can get Feliciano on our side, we can definitely convince Willie that Timo isn't the mastermind he thinks he is." Svea smiled as Lukas nodded. Erikur hummed, his eyes glancing around the lunchroom as Feliciano moved quickly towards them.

"Oh, here he comes…"

The three watched as Feliciano stormed over to the table, his face red and his eyes narrowed as the saw the three pairs of eyes on him. "Oh, he looks mad…"

When Feliciano reached them, he put his hands on the table – or more accurately, slammed them on the table. "Why would you convince him to come out?" he sputtered, glaring at Lukas. "Why? I was trying to protect him, and now…"

"Hey, it's not Lu's fault," Erikur interjected. "Lovino is old enough to make his own decisions. He has his friends who will help him, and I know that Antonio and his girlfriend won't allow anyone to insult him…"

"But you…!"

"Feli, calm down!" Svea commanded. Feliciano backed up a bit, looking at Svea as if he wished to challenge her, but wouldn't out of fear. Lukas and Erikur exchanged a look, surprised by how she was able to calm him down so fast. "Lovi made the decision. He obviously feels comfortable with the decision made, or else he wouldn't have done so. Lukas didn't make him. Nobody made him…"

"No, you guilt tripped him!" Feliciano replied.

Lukas scowled, saying, "Yeah, well, to be fair, he wouldn't have been happy had we just revealed in a grand exposure party you're an easily manipulated sheep who has been vandalizing the gym…"

"Oh, well, I guess this is great! Alfred has nothing to hold over my head, so you can go right ahead and rat me out!" Felicano shouted.

Svea frowned. "We're trying to help you, Feli. Nobody is trying to rat you out or ruin your life…"

Feli rolled his eyes. "Well, you sure are doing a great job of confirming that."

Balling her fists, Svea opened her mouth, but shut it as Erikur frowned. "You know what you did was wrong, but what Alfred is doing is fucked up and harmful. You have two options: help us, or get fucked over by Alfred in the end…"

Feliciano scoffed, turning his back to the group. He walked away as Lukas bit his lip. The three stayed quiet, exchanging nervous glances as the lunch bell rang.

x x x

"Timo!"

Svea smiled as she ran up to her car. Timo frowned and uncrossed his legs, sliding off from the trunk of her car. Svea paused, slowly taking cautious steps towards him. He looked unfriendly. "Hey, uh… excited to be back tomorrow?"

"Oh, I'm sure you're not as excited as I am." Timo sneered. "Besides, I'm sure you've been busy entertaining all the different boys…"

Svea's jaw dropped, stepping back a bit. "E-excuse me?"

"So, tell me, Princess," he spat. "I know we were never an item – never 'official' or anything, but when were you planning on telling me you were sleeping with Alfred this whole time? And that you also had little flings with Francis?"

Svea paled, her heart accelerating in her chest. She gripped the strap of her backpack, looking away. "Well, if we weren't an item…"

"But you wanted it, and you had to have some inkling…"

"I mean if you don't tell me…" Svea frowned. "I'm not a mind reader…"

"I love how you're at least honest. Even if you're still trying to defend your shitty actions." Timo balled his fists, backing up against the car as Svea stepped back. They both were trying to put enough room between them, and Timo had an inkling as to why.

"I'm… you don't even know the truth!" Svea shouted. Timo snickered, shaking his head.

"Oh, sorry, I forgot how possible it was to trip and fall on someone's dick." Timo crossed his arms. "Were you ever going to tell me about them? About Sadik? About…"

"I told you I wasn't a virgin."

Timo snarled, "Yeah, but I didn't think you were a promiscuous tramp." Svea's eyes narrowed. "I forget, I wasn't good enough for you to touch, so you had to get off with the rich and popular boys…"

"That's not fair, Timo!"

"Yeah, well neither is what you did to me!" Timo shouted. "Fuck you, Svea." Svea stepped closer and shoved him against the car as hard as she could. "Get your hands off of me!"

"You have to listen to me!"

"No! I'm done with your shit. Go on. Run off and fall into the arms of prince fucking charming. Go to prom with him. Go help him fuck us over even more, like I bet you've been doing this whole time!"

Timo slid away from Svea, spitting on the ground near her foot as she flushed bright red. "If you would just…!"

"Just what? Act like it's okay? No, fuck you Svea. I'm not doing this. This was a bad idea. You and I? We are a bad idea. It was stupid of me to think that I could even think I could fall in love with someone as selfish, conceited, and bratty like you!"

Svea froze as Timo spat again. "Ti…"

"Fuck off, Princess."

Timo stormed off as Svea's eyes widened. From behind her, a gentle hand fell on her shoulder and she jumped. Turning around, she inhaled sharply, meeting Erikur's sympathetic gaze as she sniffled, wrapping her arms around his neck as she began to sob into his shirt.

x x x

"This is a bad idea." Kiet looked over the lid of his cup at Mathilde as Mathilde continued to glare at the two females sitting across the coffee shop. The black haired female laughed at something the brown haired girl said. "Mathilde, just… leave it."

"No, they need to know how harmful they are to him."

"Why does it matter? He's happier now." Kiet grumbled to himself as Mathilde slid her chair back, the legs scrapping against the floor. "Thilde," he warned.

"No, fuck this. I'm giving Raya Hristova and Indre Laurinaitė a piece of my fucking mind."

Kiet shook his head as Mathilde stood up, walking over to the table as the girls continued to talk about an assignment. She placed her hands on her hips, clearing her throat loudly as Raya and Indre turned to her. Raya rolled her eyes as Indre gasped, her pencil slipping from her hand.

"Oh, joy, it's the tramp."

"Funny," Mathilde sneered. "I think it's really cute how you can be incredibly harmful and toxic to a friend, but I'm the bad guy apparently…"

Indre flushed, looking away as she sighed. "What do you want, Mathilde? Come to try and ruin our lives too?"

Mathilde huffed, tapping her foot impatiently as Raya flicked her wrist. "I cannot believe you both. Lukas is your friend. He was always there for you, and yet, here you out, shutting him out!"

"Well, maybe if someone wasn't so involved…" Indre sighed as Raya spoke. "Really, you think we wanted to? He made his choice as to who his friends were – terrible teens who drink too much and will probably cost him that stupid scholarship he doesn't deserve!"

"Raya…" Indre frowned. "It's not like we wanted to shut him out, but… he seemed to be heavily favoring you…" Indre scoffed. "Which is a mistake all on its own."

"Yeah, too much so…" Raya snorted. "Like you were ever good for him."

"Or good enough," Indre mumbled. Mathilde swallowed the lump in her throat as Indre looked her over, examining her from head to toe. "Honestly, this boy was Ivy League material, and he's going to throw it away on you."

"Hey, instead of being catty as hell," Kiet spoke, appearing behind Mathilde as he took her hand. "Maybe look at yourselves. Nobody likes a bunch of bitter hags." Kiet stuck out his tongue as Raya sputtered and Indre gaped. "Come on, Thilde, I get the feeling that this place is definitely home to the freaks and geeks who think they're better than everyone…"

Kiet dragged her outside, huffing as they reached her car. "You're stupid. What good was that going to do?" he asked. "Talk sense and maybe they'd accept you and your relationship with Lukas?"

"W-what relationship?"

Kiet sent an you have got to be shitting me look towards Mathilde as she flushed. "You shouldn't meddle when you have no need. Everything is fine now. Let it be. If they don't accept you, then Lukas will decide what that means… and it sounds like it doesn't mean jack shit to him, so…"

"This isn't about me! It's about self-worth!" Mathilde snapped back. "And don't you lecture me, when you can't even keep a sturdy boyfriend, Kiettisuk!"

Kiet frowned as he looked down. Mathilde sighed. "Sorry."

"No, you're not the one I need to hear it from…" Kiet inhaled sharply. "Sorry."

x x x

"Kiet!"

Kiet sighed loudly as he removed his tie, tossing it over onto the chair as he walked into the living room. His mother grinned, waving him in as his eyes drifted to the other side of the sofa, where Erikur sat with a cup of tea in his hands. He frowned. "Uh, I'm tired."

"Kiet, don't be so rude!" his mother snapped. "I was enjoying a conversation with your boyfriend here. He's so nice. I can't believe I never sat down with him and…"

"We're not…" Kiet tried to interrupt.

"This tea is really good, Miss Sripuy!" Erikur interjected, cutting off Kiet before he could finish. Kiet's mother laughed.

"I swear, if you don't call me Kat, I'll never make you another cup! What is it with you kids refusing to call me by my name?"

"Katreeya," Kiet grumbled, looking anywhere but at Erikur. She frowned. "I'm really tired. I had a hell of a day at work… and I really just want to get some sleep, so, I'm sorry if this seems rude, but…"

"But I really need to talk to you, Kiet." Erikur frowned as Kiet shook his head. Kat frowned and crossed her arms. "Please? I'll make it fast."

"Mom," Kiet groaned. Kat stood up, humming to herself as she collected her own cup of tea.

"I'm going to hop in the bath. Have fun, and if you're having sex… not on my sofa, but be safe!" Kat giggled as she quickly scampered off. Kiet shook his head and sat down in the armchair across from the sofa. Erikur smiled, still red from Kat's comment, looking at Kiet as the older male rolled his eyes.

"I'm sorry."

"Oh, yes, I forgot. I need to let you apologize and then I have to fawn all over you and forgive you and suck your dick, then we can live happily ever after. In a closet." Kiet waved him off. "Been there, done that. I'm too old to make these mistakes."

"I really care about you," Erikur mumbled, still looking at Kiet as the older teen was determined to look anywhere but at him. "Kiet, I mean it. I've been pining after you for so long… and we weren't fair to each other."

"Okay, so…"

Kiet watched as Erikur shifted. "I mean, I want to be with you. And I'm not giving up on you. I shouldn't have been a dick, but… I just you have to trust me when I say I need to time to figure this out?"

"Figure what out? You're gay and you like me. What's there to figure out?"

"I need to figure out how to come out…" Kiet sighed as Erikur spoke. "And it would mean the world to me if you were by my side the moment I did. I can't promise it'll be today or tomorrow or in a month or never, but…"

"I want to be there too, but Eri, I think we're not…" Kiet bounced his foot as Erikur's eyes narrowed. Kiet bit his lip, before adding, "Eri, you know it's rough. I'm ready to be myself. I'm out, and in a few months, I'm going off to the university and you'll be here and really… we're uh…"

"I'd be willing to try if you want to."

"I just need time to think, okay?" Kiet finally said. Erikur sighed. "And I think you do too."

Erikur stood up and forced a smile. "Yeah, no… that's fair…"

x x x

"Mind telling me who the fuck you think you are?"

Mathilde snorted as Lukas threw a pillow at her. "Feliks texted me. Feliks, Mathilde! Said you got nasty with Indre and Raya in the coffee shop downtown!" Lukas snapped. Mathilde tapped her chin.

"So, Dre and Feliks… they're an item, then?" Mathilde said in an attempted to change the subject. "That's good…"

"That," Lukas shouted, "is so not the point! The point is you stuck your nose where it doesn't belong–!"

"Because you're my friend!" Mathilde responded. "And you know, it's really cute how you can stand up for me but when I try to do it for you…"

"Nobody was giving me shit, Mathilde," Lukas hissed. "That's the difference. We were going our own ways. Nobody came up and called me a 'slut' or tried to tell me how terrible I was…"

"No, not to your face," Mathilde grumbled, crossing her arms. "You just have this fucking God complex. Where you think you need to help everyone and save everyone but then you won't let anyone in to help…"

Lukas threw a pillow at Mathilde with more force than was necessary. Mathilde flinched as Lukas narrowed his eyes. "You didn't need to go sticking your nose into my business!"

"But you make it a big deal when Jan insults me, and you even stand up for me. How is this any different?"

Lukas scowled, replying, "I was there, and he wasn't going to let up. I did it to shut him up, and he was being ruthless!" Mathilde rolled her eyes as Lukas shook his head.

"So, it's not okay if I try to help you?"

"It's not okay to not mind your own fucking business."

"That doesn't make any sense!" Mathilde shouted. "They sat there and they told me how we shouldn't be friends. They said you don't deserve any scholarships. I tried to defend you to them. Why do you want to protect them?"

"Because they weren't doing anything except enjoying their coffee in the same place you were, Mathilde!" Lukas answered. He was annoyed and this was growing on his nerves. "You know, fuck you, Mathilde. You try to get involved in everyone's business and you end up making it twenty times worse! I can only imagine what kind of hell you'd cause Erikur…"

"Or I could, you know, be helping him," she grumbled.

"You know, maybe they were right. Maybe you aren't good for me…"

Lukas looked away, trying not to let it show how he really didn't believe it. Mathilde frowned as Lukas stood up and began to pace, ignoring her glare. "What the hell is your problem? I tried to help. And you know why? Because this was bothering you! It wasn't fair to sit here and watch you have a shame spiral internally every time your old friends said something to or about you. All I've been is nice and friendly and helpful!" she shouted. Lukas frowned.

"I had it under control!" he retorted.

"You mean by drinking your problems away?" Mathilde sneered. Lukas froze, his eyes narrowing as she leaned back. "Yeah, you were totally in control." Lukas stormed over, grabbing his bag as Mathilde frowned.

"Don't fucking talk to me again, Mathilde!" Lukas screamed. As he stormed out, Rosie appeared in Mathilde's doorway, as Mathilde called out and tried to chase after him. Rosie stuck out her arm, cutting off Mathilde as the front door slammed.

"He needs space. Leave it."

"No!" she protested as Rosie grabbed her shoulders, forcing her back into her room. "Let me go, Rosie!"

"M'ija, calm your body." Rosie pulled Mathilde into a hug as Mathilde stopped struggling, sniffling quietly as she buried her face into Rosie's chest. "It's okay, Thilde. You'll be fine. Just calm down and make it right tomorrow…"

Mathilde nodded. "O-okay, you're right. We n-need…" She sniffled and Rosie reached for a tissue box, handing it to her as she bit her lip and wiped her nose. "I need t-time…"