Chapter Two

"Ludwiiiiggggg!" The shout came from outside and nearly scared Gilbert shitless. He pulled his headphones off and listened for a moment. "Ludwiiiiggggg!" There it was. Suddenly he recognized the voice and sighed with some irritation.

He looked out the window to see a small woman waving frantically at him- Feliciana Vargas, his brother's girlfriend. He pushed the window open and Feliciana grinned up at him.

"What is it, Feli?"

"I'm sorry, Gilbert. I must have gotten the wrong window again," she said, but she didn't seem too apologetic about the mistake. "Can you get Ludwig for me?"

He should have said no, but he only sighed, which she took as a sign of her success.

"Ah, ve, Gilbert, thank you!"

He headed towards Ludwig's room, where he was sure that his brother was either doing homework or lifting weights. Regardless, he wasn't really sure how he hadn't heard his girlfriend shouting. Feliciana couldn't be considered quiet even on her best days. He knocked on the door before pushing it open.

"Hey," Gilbert said loudly. Ludwig had indeed been lifting weights and sat up from his bench press when Gilbert entered. He pulled an earbud out. His blonde hair was damp and his cheeks were flushed from the exercise. "Feli's here for you, I figured I'd warn you before I let her in."

Ludwig cursed under his breath like a man who knew he was about to get jumped by a small Italian woman. Gilbert grinned at him. "Do you want me to tell her you're in the shower?"

Ludwig shook his head vicariously. "Nein, that would just be worse."

The way Ludwig spoke of his girlfriend would make outsiders think that she was an annoyance. Ludwig loved the girl more than anything; Feliciana was just the kind of personality that was distracting in the best way. Gilbert suddenly realized that his brother wasn't going to be doing much else for the day.

When he let Feliciana in, she immediately shot past him to Ludwig's bedroom; as he turned to return to his room he saw the door shut behind them. He snorted.

His canary was singing listlessly when he returned. "Gilbird…," he stroked the bird's head. Gilbird was the best pet he could ask for, but he had a tendency to get loud if something else did. So of course he loved Feli. He was throwing a fit because she hadn't come to see him.

"She won't forget about you," he told the bird, and in response he let out a sad chirp. Gilbert picked him up and placed him on his shoulder, where Gilbird nuzzled his neck.

He sat back down at his desk, where he had been working on a paper for his literature course. It was due on Monday, just a couple of days away, but he'd only managed to write slightly more than a paragraph. He felt hopeless. He let out a huff of air and picked up his phone to text the group chat with Antonio and Francis. It wasn't very late and surely they could find some activity worthy of their hooligan effort.

Gilbert: Is anyone else fucking bored?

He waited a moment to see if either of his friends responded.

Antonio: Si, Lovina's ignoring me again

Antonio: I don't know what I did wrong this time

Francis: It might have something to do with you blowing her off yesterday

Francis: Mall?

Antonio:

They arranged to meet at the mall with only minor bickering between Antonio and Francis. Gilbert stayed out of it. Francis had a lot of opinions on how Antonio and Lovina treated each other, and Francis maintained that he was just trying to help, but Antonio took insult every time. He would point out that there was a reason he had a girlfriend when Francis did not. Gilbert was checking the time on his phone when it lit up with a new message.

Unknown: Is this Gilbert?

Well, that's fucking creepy.

He decided to ignore it and stuck his phone into his back pocket.

He'd taken more care than usual on his outfit. He'd actually made an effort to coordinate the colors he was wearing. He'd tossed a black flannel on over a band t-shirt, pairing the combo with a pair of dark blue jeans. He nodded in the mirror. His friend group was called the Bad Touch Trio for a reason. Well, they called themselves that.

Whenever they went out, it was pretty much required that they flirt with any attractive individuals who caught their eye. Francis was arguably the best at flirting, while Antonio's looks made up for what he lacked in charisma. For whatever reason, women sunk into his green eyes; it was probably a good thing they didn't know how much of an idiot he actually was.

Really, he thought, they were all idiots.

Gilbert wasn't the most popular of the group, but he did have a talent for flattery. Although his physical appearance was startling, he did surprisingly well with dating. Not actual relationships, unfortunately. But that was fine. He didn't need a relationship to know that he was the coolest out of the group.

A small voice in the back of his mind reminded him that if he were actually that cool then he would be dating someone.

Gilbert shook the thought off.

Get the fuck outta here.

They met up in front of the Chili's, all starving. The hostess looked mildly curious when they moved towards her. "Just three?" she asked, smiling. Francis grinned and leaned in slightly. "Unless you would like to make it four…," he purred. She bit her lip and blushed. "I, um. Right this way." She grabbed a handful of menus and led them towards a booth in the back. Gilbert frowned as he caught Francis staring at her ass. He slapped his arm. "Dude."

Francis shrugged, no guilt to be found.

It seemed as though Francis really liked the hostess, whose nametag proclaimed her to be Tabitha; after she sat them and another waiter took their drink orders, he wandered off to flirt with her some more. He came back a moment later looking triumphant.

"I'm coming back to pick her up after her shift," he explained.

Gilbert's eyes rolled back so far in his head it was a miracle they didn't get stuck.

"Ah," Francis started, as though he remembered something. "Where were you for third period? Mr. Ramirez was asking. The man is so nosy."

Gilbert grimaced, remembering the meeting with Ms. Elizaveta. "Ah, disciplinary meeting in guidance. I might have hit Roddy a little too hard. He was threatening to sue."

Francis and Antonio laughed. "What a sore loser!" Antonio said through laughter.

"So what is the verdict?" Francis asked, pulling a roll from the basket which had just been brought. Gilbert took a sip of his coke and frowned.

"Well, I'm one fuckup from expulsion." Francis' eyebrows shot up. "I wasn't expelled this time on the condition that I would help this kid pass his math class." He didn't tell them about the part involving the kid tutoring him as well.

"She said that people who fail out or get expelled make the school look bad." He shrugged.

"Doesn't that seem like it should be against the rules?" Antonio asked in concern. Francis nodded thoughtfully. "How are they supposed to keep track of that?"

"Ms. E's supposed to check in regularly with his teachers to see how he's performing." Gilbert scowled. "It's stupid if you ask me. But I'm not trying to redo the entire year either."

"Who are you tutoring?" Antonio asked.

Gilbert shook his head, "Some kid named Matthew. Never heard the name, so maybe he's a freshman. Can we talk about something else please? I just wanna cause some trouble tonight." His two friends nodded, but Francis' face looked as though he had something on his mind regarding the arrangement.

They finished their meal and headed into the mall. Francis declared that he needed new pants (while Antonio argued that he absolutely did not) and they headed towards one of the fancy boutiques. Gilbert and Antonio decided to opt out of this store and instead go towards the food court. Gilbert might have just eaten, but the idea of a soft pretzel made his mouth water. Antonio, on the other hand, wanted to stop by the Italian booth to see if Lovina was working. Gilbert desperately hoped that she was not; if she was, there was a good chance the conversation would soon turn to an argument.

Antonio headed towards the booth. As he walked away, Gilbert caught a glimpse of a familiar head of brown hair. Feliciana was here, which meant…

Ah, shit.

"Gilbert!" she bounced over, her long chocolate hair bouncing cheerfully. She pulled him into a surprisingly strong hug. Her grin was so big that her eyes were close to being forced shut. "What are you doing here? I thought you were still home with Luddy."

"Nah, it was a crappy day so me, Antonio, and Francis came to screw around." She frowned suddenly. "Antonio…" Her eyes moved towards the booth.

"Oh, no. I'm here to pick Lovina up from work. She isn't in the best mood today."

Gilbert rubbed his head. "Ja, I'd heard. Antonio insisted." She shook her head.

"Ah, I knew I should have brought Ludwig. Looks like I might be here for a minute." She looked tired for a moment, but then perked back up. "Oh, well," she said. "That just means I can do some shopping!"

She left then, to go shop in some store that Gilbert would probably want nothing to do with. He got his pretzel and copped a squat at one of the tables. He checked his phone again, ready to tell Francis to hurry up. The unknown text stared up at him. He thought about ignoring it again, but his curiosity got the better of him.

Gilbert: ?

He wasn't saying anything until he knew who had texted him. A moment later, a new text came in.

Unknown: Sorry, I knew it was a bad idea to just send a text. Sorry. Ms. E told me to text you about the tutoring.

Oh. It's that kid.

He'd momentarily forgotten that he'd given his number to Ms. Elizaveta for him. Of course, he'd jokingly said, "Call me," when he handed her the card back. She had, of course, slapped him. Maybe a little harder than necessary.

Unknown: It's Matthew, by the way.

Gilbert: Oh ja. I forgot I gave her my number.

Gilbert: How are you wanting to do this?

It was a few minutes before he received a response, but he wasn't entirely surprised. His response had probably seemed a little rude. To be fair, he really wanted nothing to do with this whole arrangement.

Matthew: Do want to meet at the library after school Monday? At 3:30?

Gilbert: Sure, if that works for you.

Matthew:… I'll be honest. I have no clue who you are. How will I know it's you?

Gilbert was almost offended, but to be fair he had no clue who this kid was either. He tried to describe himself but kept deleting what he'd typed. Ugh. What was he supposed to say?

I'm the kid with white hair who everyone avoids like the plague?

He decided just to send a picture. He snapped a quick selfie and sent it.

It was a long moment with no response. He finally decided just to rip the bandaid off and send a second message.

Gilbert: What about you?

Surely the kid would send his picture. This was weird as fuck, surely the kid knew that.

When Matthew responded, Gilbert was a little disappointed.

Matthew: I can't, really. My camera is messed up.

Gilbert frowned.

Am I getting catfished by my fucking tutor?

He huffed a little but responded.

Gilbert: Ok. Monday at 3:30 then. Library.

He stuffed his phone back into his pocket without waiting for a response. At that moment, Francis returned. He had a happy pep in his step. "They were having a sale~! I got three pairs of chinos half price!"

He wasn't sure why he was so offended that Matthew hadn't commented on his looks. Well, it wasn't as though every guy out there was gay. Maybe the selfie had been weird. Well, not the selfie itself but the fact that he'd sent it. He ignored the thoughts. "You're just in time to see the world set itself on fire," Gilbert said unenthusiastically. He nodded his head towards where Antonio had spotted Lovina and was trying to get her attention.

"Mon dieu," Francis cursed quietly. "Should we try and stop him?"

"There's no point." Gilbert said certainly.

"FUCK OFF!"

If a person could make a sound like an explosion, it was Lovina. While she was almost identical to her sister Feliciana, she had the polar opposite personality. At 6'0 Antonio towered over her, but Lovina could stand her own ground. She pointed in frustration to ground, motioning towards nothing.

"Lovi- I don't understand what happened…"

She grabbed her head. "Tonio, nothing is wrong. I just didn't feel like responding, okay?! You don't have to be up my ass every time I don't text back! Please just… God. I'm sorry. Just. Let me cool down." She deflated. Antonio reached out for her. She took his hand grudgingly. Her face turned red and she looked at the floor. "I'm sorry," she muttered guiltily.

"Jesus," Gilbert said to no one. Francis nodded. "I'm so glad I'm single," he agreed.

"Speaking of which," Francis turned towards Gilbert and raised his eyebrows. "Shall we prowl?"

The mall, it turned out, didn't have a great selection of hunks or beauties that day. Gilbert was disappointed. How come Francis had a date, Antonio got makeup sex, and Gilbert was going home to his brother. Who had also gotten lucky earlier in the day. He moped as he and Francis wandered through the mall. Francis had gotten a girl and new points.

"Oh, Gilbert, will you lose the grumpy gus face?" Francis scoffed. "I'm sure there's someone interesting around here." In that moment, Gilbert did see someone interesting.

"Hey, shut up," Gilbert said in a rush. "Is that that kid I ran into in the hallway this morning?" Francis followed his gaze and his face flattened strangely.

"Ah, I think so." His voice made it clear that Gilbert had been correct.

He recognized the blonde curls and the slouch of his shoulders. He hadn't had very much time to pay attention to him this morning, as the group had been running late. He was standing awkwardly by one of the benches and staring at the floor. There was another guy that Gilbert recognized from school with him; he thought he might have been on the football team.

"Alfred…," said the awkward one. The other guy, who Gilbert guessed was Alfred, looked up in annoyance. "Hold on!" he hissed. He was deep in conversation with a busty brunette, and she seemed to be giving the universal signal for go away. "Sorry about my brother," Alfred said. "We're about to go, but could I get your number?"

His brother looked more than relieved. He sighed again and pushed up his round-rimmed glasses. Gilbert took a moment to consider him. Soft blonde curls framed a heart-shaped face that still somehow managed to be masculine. He had a small curl that stuck up almost like a cowlick. Before he could overthink it, he walked over.

"Gilbert!" Francis yelped.

As Gilbert approached him, he looked up. His eyes widened and Gilbert was filled with slight satisfaction. He sidled up and said, "Hey. Sorry I ran into you this morning." He was pleased to see his face flush a brilliant pink. From this distance he could tell that he had slight freckles over his face and his eyes were a brilliant indigo color.

"It's um.. It's fine." His voice was soft. He picked at his hoodie awkwardly.

"Matt!" The guy looked over at Alfred, who was making an obvious gesture to leave. "I'm.. I'm sorry, I have to drive my brother home." He smiled at Gilbert nervously, and then walked away with a small wave.

Gilbert stared as he left. Now… Now he was interesting. He thought of the way he had blushed and felt a strange urge to take him apart and find out what made him tick. Matt. That was his name. Hmm.

Francis was snapping his fingers in front of his face. "Alright," Francis said. "I think that's enough for the night." He had a strange expression on his face. It wasn't upset, but it also didn't look happy.

"Do you know who that was?" Gilbert asked him.

Francis shook his head. He was lying, and Gilbert could tell. "Non, I only remember him from this morning."

Gilbert frowned at his friend and wondered what was going on.