Chapter 11 – Locks of Love

-:-:-

Unlike last time, Chad managed to coach Jay a bit before they actually got out onto the Tourney field so he wasn't as aggressive or showboaty, thereby guaranteeing him an easier time making friends. He had Carlos stick with him on defense, the young De Ville intercepting the ball where he could and passing it off to Chad for a surprise score, which made this first practice entirely more productive than their last one.

The end result had both Jay and Carlos joining the team, Jay seeming to glow with pride as he fingered his new jersey.

"Congrats, guys," Chad said when they trudged back to the locker room. "I'm proud of you." He paused when his exhausted brain caught up with what he said. "Not that you need my validation or anything."

"Hey," Jay said, placing one hand atop of Chad's sweaty curls and giving them a quick ruffle. "It's still appreciated."

"Look at me doing sports," Carlos murmured, staring down at their Tourney gear as they passed it back in to the storage room. "I can't believe I'm a jock."

"Jocks come in all flavors," Chad chirped. "And we benefit from adding you to our ranks."

"Yeah, we do," Jay laughed, pulling Carlos into a headlock that he seemed to greatly object to, as much as both of them also seemed use to the action.

It was enough to allow Chad to linger behind with Aziz, who'd been walking back with them. "Hey, they haven't been giving you trouble, have they?" Chad asked, something that had been worrying him since the beginning of practice. "About that whole 'best' thing?"

Aziz blinked, seeming surprised by the question, and hesitated for a moment in consideration before ultimately shaking his head. "It's fine," he assured, offering Chad a roguish grin. "It's certainly nothing I can't handle."

"Still," Chad said, biting at his lip with muted concern. "If there's anything I can do to make things easier- I mean, I would hate to make things harder-"

"I know," Aziz said, reaching over to give his arm a comforting squeeze. "And it's okay. There's always going to be some friendly ribbing, and those that are more aggressive about it- they're just jealous, is all."

Chad didn't know why they would be, at least, if they actually thought about his personality rather than his position. He supposed if he was the future king of everything, it didn't really matter if his personality was shit or not.

"Don't worry about it," Aziz insisted. "I'm certainly not going to."

"Okay," Chad said eventually, letting out a small huff. "If you're sure."

"I am," Aziz said. "Now tell me, is it true that all the transfer students joined the bowling team? I didn't even know we had one of those."

"There's a story behind that," Chad said, and then he launched into the tale as they trudged into the locker room, Chad bolstered by the easy smiles Aziz granted him, savoring the treat he'd so rarely received back in his own world.

-:-:-

Mal and the others had their first magic lesson on Saturday after Chad had taken Dizzy, Evie, and Harry shopping, the lot of them kind of just staring at the bounty offered by the fabric store before the others prompted them into motion, Ben's hand curling in Chad's while Dizzy clung to Evie, Harry pushing himself forward with a scowl as they descended upon the dizzying array of fabrics.

Chad ended up selecting options for the others when he found them – pretty purple and aqua fabrics for Uma that he loaded into Harry's cart next to sturdy brown fabrics for Gil. They found purple and black and white patterned fabric for Evie, lovely rainbow options to compliment Dizzy's go-to green, and even selected some material for himself so he could make Ben and his dad some new clothes, along with Fairy Godmother and King Adam and Jane and Doug, since he seemed to have inadvertently isolated the last two from the school, however accidentally.

"I don't mind," Jane informed him at dinner somewhat bashfully. "It was always a struggle to fit in anyway, being the principal's daughter. I like knowing I have a definite seat with you guys."

"Always, Jane," Chad promised, giving her shoulder a tentative squeeze. "Cinders and fairies stick together."

"I'm glad," Jane told him with a light flush. "I'd hoped for that before, and it hurt that we didn't have it, but I'm glad we have it now."

"You don't need to apologize for that," Ben informed him before Chad could do just that. "It wasn't your fault."

"Definitely not," Jane agreed, making Chad flush all over again.

Doug seemed to feel along the same lines as Jane, finding a kindred spirit in Carlos, with whom he could discuss robotics, and Evie, who eagerly listened to any of his conversations on the current state of Hanover. So it was a comfortable crew that strolled up to Fairy Godmother's house Saturday afternoon, Mal, Evie, and Jay representing the Core Four while Uma was the only member of the pirates to make an appearance. Chad was surprised to see Jane join them as well, looking worried but eager, and he supposed it made sense for her to want to indulge in that part of her heritage.

"I promise I'm not babysitting you," Chad said as they drew up to the cottage. "I just wanted to see you off, is all. Offer some last-minute moral support. I know you guys will do great."

"You're such a fucking sap," Mal muttered, a smile tugging at her lips. "And a lunatic. Who willingly arranges magic classes for villain kids?"

"You deserve to learn about that part of yourself," Chad said. "Magic's in your blood, it would be cruel to deny that for you."

"Yeah, but Fairy Godmother's a full-blooded Fae and she doesn't practice magic," Mal pointed out.

"She did, though," Chad said. "She still trained to totally master her natural magic, she just chooses not to use it. That doesn't mean you guys don't deserve the same familiarity with your own inherent magic."

"Even if we could use it to do evil?" Mal prompted.

Chad sighed. "If you did, that would be your choice," he said. "You deserve to have that choice, same as you have the choice to use your magic for good. That's what Auradon-"

"Sardinia," Ben murmured quietly.

"That's what Sardinia is all about," Chad corrected with a flush. "I hope you have fun with your lessons."

"You are such a nerd," Mal declared, but she swept easily into the cottage, leading the others with a confident charge that had Uma rolling her eyes.

Still, it seemed to be a positive change, at least.

-:-:-

"You betrayed us," Mal huffed that night when they had dinner in his private dining room – Chad inviting Jane, Doug, and Aziz to join them as well, though Lonnie couldn't make it, the Imperial City teen out with her other friends. "We spent the entire time studying theory."

"Well, you know what they say," Chad hummed. "Fundamentals are the building blocks of fun."

"Nerd," Mal groaned, though Evie was kind enough to let her flop against her shoulder, the princess offering Mal a few consoling pats on the head.

"At least it's interesting," Uma said with an amused smirk as she dug into her food. "And she has so many books."

"She said we can read them!" Evie chirped, spurred by her excitement to acquire more knowledge. "But only in her study. She said we could visit after school if we like, though. Mal, would it be okay if I did that?"

"As long as you have a buddy," Mal said, her expression entirely fond, the half-Fae demonstrating an affection this open only a week into her stay, which raised Chad's hope for the future.

Things were going well, and they could only get better from here.

-:-:-

Chad wasn't sure how it started. At some point or other his suite had become the go-to hangout place for all the transfer students and the AKs he had collected for that first night hike. They trickled in after their post-school activities, doing homework together or working on personal projects before the lot of them trotted off to dinner or, more often than not, Chad had dinner brought to them and they ate in his private dining room, because they deserved to have private meals where they weren't being stared at and what the hell else was he going to use that giant table for anyway?

Part of him wondered if Ben had ever found a use for it, and a bitter part of him hoped he hadn't, because if the brunette had that meant Chad had never been invited to partake in special mealtimes with the other prince – not that he would have deserved them, but the stubborn sense of longing remained.

Of course they were still sure to take dinner out in the dining hall once per week. They needed the other students to get used to seeing the VKs, even if that subjected Chad to more advances from hopeful admirers.

For them, it was worth it. For them, he'd do things right.

There was a chance Ben was not a hundred percent onboard for post-school hangouts at first, but he was slowly but surely getting used to the fact that these people wanted to be his friend specifically, whereas before he'd believed they were just tolerating him to be with Chad. Now Chad could watch Ben and Mal and Gil huddle together with their sketchbooks as they worked on projects for their art class, or see the brunette talk about the newest books they had selected for the impromptu book club he, Doug, Jane, and Harry – of all people – had started up.

Chad liked seeing the doors to the suite flung open, liked seeing his loungeroom occupied as Gil and Dizzy worked on their studies together on the window seat while Evie and Lonnie bullied Jay into doing his homework over on the couch. Aziz would shyly trade tips with Harry and Uma while Jane would check Mal's work whenever she asked for it, Doug and Carlos pretending not to watch on with shy looks, and just about any of the groups would welcome Chad into their folds.

He'd work at his desk and Ben and Evie would be at the breakfast table on the far side of the room, or Gil would be sprawled across the floor as he and Jane reviewed the next project for their cooking class.

It was a sort of bustle Chad hadn't gotten before, and maybe it was a bit overwhelming that he could actually have this at times, but for the most part, he was content with the minor chaos that had overtaken his life.

That day, he, Evie, and Uma had been reviewing the latest program updates for the emergency child refugee relocation programs. They'd been given detailed blueprints of the Isle's current standings from King Eugene the week previous, and between Uma and Evie, they were determining the best routes to take to collect the children with minimal opposition.

Chad had only been paying half attention to what was going on in the lounge, one of the double doors open so they could have a clear line of sight to the others, when he heard Jane say something that brought his current train of thought to a screeching halt.

"I just wish I was prettier," she said, something low and confiding that Chad likely would have missed had she and Mal not been so close to the door. "Like you and Evie and Uma."

"You're pretty, Jane," Chad said, abandoning his work and startling the two Fae as he moved to crouch down beside their huddle. "Who said you weren't? I'll Bibbidi Bobbidi punch them, except like, in the high society way."

Jane stared at him with wide eyes, a light flush spilling across the bridge of her nose, likely embarrassed by Chad's weak threats. "No one. I mean, Audrey did, so everyone else kind of just does too."

"Forget Audrey," Chad snapped, feeling angry all over again. He wondered if Audrey had said the same thing to his Jane back in the real world. "Forget everyone else. They're wrong."

"Just…" Jane swallowed, ducking her head to avoid Chad's earnest look, Mal watching on with an expression of neutral interest. "My hair, though."

That, of course, was the one thing Chad couldn't fix, and it was enough to leave his shoulders slumping. If she was this uneasy, then the same thing that had happened back in his world must have happened here as well.

"I'm sorry," Chad said, settling a comforting hand on her shoulder. "That never should have happened."

Jane gave him a sort of hopeless look, moisture gathering in her eyes, and it didn't take much for Chad to draw her into a hug, letting her curl against his chest while her grief rocked through her.

"What happened?" Uma asked, because the captain was there too, her and Evie having followed Chad over, likely out of curiosity. "I didn't think Jane would cry over a bad haircut. Princess maybe, but not Jane."

"Full Fae only grow their hair once," Chad explained, rubbing a comforting hand down Jane's back while she shuddered in his arms. "Because of this, there's rumors that their hair possesses magical restorative properties." He tucked Jane's head closer to his shoulder, carding a hand through her soft strands as though that could protect her from the cruelties of the world. "Jane was attacked a few years ago by some whackjob – he cut off most of her hair."

"My mom gave up magic when Chad's mom died," Jane gasped, quiet tears trickling down her cheeks. "There's nothing we can do."

In Auradon, at least. Before, Mal's hair-changing spell had taken care of things, the half-Fae restoring Jane's curls post-coronation after she'd apologized and the story of Jane's assault had come out.

She'd didn't have access to that spell book now though – it had been somewhat of a Maleficent specialty that couldn't be duplicated by any of the other magic users in Auradon, so this time, they were at a bit of a loss.

"I think your bob's pretty," Chad said, even though he knew that wasn't the root of the issue. The main problem was the fact that Jane was reminded every day of her traumatic attack, was reminded that something had been permanently stolen from her, and maybe it was just hair, but it had still been hers. "And I like your headbands. Especially the ones with bows."

"You don't have to be nice," Jane croaked. "I know it's dumb."

"They're pretty just like you are," Chad insisted. "You couldn't hide that if you tried."

Jane let out a watery laugh, one hand reaching up to press against her mouth.

"Can't we do something?" Mal asked, her lips turned downward in a scowl. "There has to be some kind of magic that can fix this. Your hair should be whatever the fuck you want it to be, damnit."

"I think I read something in a potion book at Fairy Godmother's," Evie offered. "I'd dismissed it because some of the ingredients seemed too specialized to obtain, though."

"What do you need?" Chad asked, perking up.

Mal didn't have her spell book this time around because of him – he didn't want to be the reason for Jane's extended hurt, not if there was an alternative way to fix it.

"Hair for hair," Evie said, one finger twisting in her own navy locks. "But it needs to be blessed? It didn't really specify-"

"My mom was Fae blessed," Chad said, a smile tugging at his lips. "Fairy Godmother said that was why she was able to sense her pain. She says our whole line is. That means you could use my hair. How much do you need?"

Evie blinked, looking his curls over. "I'd have to doublecheck, but I- I think we need all of it."

Chad paused for a second, surprised by this, then shrugged. "Okay, done. What else do you need?"

"Chad," Jane said, pulling back to give him an unreadable look, a flush dusting her cheeks. "You can't give me all your hair."

"Sure I can," Chad said. "Mine will grow back, and then your hair will be fixed. It's a win-win."

"What's going on?" Ben asked, because their little party had finally gotten the attention of the others, and of course Ben was quick to glue himself to Chad's back, Doug cutting a line to Jane so he could offer her his handkerchief.

"We're gonna make a potion to fix Jane's hair," Chad explained, and then he launched into what he'd already covered with Mal and the others.

"You're gonna shave your head?" Aziz asked, taking this in with a confused blink.

"Yeah, it'll be fine," Chad said. "I'll just wear hats for a while." He turned a shy look towards Ben. "Will that be okay?"

The brunette seemed confused by his attention. "Of course," he rumbled eventually, nuzzling the curve of Chad's neck. "It's your hair. I'll like you no matter what you do with it."

At that, Chad shuddered, hoping he wasn't blushing as hotly as he felt he was.

"O-Okay then," Chad said, turning his attention back to Evie. "So then it's just a matter of getting the other ingredients."

"We'll need to go down to Fairy Godmother's," Evie said. "Jane, do you think she's home now?"

"Yeah, she's done with meetings for the day," Jane sniffed. "Wait, you want to do this now?"

"The faster we do it, the more time there will be for your hair to grow," Chad chirped, rising to his feet. "Let's get started now, we can be back in time for dinner."

"I can do your hair!" Dizzy offered, literally jumping to her feet. "I used to work in my grandma's salon. I'm used to shaving heads."

"Then I'll grab my razer," Chad said, ducking back into his bedroom with Ben on his heels.

Uma and Mal must have worked together to narrow down their party while he was gone, because while everyone seemed to want to join them on this quest, going together would be far from inconspicuous. The end result was Chad and Ben, of course, and then Jane, Evie, Uma, Dizzy, and Mal.

"Lonnie, you're in charge," Mal informed the Imperial City teen with a knowing look. "Don't let Jay and Harry kill each other."

"You got it," Lonnie chirped with a wink, giving Mal a two fingered salute before she herded the others back towards their respective homework. "Alright, people – let's get those worksheets wrapped up before dinner time!"

"You chose well," Uma said, the closest she ever got to awarding Mal praise, and there was a slight chance that Mal's cheeks flushed a small hint of pink, but Chad would neither confirm or deny this.

"Here," Jay said just before they left, pressing his signature knit cap into Chad's hands. "For the walk back."

Chad paused, a delighted smile pulling at his lips because he would never not be happy to receive Jay's clothes.

Some hero worship/friendship hopes never really died.

"Thanks," Chad said, tucking it into his pocket before Ben could start growling, and then they were off.

As good as Fairy Godmother was at rolling with the punches, there wasn't much that prepared her for their motley crew rolling up to the doorstep of her cottage with her glossy-eyed daughter in-tow. Evie was the one to explain things when she ushered them in, the princess showing off the passage she'd found in the Book of Potions Fairy Godmother had allowed her to review during their magic sessions.

"That should work," Fairy Godmother said, still seeming to process things. "But Chadwick, honey, are you sure?"

"Of course," Chad said, grinning brightly. "It's the least I could do for my Fairy Godperson, but more than that, it's the least I can do for my friend."

Jane might have started tearing up a little bit after that, but Mal simply looped an arm over her shoulder, cuddling Jane protectively against her side and sending them fierce looks as though to ask if they wanted to start something about it.

"Then this can be done," Fairy Godmother said. "In truth, I hadn't dared to ask for such a thing after my exile, especially when your grandfather seemed so averse to you interacting with Jane or myself, but this is… it's a great generosity, Chadwick. We're in your dept."

"You really, really aren't, though," Chad said, cheeks flushing dark. "So um- you guys can get the potion started while Dizzy shaves my head?"

"Yes," Fairy Godmother said, offering a smile wrought with overwhelming fondness – something he hadn't earned in his own world in so very long. "I'll get you a towel."

Like they had in the summer, Ben held his hand while Dizzy shaved Chad's head, the blond trying not to pay attention to the new feelings of cold or the weight he was losing as blond curls fell onto the dark colored towel. They were sure to save each and every strand, and when they were done, Chad pulled Jay's hat on, offering Ben a bright grin.

"Still a cutie?" he asked, knowing it was pushing things to ask in front of Dizzy, where Ben couldn't give an entirely honest answer.

But Ben simply leaned forward, planting his mouth just under Chad's ear and nipping at the sensitive flesh. "Always."

"Focus, you two," Dizzy tutted, grinning at Ben's responding growl. "We have to get this stuff to the others."

"Right, right," Chad said, feeling flushed as Ben continued to nuzzle him.

"Later," Ben rumbled. "I will show you how very cute you are."

Guess Chad didn't look nearly as dumb as he feared, if Ben still seemed to like him this much.

They worked together to get the hair into the cauldron that Fairy Godmother and Evie already had bubbling, Uma and Mal working together to doublecheck the ingredients list in between comforting Jane, who watched on with wide eyes, like she couldn't believe this was happening.

"You did it," she whispered when Chad pulled up beside her, Ben curling an arm around his waist. "You actually- Chad."

"It will grow back," Chad said, reaching out to hold her hand. "Just like yours will."

It took another ten minutes for the potion to be ready, the hair needing time to meld with the other ingredients until it was a smooth, glowing liquid that Fairy Godmother carefully loaded into a glass.

"It works best fresh," she explained as she handed it off to Jane. "You'll need to drink every last drop, but we should see results by tomorrow morning."

"Okay," Jane said, still seeming skittish, but Mal was there to give her shoulder a comforting squeeze and Chad gave her a thumbs up so she drank the potion as ordered, flushing when the glass was completely empty. "I… I feel…"

"That's the blessing," Fairy Godmother explained. "A gift returned with good meaning. The feeling should settle in a few hours."

"I'm happy," Jane said, beginning to tear up again.

"It's a beautiful thing, dear," her mother murmured, drawing Jane into a hug. "So that's a very natural response."

-:-:-

They returned to Chad's suite to great fanfare, all of them offering Chad a round of applause for his new, hairless status.

"I think my mom now officially likes you more than me," Aziz chirped, rubbing the top of Chad's head and shifting Jay's knitted hat in a sort of noogie.

"Aziz already told her about this," Jay informed them. "Because he's a mama's boy."

"Yes," Aziz said, unrepentant. "Yes, I am."

"She will never like me more than you," Chad informed Aziz with a flush, batting him away only to get pulled into a hug by Gil, who quite literally swept him off his feet.

"But if she did, we would not be surprised!" Gil chirped, setting him down with a flush. "Because that was a very nice thing you did. I don't think Harry would have done it; he likes his hair too much."

"I fucking would have," Harry snapped, batting Gil away so he could offer Chad his own awkward shoulder clap. "Princey's right, it's just hair. Duckling should be able to do whatever the hell she wants with hers without assholes bothering her about it."

"Aw, thanks Harry," Jane said shyly, a slight flush blossoming across her cheeks while Doug and Carlos awkwardly hovered near her, unable to commit to the hugs they so obviously wanted to give.

"I think this calls for celebratory pizza," Lonnie declared, her words being met with cheers. "Who's down for junk food and cuddles?"

"Me!" Dizzy chirped, offering Chad yet another tight hug before she moved onto Evie, before Gil followed her lead and picked up Uma and Harry at the same time.

Chad laughed, snagging Ben's hand before he got any ideas, and upon seeing that Jay was still lingering nearby, seeming to have finished up some whispered conversation with Mal, the prince tugged the borrowed hat off his head, offering it back to its owner.

Jay blinked, flushing when he looked over Chad's now bald head, before he nudged the hat back towards Chad. "You can keep it," he said. "Evie's been wanting to make me a new one anyway."

"Thanks," Chad grinned, happily tugging the hat back on. This really was the best of both worlds, wasn't it? At least, for the moment. "I'll treasure it."

"Yeah," Ben rumbled, his lips planted just under Chad's ear, brushing against the hem of the hat. "He will."

"Evil," Jay hissed, but then Mal was shoving him towards Chad's bedroom, where the others had gathered for some celebratory tv to go before their celebratory dinner and Chad just- he couldn't be happier, even if he was bald now.

Ben kept him back, but only for a moment, turning Chad so he could hug him so close.

"You are such a good person," he rumbled, his hands firm on Chad's hips. "We're very lucky to have you. I- I'm glad you messed up that spell."

Chad tensed, but only for a moment, because Ben was offering him a nice heart-to-heart, and there was no point in ruining that by mentioning the spell book he was still working on hidden in the bottom of his dresser.

In instances like this, sometimes it was best to stray from being entirely candid, so Chad opted for something he knew was true anyway. "Me too, Ben," he said, because he really was a greedy thing. "Me too."

-:-:-

Chad didn't see Jane again until it came time for bowling practice (she had joined the team too, along with Doug and Aziz), and when he did, the awkwardness of losing his hair was entirely validated by the way she seemed to glow.

"Jane!" he cheered, her usual bob extended a good three inches, setting off a set of soft curls that made her look more like her old self. "You look amazing! I mean, you did yesterday too-"

"I know," Jane interrupted, dragging him into a tight hug with a swell of confidence she didn't normally exhibit, like she was being allowed to finally reclaim herself. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Chad said, happy to help Jane in a way he'd never been able to manage before. Happy to give back to his Fairy Godperson he'd had to avoid for most of his life back home.

"Alright, saps," Mal ordered, breaking them apart with a wave of her hands before she patted the top of Chad's head the way one might a dog, and unlike with Audrey, it didn't make Chad feel the least bit scared. "Shoe up – we've got bowling to do."

"Yes, Mal," Chad and Jane chirped at the same time before going to retrieve their shoes. It was always best to follow the future queen's orders, and here and now, there was nothing else Chad would like to do.

-:-:-

"Your hair," Malvin croaked at Tourney practice the next day, the DunBroch prince staring at Chad's head after he'd safely stowed Jay's hat in the depths of his locker. "Ye really did shave it all off for Jane?"

"Yep," Chad chirped, offering Malvin a bright grin before he continued changing his clothes. "She's my Fairy Godperson."

"And Ben was okay with that?" Malvin pressed. "Because he tends to get all growly-"

"Ben was perfectly okay with that," Aziz, of all people, interrupted. "He supports Chad's decisions."

"But like, this isn't the same as lending someone five bucks," the redhead continued. "Ye shaved your head for a person. Some might consider that an act of love."

"It was," Chad said lightly, making Aziz, Jay, Carlos all tense. "Jane's my friend and I love her. If I can help her be happy, then that's something I'm going to do."

That was what you did for friends, Chad was pretty sure. He didn't have any of them back home, but hypothetically speaking, he was pretty sure that was what you did. At the very least, the VKs seemed to make it look like that.

Malvin still didn't seem to get this. "Okay – so hypothetically speaking, what if Jane and I switched places? What if I was the one who couldn't grow their head back without your help. Would ye shave your head for me?"

"You don't care about your hair, though," Chad said, not understanding where he was going with this.

"Pretend I do," Malvin said. "Would ye do it for me?"

"Um." Chad flushed, because he and Malvin hadn't exactly been close in the old world, even if the blond would have hoped for it.

"No, ye wouldn't," Malvin pressed on. "Because that would be crazy. We're not that good of friends, and don't go trying to argue that because ye feel guilty, it's just true."

"What are you getting at?" Jay spoke up finally, the end of his patience seeming to have been reached.

"I'm just saying that maybe Chaddo here cares for Jane more than he thinks," Malvin chirped with a wink. "And maybe our dear Benjamin should be worried about that."

He was- he thought-

"I wouldn't cheat on Ben," Chad said, feeling humiliated by the implication.

"The heart wants what the heart wants," Malvin hummed, and although it was playful, it still kind of hurt. "I'm not saying ye'd deliberately hurt him-"

"No, you're just being an asshole," Aziz spoke up. "Stirring up shit for the fun of it."

"Well, ye gotta admit it's as good as a fairytale ending," Malvin continued, undeterred. "Pretty Fae was attacked and her dashing prince sacrifices his hair for the one he loves."

"It would only be a fairytale if I'd like, sacrificed my sight or something," Chad countered, his cheeks feeling hot. "It's just hair, Malvin. Unlike Jane, I can grow it back. This isn't a big deal."

"So ye say," Malvin hummed. "But not a lot of people would have done that."

"Then a lot of people are assholes," Chad countered with a huff. "I really didn't do anything special."

"Lay off him, Malvin," Hero, the son of Hercules, spoke up with a sigh. "There isn't any gossip here – Chad's just a good guy."

"Still think Ben should be on the lookout," Malvin countered even as he returned to the task of changing. "Maybe not for Jane, though."

"Yeah," Aziz grumbled. "Just from everyone in the school."

"Bitter much, Aziz?" Malvin laughed. "Wishing it was ye that got to cuddle between Chad and Benjamin at night?"

"Shut up, Malvin," Aziz hissed before turning his focus back towards his locker, Chad feeling hopelessly lost.

"Is your sister mad at you again?" Chad asked Malvin. "You only get like this when you two are fighting."

At that, Malvin's cheeks flushed dark. "We're not fighting, because there's nothing to bloody fight about when she's wrong."

"Pretty sure Marsaili doesn't feel the same way," James hummed somewhat knowingly, and things seemed to get back to normal after that.

"Just ignore him," Chad offered Aziz when things seemed to have settled again. "We all know he makes up crazy stuff when Marsaili's mad at him."

"Right," Aziz said, not really looking at him. "I… thanks, Chad."

"Thank you," Chad countered, giving his shoulder a few comforting pats. "I'm really glad we're friends."

For a moment, the Agraben tensed, and then he let it go with a sigh. "…me too," he said, and he must have been more riled by Malvin's stupidity than Chad expected because he was a bit quieter for the rest of practice, but emotions were funny things sometimes. Chad, of all people, certainly did not blame him for having them.

-:-:-

Endnotes:

Ah, the rare Thursday update. Yesterday was super crazy and I may or may not have forgotten that I hadn't updated yet.

Story notes:

'Fundamentals are the building blocks of fun.' Is definitely stolen from the movie 'Uptown Girls'.

I know canonically the reason for Jane's terrible haircut was that she accidentally went to the wrong salon or something – I don't know – but I can't see any real reason for her stressing about a problem that is by all means temporary unless it wasn't, in fact, temporary at all. So I came up with the whole Fae-only-grow-their-hair-once thing. It's not something I'll bring out often, but it was a fun experiment nonetheless.

Marsaili is another original AK, she is Malvin's twin, the princess of DunBroch. Hero is also an original AK, short for Herodotus, I believe. I could look it up on my own fact sheet but I'm feeling lazy ;)

Until next time :)