This is quite a long drabble, but please enjoy!
I don't own Glee.
Jeff drummed his fingers against the tabletop, the faint thrumming echoing through the room. Sweat ran down the back of his neck, tickling his skin as it weaved its way through the fine hairs. His collar was damp with moisture and the fabric clung to his sweaty skin hopelessly.
It was hot. Not just 'hot' in the way someone would say, 'oh, its warm today, isn't it?'. No. It was hot.
It was very, very hot.
The stifling breeze coming through the windows made him want to choke. His horrid blazer had long since been discarded and was lying unloved in a messy heap on the floor beside his bag.
He sighed. Listening to Mr Appleby drone on about the Industrial Revolution was about as exciting as listening to Blaine go on and on about Kurt; about his hair, about his style, about his impeccable dress sense.
Jeff sighed again, shaking his head at himself. Now he was starting to actually sound like Blaine.
Jeff turned his head to look out the window. It was so hot he could see the waves of heat pooling in the air. The trees in the courtyard seemed to have liquefied in the sheer heat.
He leant back in his chair, fanning himself with his history book, which was at least coming in useful for something. Jeff wanted to curse at his parents for sending him to such a private school. He'd never had a problem with it before - in fact he loved his school – but it was at moments like these, when not a single room on the whole of the Dalton campus was installed with a fan, that he had to doubt it. All of Dalton was air conditioned. ALL of it. The classrooms, the dorms, the bathrooms, the locker rooms, even the showers were all installed with air conditioners. Which was why now, on the one day that the central cooling system had decided to go on strike, Jeff wished he was anywhere but Dalton. He was starting to despise going to a school that was so posh it didn't even have fans installed.
He sighed, looking at the clock on the wall above the teacher's head. This day was seriously dragging. Class was officially out in five minutes, and Jeff was relieved, although he knew for a fact that Warbler practice was going to be terrible. Blaine was well renowned for his deep, passionate hatred of all things hot, so inevitably his mood when he was sweaty was something all the Warblers had learnt to steer clear of. Practices in summer had become something for all the singers to hate, as it usually meant going through vocal runs or listening to their vicarious – though somewhat aggravating – leader rant for the whole two hours about the tough competition and how they really needed to step up their game.
The bell rang right as the clock struck three thirty, the long hand moving tortuously slowly into position. Usually, on any other day, Jeff would have been the first one up and out the door, racing off to the room he shared with Nick so the two could battle it out at Guitar Hero or something as equally riveting before practice. Today though, Jeff just couldn't will his body to move that fast. He was damp everywhere with sweat, and his blond hair clung to the back of his neck. He almost had to peel himself off his chair, his white shirt soaked with perspiration.
His classmates around him weren't much better, each one sweltering in the heat beneath their long sleeved shirts and trousers. Although, they seemed to be making better time than Jeff, who was still sluggishly trying to pick himself up from his chair while the rest of the room emptied, laughter and jests echoing off the walls of the now almost vacant classroom.
He trudged out of the room, feeling as though he was leaving a trail of sweat behind him. After several long and arduous minutes, he arrived at the door of the room he shared with Nick. He pushed it open and almost fell inside, his body exhausted.
His best friend was sitting on his bed, flipping through an old textbook when Jeff collapsed through the door, throwing his bag and blazer onto the carpet.
The blond groaned, rolling his head back and closing his eyes. "It's so hot, Nicky."
Nick rolled his eyes. "Jeff, its only 26 degrees."
"Yes, Nick. Celcius."
The shorter boy shook his head in exasperation at his best friend and roommate. "You're hopeless."
Jeff shook his head adamantly. "Not hopeless. Hot. Sweltering. Scorching. Boiling. Sizzling." He held his hands out in front of him. "Searing."
"Fine. Hopeless and hot."
The blond groaned and wiped his blazer across his forehead. "Any other time, Nicky, I would give you so much grief for admitting that I am, in fact, the hottest thing on the planet, but today my brain is having trouble coming up with a good comeback. It's having trouble thinking altogether, really."
Nick smirked. "Stop being such a drama queen."
Jeff just groaned and flopped down onto his bed.
"You know, I actually had a feeling this would happen."
The blond looked up at him.
"Yep." Nick nodded, taking a deep breath. "So I spent my free period this afternoon planning ways in which I could keep you most comfortable."
Jeff frowned. "Now you're just making it sound like I'm dying."
"Aren't you?" Nick raised his eyebrows in question. "Do you remember what you said to me when you walked in the door?"
Jeff sighed. "Fine. So maybe I'm not dying. But if it gets any hotter I may be in serious, serious trouble of heatstroke."
"Anyway," Nick rolled his eyes once again, "as I said, I spent my free period working out ways to keep you cool. Fresh. Chill." He smirked at his friend as he made fun of him.
"Yeah, yeah, I get it." Jeff sat up. "So what did you come up with?"
"Well, I took a little trip into town, visited the – "
"You took a trip into town?"
Nick nodded as if Jeff were slow. "Yes, Jeffy. Good boy. Sit, Jeffy."
"But how did they let you off campus?"
"I just filled out a leave form. Said I was going to visit my grandma in the nursing home."
Jeff laughed, shaking his head at his friend.
"What?"
"There's no nursing home even in this area, Nick. They closed it down months ago, remember?"
Nick's eyes widened. "They did?"
Jeff nodded smugly. "Yep. So once they actually get around to processing your leave form, they're going to realise you were lying. Aaannd my friend Nicky here's gonna find himself in one very long week of detention."
Nick groaned. "Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. I have never used that excuse before. That's the excuse you always use!"
"Why do you think I'm always in detention?" Jeff smirked.
Nick groaned again, hitting himself in the forehead with his fist. "I guess I'll just have to worry about that when it happens."
"Yes, please do get on with the story."
Nick sighed. "Anyway, I went into town, visited the bargain store and bought you...this." He pulled out a large box from behind the door as he spoke, dragging it in front of Jeff.
The blond gasped. "Nicky! Is that what I think it is?"
Nick looked at the box. "Well, if you're thinking it's a fan, then yes."
Jeff jumped up and threw his arms around his best friend. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! I love you, Nicky! You're the best! Let's get it out right now." He ripped frantically at the box, tearing away the tape and the bubble wrap and the plastic.
Nick laughed at his excitement. "Woah, calm down, Jeffy. I want it to actually work still by the time we get it out."
"What's that?" Jeff frowned slightly in confusion, gesturing at the large head of the fan, the back of which was covered in.
Nick grinned. "That, my friend, is where the ice goes."
"Ice?"
"Yep. You put it in the back there and it makes the air coming from the fan even cooler."
Jeff shook his head in wonder, a content smile on his face. "Have I told you how much I love you?"
"Not nearly enough."
"Well I do."
Nick smirked, pointing to a rectangular shape on the top of the fan. "And this here is the solar panel."
Jeff just looked at him.
"That's right. It runs on electrical or solar energy. We can use it outside during summer. I know your intolerance of any temperature greater than freezing, and this provides you with cool, fresh air all year long."
Jeff grinned at his best mate. "You know me too well, Nicky."
Nick smiled. "You do realise that once they fix the cooling system we won't need to use it that much."
Jeff nodded. "Thank you though. Seriously. You're the best friend ever!"
"Well, that's true..." He looked at Jeff. "Come on, let's get this thing going. Now you mention it, it is a little warm today."
Jeff gaped at Nick. "I knew it wasn't just me! Here you are, having endless fun making jokes about me, and you're standing over there just as bad!"
Nick grinned at him before turning serious. "Jeffy, I just want you to know...that we should never, ever tell any of the others about this."
Jeff nodded. "We'll never see it again if we do. Now come on. Let's get this thing going. Who knows what will happen if it gets any hotter."
Nick rolled his eyes.