div class="userstuff module" style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; width: 1088.63px; float: none; word-wrap: break-word; color: #2a2a2a;"
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"After weeks of spending a substantial amount of one-on-one time with the younger boy, Roy had to admit to himself that he was rather enamoured. The truth of it was that if they'd met under any other circumstances, their first encounter - which had gone anything but smoothly - would most likely have been their last. But they had been forced together, and looking back on it, Roy felt rather grateful./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"There was something to be said about a friendship born from adversity. They'd overcome initial hurdles, and reassessed their views of each other. The reality was that Roy had never intended to like Jason. He hadn't wanted to like him. span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"It just happened./span There had never been any getting around it. Knowing the situation involved with their meeting made Roy's feelings a lot more genuine, in his opinion. The connection they'd established felt a little inevitable./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Not to mention that Roy's grades were improving. Jason really was a good tutor, he gave his all to anything he was committed to. Jason was always so encouraging of the things that Roy did, wanted him to succeed. It had been a long time since Roy had felt that. Even though he was ever grateful for Jason's presence in his life, it was still slightly disheartening to know that his main support came from his young tutor, and not his legal guardian./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Oliver was home on this particular weekend. Roy had arrived from school on Thursday afternoon to find him laughing boisterously in the kitchen with 'uncle hal', though Ollie was the only one who actually bestowed him with that title out loud. As Oliver's best friend, Hal Jordan knew him better than pretty much anyone. Hal had no illusions about the kind of man that Oliver Queen was - not ever malicious but more often than not entirely clueless. Roy liked Hal. He knew that the pilot had tried on multiple occasions to talk to Ollie about his responsibilities, to no avail. It really was saying something that even Hal had dropped hints. Hal was the very definition of the 'fun uncle', he had no responsibilities of his own whatsoever, and happily so. The fact that someone like Hal would intervene was especially telling, and a true testament to how incredibly dense Oliver could be. Ultimately, regardless of his intentions and opinions, Hal's hands were tied, there was only so much he could do. But every time Roy came face to face with Uncle Hal, he'd get a soft - almost sad - smile and a 'how ya doin', kid?'./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Roy had told Oliver about the tutoring - not the extent or cause of his slipped grades, of course - but that there were things he struggled with, and Bruce Wayne's ward was helping him out. Ollie scoffed at the mention of the other billionaire, explaining that they knew more span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"of/span one another than they actually knew each other. Apparently Oliver couldn't understand how someone with Mr Wayne's funds and resources was so opposed to the idea of fun. Roy didn't know Jason's guardian, they had yet to meet. But Roy still felt the odd urge to defend, to tell Oliver that people had different ideas of exactly what 'fun' was. Bruce had done so much for Jason, and seemed like a good-hearted, kind man. Besides, if Ollie knew how Roy spent his down-time, there'd be Hell to pay. Roy sometimes felt that he was acting the way he did to spite Oliver, and maybe there was a little truth in that, but ultimately Roy was someone who spent a lot of time alone. Without strict and consistent guidance, kids like him fell prey to peer pressure and wrong crowds. Sometimes Roy was so filled with conflicting emotions that the need to expel that feeling of being overwhelmed was impossible to resist./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Band practice on the Friday night was brutal, Roy took his frustrations out on his drum kit, sweat pouring from him as he drove himself harder, his rhythm unfaltering. Afterwards he stripped his shirt off and lay against the concrete floor, his slick skin creating a spread-eagle imprint beneath him. Battle of the bands was a week away, and the boys were amped up, working themselves hard. They needed to be ready. It was with that in mind that Chucky spoke up, he passed the joint to Roy before sharing his news./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""I was chattin' to one of the sound guys at the bar, right? I had to go check things out for the gig, discuss the equipment set-up. He's a good dude, knows his shit, y'know?" Chucky was animated, clearly had his mind set on whatever he was about to share. Roy let out a huff, finishing his drag before passing the stuff on./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""Said he could hook us up with some really good shit," Chucky continued, "good quality Blow. It keeps you up, up, up. All the confidence you need, instantly. And it'll keep us wired for the after party. Whether we win or not the night's gonna be a messy one, and we ain't missing a second of it."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"The guys murmured enthusiastically, and Roy had to admit that it sounded good. This was their first competitive gig, and Roy had to admit it was nerve-wracking. He could do with an edge. He knew their set backwards, he could drum it in his sleep. As long as he had rhythm he could get it done, and every drummer has rhythm. He couldn't afford to let stage-fright become a hurdle. From what he knew of cocaine it was a stimulant like few others, instant gratification in the form of utter euphoria, king of the world kind of good. Roy could use that feeling. With a bump of his fist to Chucky's, it was a done deal. Bring it on. The other bands wouldn't know what hit them. Great Frog were gonna take the world by storm./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Joey - their bassist - dove to his backpack, his sudden movement jarring and unexpected amidst the happily stoned musicians. He flung a crumpled piece of paper in the center of their circle, a dopey grin on his face as he took back his seat. Roy rolled over to grab at it, flattening it out to find an illustration, a large green frog stared up at him, its eyes hypnotic swirls of yellow and blue, a crown atop its head. It was good./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""My sister's friend's an art student at the local college. Paid her a couple of dollars to sketch something up for us. Figured maybe we could make flyers," Joey explained, bouncing slightly in place, "Hey, maybe we could get jackets?"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Roy rolled his eyes, but folded the paper and stowed it in his back pocket. He'd scan it in when he got home, add the date, time and venue, proudly declare Great Frog. It was gonna be epic./p
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p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;" /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Monday morning found Oliver in the foyer, a duffle bag in one hand, ready for another world-round trip. He ruffled Roy's hair and gave him a smile that was a little too affectionate, considering he only seemed to care selectively. Roy wasn't surprised of course, but still felt angry at himself for the sting that resonated in his chest. He had been expecting this. It shouldn't still hurt./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""Stay out of trouble, kiddo! I'll bring you a souvenir." He called as he headed out./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Roy thought briefly of the collection of magnets he'd once proudly lined up and added to as Oliver brought them home, that were now in a box under his bed. He sighed and shouldered his bag, and headed to school./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"He spent his free period that morning digitizing and printing a vast amount of posters, choosing the computer right next to the library printer so he could put them straight in his bag and out of sight. This was obviously a misuse of school resources if nothing else. He spent the remaining 10 minutes of his free stuffing the flyers in lockers at random, pinning them to any available notice board and flinging them haphazardly down stairwells./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"The bell sounded and the student body spilled into the halls. A minute or two later, Roy felt a tap on his shoulder and he spun to find Jason. The younger boy stood clutching one of the many flyers, his forehead held that little furrow again, and he looked at Roy as though hurt. Roy decided that he never wanted to see that expression on Jason again. Before Roy could express his concern, the younger boy spoke./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""Why...why didn't you tell me?" He inquired, his voice soft and almost wounded./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Roy was overcome with confusion. He didn't think that Jason would care about some gig at a skeezy dive bar. He hadn't mentioned it because he didn't want to deal with Jason telling him no, he couldn't make it. Roy reached a hand out toward the flyer that Jason still had in his grip./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""Jay..." He breathed, trying to think of what to say, to try and decipher Jason's tone./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""Mr Harper!" Mr Wilson's voice cracked like a whip through the hallway./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""Oh, fuck," Roy groaned as the teacher snagged him by the back of his collar./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;" /p
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p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;" /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Jason worried that he'd somehow done something to upset his friend. He'd felt as if Roy had been pulling away slightly, they still spent a lot of time together, that hadn't changed, but Roy was distant, less animated in their conversations, more distracted than Jason had ever seen him./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"The younger boy didn't really know what to do about it. Looking back, he couldn't pinpoint a singular event that would cause such a rift. The changes were so subtle, that if Jason hadn't been able to read people as well as he could, he wouldn't have noticed at all. Growing up on the streets had required Jason to have an intimate knowledge of how to interpret body language and expressions, to determine what wasn't being said, and how that fared against what was. He was saddened that Roy was slowly breaking away, at least that was how it seemed. But the changes were so outwardly minute that he reasoned that perhaps Roy wasn't even aware that he was doing it./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Jason wanted badly to ask Roy about it, he was concerned for his friend. He hated the thought that the friendship they'd established could be at risk. He didn't know how to bring it up. He wondered if maybe he was simply getting too attached to the older boy, he liked Roy immensely, wanted to monopolize his time. He wasn't sure he wanted Roy to know the extent of his growing feelings, in case they weren't reciprocated./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"It was disheartening to step out of class and nearly slip on a colourful flyer, only to discover that Roy hadn't found it necessary to even tell him a Battle of the Bands was happening. The sudden hot sting of hurt blossomed through his chest, overtaking his surge of pride at his friend's upcoming participation. He would love to see Roy perform. Did Roy not want him there?/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Catching sight of the other boy at the end of the hall, his auburn, shaggy hair recognizable even from a distance, Jason headed over. With the poster still clenched tight in his grip, he tapped Roy's shoulder to get his attention. But before he could demand any answers, he spotted Mr Wilson headed in their direction, his gaze burning a hole in Roy's back. His voice came quickly after, full of authority and an undertone of fury./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Roy's eyes widened as he let out a curse. His gaze locked with Jason's as he felt Mr Wilson's grip tighten on his shirt. The teacher reached over Roy's shoulder to snatch the poster from Jason's grasp. He scrunched it in a clenched fist before Roy's face./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""Your guardian does not pay our tuition for you to mistreat our facilities, for your own gain," He thundered, steering Roy around to face him, "Detention. Now."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Roy briefly met Jason's eyes as he was herded away. With a glance back over his shoulder, he really wished he could've wiped that pained look from the younger boy's face. He sighed. He should've known he'd get caught./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Roy sat in detention, spinning his drum sticks and counting the seconds. His stomach was growling, but he knew the school had to let them out 10 minutes before the end of their lunch break, just enough time to get some food. When he was finally released, he was greeted to the sight of Jason sat on the floor on the opposite side of the hallway, a half-eaten sandwich was held in one hand as he furiously scribbled notes with the other. He looked up as Roy approached, a tentative smile playing on his lips./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""Hey," the younger boy breathed, before tossing Roy a fresh pack of sandwiches, "Figured you'd be hungry," he shrugged./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Roy glanced down at the offered food. Surprised by the other's thoughtful gesture, he said "You bought me food?...and waited outside detention for me?"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""Roy, honestly," he huffed, "You're my friend," he waved a hand almost dismissively, "besides, I wanted to talk to you."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Roy scratched the back of his head a little nervously, he sat cross-legged next to Jason on the linoleum. He began tearing open his lunch for an excuse not to meet Jason's gaze./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Jason sighed a little, the cavern of his chest aching still with the knowledge that he'd been kept in the dark. He softly bumped their shoulders together before dropping one of the posters in Roy's lap. He ducked his head to meet the older boy's eye./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""Why didn't you tell me?...Didn't you want me there?" Jason asked carefully, trying to downplay his own feelings in the hope of receiving an honest response./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""What?" Roy replied immediately, a little taken aback that Jason had even considered that possibility, "You'd...You'd actually come?"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Jason scoffed but gave the older boy a more pronounced grin, "Of course, I would. You're my friend. Friends support each other," it was so simple in his mind, he would always be there to encourage Roy's pursuits, "Unless, you wanted to keep your band friends and your school friend separate. I'd... I'd understand if that's what you want. But, if you want me there, I will be."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Roy looked at Jason for a few long moments in silent bewilderment, and he wondered - not for the first time - what he'd ever done to deserve this boy. Having Jason there to see him perform sent a thrill through Roy. A fire of determination lit him up inside, and he knew that he was going to play his heart out./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"He smirked a little, but his eyes shone soft and grateful. He knocked his shoulder into Jason's, turned his head to bump his nose against the younger boy's temple, "You gonna be my roadie?" He quipped./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Jason spluttered and shoved at him with a laugh, "As if!"/p
/div
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"After weeks of spending a substantial amount of one-on-one time with the younger boy, Roy had to admit to himself that he was rather enamoured. The truth of it was that if they'd met under any other circumstances, their first encounter - which had gone anything but smoothly - would most likely have been their last. But they had been forced together, and looking back on it, Roy felt rather grateful./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"There was something to be said about a friendship born from adversity. They'd overcome initial hurdles, and reassessed their views of each other. The reality was that Roy had never intended to like Jason. He hadn't wanted to like him. span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"It just happened./span There had never been any getting around it. Knowing the situation involved with their meeting made Roy's feelings a lot more genuine, in his opinion. The connection they'd established felt a little inevitable./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Not to mention that Roy's grades were improving. Jason really was a good tutor, he gave his all to anything he was committed to. Jason was always so encouraging of the things that Roy did, wanted him to succeed. It had been a long time since Roy had felt that. Even though he was ever grateful for Jason's presence in his life, it was still slightly disheartening to know that his main support came from his young tutor, and not his legal guardian./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Oliver was home on this particular weekend. Roy had arrived from school on Thursday afternoon to find him laughing boisterously in the kitchen with 'uncle hal', though Ollie was the only one who actually bestowed him with that title out loud. As Oliver's best friend, Hal Jordan knew him better than pretty much anyone. Hal had no illusions about the kind of man that Oliver Queen was - not ever malicious but more often than not entirely clueless. Roy liked Hal. He knew that the pilot had tried on multiple occasions to talk to Ollie about his responsibilities, to no avail. It really was saying something that even Hal had dropped hints. Hal was the very definition of the 'fun uncle', he had no responsibilities of his own whatsoever, and happily so. The fact that someone like Hal would intervene was especially telling, and a true testament to how incredibly dense Oliver could be. Ultimately, regardless of his intentions and opinions, Hal's hands were tied, there was only so much he could do. But every time Roy came face to face with Uncle Hal, he'd get a soft - almost sad - smile and a 'how ya doin', kid?'./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Roy had told Oliver about the tutoring - not the extent or cause of his slipped grades, of course - but that there were things he struggled with, and Bruce Wayne's ward was helping him out. Ollie scoffed at the mention of the other billionaire, explaining that they knew more span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"of/span one another than they actually knew each other. Apparently Oliver couldn't understand how someone with Mr Wayne's funds and resources was so opposed to the idea of fun. Roy didn't know Jason's guardian, they had yet to meet. But Roy still felt the odd urge to defend, to tell Oliver that people had different ideas of exactly what 'fun' was. Bruce had done so much for Jason, and seemed like a good-hearted, kind man. Besides, if Ollie knew how Roy spent his down-time, there'd be Hell to pay. Roy sometimes felt that he was acting the way he did to spite Oliver, and maybe there was a little truth in that, but ultimately Roy was someone who spent a lot of time alone. Without strict and consistent guidance, kids like him fell prey to peer pressure and wrong crowds. Sometimes Roy was so filled with conflicting emotions that the need to expel that feeling of being overwhelmed was impossible to resist./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Band practice on the Friday night was brutal, Roy took his frustrations out on his drum kit, sweat pouring from him as he drove himself harder, his rhythm unfaltering. Afterwards he stripped his shirt off and lay against the concrete floor, his slick skin creating a spread-eagle imprint beneath him. Battle of the bands was a week away, and the boys were amped up, working themselves hard. They needed to be ready. It was with that in mind that Chucky spoke up, he passed the joint to Roy before sharing his news./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""I was chattin' to one of the sound guys at the bar, right? I had to go check things out for the gig, discuss the equipment set-up. He's a good dude, knows his shit, y'know?" Chucky was animated, clearly had his mind set on whatever he was about to share. Roy let out a huff, finishing his drag before passing the stuff on./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""Said he could hook us up with some really good shit," Chucky continued, "good quality Blow. It keeps you up, up, up. All the confidence you need, instantly. And it'll keep us wired for the after party. Whether we win or not the night's gonna be a messy one, and we ain't missing a second of it."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"The guys murmured enthusiastically, and Roy had to admit that it sounded good. This was their first competitive gig, and Roy had to admit it was nerve-wracking. He could do with an edge. He knew their set backwards, he could drum it in his sleep. As long as he had rhythm he could get it done, and every drummer has rhythm. He couldn't afford to let stage-fright become a hurdle. From what he knew of cocaine it was a stimulant like few others, instant gratification in the form of utter euphoria, king of the world kind of good. Roy could use that feeling. With a bump of his fist to Chucky's, it was a done deal. Bring it on. The other bands wouldn't know what hit them. Great Frog were gonna take the world by storm./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Joey - their bassist - dove to his backpack, his sudden movement jarring and unexpected amidst the happily stoned musicians. He flung a crumpled piece of paper in the center of their circle, a dopey grin on his face as he took back his seat. Roy rolled over to grab at it, flattening it out to find an illustration, a large green frog stared up at him, its eyes hypnotic swirls of yellow and blue, a crown atop its head. It was good./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""My sister's friend's an art student at the local college. Paid her a couple of dollars to sketch something up for us. Figured maybe we could make flyers," Joey explained, bouncing slightly in place, "Hey, maybe we could get jackets?"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Roy rolled his eyes, but folded the paper and stowed it in his back pocket. He'd scan it in when he got home, add the date, time and venue, proudly declare Great Frog. It was gonna be epic./p
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p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;" /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Monday morning found Oliver in the foyer, a duffle bag in one hand, ready for another world-round trip. He ruffled Roy's hair and gave him a smile that was a little too affectionate, considering he only seemed to care selectively. Roy wasn't surprised of course, but still felt angry at himself for the sting that resonated in his chest. He had been expecting this. It shouldn't still hurt./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""Stay out of trouble, kiddo! I'll bring you a souvenir." He called as he headed out./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Roy thought briefly of the collection of magnets he'd once proudly lined up and added to as Oliver brought them home, that were now in a box under his bed. He sighed and shouldered his bag, and headed to school./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"He spent his free period that morning digitizing and printing a vast amount of posters, choosing the computer right next to the library printer so he could put them straight in his bag and out of sight. This was obviously a misuse of school resources if nothing else. He spent the remaining 10 minutes of his free stuffing the flyers in lockers at random, pinning them to any available notice board and flinging them haphazardly down stairwells./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"The bell sounded and the student body spilled into the halls. A minute or two later, Roy felt a tap on his shoulder and he spun to find Jason. The younger boy stood clutching one of the many flyers, his forehead held that little furrow again, and he looked at Roy as though hurt. Roy decided that he never wanted to see that expression on Jason again. Before Roy could express his concern, the younger boy spoke./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""Why...why didn't you tell me?" He inquired, his voice soft and almost wounded./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Roy was overcome with confusion. He didn't think that Jason would care about some gig at a skeezy dive bar. He hadn't mentioned it because he didn't want to deal with Jason telling him no, he couldn't make it. Roy reached a hand out toward the flyer that Jason still had in his grip./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""Jay..." He breathed, trying to think of what to say, to try and decipher Jason's tone./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""Mr Harper!" Mr Wilson's voice cracked like a whip through the hallway./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""Oh, fuck," Roy groaned as the teacher snagged him by the back of his collar./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;" /p
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p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;" /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Jason worried that he'd somehow done something to upset his friend. He'd felt as if Roy had been pulling away slightly, they still spent a lot of time together, that hadn't changed, but Roy was distant, less animated in their conversations, more distracted than Jason had ever seen him./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"The younger boy didn't really know what to do about it. Looking back, he couldn't pinpoint a singular event that would cause such a rift. The changes were so subtle, that if Jason hadn't been able to read people as well as he could, he wouldn't have noticed at all. Growing up on the streets had required Jason to have an intimate knowledge of how to interpret body language and expressions, to determine what wasn't being said, and how that fared against what was. He was saddened that Roy was slowly breaking away, at least that was how it seemed. But the changes were so outwardly minute that he reasoned that perhaps Roy wasn't even aware that he was doing it./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Jason wanted badly to ask Roy about it, he was concerned for his friend. He hated the thought that the friendship they'd established could be at risk. He didn't know how to bring it up. He wondered if maybe he was simply getting too attached to the older boy, he liked Roy immensely, wanted to monopolize his time. He wasn't sure he wanted Roy to know the extent of his growing feelings, in case they weren't reciprocated./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"It was disheartening to step out of class and nearly slip on a colourful flyer, only to discover that Roy hadn't found it necessary to even tell him a Battle of the Bands was happening. The sudden hot sting of hurt blossomed through his chest, overtaking his surge of pride at his friend's upcoming participation. He would love to see Roy perform. Did Roy not want him there?/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Catching sight of the other boy at the end of the hall, his auburn, shaggy hair recognizable even from a distance, Jason headed over. With the poster still clenched tight in his grip, he tapped Roy's shoulder to get his attention. But before he could demand any answers, he spotted Mr Wilson headed in their direction, his gaze burning a hole in Roy's back. His voice came quickly after, full of authority and an undertone of fury./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Roy's eyes widened as he let out a curse. His gaze locked with Jason's as he felt Mr Wilson's grip tighten on his shirt. The teacher reached over Roy's shoulder to snatch the poster from Jason's grasp. He scrunched it in a clenched fist before Roy's face./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""Your guardian does not pay our tuition for you to mistreat our facilities, for your own gain," He thundered, steering Roy around to face him, "Detention. Now."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Roy briefly met Jason's eyes as he was herded away. With a glance back over his shoulder, he really wished he could've wiped that pained look from the younger boy's face. He sighed. He should've known he'd get caught./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Roy sat in detention, spinning his drum sticks and counting the seconds. His stomach was growling, but he knew the school had to let them out 10 minutes before the end of their lunch break, just enough time to get some food. When he was finally released, he was greeted to the sight of Jason sat on the floor on the opposite side of the hallway, a half-eaten sandwich was held in one hand as he furiously scribbled notes with the other. He looked up as Roy approached, a tentative smile playing on his lips./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""Hey," the younger boy breathed, before tossing Roy a fresh pack of sandwiches, "Figured you'd be hungry," he shrugged./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Roy glanced down at the offered food. Surprised by the other's thoughtful gesture, he said "You bought me food?...and waited outside detention for me?"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""Roy, honestly," he huffed, "You're my friend," he waved a hand almost dismissively, "besides, I wanted to talk to you."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Roy scratched the back of his head a little nervously, he sat cross-legged next to Jason on the linoleum. He began tearing open his lunch for an excuse not to meet Jason's gaze./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Jason sighed a little, the cavern of his chest aching still with the knowledge that he'd been kept in the dark. He softly bumped their shoulders together before dropping one of the posters in Roy's lap. He ducked his head to meet the older boy's eye./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""Why didn't you tell me?...Didn't you want me there?" Jason asked carefully, trying to downplay his own feelings in the hope of receiving an honest response./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""What?" Roy replied immediately, a little taken aback that Jason had even considered that possibility, "You'd...You'd actually come?"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Jason scoffed but gave the older boy a more pronounced grin, "Of course, I would. You're my friend. Friends support each other," it was so simple in his mind, he would always be there to encourage Roy's pursuits, "Unless, you wanted to keep your band friends and your school friend separate. I'd... I'd understand if that's what you want. But, if you want me there, I will be."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Roy looked at Jason for a few long moments in silent bewilderment, and he wondered - not for the first time - what he'd ever done to deserve this boy. Having Jason there to see him perform sent a thrill through Roy. A fire of determination lit him up inside, and he knew that he was going to play his heart out./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"He smirked a little, but his eyes shone soft and grateful. He knocked his shoulder into Jason's, turned his head to bump his nose against the younger boy's temple, "You gonna be my roadie?" He quipped./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Jason spluttered and shoved at him with a laugh, "As if!"/p
/div