When he comes back to school, things are better. The whispers about him have died down: A senior in advanced psychology started a rumor that he wet his pants, which spread like wildfire.
He wonders what Nick said the day he spent at home convalescing and reading about Watergate. Most of the people he considered friends before his fall to grace greet him warmly. Trent gives him a real hug and a kiss on the cheek; more reserved Jeff and David give him "man" hugs.
Only Freshman Andrew won't look him in the eyes. When he enters a room, the younger boy will study his own perfectly polished shoes (a Dalton requirement, not an indication of his sexuality), his rounded fingernails (not straight) or become very interested in something about five feet behind him and over his left shoulder.
They're eating lunch together two or three days after he came back. It's not something he would ever admit, but he's still not 100%. The protein and fat stores he lost during his brush with death need time to rebuild themselves. So, he's hungry. He's craving meat, and his lunch tray is a testament to his deep desire for protein. He's halfway through his second chicken breast when Andrew finally gets the courage to ask him a question.
"Should you be eating that?" the younger boy queries, pointing to the chocolate pudding cup he has sitting on his tray. Unlike a lot of places, the cafeteria makes their pudding from scratch with real chocolate, and it may be one of his favorite foods in the whole world.
He decides to play it cool, which means that Andrew is suddenly at the end of his snark. "I can afford it more than you can," He says, coolly. He walks away before he does more damage.
He thinks he should really avoid Andrew. Countertenors are hard to come by, more so when they actually hit puberty. Even if he is the head of the Warbler council, the rest of the group will not look kindly on physical harm to the one boy who can hit high notes.
He finds his roommate in the library. Nick is frantically scratching at a piece of notebook paper with triangles.
"SOHCAHTOA," he breathes in Nick's ear. Nick jumps satisfyingly.
"Jeeze, Seb!" He whispers. "Why do you have to sneak up on me?"
"Did you tell the guys about … this?" He half draws the pump out from its hiding place in the gray pocket of his trousers. He thinks about giving himself a bolus for his food, but he's in public.
"Only Jeff , Trent, and David" Nick says. When his roommate looks angry, he starts to get defensive. "I couldn't deal. I'd just watched my roommate spend a day vomiting and then show me his cyborg parts."
"Andrew?" He asks.
"No idea," Jeff says quietly.
He vows to talk to Trent, Jeff and David. And to figure out how to do damage control with Andrew.