Chapter 4: Too Late

The Hollow living room is comfy and cozy, the fireplace blazing, the TV on quietly.

Locke comes out with hot chocolate on a tray. "Here you are," he says to the three lumps of blankets that are curled up in the couch, handing each of them a mug.

"Thanks," they each say.

Locke passes around a bag of mini marshmallows. Kuzey dumps a huge handful on top of his, and Abri takes a few as well. Jason puts a few on top before giving it off to Locke.

It's the day before Thanksgiving, and since none of the drum majors had anywhere to go, they decided to spend the day together. As soon as they arrived Locke and Jason brought out the blankets and they put on the TV with some Thanksgiving specials. The group is now silent, but it's a comfortable silence.

Abri sips hot chocolate, her hair in a messy bun and her cheeks getting rosier and rosier. Kuzey blows on the hot chocolate slowly, making sure it's not too hot before he starts to sip it.

The group sits in silence a little bit more until Kuzey speaks up, in a quiet, timid voice. "I'm thankful that you're my friends."

Abri and Locke grin; even Jason cracks a smile.

"We're thankful to be your friends," Abri says. Kuzey looks up, his eyes sparkling with happiness. He never expected to make such close friends ever, and though he's tried so hard to make friendships, his affection was never returned. And now, his senior year, he's finally found people that appreciate his love and return it, which is more than he ever thought was possible.

"I'm thankful that we can all relax here. Ha, I'm no good at talking to people so this is more than I could ever ask for." Jason made friends on his own, and he's proud of himself for that fact. He was able to talk to people without Locke by his side. And considering that the boys are looking at some different colleges... That's probably a good thing.

The four friends sit together and drink hot chocolate, piled with marshmallows.

"I'm thankful for how things ended up," Locke says. He laughs a little bit. "I wasn't at the time, but now I realize that I wouldn't have had my senior year be any other way. I mean it."

"Glad things worked out for you, buddy," Jason says.

"You're not a… Thing… Are you?" says Abri, her inner shipper lighting up in her eyes.

"No," they both say, certainly.

"So you're both single, then?" Abri asks, looking interested. Kuzey sips hot chocolate, not wanting to jump into the conversation because he isn't too comfortable with it.

"Well…" Locke says, glancing at Jason.

"Yes, I am!" Jason says, quickly getting flustered. "Technically. I mean… It's complicated I guess…. I… I dunno!"

Abri and Locke snicker.

"It's okay Jason," Kuzey says, "You don't have to know. Like my big brother Ori says, you just need to take your time. You have lots of it."

"…" There's a pause. "Thanks Kuzey." It's advice that Jason needs to hear, really. He said it so simply that Jason couldn't help but take it to heart.

Kuzey smiles, so brightly the room practically lights up. He's glad he can help his friend.

The group sits in a comfortable silence, curled up in blankets by the fire and sipping hot chocolate. Everything's going to turn out alright after all.

~.~.

Rue and Skeeter are tangled up on the couch, covered in two blankets, and warmer and more comfortable than they think they've ever been in their lives.

"Remember when we made an art piece? Freshman year?" Rue asks, her deep brown eyes looking at Skeeter and shining with gentle affection.

Skeeter laughs, his blue eyes softening up at the memory. "What a horrid, horrid time freshman year was. I mean, it was good, but also just…"

"I get what you mean," Rue sighs, grazing her fingers lightly over his arms. The next word comes out as a quiet, gentle whisper. "Horrid."

"Things have gotten better though," he says, enjoying having her in his arms.

"Slowly but surely they have, haven't they? They can only get better and better as time goes. You know that, don't you?" she asks, entwining her fingers in his under the blanket. The Macy's parade plays quietly in the background, and the couple sits together in a comfortable silence.

"Thank you for what you've done for me," Skeeter whispers against Rue's soft, curly hair, gently kissing the back of her neck. "I couldn't have made it without you…"

Rue giggles quietly, leaning back against him. "I couldn't have made it without you."

"Shut up." Skeeter buries his face in her back and tries to wipe the smile off his face, to no avail.

They both went back to face the parade as a float appeared on the screen, and the parade continued. Nestled together and feeling warm and cozy, the couple enjoys their Thanksgiving together.

~.~.

Jason feels slightly nervous, more nervous than he expected (or wanted) to feel on his way to visit Santana. He hasn't seen her in forever, after all. Who knows, she could have traded her punk rock style in for something totally different, like being a hipster. Jason shivers. That's scary thought. Santana as a hipster.

He goes up the steps and knocks on the door, hoping that he doesn't find her in a beanie and wearing fake glasses too big for her face. He's only been in her house once before, and she was not in an emotionally good place that time. This time, it's definitely going to be better. Definitely. What could go wrong?

Well, a lot of things can go wrong, Jason thinks. He's not exactly a shining optimist.

When Santana opens the door, though, she looks like herself. She really hasn't changed much, which is a relief to Jason. She smiles and invites him in, and he follows her.

"And who do you think you are, waltzing in here?" asks a very loud, booming voice with a thick Irish accent.

"I was invited… Who are you, Irish John Cena?" Jason says, ready for a fight. So far, this guy ranks just below Ben Hoffsteader on the list of people Jason would like to punch in the face.

"Stop being so hyper and just listen-"

"Ya don't know me!? I'm Diesel Bundren, AKA the Prude's boyfriend of course!" Jason's heart drops through his chest.

Boyfriend? This total douchecanoe...Santana's...boyfriend?

"Wait, listen, it's not-"

"It totally is! C'mon, Prude, just admit it already, you're my girlfriend!"

Jason tries to get ahold of himself through the shock, but looks slightly pale. "R...Really?"

"Really!" Diesel interjects.

Jason glances at Santana, feeling slightly helpless, He wants her to step in and say he's just joking and shove him off. He waits, any second surely she'll punch him right in the face, or kick him right in the balls. Jason isn't sure which he'd like better.

But she doesn't. She goes silent, and takes a seat on the couch, not looking up at either of them. "It's… Complicated." She sits with her hands folded on her lap, so stiff and formal, unlike Jason's ever seen her before.

"No it's not! We're dating and in love, that's all there is to it!" Diesel sits beside her and puts an arm around her shoulders. Jason is experiencing slight trouble breathing as he slowly takes a seat.

"It's really…" Santana bites her lip. "It's just-"

"Santana!" calls a woman's voice from the other room, "The snacks are ready, come and get them!"

"I'll be right there, Mother." Santana gets up. "Excuse me." She walks out to the kitchen, and Jason knows that she's definitely not herself.

"So," the guy named Diesel says, putting his legs up on a stool and leaning back as if this room was his own home, "What do you think you're doing now, huh? Hanging around my fling?"

Jason's throat goes dry. He wants to get up and tackle this guy, but feels like that wouldn't be the best thing to do with Santana and her parents right near. The Locke in his head warns him that this is a guy at least three or four years older than him, and even if he was Irish John Cena and Jason could still totally take him..he knew he shouldn't confront him like that. He makes himself talk, trying not to sound hostile. "Santana is my… Friend," he says, almost choking on the word.

"Ah, but I'll bet your family doesn't have money, huh? Tough break. After all, she'll never be allowed to see you unless your family has wealth or status. Hm, I'll bet you don't know what that is, huh? Too bad you have neither and I have both. Enough money to go through college with no debt and buy a small island after all that, too, enough status to charm every girl… Heh, everyone at the party… Ah, but you wouldn't know that, now would you?" his voice is laced with the venom of a snake, though he seems so incredibly laidback and carefree.

"That doesn't matter. Not to her-"

"But it matters to Mommy and Daddy. And parents always know best, don't they?" He laughs.

"In the end, that won't matter, though." Jason is struggling to keep a level head.

"You poor, naive boy," Diesel sighs. "This isn't a fairytail. When you're older, you'll realize that we're all damned to be fucked over at some point. Besides, you're so much younger than her. Girls like to have older men, don't ya know? You're just a boy. Whatever she may've had for you is over, she's grown out of it."

A lump forms in Jason's throat that he swallows down.

"You'll just have to face the facts, boy." Diesel laughs, flashing Jason a malicious grin. "You're already much too late."

Jason's heart sinks further down in his chest, his fists and teeth clench. He's right… says a part of Jason, It's been two years now. She's done with you… You were too late. It's the one thing out of everything Diesel said that Jason could control, but he was right.

"You're already much too late."

Santana comes back, laying out bowls of chips with a blank expression on her face. Diesel has on that stupid carefree smile, and in that moment he takes the first place on the list of people whose heads Jason would like to see explode. She sits next to Diesel, her lips pulled into a tight frown. Jason feels like he might like to scream, or cry, or maybe throw up.

Why did this whole relationship thing have to be so complicated for him!?

"Er, Santana, could you show me where the restroom is?" he asks, breaking the silence. She nods a little bit, standing up.

"Yeah, sure. Follow me." She walks out of the room slowly, her thick black ponytail swaying behind her. Jason follows, trying to ignore the stinkeye given to him by Diesel.

"Here you are," she says, opening a door for him.

He clears his throat. "Thanks."

"Sure thing," she says quietly, looking at her shoes.

He's about to ask why the hell she's with this guy, what's going on, why she didn't tell him earlier or why she doesn't dump him, but suddenly she's kissing him again.

If he'd waited any longer to ask the way to the bathroom, Jason might've actually pissed his pants, but luckily he can control the urge, trying to focus on nothing but her being there in that moment, with him, trying to not have any other care in the world. Santana pulls back much too soon, her bright red lips up in a small smile.

Jason knows that smile. She used it once, last time he was in her house. It's a trying-to-hide-the-tears smile. All he wants to do is save her, but he knows there's nothing he can do. Diesel's right, Jason is young, naive, and doesn't have money or status… He was right, as much as Jason didn't want him to be, he was right-

"Sleepy Hollow?" Santana says, right before he's about to close the door.

"Hm?"

She looks around the room, biting her lip.

"It's not too late for us. Not yet."