This chapter is a chaotic mess … which is an accurate description for the next bunch of chapters.

Year Two: A Game of Telephone

Academy Courtyard - 16:49 PM

Daniel sighs to himself as he holds his phone to his ear, hoping Emily didn't hear that since he's outside. He could easily blame the wind. For the first time in a while, he and Emily found a small slot of time to call each other. Yet, for the first time in forever, their call was awkward.

They started with lots of callings. They did the normal small talk about their day, how they miss each other, and a lot of other common stuff. At some point, their schedules got more hectic and time differences were difficult to maneuver. So they texted more. If one person called at the start of their day, the other was calling it a night. Then they'd have some of those long and silent moments when it's clear that both sides are sad and nobody knows what to say or do. Because is there anything that could fix it?

Emily: Oh! Did I tell you that Iqadi stopped by?

"Oh…" Daniel mutters. "Why?"

Emily: She and Imanu got in a fight. He went to stay with his parents and she came here.

"Was it that bad that she left the country?"

Emily: I mean, they got into a disagreement about Wakandan tradition.

"Oh…" Daniel says, feeling that pain himself. "That wouldn't end well, especially against her."

Emily: Right? Anyways, I have to run. I'll try and call you later. I love you.

"I love you too," Daniel says before the call ends.

Daniel stares at the call ended message on his screen before he turns his phone off. He slips it into his pocket and looks up at the sky, sighing.

-o-

Hudson Residence - 16:51 PM

After the incident in the cafeteria, Xavier made the decision to skip their next class and bring Angela back to his room to find out what happened. When they arrive, she takes a seat on the edge of his bed as he closes the door. Xavier puts his bag down as he walks over to his desk and sits at the edge of the table, crossing his arms as he looks at his sister worriedly.

"Are you okay?" Xavier asks. He knows that she's not but he had to start the conversation.

"No," Angela responds.

"Is it because of class? Are you homesick? I could drive you home or something."

Angela doesn't respond with words but she shakes her head and shrugs at the same time. Xavier isn't an expert in communicating with words but that whole charade went over his head. Angela glances over at him and could've picked up her twin's confusion without even looking.

"James broke up with me," Angela says. Her voice shakes as she feels tears forming in her eyes again. It's the first time she's said that out loud.

Xavier isn't sure what to say. At first, he doubted it. Why would James do that? He knows that this isn't some sort of prank. She wouldn't have had a panic attack in the cafeteria and there's no way she could've faked that. Xavier knows to listen to her when she's crying because, although they can tell when the other is lying, it's when he's positive she's telling the truth. He could forget anyone he's ever laughed with, but he'll never forget the person he's cried with since their lives started.

"Oh…" is all Xavier could say once he realizes he's been silent for too long. "Did he break up with you earlier today?"

"No, a week ago." Xavier feels even worse for not know that and Angela can tell. "I didn't say anything because I didn't want to believe it. I don't know, maybe I lost it because that's when it hit me that it was over. I wasn't home for most of the summer and then had to come back here, and he dumps me." She looks up at him. "Are we losing our best friends?"

"We have each other."

Angela smiles a little. "You don't count … unless you're my only one left."

"You didn't lose James. He's just misplaced, or more misplaced than usual."

"At least you don't have to look at Britney's face in class."

"At least you get to see James's face in class."

Angela and Xavier look at each other silently. Both of them struck a nerve they knew not to touch, but that's what siblings do. They smile at each other, laughing a little despite how much this hurts.

"Is there something wrong with us?" Angela asks.

Xavier shrugs. "I hope not."

-o-

Outside of the Dining Hall - 17:55 PM

Angela headed back to her dorm after her conversation with Xavier. He waited a few moments before Xavier left his dorm as well. He walks across campus, unsure where he's going because he didn't call in advance. He was about to take out his phone but then, as a wonderful coincidence, Xavier finds Daniel leaving the dining hall.

"Did you know?" Xavier asks as he walks up to Daniel. He didn't mean to look like he was shooting a threat but that's how it came out and Daniel looks spooked. "Sorry, but did you know?"

"Know what?" Daniel asks.

Clearly, nobody knew. "Angela and James broke up a week ago."

Daniel's taken aback, shaking his head before seeing that Xavier isn't budging. "Excuse me?"

"You really didn't know?"

"No!"

"I just found out because Angela had a meltdown earlier. You live with James and he didn't give any sort of clue?"

"He was mad at Carrie for dumping Sebastian but was also happy it happened. I didn't get it."

Xavier isn't sure what to take from that sentence.

-o-

Atlantic Residence Laundry Wing - 17:26 PM

Merida sits on a table, texting her parents with her headphones in. She kicks her legs back and forth to the beat as she waits for her load to be done. Once the machine beeps, Merida looks up. She slides off the table and walks over, stopping when she hears her phone ring. Merida answers the call as she continues walking over to the machine.

"What's up?" Merida asks as she opens the washer and pulls out her wet clothes.

Daniel: Did you know that Angela and James broke up?

Merida curses when she drops her load in the machine and it took her headphones and phone down with it. She hesitates, not knowing how to dig for it in there. Her body perks up and acts when it has an idea. Merida walks across the laundry room and opens a dryer, inspecting it to make sure it's clean. The things she's found in there before… Merida runs back to her washer and pulls out her clothes one at a time, throwing them over her head and into the dryer. Once she spots her headphone wire, she yanks it out, catching her phone. Thank god it stayed connected. Merida grunts as she starts untangling her headphones. She isn't sure how they managed to get knotted in the fall.

Daniel: I'll take that suddenly crashing noise as a no.

Xavier: Oh good, we thought you died.

"Was that some sort of prank?" Merida demands because that can't be real. She puts her phone in her back pocket as she puts her headphones back in and continues to put the rest of the clothes in the dryer.

Xavier: You know what, I've had a long day. I don't have the energy to prank you.

Merida rolls her eyes. "I'll call you back."

Merida ends the call against their wishes. She drops her clothes into the dryer, throws in some dryer sheets, and starts the load. Once the machine goes, Merida goes back to the table she was sitting on and calls Emily.

Emily: No, I still haven't joined the mafia.

Merida scoffs for a second. "Relax. Hey, did you know about Angela and James breaking up?"

Emily: … do you think I did? What the fuck?

"I don't know! Daniel and Xavier just called and asked me about it!"

Emily: Do I need to fly down there? I fucking will and you know that.

Merida shakes her head despite being on the phone. "I'll find out more and keep you up to date. I won't do anything but I'm sure it will figure itself out."

Emily: You didn't figure it out.

Merida grips her phone in her hand. "In that case, do not fly down here."

It bothers her when Emily laughs. They're in a social circle crisis and she's laughing at her.

Emily: You're a great friend. But as of now, you have two broken-hearted Rogers so I wish you all the best.

Merida's face drop when Emily hit her with that realization. "трахни меня…"

Emily laughs again which bothers Merida again.

Emily: For real, though, keep me updated.

"I have to get myself updated."

Emily: This is bad timing but I'm going to pull a James and say thank god I don't go to your school. But I'll call you back.

"Don't you dare -"

Emily hangs up. Merida narrows her eyes as she starts another call.

-o-

Outside of the Dining Hall - 17:42 PM

They don't know what happened to Merida. All they hear was a chasing metal sound and slews of curses, and then she hung up. They tried calling her back but got nothing. Should they have been more concerned? If it was anyone but Merida, then yes.

"I say we call her back now," Daniel suggests. They gave Merida more than enough time for her to bounce back.

Before Xavier could agree and start calling her back, both his phone and Daniel's ring at the same time. They leave it ringing as Daniel looks at his phone. Emily's calling him and Merida's calling Xavier. They look at each other, both thinking about this creepy twilight zone moment before they pick up.

"Hello?" They both say, not breaking eye contact.

"Just put it on speaker," Xavier says.

They lower their phones and hit the speaker button. The sounds of Merida and Emily screaming fill the area before they hear each other and it's silent.

Merida: Call me back, my ass!

Emily: I'm counting this as calling you back.

-o-

Edison Residence - 18:15 PM

After that chaotic game of telephone that ended up going nowhere, Daniel heads back to his dorm. He walks in and sees James closing his laptop and removing his AirPods as if he wants to say something to him.

"Uh, Daniel, I did a bad thing," James says.

"Again?" Daniel whines. He just came back from the twilight zone and now he has to deal with this. "Who do I make a doctor's note for this time?"

"No one. I broke up with Angela last week."

Daniel reacts a second later and the best he could do is fake a surprised face. "What?"

James gives him a face. "Shut up, you so knew."

"What, no, of course not."

"You're worse at lying than Xavier - oh my god he told you, didn't he?"

-o-

Atlantic Residence - 22:16 PM

Angela wasn't surprised that Emily called her. She assumed that after she told Xavier, he went out to ask the others. She predicted that after he told one person, it was a game that nobody knew the rules or the end goal. If that was the case, then that means that James didn't tell anyone.

Angela looks up from her phone and sits up in her bed when she sees Merida walking in with a basket of fresh laundry.

"So…" Merida mutters, putting her basket down on her desk.

"I'll save you the trouble," Angela responds.

"Thank god." She leans against the wall. "Are you okay?"

"No."

"I didn't think you were. Xavier told me what happened and I'm sorry you went through that. I'll go neuter James for you."

"That sounded really forced."

"It's genuine but Daniel wrote me a script. I added the last part."

Angela cracks a smile.