CHAPTER ONE: PRAISE

Turn your obstacles into opportunities and your problems into possibilities.
-Roy T. Bennett

It was a mistake to give Felix the aux when the boys were doing homework, and they all knew that now.

See, his taste in music wasn't exactly bad, but he just listened to the same ten songs over and over again.

His best friends liked those songs, Felix knew that, he just also knew that every song had a different vibe, especially when you consider that the playlist started with a sea shanty, switched to classic rock and then backtracked to a Disney love song.

Tobias was proud of himself that he lasted about three hours before breaking down and getting into a shouting match with Oliver over Felix's right to continue playing his songs.

Oliver's defense was that 'Lex is a good singer!' which wasn't exactly false, but him saying that he can just shuffle the playlist instead of keeping it in the same order didn't help either.

If anything, it pissed Tobias off more.

This was before Jason threatened to throw cold water on the hot-head, and told the delinquent it was Felix's day to handle the aux and pick the movies, that if he didn't like it he could go study in the common room.

Which was something Jason knew Tobias was completely unwilling to do, as he hated studying in the first place and hated people even more.

Grumbling out a pathetic response of "If I hear that stupid sea shanty one more god damn time after a bubble gum pop song, I'm going to stab myself." before shuffling back into his comfortable spot on the floor beside Oliver.

Having already gone back to his cursed English essay assignment- -something Tobias and Jason already finished earlier that week- -Oliver grumpily pouts down at his paper.

If Sister Margaret didn't fact check so much, there's no doubt in Oliver's mind that he would cheat on every single assignment he turned it.

His grumpiness didn't dissuade Tobias's boredom from his own tasks at all.

"You have nice hands, Ollie." Tobias compliments, grabbing one of his wrists to turn Oliver's hand over so he can trace a line slyly on his palm as the delinquent looks up and starts smirking. "But I bet they'd look better wrapped around my-"

"Bible!" Felix shouts, slapping a bible down onto their joined hands, making both boys jump away from one another and for Oliver to glare between them both, embarrassed and flushed red. "Wrapped around the bible!"

They're lucky it was just a bible the redhead threw, because of his bible study class, instead of his large history book to his right.

"Praise Jesus." Jason continues, nodding.

Tobias looks back to Oliver, glancing him over before choosing to go right back to smirking, even as their best friends groan at the look and share a disgusted look.

Only sometimes was Tobias's horrible flirting both funny and gross, but most times it felt like the equivalent of seeing their parents kiss.

"You know, I can say hallelujah-" He fakes a moan while speaking, something the other three knew teenage boys did often, oddly. "-if that makes you more comfortable with the idea."

"Shut up, Toby." Oliver snaps out, turning to Felix. "Did Sister Rowell seriously let you out early?"

"She had a meeting with our Lord and Savior, Principal, Teacher and Reverend Mother Supreme Amelia, so she dismissed us." Felix says all too casually and mockingly, pushing his glasses further onto his nose.

Jason is the one who continues the conversation, "I wish I had gym like you two, you always get out early. Plus Priest Hayes is a cool dude."

"Yeah but then you'd have to spend an hour with him." Oliver says, pointing a thumb in Tobias's direction. "He's mean."

The delinquent scoffs and flips Oliver off, who ignores it, but doesn't disagree.

In gym Tobias made it his mission to purposely throw as many dodgeballs right at Oliver- -mainly his ass- -as possible, and couldn't deny that things like that were a regular occurrence anyway.

Huffing, Jason shakes his head. "Yeah, but I wouldn't have to deal with Lex's smartass comments."

Felix, still thinking, just looks up at the three and says "You know, I bet Sister Rowell is so mean because she's a virgin. I mean, like, who was the stupid guy that thought 'hey, you know what's good for a bunch of people just because God said so? Celibacy!' and somehow got women to agree?" without blinking, like it's a normal thought.

Pausing for all but a moment, the three friends burst out laughing, much to Felix's confusion.

"What?" He questions, head tilting the side making red bangs fall in front of his eyes. "I'm just saying, nuns need dick too."

"Please," Jason says, clasping Felix on the shoulder as he struggles not to laugh. "Never say that again."

The redhead shrugs, grinning. "Are you guys saying nuns shouldn't get dick?"

All three boys respond with a shocked or hard "No!" but the night still ends with laughter.

-&-

It was mass prayer day, also known as Sunday, when every single boy at Saint Agnes had to dress up, follow the nuns into the large altar room and pack into the pews.

In one of the last pews were the boys- -definitely not late because when trying to do a magic trick Felix spilled lemonade everywhere, got it in his eyes and knocked over one of Jason's meticulously organized bookshelves- -in order of Tobias, Oliver, Jason and Felix.

All the nuns were gathered in the first pew, to face Priest Johann face on.

Which really, was Oliver's downfall -that and the fact he always dozed off during the father's preaching, unlike when he paid attention to Priest Hayes.

Because as soon as Tobias got the chance when everyone else was distracted, he placed his hand too close to Oliver's hips for comfort.

Then- -fucking then- -he squeezed him.

Oliver's hand instantly shoots to the wrist of Tobias's poorly placed hand, squeezing him in warning right back as light blue eyes glared coldly into smug brown ones.

Turning back to the priest even though it's clear that Tobias, who had ear buds in and probably listening to Confetti songs at the moment,  wasn't paying attention to him.

Eventually Oliver relaxes back in his seat, getting so lost in thought that he doesn't realize he's leaning into Tobias until Felix is leaning over Jason and the delinquent to face his best friend. "You getting a handjob or something?"

Tobias snickers in his seat as this gets the boys in the row in front of them to turn around, amused by the situation just as much as Felix is, all while Oliver feels like dying and slinks down in his seat.

He'd give anything in this moment for a giant hole to pop up in the middle of the prayer room and swallow him hole.

"Why are you so red?" Tobias squeezes him again and leans over until his face is almost buried in his shoulder, nose brushing his neck. "You want one?"

Huffing, Oliver shoves Tobias off of him and stands, quickly moving between Felix and Jason instead of pressed into the smirking dirty blond. "Asshole."

After Priest Johann finishes his sermon and Reverend Mother Amelia, the equivalent of their principal but old, strict and mean, gives her thanks to the father, the boys are dismissed back to their dorms to have the rest of Sunday free.

According to Tobias, this is the only thing that makes pretending that God is real worth it and to Felix, it's the only reason he still goes to mass.

The alternative is Sunday school, where the boys take extra lessons.

Once their dorm door is closing behind the group Oliver turns to Tobias and the taller boy can tell he's seething inside.

"What is wrong with you!" He shouts. "You can't do that stuff in church."

"Why?" Tobias asks amusingly. "You clearly didn't mind."

"No, I do mind! I believe in God, okay, I think God loves me and I believe in the Virgin Mary too. She's like a second mom to me, that's the way I was raised, Toby and it's like, you're doing all this shit in front of her? In a holy place?" Oliver huffs, hands waving out as he talks. "When we're in church, when I'm praying don't touch me. And no, no descriptive stuff either."

Quiet for a moment before nodding, Tobias replies with, "I know you believe in God, and I never said otherwise. I didn't know it was that serious. And I didn't do any of that when Hayes is on the stand," Which he thinks he should get some credit for. "I won't anymore. Promise."

Jason, able to see the loophole in this the instant the delinquent says this, narrows his grey eyes at Tobias. "You're still gonna tease him though?"

His grin is answer enough.

Since Oliver never said not to tease him, at least not seriously, there's still a lot Tobias can get away with before the smaller boy takes problem with it.

And Oliver accepts this.

Because if he does have a problem with Tobias verbally teasing him or making suggestive comments- -even if they're not descriptive- -Oliver knows that he'll respect that and stop too.

"You're fucking bonkers for doing that with nuns around." Saying this, Felix pauses before wondering aloud, "What's a step after bonkers?"

"Is that boinkers?" Oliver asks, thinking aloud before he flushes, realizing what he says as soon as Tobias shoots him a smirk. "No! No boinking! Augh!"

Between Felix 'Let Me Tell A Joke At A Wildly Inappropriate Time' Holden, Oliver 'I'm Going To Kill Someone If They Stop Me From Praying' Jordan and Tobias 'Isn't Flirting And Asking About Handjobs In Church Funny' Prince, Jason 'The Responsible One' Eaton had his hands full.