(⁠ب⁠_⁠ب⁠)

At home, Brian goes to his room as fast as possible. But his step mom's eyes are faster. Before his door closes, he already hears her. 

"Your son's back with more bruises. He fights everyday now."

Sometimes Brian worries if his dad will call the deal off and just make him join company the next day. But it hasn't happened all these years. One last year shouldn't be a problem. Or so he hopes.

"Whatever the use of that is," he mutters and lands in his bed. He was allowed to do whatever until college, but he wasn't allowed to take up art. Mr. Chase knows if Brian gets a taste of pursuing his dreams, it'll be difficult to pull him back. Brian is allowed to fight, smoke, cause chaos at school, but he isn't allowed one single sketchbook. 

He shifts to a side, not wanting to think of these things. Instantly, Jake's face fills his mind. Brian blinks slowly. That jerk is taller than him, more muscular, stronger. Everything is more in him. They both have dark hair but Jake's hair is darker. Brian frowns with annoyance. 

But his lips looked too soft for that filthy mouth of his...

Brian shifts to another side at once. "What the hell are you..." He mutters darkly. 

But however much he tosses and turns, he knows it for a fact that this Jake Flynn guy is... that something in him just keeps making Brian look at him and see things he doesn't see when he looks at someone else. And it's been only three freaking days that Brian knows Jake exists.

Brian wants to talk to him without fists getting in their way. He already tried and got ignored. He can try again but he knows Jake will unsee him. Again. 

Mother f....

Jake lets the twins take care of him the whole day. Willie carries his bag on the way to their bakery after school ends and Winter keeps helping with his work. 

"What's the point of getting paid if you do everything?" He asks as Winter rushes to clean the table when a customer leaves. 

"You're unwell today," she says curtly. She's still mad at him for getting into another fight with Chase. 

He sighs. "I couldn't help it, Winter, he was going to get the first hit 3 times in a row."

"So you got him first," she sniffs. "What makes you think he won't come back again?"

Jake rolls his eyes. "As if I'm scared of--" he stops dead at the look on Winter's face. 

"Do your work, then, I'm leaving," she says. 

Shit. "Wait, wait, I'm sorry," he says hastily and holds her back. She doesn't look at him but stops. "Winter," he says again gently. "I'm sorry."

She sighs and meets his eyes. "Will you promise that you won't fight with him again?"

Jake doesn't respond.

"If you just hold back a few times, he will stop provoking you."

Stop provoking me, Flynn. Jake blinks at the memory. It sounded more like a plea than a threat. As if he wants to stop getting provoked but can't help it. As if...

Jake's reminded for the nth time how Chase's weight felt over him. Jake has had one or two friends here or there but none of them were strong enough. Although he's undoubtedly stronger than Chase too, it's the first time that someone's matching Jake's strength neck to neck. 

For the first time, Jake's met someone who seems like he can take Jake just the way he is and Jake doesn't have to worry about anyone but himself. 

It's terrifying how greedy that makes him. Greedy for a chance to finally be able to rely on someone. To loosen himself without having to fret about hurting someone.

Jake needs to change his section. It hasn't been a week and Chase is breaking years of resolution. 

True to his decision, he goes straight to the office room next day at school. Their homeroom teacher also looks interested in Jake's opinion. 

"Since you and Brian can't adjust with each other as classmates, I also think it's best to just change the sections. Do you want me to move you to a particular section?" He asks. 

"Yes, sir, class 2-D!" replies Winter. 

"That's not fair!" Willie complains. "Sir, can you shift me to the same section too then?"

Jake breaths out heavily. He just mentioned section changing once and here they are, following Jake to the office room.

Turns out, the teacher doesn't know anything for sure yet. He says he'll talk to Winter's homeroom teacher to see if he can take an extra student. "There have to be other formalities done, too. But I hope by the end of the week, you'll have a new classroom."

"We, sir! I also want to--"

"Shut up, Willie."

The twins accompany Jake out the teacher's room. One excited, one sulking. 

"You were my friend first. I talked to you first. You came to my section first and now you're leaving me behind?" Willie demands miserably. "I thought we were closer than that."

"I don't understand why you don't have friends," Jake wonders out loud. "You literally made me your friend. What do you do with such a loud personality alone?"

"To be honest? I'm also surprised the way we three got close so easily," says Winter. "It never happened so naturally before. You've probably noticed already that I also don't really have friends."

"Why's that?" Jake asks.

"I guess that's because we don't know how to socialize," Willie shrugs. "Serves for being at home half my life."

Jake eyes the twins. "You want to tell me about it?"

"Later?" Winter says. "Right now, I'm just so happy we'll be in the same class from next week. I can't wait!"

Willie looks morose again at once. "Go back to your class now," he snaps at his sister. "Let me enjoy my friend's company as long as it lasts."

Winter doesn't even mind to be told off. She waves bye at them and goes to her classroom.

"Stop looking like I'm leaving the school," Jake tells Willie.

"Same difference," replies Willie, heaving a sigh. 

Jake arm locks his head with a laugh. "Come on, then, I'll give you my company all you want."

Brian watches as the two of them enter the classroom embraced like that. For someone who doesn't even look at him when he talks, Jake doesn't seem to mind when other people throw themselves on him. It makes Brian want to break his face. 

Willie stays beside Jake instead of sitting on his seat and keeps whining. "Can't you change your mind? Think about it again. Don't you think you'll miss me?" 

"Yeah, yeah."

"Won't you be sad if we don't talk between classes?"

"Yeah, yeah."

"Do you think Winter will be a better friend?" 

"Yeah, yeah."

"You think she'll be a better friend!?" Willie repeats. "Wow. I can't believe you're already on her side even when you haven't changed the section." 

Before Jake can say anything, Brian asks from behind, "Who's changing the section?" 

Both boys stiffen but none answers. 

"Don't make me repeat myself," says Brian, slow and dangerous. Since he can't see Jake's face, he glares at Willie instead who suddenly looks 1 feet shorter. 

"Jake's....." He mumbles. 

Before Brian can react anymore, the teacher arrives and the class begins. So he doesn't have a choice other than seething behind for now.

At break, Willie quickly pulls Jake out but halfway to the cafeteria, Brian suddenly appears in front of them.

"Roberts," he says. "Get away from here before I say another word."

Willie obeys resentfully. 

"And you," says Brian venomously. "You aren't going anywhere." 

Jake meets his eyes in level. "Apparently I am."

"Why are you changing sections?" Brian asks. "What're you so worried about? It can't be because you think I'll land you into trouble, it can't be because you think I'll hurt you. What is it, then?" He inches closer to Jake's face. "What're you so afraid of, Flynn?"

Jake feels like someone's punched him in the guts. How did this guy figure out the reason so accurately? It's like he knows how Jake's feeling. 

"I asked you a question, Flynn," murmurs Brian. 

Damn this shit, he's so close. Today there's no smell of some girl's perfume on him. It's just him, just Brian. And he's so close that if Jake holds up his hands, he can just--

"Leave my friend alone!" 

The light of excitement and desire and passion dies in Brian's eyes at once as he turns to look at Winter approaching, Willie behind her. 

"I don't see how it's any of your business," Brian says. 

"You want to know why he's changing section? Because he's my friend. He'll come to my section. We want to do classes together," she says, standing strong on her ground. "And he doesn't need your permission or approval. Let's go, Jake." She holds Jake's hand and pulls. 

But Jake doesn't move. He sees how Brian looks at the two of them as understanding dawns in him. A wrong understanding. 

He looks at Jake with disbelief, with betrayal. Jake wants to tell him it's not his fault that Brian came up with his own conclusions. Most of all, he wants to tell Brian that his conclusions were right, up until this last one at least. 

Jake looks away. "Yeah, let's go," he tells Winter and walks away, leaving Brian behind.