Rainbow Connection, AFTG ✔️

2.5

CHAPTER FIVE
JAMES

Porter looked nervous when he came into their dorm and sat his bag on the desk next to James. With a drone of sarcasm, James glanced at him and asked, "Yes?"

"Andrew wants you to come to Columbia." From his tone, it was clear that Porter didn't want James to go.

He slid his pencil into his textbook and closed it. Turning to Porter fully, he raised his eyebrow, "What's Columbia?"

"It's—" Porter sighed and pulled a chair over. He sat in front of James with his legs pulled into his seat with him, "Columbia is a city near here, and the twins and Nicky are from there. They have a house there, and they—we go clubbing there sometimes. It's always just us though—Andrew's group, I mean...well, I mean, I'm not—gah." Porter put his head in his hands for a moment, then kicked back and leaned against his chair's frame.

"Ok." After a deep breath, he tried again, "The upperclassmen are never allowed to come with us. The twins hate them with some worthless fiery inferno that has no reason to burn."

James twiddled with a highlighter he'd been using, giving Porter a bored glance, "But?" He guessed.

"But!" Porter exclaimed, "But Andrew just invited you!"

James nodded, taking in the information, "And you don't want me to go?"

"What? No!" Porter shook his head, "Andrew's insane, James, he carries knives everywhere! I bodychecked Nicky once, and Andrew tried to carve my guts out!" His hands protectively curled over his stomach as if he could protect his organs from butchering.

James' face dropped slightly. The Foxes had a knife wielding maniac, Kevin Day, Porter Faye—it was hard to remember that he'd escaped the Nest with all of these similarities. Andrew wasn't mindlessly beating people yet though, so James could assume his proclaimed insanity was an overreaction from the ever-exaggerating Porter.

He'd have to see for himself.

"I'm going," James nodded, mostly to himself, "It will be awkward in a club with this clunky thing—" He tapped his cast with his closed highlighter, "—but I'm going."

Porter blinked, incredulously. Then, he sunk into his chair again and nodded, "Okay."

James did a double-take. After a second of shock, he raised his eyebrows and pursed his lips, "Have the Foxes domesticated you, Porter?"

"You made your decision," He waved it off, "I gave you my thoughts."

James' frown deepened. He observed Porter, who had tilted his head back and closed his eyes as if he was going to sleep in that uncomfortable wooden chair; Porter looked different, but from their interactions so far, James had assumed he was the same person at least.

James had clearly been mistaken. The version of Porter who'd fled from the Nest in September was self-interested, vulnerable to a fault, and overly-emotional. He was easily toppled. The version of Porter in front of him had footing. He stood on solid ground, did what he wanted, and had a level of maturity that James couldn't have imagined Porter ever having.

"Is Kevin going?" James turned back to his book, letting nonchalance hide his real question.

Porter opened his eyes, giving James a slow look. It gave James enough to want more of the mystery. Then, Porter yawned, stretched his arms, and pushed himself out of his chair, "Yeah, yeah, Kevin always goes."