Will Them Into Existence

Audiance Participation

Shaking their head and once again pulling their headphones back over their ears, Wilbur high fived Colby as the two walked back through backstage and out of the auditorium. The auditorium doors reopened with a screech as Sam bounded through them, clapping Colby on the back and smiling at the other headphone-clad teen.

"That was awesome! You guys did great." The blonde said, pulling the strap of his book bag tighter and glancing around the hallways around the small group.

Colby grinned, lightly tapping Wilbur's side, who hummed in response. "I told you. We'll kill it on opening night for sure."

"For sure." Wilbur replied, rocking on their heals and bringing a hand up to scratch their neck. "But I'm still nervous about the end scene. I know my lines pretty well, I just can't wrap my head around the final mo-" They cut himself off, words coming to a stop as a short, blonde, cheer uniform clad figure appeared down the hallway.

Said figure waved to a red-head, face falling as soon as he turned away from her. He kicked a loose piece of linoleum and sighed, seemingly unaware of his three onlookers. As he neared the group, Colby cleared his throat, making eye contact with Sam who nodded and began to walk in the opposite direction.

Wilbur whipped around when the brunette set a hand on their shoulder, a supportive smile on his face. He squeezed their shoulder once, looked pointedly down the hallway, and turned to follow after his best friend.

Wilbur shook his hands by their sides, turning off their music but leaving the headphones firmly in place on either side of their head. He sighed, looking around the hallway and sitting on a themed bench, placing their book bag on the floor in front of them.

He looked up just in time to make eye contact with the short blonde, who, admittedly, put forth his best attempt at a convincing smile as he stopped walking in front of where the other sat.

"Hey." The shorter said, worrying his lips in-between his teeth and grimacing when one of his bottom teeth snagged a little too hard.

"Hi." The taller replied, looking beside them at the empty part of the bench and then back to his brother. "You could- uh, why don't we sit for a little bit?"

Thomas's eyes darted between the empty seat and his brother before falling down to his shoes. "And be late for Silliw's exam?" He laughed, looking back up with a slightly more convincing smile on his face. "I think we'd both rather die."

Wilbur shook their head, patting the bench and looking at their brother with scrunched eyebrows. "Come on, Toms. We have to talk, y'know?"

Thomas sighed, rubbing his eyes with one hand as his face fell. Wordlessly, he set his backpack on the ground and then sat beside his brother, pulling his knees up to his chest in one fluid, familiar motion and wrapping his arms around his knees.

The two sat in silence for a multitude of minutes, seconds obnoxiously clicking by with the sounds of a nearby wall-clock. The green-haired teen tapped the side of the bench handle absentmindedly, gaze glued straight ahead at the brick wall. Finally, they felt his brother take a shuddering breath, sigh and then turn to face them.

"Listen, I-" The blonde shook his head, sitting on his knees with his shaking hands hovering over his brother's shoulders. "I shouldn't have kept anything from you. I should've told you what I thought I knew when I thought I knew it, I never meant to make you frustrated, Wilby, and I understand that you're probably really mad-"

Wilbur grabbed their brothers hands, shaking their head furiously. "Gods, Tom, I'm not mad you."

The shorter paused, blinking rapidly to force away building pressure. "You're not?" He asked, voice cracking lightly.

"No. No, of course not." The taller said, squeezing his hands and tilting his head. "I could never be mad at you. Not really."

At the eyebrow raise from the other, the green-haired teen snorted, shrugging their shoulders. "Yeah, I know. I just got really frustrated. I-" They looked down, bringing their still intertwined hands to his lap. "I'm scared, Tommy. Really scared. I don't know what's happening. I think I just thought that if anyone had answers, it would be you, but that is incredibly unfair of me, and I'm sorry, Toms. I'm really, really sorry."

They looked up again, vision blurry as they squeezed his brother's hands again. "No matter how I feel, I should never take it out on you. I know you're just trying to help."

Thomas bit his lip, looking questioningly at Wilbur who nodded. The shorter leaned forward and wrapped his arms around his brother, squeezing them gently. "I am. Gods, I am. But I don't know how to. I don't know what the right thing to do is. I have no clue if what I know about experimental radiation applies to you." He pulled back again, setting his hands on he others shoulders. "I promise from here on out, I'll tell you everything I know. It was never my intention to make you feel like I was isolating you from help."

Wilbur smiled, sniffling and reaching up a hand to ruffle the blonde's hair. "I love you, Tommy. So much. Thank you."

"I love you too so much, Wilbur. You never have to thank me for being your support. There's nowhere I'd rather be." Thomas said, wiping his eyes one more time with his uniform sleeve and then looking down the hall at the clock. "It's already fifteen into Silliw's class. No point in going now, we've already missed the start of the test."

The taller nodded, standing and pulling their bag back on. "Yeah. We could go to the extra lab. Work on our applications."

Tom hummed, standing and grabbing his own bag. "I need to change out of my uniform anyway. I'll meet you there in ten?"

"Sure. I'm gonna stop by the venders and get us some snacks."

The blonde smiled, bumping his brother's shoulder as he walked by, presumably on the path to the cheer locker room. "Thanks, bubbah. See you soon."

"See you soon." Wilbur echoed as the other walked down the hallway, turning their music up and spinning to face the empty hall, this time with determination and temporary contentment their main drivers.

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