Aftg react

Part67

Foxes react: chapter 17

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He might have asked what they were doing, but Andrew spoke first. He was only four steps up the staircase to the second floor when he rounded on Neil.
"Take these or I'll use them," he said, holding out his hands.
Neil stared at his empty palms, mystified, then reached under the hems of Andrew's long sleeves and caught the edges of Andrew's bands. He knew there were sheathes in Andrew's bands and had handled them before, but the weight still caught him off-guard. He tucked the bands and their hidden weapons into his backpack. Andrew watched until
Neil's bag was zipped closed and slung over his shoulder again before turning away.
There was only one reason Andrew would give up his knives in here, but Neil couldn't believe it. He didn't have long to wonder. The right wall was lined with computers, and alongside the computer stations were oversized tables for studying. Halfway toward the back Katelyn sat with three unfamiliar students. The boy at her right was gesturing expansively at his open textbook as he spoke. Katelyn twirled a pen through her hair as she listened. Andrew was only two tables away before she noticed him, and she jumped so hard she dropped her pen. Andrew flicked her a cool look and kept going. Neil paused to make sure she understood that summons.
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Katelyn made the mistake of stopping too close to him. She barely had time to cry out before Andrew caught her shoulder and threw her at the wall. Neil winced at the sound she made as she slammed into it. She stumbled but didn't fall and turned to stare wide-eyed at him.
"Please," she said. "Please, I—"

Aaron snapped at seeing that "I swear to got if you do something to her" he said with anger but was shut down immediately by Andrew ina bored tone "you what?" it was like he was daring him to continue and after everyone saw what Aaron had said to Neil no one wanted to break it up but that changed when Aaron was about to make his way towards Andrew "come just sit down, you aren't a saint either" said Alison with a raised eyebrow, there still was a lot of a commotion but after a while they returned back to their places.
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"That reminds me, is now a bad time to take my bonus turn?" Neil interpreted Andrew's silence how he wanted and said, "Who said 'please' that made you hate the word so much?"
Andrew gazed at him in silence for a minute. "I did."
Neil didn't know what answer he'd been expecting but this wasn't it. He felt it like a pop to his chest, sharp and startling.

They had the same reaction as Neil, the meaning of these words cut deep down and it effected everyone even Aaron who had tried to school his reaction because of what had happened but hearing something like that would make you feel even if you didn't want to.
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"After everything they did to you, how can you stand me?" Neil asked. He was unwilling to put the details into words with so many people around. He doubted anyone was paying attention to them, but he wasn't going to risk it. He gestured between them, knowing Andrew would understand. "How is this okay?"
"It isn't a 'this'," Andrew said.
"That's not what I'm asking. You know it isn't. Andrew, wait," he insisted, because Andrew was turning away like he couldn't hear Neil anymore. Neil reached for him, unwilling to let him leave without a real answer.
"No," Andrew said, and Neil's hand froze a breath from Andrew's arm. Andrew went still as well, and they stood for a minute in awful silence. Finally Andrew looked back at him, but for a moment Neil didn't know who he was looking at. In the space of one breath Andrew's expression went so dark and distant Neil almost retreated. Then Andrew was back, as calm and uncaring as always, and he caught Neil's wrist to
push his hand to his side. He dug his fingers in before letting go, not quite hard enough to hurt, and said, "That's why."
Neil stopped when Andrew told him to. It wasn't much, but it was more than enough. Neil managed a nod, too numb to speak, and watched Andrew walk away from him.

They understood, after they learned about Andrew's past they understood how important someone like Neil was to him even if he would never admit it. It made the words Aaron had said hit harder and maybe Aaron had enough shame to at least regret them.
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"You're up against Edgar Allan again, too, in the biggest rematch of the year. Thoughts?"
"I don't want to talk about the Ravens anymore," Kevin said. "Ever since my mother died it's been Ravens this and Ravens that. I am not a Raven anymore. I never will be again. To be honest, I never should have been one in the first place. I should have gone to Coach Wymack the day I found out he was my father and asked to start my freshman year at Palmetto State."

Oh wow that took the all by surprise, Kevin had finally inherited the guts to actually stand up for himself they were ecstatic about it but the same couldn't be said about Kevin himself, at this point it looked like he was begging to some got for whatever but it was not their business.
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"The day—" She floundered, then said, "Did you say Coach Wymack is your father?"
"Yes, I did. I found out when I was in high school," Kevin said, "but I didn't tell him because I thought I wanted to stay at Edgar Allan. Back then I thought the only way to be a champion was to be a Raven. I bought into their lies that they would make me the best player on the court. I shouldn't have believed it; I've been wearing this number long enough to know that wasn't what they wanted for me.
"Everyone knows the Ravens are all about being the best. Best pair, best line-up, best team. They drill it into you day after day, make you believe it, make you forget that in the end 'best' means 'one'. They let you forget until other people buy into it, be it fans swaying too far the wrong way or the ERC calling them out on their schemes. Then they don't want to play that game anymore, and they skip straight to the elimination round. Did you know I've never been skiing? I'd like to try it one day, though."

The shock was shocking.( :) ) Expect Andrew who was amused it was after some time that anyone else actually managed to say something about and wenn they did it was all together with too much force that nothing was understood except the look of horror on Kevin's, he was muttering something about him dying to witch Alison might had laughed at but hid it when looked at "calm down, like Neil said Riko is a bitch and nothing is going to happen" said Nicky somewhat proud of what he said "well he didn't say it like this but it was implied?" he continued when Kevin looked at him like he had grown to heads, when Kevin continued looking at him like that Nicky scratched his head in awkward movements as everyone turned back to keep watching.
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Neil ignored that dismissal because Andrew was already pulling him
down again. They kissed until Neil felt dizzy, until he wasn't sure he could hold himself up anymore, and then Andrew pulled Neil's hand off the beanbag chair. He held it up away from them for an eternity, then slowly pressed it flat against his chest and let go. Andrew tensed up underneath Neil's hand but relaxed before Neil could pull away.
Neil wasn't fooled. Andrew had made it very clear the first time he kissed Neil how important an actual "yes" was. This casual surrender
wasn't genuine consent. Andrew was doing this because of what they'd said on Wednesday, but Neil wasn't sure which one of them Andrew was trying to convince. It'd only been three months since Proust's abuse and four months since Drake's attack. Neil didn't know when Andrew would be okay with this but he knew it wasn't today. Neil left his hand on Andrew but refused to move it from that spot.
"I won't be like them," Neil said. "I won't let you let me be."
"One hundred and one," Andrew said, "going on one hundred and two."
"You're a terrible liar," Neil said, and Andrew kissed him into silence.

They smiled at that (except Aaron and Kevin who was still freaking out) it hit them a bit hard but seeing how Neil could see past Andrew's facade was refreshing, they really were a good match for each other (Nicky was wiping happy tears away and Andrew was on his way to gut him alive)

(Three more chapters to go)
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