-rainbow cookie, tracob

23,

-

But the thing about tomorrow is that it can never really be held at bay. You can hold each other as tight as you want, but it doesn't change the way the world spins incessantly.

The phone calls start up that very next morning. Troye doesn't answer them- even if he wanted to, Jacob has assured him that the best thing to do is ignore the way Thomas can't seem to stop blowing up Troye's phone. There are texts, too, a hundred different variations of 'I know you want my cock' and 'come to my place tonight'. Troye doesn't get to hear the voicemails, since Jacob listens to and deletes all those for him, but the revulsion and anger on Jacob's face says that it might be more of the same.

"I guess it would probably be kind of a hassle to change your number, wouldn't it?" Adam asked pensively at dinner the next night when Troye's phone buzzed to signal yet another message. "Like you'd have to tell all of your contacts, but it's not like you have business cards you'd have to redo."

"Can't you just block his number?" suggests Jack.

"Tried already," Troye sighed. "He changed his so he could get around the block. I might look into changing mine, though..."

Jed is blunt. "But you'd still have to see him. Like in class and stuff."

"Tomorrow will be the first time," confirms Troye. He sounds a lot braver than he looks.

He doesn't have to be brave, though, because Jacob is literally right by his side. "I'm going with you," he informs the younger boy. "I'll sit in on your class so he'll leave you alone. He talks tough shit but he probably doesn't want another fist to the face, so."

"You don't have to do that, Jacob-"

"I know." And that's final.

Troye is saved from having to come up with a dignified way to lose by a knock at the door. "I'll get it," he quickly volunteered, unfolding his giant spider limbs and stumbling across the flat to answer.

But the door is being slammed shut almost as soon as it's open- or it would be, if Thomas hasn't stuck his foot in so that he can still peer in at the startled Troye. "Come on, let me in. I just want to talk, baby."

It seems to stun them all when it's Jack who's up first, striding over and brushing Troye aside. "He's not your baby," he informs Thomas before promptly shutting the door in his face. It takes everyone a second to realize that he was able to largely because of the way he's sent a heel smashing down into Thomas' instep.

"Oh my god, Jack," Troye breathed, a startled little laugh. "Oh my god."

"Maybe someone else should answer your door from now on, Troye," Jack simply replied.

Jed spied out the window to watch until Thomas' car was gone before he, Adam and Jack made their exit to sort out something for dinner. Troye and Jacob hang back. No one asks them why.

It's hard to say who's fretting more of the two of them. "He knows where I live," Troye blurts out as soon as the door closes, just as Jacob laments, "Fucking everywhere, isn't he?"

The phone buzzes again, and they both look despite themselves. 'Slam the door in my face all you want but be careful,' it read. And then another: 'I'll tell everyone the truth about what you did to me.'

"I think this is illegal," Troye whispered. Jacob might be inclined to quibble a bit, if for no other reason than to distract them both, but then the third text comes through and it sort of destroys everything.

(Thomas, 7:45 PM) I'm going to tell everyone about how you raped me.

Troye gasps, hard, and can't seem to force the air back out of his lungs. "R- ra- I would nev- oh my god," he splutters eventually, tears leaking from his eyes.