Doodled Hearts

Chapter Four

Author's note: [These are rare, but important.] I apologize for short chapters and slow updates but please bear with me for a while. Life is interrupting and it's bloody irksome, but chapters will be longer and there will be more plot development soon! Patience is required. It would be highly appreciated. Thanks! ~ Mickey

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There was nothing that stopped Dirk when it came to Roxy being in trouble; even the Head Master received some cuss words from Strider. Sadly, he was kicked out of the main school building for showing no respect to the head master, and Roxy was still trapped inside there. Jane sat with Dirk in the warmth of the spring night. His hands were shaking, his nerves wrecking him.

"Relax Dirk. Everything will be fine." Jane held his hand to try and stop his trembling.

"She's going to get expelled. I need to help her." He replied, his fiery eyes glaring into the distance.

Jane looked at him sternly, preparing to scold her arrogant friend.

"Dirk, it's enough that Roxy is in trouble. I don't think you want to join that mess. Just... calm down. She'll walk out that office all fine and such, I know it. Now shush before you make a mess out of yourself." She got so carried away that she stood up in front of Dirk, her pyjama pants so long they acted as socks as well. He looked up at her and sighed. He couldn't give in.
He stood up and walked into the building again, his facial expression much softer, more guilty looking. He knocked on the office door, and sucked in a deep breath before entering. Roxy was a teary mess, her make up looked like water colours and she was the canvas, and the painter was a five year old. The Head Master always looked so unsympathetic, as if he was always pissed off. He always had his eyes narrowed behind his already narrow glasses, and he had so many folds on his forehead it look infinite.
"What is it, Strider?"
"They were my drugs." He spoke softly. Roxy lowered her eyebrows, "I put them in her room thinking that no one would find it... I feel terrible and it's all my fault sir."
Roxy took Dirk's hand and shook her head. Dirk ignored his friend and looked at the Head Master.
"Is this true Roxy?"
"Roxy didn't know. I hid it there without her consent."
"... Oh. Very well then, Roxy's story seems to match."
"No sir! It wasn't Dirk." Roxy objected.
"Then who was it?" More wrinkles formed on the man's forehead.
"I... don't know." She admitted defeat.

The drugs were obviously taken away, and Dirk was suspended from school for a week. He was to stay in his room, and if he was found with drugs again then he would be sent to a rehabilitation centre and would have to find a new school. Rumour spread around campus quicker than a forest fire, and it got to a point where some actual drug influenced students went to Dirk, hoping he had some.

'Fuck off, I have no drugs' was his new motto by the end of the week. He mainly worked on his visual diary and other work. Occasionally the rest of the group would visit him, and every time Roxy would shout at Dirk. She would yell at him and tell him to stop being the hero of the story, and how she could fight her own fights. Jane would have to take her out the room, leaving Jake alone with him.
"Listen, you don't have to be here." Dirk sighed as he tapped his foot on the floor.
"I want to be though. I am your friend, and I am worried about you." Jake was sitting on the other's bed; his blazer draped over his shoulders.
"You're not my friend... you're my best bro. Get it right, English." Dirk spoke as if it irritated him, but honestly he didn't know how else to say it without sounding sappy, "But thanks anyway."

After their visits the three would leave and continue with school, but on the last day of his punishment Jane had visited him during school hours; acting sick was something Jane rarely did, but these were serious times.
She knocked on the door, and opened it. Dirk was on his bed, still under his sheets. The room was dark and cluttered. The sun looked as if it was trying its best to find a way into the nerd's room. Jane crossed her arms and walked over to the bed after closing the door. She sat on the edge and poked Dirk's foot.
"Are you still alive?"
"No. You're talking to zombie Dirk, get away before he attacks you."
"You want some braaaaaaiins?" She snickered. Dirk slipped on his shades before rising like a vampire out of a coffin, droning the word, "Brraaaaaaiins." He let his arms hang in front of him and he lunged forward. Jane snickered and pushed him away.
"You're such a dork."
"What brings you to my fortress?"
"Friendship was calling me."
Dirk forced out a chuckle in disbelief, "Don't lie to yourself. Really though, why are you here?"
"I came here because I think we need to talk."
Dirk fell back and tossed the blanket over him, not in the mood for another 'Crocker is always right' lecture. Jane exhaled and got up, throwing the curtain open and then taking the pillow from Rufioh's bed, she threw it at Dirk. He caught it and tossed it onto the floor, wiping his hand on his blanket afterward.
"You're being a pain in the ass."
"There was no need for that," He stayed lying down. "just talk, I'll listen." His deep voice was muffled under the blanket. The young lady fixed her glasses and sat on Dirk's desk chair.
"So... I was talking to Jake and-" Dirk groaned at Jane.
"If this is going to be a talk about my gayness then you've come at the wrong time, Jane. I don't want to talk about this."
"Its serious."
"No."
"Dirk please."
"Listen, no matter what he says it's not true, we weren't close to kissing in the costume room. We were never meant to be there in the first place, it's all forgotten about, we're best bros now and that's that. I don't care what anyone says, the rumours aren't true. I know that I scared him away, he should just stop acting like he's still interested in me..." He yakked on, unsure of what he was saying himself.
"I am going on a date with him!" Jane exclaimed, trying to ignore Dirk's mini monologue. He froze, his heart broken slightly. A disappointed oh escaped his lips. Jane took off her glasses and placed them on his desk. She shook her head a bit too fast,
"I knew you weren't going to be happy." "No I am. I just didn't expect that, and so soon. He's only been here for what? Two weeks? Are you that charismatic?"
"Actually, he asked me out."
The crack in Dirk's heart continued to move downward, one more disappointment and it would snap in half. He just stared at her.
"And I said yes. We're going to dinner tonight."
"It seems that you were right about the whole... serious thing."
Jane looked at him with confused eyes, "What?"
"It seems that Jake was the ignorant simpleton I always knew he was. It seems that he was extremely oblivious to how I was acting around him."
"It seems? Don't start that again Dirk."
"It seems I don't give a fuck."
"It seems that you need to stop."
"It seems that I am not worth his time, or yours."
Jane growled and took Rufioh's pillow again, and began to hit Dirk repetitively, "Oh my God you are such a jack ass! One good thing happens to me and now you're making me feel like absolute shit!" She threw the pillow down onto the floor, "God, I swear sometimes you can be so childish, and selfish, and egotistical!" Jane, with an angry scoff, stormed out the room. Dirk lay there in a ball on his bed and his eyes began to sting. He just stared off into space, the feeling of betrayal made his chest hurt. Egotistical, huh? Better add that to the list of names that people have been calling him.

***

Dirk was back on school grounds the following week. The only one who really talked to him was Jake, and even that was slightly awkward. His bro-ship with Jake had been awfully painful, especially since the date. And backstage was more inert than anything - they didn't joke around at all, the only highlight was the end.

"So have you finally broken your friendship with Jane?" Roxy snatched a slice of pizza from the buffet table. Dirk followed. No response. Roxy looked back at him and sighed as she led the way to a table. She took a seat and watched Dirk join her.
"No." He finally answered. He was monotone. There was nothing more irritating than miserable, monotone Dirk. Roxy stole a bite from her pizza slice. Her stare was somewhat dull - it was for the entire day.
"And Jake?"
"Jake is Jake," He didn't touch his food. "he still hasn't taken any notice of me."
"Senpai hasn't noticed you, huh?" She attempted to crack the joke, but even her tone of voice was too lifeless to make the joke successful. Dirk frowned.
"Also, he has taken notice of you. You two are best friends."
"Our friendship has lasted three weeks." He snorted.

Dirk was literally broken. He felt as if he was torn in two, and the only thing that could stitch him back together was Jake. In the end the solution was always Jake, and it irritated Dirk. It was unfair that he relied on English so much; he had turned into a cane that Dirk needed to lean on. The only problem was that the cane was being shared between two people, and both needed it to walk or else they would collapse. Dirk wished that Jane hadn't met Jake; he wished that she didn't introduce him to the group. Dirk wasn't angry at Jane for stealing his man, he was angry for introducing him to the group in the first place.