I DON'T MEAN TO BUT I LOVE YOU

two.

The next day in class, Gabe arrives early, sitting in his usual seat. He had been up since AJ called him at two in the morning to start polishing the canes, and now his fingers aching. Gabe rests his head in his hands, closing his eyes for a few moments before the class begins.

Jarstin comes into the room approximately two seconds before class starts, they have one of those annoying professors who closes and locks the door if you're late and then you get marked absent if you're not on the right side of the door. He doesn't seem as drained as Gabe, but his fingers are killing him just as much.

His first thought is to sit behind Gabe, but instead he goes for the first open seat he sees, which so happens to be on the other side of the classroom. Slapping hands with one of the boys he knows on his way, he laughs at something muttered to him--more than likely about the party that happened this weekend--before turning his attention to their professor.

Gabe doesn't even have to open his eyes to know that Jarstin has entered the room, because the other male's sheer energy fills the place. Gabe opens his eyes, brown orbs landing on those blond curls, and silently hoping that Jarstin doesn't sit next to him. The last thing he needs is a distraction in the hardest class he's taking this semester, and luckily, he doesn't.

Still though, even from the other side of the room, Jarstin manages to distract Gabe without even trying to. Ever since they were locked in that cell together, Gabe hasn't been able to take his mind off of the other. Part of it is hatred and part of it is unbridled attraction. Gabe tries to keep his mind on the professor, jotting down notes despite the pain in his fingers, and hoping he can get out of the class without having to interact with Jarstin.

Since he'd been up so late scrubbing floors and shining shoes, Jarstin hadn't even had time to grab his things for class. He only has a borrowed pen and a sheet of loose leaf, on which he takes the best notes he can. He pulls his phone out of his branded purple windbreaker, it's got his line name written across the back in blinding gold. 'Static Shock' with an embroidered image of the electricity bending superhero riding on his iconic trashcan lid. He puts up a picture of himself on his Instagram story, one is a flick of him in mid eye roll with the caption, 'This fucking class bro 🙄'.

Professor Minnadeo drones on and on about something having to do with visualizing and retrosynthesis when the only kind of synthesis he knows (vaguely) about is photo. Jarstin just wants to know who the fuck thought it would be okay to ever make this subject into a fucking class.

As since none of the hoetation is responding, he decides to mess with the only other person he can think of...

📲Jarstin: u still mad at me baby boy?

Apparently, part of the terms of his suspension were that he couldn't wear any of his letters, nor was he allowed to dress as nicely as he usually does. So, today he dons gray joggers, a pair of crisp and creaseless white Forces, and a Nike pullover hoodie. It was definitely a far cry from his signature seventies-flare style, which had begun to feel like a second skin for Gabe. Now, though, he just feels naked and basic. Already today two people had asked him if he was sick.

With every monotonous word that comes from Professor Minnadeo's mouth, Gabe feels himself drifting further and further away into what is quickly becoming sleep. His eyes are barely staying open when his phone buzzes in his pocket. Gabe fishes it out, reading the message and rolling his eyes. Why did Jarstin keep calling him baby boy? More importantly, why did Gabe find himself liking it?

📲Gabe: can't be mad at somebody that's dead to me

It's dramatic, and he knows it, but Gabe could hold a grudge for a very, very long time. It's one of his character flaws.