The Wicked Walk On Every Side

Chapter 17

Wolfbane and Maxentius' dormitory was filled with a comfortable silence as the two prepared for bed. Maxentius was laying in his bed, swathed in his pin- striped pajamas (the stripes were green, this time), and going over the notes he had taken in class that day, as well as copying the notes one of his fellow classmates had taken the other day. Wolfbane, in his usual sweatshirt and fuzzy pajama pants, sat at his vanity, running his fingers through his hair, the curls wrapping around his fingers and slightly tugging as they combed through. Maxentius noticed, however, that his friend's eyes were spacey and unfocused as they stared into the mirror.

"Wolfbane?" Maxentius said, trying to sound not worried (or rather, bored, because he couldn't bring himself to be quite so vulnerable). "What's so interesting in your mirror? You haven't spoken to me since we got to the common room."

"Uh-huh," was the response that Maxentius got from the blond. He ruffled the papers in his hand and fully turned to look at Wolfbane. Wolfbane jolted minutely from his stupor and took his hand out of his hair. "Wait, what?"

"I asked," Maxentius said, a frown beginning to tug at his features, "what was so interesting in your mirror?" A sudden thought blipped into Maxentius' mind, making his expression cloud over, and the gates around his heart shut just a tad bit tighter. "Oh, I see. Thinking about Lover Boy again, are we?"

Wolfbane's forehead scrunched up. "Lover Boy? Who-? What are you talking about?"

A wave of anger washed over Maxentius. Wolfbane and him were friends. Did that daft blond truly think he could lie to Maxentius so easily? Maxentius was nothing if not a fool, and he wouldn't stand to be made for one.

"Oh don't act like you don't know," Maxentius said with a brazen accusation. "What did he do this time? Save a baby squirrel from falling?"

"Maxentius I genuinely don't know who you're talking about!" Wolfbane stood from his vanity and walked over towards Maxentius. The look in his eyes- worry and god-awful pity- made Maxentius sick to his stomach. Wolfbane continued his statement with a soft, "What's gotten into you?"

Before Maxentius could answer (not that he could have anyway, because he was gobsmacked that Wolfbane truly didn't have any idea about who he was referencing), there was a frantic knock on the dormitory door. Wolfbane was swift in turning back towards the door and rushing over to open it. As he went, Maxentius saw him clenching and unclenching his right fist. Curious indeed.

Wolfbane opened the door to reveal Aster, who looked halfway in between happiness and total shock breakdown. Maxentius has only met Aster a few times, mostly when Wolfbane was recovering or in the middle of an anxiety attack. They were a chill person, and Maxentius quite enjoyed their company. Once Wolfbane saw who was at the door, the tension in his body, as well as the faraway look in his eyes, disappeared.

A light bulb switched on in Maxentius' head, and a heavy weight settled in his chest once he realized his mistake. Wolfbane wasn't thinking about Ryot. Wolfbane had been thinking about Aster, who had gone out after hours this evening to get something of theirs that they had left outside. Wolfbane had been worried about one of his friends getting caught and getting in trouble.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Aster explaining something to Wolfbane, waving their hands around frantically. Wolfbane kept glancing over at Maxentius every couple of moments with a weird expression on his face that made his insides feel as though they were tying themselves into knots.

Maxentius felt as though he was going to cry (not that he would allow himself to, in front of other people). Like a fool, he had revealed his cards and thus, had lost. Maxentius feared that he had caused a rift between Wolfbane and himself that would not be fixed, and he could only hope that with time he would be able to fix it.