I Thought I Loved You Yesterday [Roceit High School AU]

Chapter 6 - More Feeling This Time

Janus pulled his backpack onto his shoulder, shutting the math book quietly and standing up. He nodded to the teacher as he made his way out of the room, sticking to the side of the hall as others brushed past him. He darted out past the stream of people and almost fell against his locker before catching himself.

He quickly spun in the combination, swinging it open carefully and shoving the textbook into the metal box. He went to close it but froze when he heard someone calling his name.

"Janus!"

It didn't seem familiar. Usually his friends greeted him with some sort of insult or remark, never his name. He searched the crowd for the source, his eyes falling onto a tall boy with dull green eyes. It took him a second to connect the name to the face. "Roman?"

The boy in question quickly came up to him, panting a bit. "Hey, I've been meaning to ask you something."

Janus blinked. Why did that scare him? Why was he breathing quickly? He'd talked to the boy once. This was fine. Everything was fine.

He turned back to his locker, pretending to be busy. He absently shuffled around the books, making the largest one on the bottom of the stack, then the next largest, and so on. "What's up?" he muttered, eyeing Roman.

Roman leaned against the lockers next to him. "Remy said you've gotta do some extracurricular?"

He slammed the door shut and groaned. "How many people fucking know about that?"

"I mean, I know because Remy told me."

Janus glared at him and walked away, forcing him to chase after the shorter boy. "Remy's friends with everyone. He's probably told anyone who could listen."

"Do you want me to leave you alone about it?"

Janus shrugged. "Don't care."

Roman paused for a second. "So, I have a proposition."

"Shoot."

"You need some time counting towards extracurricular. And the theater needs some more techs."

Janus raised an eyebrow. "Then buy some computers, I don't know why you need to talk to me about-"

"No, like- like stagehands. People who aren't part of the cast but can still help out."

"Oh." Janus thought this over, already expecting that Roman was going to ask him to help. "And you're telling me this because...?"

"If that was something you're interested in, we've got some spots open." The pair stopped just outside the cafeteria doors. 

Janus frowned. "What exactly would I do?"

"Not much, just general organizational stuff. Probably some curtains and mics."

He drummed his fingers on his chin. "What about Remus?"

"What about him?"

"Don't you two have some sort of anti-crossover-friendship-circles pact or something?"

Roman hesitated. "It's fine. I mean, it's not like we're going to talk outside of this, right?" He stuttered and went back on what he said. "I- unless you want to, I mean, I'd be glad to- but if you don't-" 

Janus waved him off, ignoring the sinking feeling. "Shut it, Woe-man, I'll help out." He frowned. "I don't know...how to help, though."

"I think Sanders isn't doing anything right now. We could check right now, I could teach you."

He looked at Roman for a second. "Uh...sure."

He felt a pull on his elbow and Roman led him by the arm to the theater, pushing open the doors. The slight warmth left his arm as Roman let go, the place where there had once been contact now freezing. "See, this is the right way to come in," he laughed quietly.