𓈊 A Poppy By Any Other Name

Act XXIX

"Well, maybe," Jimmy continued, despite Mr. Harding's attempt to break them up, "I would've felt better if you hadn't been all, 'my shoulder hurts. Jimmy hurt my shoulder, and now I'm gonna die.'"

"I don't sound like that," Scott said, more calmly than he looked.

Jimmy scoffed. "Yes, you do."

"Shut the hell up."

Harding rolled his eyes. "Boys-"

"I should tell that to you, Mr. Everything Revolves Around Me Because I'm So Traumatized," Jimmy spat. "My boyfriend's a dick to me, and I refuse to break up with him so I can be the victim and get sympathy from people. I'm so special and fragile and cute, everybody loves me."

Scott huffed as he turned away from Jimmy. "You're ridiculous," he mumbled.

"Right. I'm the ridiculous one."

Scott whipped his head back around to look at Jimmy. "Excuse me?"

"I said: Right. I'm the ridiculous one," Jimmy repeated slowly, acting as if Scott was deaf. "Because I totally have an abusive boyfriend that cheats on me that I chose to stick around with, even though I like somebody else."

Scott gasped. "Jimmy, you-"

"And I'm the one who thought it was a good idea to date a senior and lose my virgi-"

"That is enough out of the both you!" Mr. Harding shouted. "What has gotten into you two?"

Scott didn't respond at all, and Jimmy answered for the both of them.

"I was only trying to help him," Jimmy huffed, "and he was set on being an asshat to me because I didn't feel well this morning - as if I can control that." The last part was spat in Scott's direction.

Harding sighed. "Mr. Solidarity, there is no place for petty comments here," he said level-headedly. "Control your anger, please."

Jimmy pouted and crossed his arms over his chest like a child put in time-out.

"Scott?" Mr. Harding said, suggesting Scott tell him his side of the story.

Again, Scott didn't respond. At least, not right away. He sniffled and, directing his words at Jimmy, whispered, "I can't believe you just said that."

Jimmy quirked a brow. "Said what?" he asked incredulously. "That I can't control whether I feel ill or not?"

Scott shook his head. "No, not that." He paused and lifted his eyes to meet Jimmy's indifferent gaze. "About... me dating a senior, and-" He cut himself off to inhale deeply, shaking his head again. "I hate you." And with that, Scott grabbed his belongings and rushed out of the theater.

*   *   *

"It says it needs to have some sort of beneficial function," Grian said, squinting at the list of criteria.

Mumbo hummed. "Well, your design doesn't really have any arms," he pointed out, earning a half-hearted glare from the dirty blonde next to him. "Frankly, it looks like a funny little lamp."

Grian rolled his eyes. "I get it, there's flaws in my desi-"

"Flaws?" Mumbo echoed. "Are you kidding? I think it's great."