Hey Sunshine

Don't Knock on YMCA!

"There are hundreds of enthusiastic moms, pick one."

"The one with the face painted in red and gold. Look, see?" Jesper pointed some more, directing Wylan's gaze to a boy who, indeed looked like he was trying to fly. He tried not to laugh, understanding that this was an important game to the players. They all looked determined to succeed.

"I wonder why they made quidditch a sport," Jesper wondered. "Is there like, some kind of application process? Is there any way I can sign Matthias up for it?"
Wylan tried not to laugh at the idea of the six foot three blonde hunched over with a broom under his legs and a ball steadily held in his hand. "Come on Jesper," he said weakly. "Some people like this game, and enjoy it."

"Exactly," Jesper nodded serenely. "Some people enjoy this game, and I assure you, I understand that. Now, going back to the point. Is there anyway to sign Kaz up for this? He needs to see the sunshine, sometime."

Wylan tried not to laugh at the thought of Kaz Brekker of all people, running around for hours with a broom securely fastened between his legs. Knowing Kaz though, people would still be terrified of him.

"I don't know." Wylan smiled at Jesper. "Kaz is the kind of person who's reputation you really can't mess around with."

Jesper nodded like he knew exactly what Wylan was talking about. "I once tried to in high school," he said with a crooked grin. "My locker wouldn't open for a weak, and every professor I had a class with gave me a D for every test. But that just started a prank war... with Kaz of all people, so the next couple of months were interesting."

Wylan raised his eyebrows. "Prank war? With Kaz? I'm guessing that didn't end up well?"

"You'd be surprised," Jesper said shaking his head. "It was me, Inej, and Nina against Matthias and Kaz. And to this day, I'm sure Kaz blackmailed Matthias into helping him out."

"I can imagine," Wylan said dryly, thinking of Kaz knocking on Matthias' door in the middle of the night and demanding he help him. "So how'd you guys become... " he trailed off, gesturing broadly to Jesper.

"A thing?" Jesper asked. "A group?"

"Yeah," Wylan nodded. "You all fit together really well."

Jesper shrugged. "That one happened overtime. It was always Kaz, Nina, and I living at the small orphanage, you know the one Per Haskell runs?" Wylan nodded, recognizing the last name. "Well, Inej lost her family in a freak circus fire, which is partly why she can do so many insane flips and rolls. She moved in with her Aunt, who happened to live next door to us. Kaz and Inej had rooms and windows looking directly next to each other."

Wylan smiled at that, imaging a younger Kaz and Inej speaking through their open windows at night time. He decided he'd like to draw it one day.

Suddenly a loud cheer came from the field, and they both turned their heads to see their college quidditch team had scored a point. Wylan hastily grabbed his drawing again and continued sketching the finer lines. "And Matthias?" he prompted.

"Matthias is from a small Russian town," Jesper said. "The government was testing weapons in an area a little away from there, and it wasn't supposed to but they accidentally hit his place. Matthias had to move, and then in his new school they had an exchange program that Matthias took because he was well..." Jesper trailed off. "Pissed at his country. He still loves his hometown though."

Wylan nodded, remembering all the times Matthias had mentioned his town. And it was a lot, because Wylan had only really hung out with the giant once. "What about his stepfather?" he asked, remembering something Matthias had said in the elevator. Help me move on from the teachings of my stepfather...