Paige looks at the door Collins had led him to a bit apprehensively. Inside would be Sebastian who would, hopefully, have some information for him.
He holds his hand out before knocking in a peculiar pattern. Kevin had taught him it, and they said it would guarantee him access.
"Come in!" Sebastian trills, proving Kevin's words to be true. Paige takes a deep breath before twisting the door handle and pushing inwards.
"Kevin, it's good to see you out of b—eek!" Sebastian starts, only to stop abruptly once he turns and finally realizes who's actually in the room.
"Um," Paige smiles awkwardly, "Hi, Sebastian. It's been a minute since we've seen each other, huh?"
"It... c-certainly has!" the other replies, holding his arms up near his chest. "Um, quick question about that, why are you here?"
"Ouch," Leaf snickers. "Blunt guy, huh?"
"I'm sure he's just surprised to see me," Paige responds to Leaf. Then to Sebastian he says, "I actually came to ask you something? If that's alright?"
"You came to my house just to ask me a question?" Sebastian asks, sounding dumbfounded.
Paige quickly corrects him. "No, no! I was here for Kevin. But I asked them a question and they said to ask you. So here I am?" He shrugs and finishes it off with a weird upturned tone, making it sound more like a question than a statement.
"I-I see." Sebastian mutters something under his breath before covering his eyes with his hands and taking.a deep breath. When he pulls his hands back down, he clasps them behind his back and has an odd smile on his face. "Yes, well! What is it you have to ask of me?"
It was almost painfully clear he was afraid of what the question would be, so Paige just blurts it out. "You were the one to clean those notes from my locker, weren't you?"
Sebastian blinks. "Um, yes. I did." He tilts his head to the side a bit, expression confused. "Did I not leave a note saying as such?"
"You did!" Paige nods. "I-I mean, Sue never actually told me who's signature it was, but your name has those initials, right? Sebastian Sharp? S.S.?" Sebastian nods. "Right. So, um... I guess I just wanted to ask why? Did you take them down, I mean."
The already pale teenager in front of Paige somehow turns paler, a deep frown pulling at his face. "I..." Sebastian starts, looking away and taking his hands from behind his back to wring them together. "Please don't get mad with me?" he practically begs.
Paige blinks, confused and worried. "Mad?" he asks.
"Please," Sebastian pleads.
"Just say yes," Leaf says, rolling his eyes. "You're not gonna get anything out of him if you don't."
"Um, okay. I won't," Paige assures.
Sebastian nods and bites his lip before turning and beckoning for Paige to follow. He does, and the two make the short trek to a nearby porcelain table, both taking seats at one of the many comfortable chairs once there. The taller boy sits directly across from the shorter one, but he doesn't look at him, instead, looking somewhere past him. "I have a confession," he says, hands crossed together so tightly it looked almost painful.
"A confession?" Paige blinks.
"Yes." Sebastian closes his eyes and takes a deep breath before rushing out, "I accidentally read one of your admirer notes once!"
It's Paige's turn to blanche now, mouth opening in shock. "You...?" he mumbles, a weird emotion filling him. He didn't even know Sebastian that well! Why had he...?
"You must forgive me!" Sebastian bursts out. "It was an honest mistake! I would never do such a criminal act such as reading one's mail on purpose!"
"Mistake?" Paige repeats, feeling a bit hazy.
"Yes!" Sebastian cries. "I thought it was trash sticking out of your locker, you see! So I retrieved it, and when I looked it over, it was actually a note addressed to you! But!" he barrels on, "But, but, but! I returned it! I couldn't bear the thought of disrupting young love!"
"I..." Paige blinks slowly. "I mean... I got it, so..." He wants to say it's okay, wants to push past this, wants to go home, wants to be in bed, wants—
The feeling of slipping out of the driver's seat is sudden. It happens and then Paige can't move his mouth or his body or anything.
So, Leaf does for him.
He clears his throat before saying in his best Paige voice, "That doesn't answer why you took those notes down."
"Isn't it obvious?" Sebastian wails, "Some horrible, horrible individual found out about your notes because of me!" He grabs their hand with both of his and squeezes it. "Those notes they left, they were awful! And it was all my fault!"
Leaf looks at Sebastian with a bland face. "I don't understand," he says simply. The other opens his mouth, probably to try and explain, but Leaf could honestly care less about how this added up in his mind. "Look," he says, cutting Sebastian off prematurely, "It's fine, okay? You're forgiven or whatever."
"Leaf..." Paige murmurs, causing Leaf to clear his throat.
"I mean, don't worry about it," he corrects. "Thanks for taking the notes down."
"Of course!" Sebastian nods fervently. "It was the least I could do! Those vile words and disgusting excuses for 'jokes'... Hmph!" He lifts up and crosses his arms. "Nothing of the sort will be tolerated in my school!"
Curiosity burns at Leaf. He had to know. "You know, I didn't ever actually get to see them," he says as smoothly as he can. "What was so... vile about them?"
Sebastian's face saddens to a degree that actually starts to make Leaf a little upset. "Oh, Paige..." he sighs. "I would never repeat such things. Let alone to the one they were meant to harm in the first place!"
Leaf huffs a bit. "I want to know," he insists.
Sebastian's frown grows deeper. "I... don't know if I'm allowed to even say some of those things."
Leaf groans. "Try me."
"Let's not push him..." Paige thinks, voice wispy. "He clearly doesn't wanna say anything."
"Tough shit for him. I've been dying to know what those notes."
"Well, I don't want to know," Paige frowns. "Can we just go home? I don't wanna be here anymore."
Leaf bites down a growl as he rolls his eyes. "Fine. Whatever. I don't even care." When he looks back up at Sebastian, the other has a curled finger between his teeth and he rocks in his chair back and forth a bit, expression beyond worried.
"Ugh," Leaf thinks before pushing himself up off the chair. "You know what?" he says aloud, "If it's so bad you can't say, don't worry about it."
"Oh thank goodness," Sebastian sighs, clearly extremely relieved. "It was truly awful. I really did not want to repeat it."
"Yeah, I'm sure it was," Leaf says with a sigh. "Look, I'm sorry we—I bothered you. But I gotta like, go now. Can you ask your guy to come take me home?"
"Collins, you mean?" Sebastian asks, pulling out his phone.
"Yeah, her."
"Of course." He taps at his phone and says, "And again, I am truly sorry for reading your mail and causing that mess to happen."
"It's whatever," Leaf shrugs.
A moment passes and then Sebastian nods. "There. I have texted Collins. She's on her way."
"Thanks." Leaf turns and walks towards the door with a backwards wave. "Bye."
"Wait!" Sebastian suddenly cries, causing Leaf to turn around with a raised eyebrow. "Erm..." he mumbles, shrinking in on himself. "You... aren't mad at me, correct?"
"You're good, man," Leaf assures, fighting back an eye roll. "Don't sweat it."
"O-okay!" Sebastian nods. "Thank you! Get home safe!"
"Bye," Leaf says again.
"Tata!" Sebastian waves.
Leaf leaves the room, closing the door behind him and leaning against it with a sigh. What an ordeal. He pulls out their phone and gets ready to distract himself as they wait for Collins.
...Who says tata in this day and age?