Gansey, is rather fond of Blue Sargent. He finds her especially attracting in all aspects of the word. Her intellect continues to amaze him every day. Her way of dealing with people speaks volumes to him. Her ability to knock him off his feet with a few words has always left him particularly stunned. Gansey, is infatuated. Gansey, is in a pickle. He is well aware of his feelings for Blue, but he has yet to decipher what they are. Is she like a sister? No, he feels a much different attraction for his Jane than he does for Helen. Is she like a brother? They don't seem to hold the same connection that him and Ronan do. A doting mother figure? She hardly dotes on him. Then what could it be? Gansey is a very bright young man, but also incredible stupid, in many aspects of the word.
Blue, is in a pickle. The bell is about to ring and she is debating whether or not she want to confront Professor Gray. Her gut is telling her she probably shouldn't, but her mind is screaming to know the truth. It's been months now and the only information she's managed to grab are some small articles from back in the day -which has mostly been crossed out. Blue wants -needs- to figure out who her father was. Even if her mother does know, which Blue is fairly certain she doesn't, she refuses tell Blue about it. Why is it all so secretive? The only promising information she'd even found about her father was a small news clip from years ago, saying how a man, about the size, height, and age of her father was found washed in the river, but they couldn't ID the body. The article only raised more questions. Why wasn't there a follow up investigation? Why didn't they say if fowl play was involved? How come they couldn't identify the body? Is her father actually dead? The question weighs on her mind more than any other. Was all of this for nothing? Immediately after Blue had heard the truth, that her father had not died in a car crash, but was instead pronounced dead only because they couldn't find him, she hoped against all sensibility that he was still alive.
*Ring Ring* The bell signaling the end of class rings above them, Blue sighs heavily. No more time to think. She breathes in and pushes off from her desk. She makes her way to the professors desk and-
"Blue?" Noah calls shyly from behind her. "Did you still wanna talk?"
Blue whips around. Noah. She had completely forgotten that they were having a conversation when the bell had so rudely interrupted them.
"Yea, yea, lets talk and walk," She tells him.
Noah blushes furiously and grabs his stuff. As they walk out of the room and past the professor's desk, Blue swears she can feel his eyes on the back of her head. She longs to turn around and demand answers, but right now Noah is at her side and she refuses to dismiss him. They reach the outside corridor and Blue smiles at the sunlight all around her. Artificial light is such a pain, she thinks. Whatever happened to good old open windows?
"So what's up?" Blue asks him.
"Uh," Noah mumbles -from what Blue can tell, giddily, but in all actuality it is out of nerves. "Well, I was thinking, you know cause we're friends and all."
"Yes," Blue smiles, promoting him to continue.
"Well I was wondering if, since you said you and Gansey aren't a thing, if you would want I was thinking that maybe we could-" Noah
"Hey guys," Come the breathless voice of non other than Dick Gansey the Third. Noah clamps his jaws shut.
"Hello Gansey," Blue sighs.
Gansey grimaces. "You sure seem happy to see me."
"Always," She says with a roll of her eyes.
"Right," He says, unsure of himself. "Blue would you like to go on a walk with me?" He asks.
"I mean I'm kinda talking to Noah right now," She says, perplexed at his inability to understand basic social interactions.
"Actually I think I'm just gonna head to class, I'll see you guys later," Noah tells them. Blue and Gansey look at him in confusion, but let him go and offer their goodbyes as well.
Once Noah has walked away, binders in hand and shoulders hunched more than usual, Blue turns to Gansey. "What's up?" She asks him.
"Well I wanted to apologize about this morning, I was being rather rash," He admits.
Blue sighs, she hates apologies. "Yea I'm sorry too, I probably shouldn't have gotten so worked up about it," She offers.
"Are you feeling any better now?" He asks her.
Blue shrugs. "Well you know, not really," She admits.
Gansey frowns, this whole situation is giving him a headache, and it's looks like he's not the only one.
"Where's your next class at?" He asks. "I'll walk you there." Blue rolls her eyes and simply starts walking. Gansey follows quickly behind. "You can never just be simple can you?" He asks her.
Blue smiles. "I can walk myself to class you know," She says.
"Well obviously, but frankly I just wanted to walk with you," He says casually.
Blue blushes and clears her throat. "Aren't you gonna be late?" She quickly asks him.
Gansey shakes his head. "Professor Greenmantle always shows up like ten minutes, so he won't even know."
"What luck," She huffs. Gansey smiles at her annoyance, and angles his stride closer to her. Blue pretends not to notice, but keeps her palm open. Gansey eyes it carefully, before slipping his hand into hers. Both keeps their eyes facing foreword.
"Is it a long walk?" he asks her, slowing his pace just the slightest.
Blue notices the change in speed, and causally matches it. "Is that one of your three questions?" She asks, a laugh bubbling on her lips.
Gansey chuckles, "Only if that were one of yours."
"Touchè," She says.
They reach the door of her classroom faster than wanted. "I should go," Blue murmurs. Gansey nods.
They stand by the wall and watch everyone else walk by, groups of young adults rushing to and fro, pushing each other out of the way and hurtling themselves through the crowded hallway. Blue stops watching the crowd and starts watching Gansey. His hand tightly squeezes her's.
"You know whatever's happening, we've got each other," He murmurs softly.
Blue watches his face, his eyes stares intently at the top of her head, and slowly drift down towards her face. His hair is puffy, and appears to be in need of a slight trim. There are dark circles under his eyes that speak volumes about his sleepless nights. His lips are slightly parted and puffy and indented with as many bite marks as he can seem to manage. Her eyes linger on his torn lips.
Gansey, likewise, examines his friend, his counterpart, his comrade, his -close friend? That certainly doesn't seem right to him. What on earth could it be? Whenever she is around his heart beats faster, something that normally only happens to him in unpleasant situations. His palms seem colder than normal, even though he can tell he is sweating slightly more than usual. He blushes when she stands just a bit closer to him than she does with the other boys. Why does she stand so close? Why does she continue to hold his shaking hand? Why have his eyes fallen on her pursed lips?
"Gansey," Blue says suddenly.
"Yes?" He says, leaning down towards her, just the slightest bit more.
"You should-"
"Blue Sargent, you are going to be late to class," The shrill voice of Neeve calls out from behind them.
Blue sighs, "Alright I'm coming, grab me a seat."
Neeve squints at them as she walks through the doorway, hips swinging side to side. Her eyes linger on Gansey for longer than Blue would like.
Gansey clears his throat. "I'll let you get to class," He says.
"You should get going too," She points out.
Gansey nods, then pulls their interlocked hands up to his mouth, and places a gentle kiss upon it. "I'll see you at lunch," He says
Blue stared at him, bewildered, and then shakes her head. "Get going, you loon," She laughs. Then, quickly, she stands as tall as she can and gives him a quick kiss on the cheek, before entering the classroom, just as the bell rings. Gansey stands rigid and shocked, did his Jane just kiss him on the cheek? Nothing odd about that, nosire nothing odd about that. Friends totally do it all the time. I mean just look at Adam and Ronan, oh wait they're dating, never mind. Well nonetheless it's totally normal, it's fine, everything is AOkay. Totally.
Gansey slams his head against the wall before sulking off to class. He's already late, best not waste any more time. Except I didn't waste any time, he thinks. Jane could never be a waste of my time.
Out of the corner of his eye, Gansey sees someone walking his way. Looking up, Gansey tries to act normal, even more so when he sees that it's none other than Bartington Whelk.
"Gansey," Whelk nods.
"Whelk," Gansey responds politely. I told Adam and Ronan I wouldn't say anything, so I won't, Gansey tells himself as he tries to casually walk away.
Suddenly Whelk stops on the middle of the hallway. "Gansey," He says.
Gansey looks up at him, He looks tired, he thinks curiously.
"Pardon my suddenness, but I know that you're good friends with Blue so I was just wondering, if I could ask you a question about her," Whelk says, standing only a few feet from Gansey.
Gansey narrows his eyebrows. "I'll try to answer to the beat of my ability," He responds coldly. To coldly. Relax Gansey.
"We'll I was just wondering if you knew she was gay?" He innocently asked.
Gansey choked on whatever frivolous remark he was about to send Whelk's say. "Excuse me?" He stutters.
Whelk shrugs. "We'll yea, just seemed kind of obvious doesn't it? I mean look at her and Neeve, they're awfully close," He insist.
Gansey frowns. "They're friends and roommates, that's doesn't mean they're together," He explains impatiently.
"No I suppose, but what about her old friend Orla, they definitely used to be a thing, there's no other explanation," Whelk says, his eyes never straying from Gansey's withered form.
"How do you know about Orla?" Gansey asks, his voice an awful cold.
Whelk seems to hesitate, but it quickly passes. "Why Neeve told me of course, after all, Neeve is my best friend and Blue is her, well her special someone," He says. Whelk winks; Gansey nearly gags.
Shaking his head clear Gansey firmly states, "Not that this is any of your business Whelk, but nothing about any of friends is any concern of yours."
Whelk raises an eyebrow. "You think so?" He slowly shakes his head. "Richard −don't play dumb, everything about your friends is my business."
Gansey clenches his fists that, for the moment, remain at his sides. "Let's get this straight Whelk, you're new to this school so I understand you may not get it, but I am not a man to be trifled with. Especially not here," He tells him.
Whelk laughs, "Oh Gansey, it's so adorable that you truly believe you're still at the top of the pyramid." Barrington takes a step towards Gansey. "But look around, no one is here." Gansey tries to keep his eyes from roaming, but slowly he beings to see every cracked corner of the empty, gray hallway. "No one is with you. The hierarchy has changed and your heritage can't save you from that, not for long anyway," He spits.
"What are you talking about?" Gansey says, his frustration building.
"Don't be plain, try actually looking and maybe you'll start to see. These gray walls can't hide your kind anymore," He hisses.
"You're nuts," Gansey says plainly.
"And you have no vision," Whelk hisses between his teeth. "You can't even see your own friends being slowly ripped from you!"
Gansey narrows his eyes and takes four deliberate steps towards his fellow student. "You Whelk have been a pain in my side for far to long," One step. "You have intimidated my friends," Two steps. "You have made accusations against them to try and spite me," Three steps. "And now you have gone to far." Gansey is nose to nose with Whelk, who to be fair is a good four inches taller, and stares him down. Barrington does not move, he does not even look away.
"What is all of this about?" Comes a new voice. Both boys jump back and push away from one another. In front of them now stands a teacher, tall, and with shaggy hair, in his hand he carries a brown brief case.
"Nothing, Professor Gray," Whelk says, glaring at the ground.
So this must be that new teacher that Noah and Blue have, Gansey thinks.
The professor turns his head to examine Barrington, who suddenly looks far smaller than he had a second ago. "Don't you have somewhere to be?" He says, with a pointed look at Whelk.
Barrington grits his teeth, "Yes sir."
"Then I suggest you get going before I write you up," Professor Gray barks.
"Yes sir," Barrington says before quickly leaving the scene and fleeing down the hallway. He really is like a dog with his tail between his legs, Gansey ponders.
"And you," The professor says, finally turning his gaze onto Gansey.
"Yes sir?" Gansey questions innocently enough. Honestly he should probably feel a little bit more anxious right now, after all he just got caught almost fighting in the halls while he should be in class; but yet he feels no such thing. Oh yes the anger is still there, and the buzz of being with Blue, as well as mild confusion, but scared he is not.
The professor looks him up and down. "Dick the Third, I presume?"
Gansey gives a confused look. "I don't mean to be rude sir, but how is it that you know me exactly? We haven't had any classes together, nor have I ever seen you around before," Gansey says frankly.
The professor gives a half smile. "Oh come now, who hasn't heard of Dick Gansey the Third?" He says.
Gansey scrunches his forehead. "I'm sorry, but I'm confused," He admits.
Professor Gray shakes his head in amusement. "Who in this school wouldn't recognize you? No matter what that whacko says, you're still top dog around here, so why don't you try keeping it that way," He says with a wink of his eye, before sauntering off down the hallway.
"Are you not going to write me up?" Gansey calls after him, entirely to confused.
The professor waves his hand nonchalantly. "Consider this a warning from a friend of a friend," He calls over his shoulder.
"Right," Gansey mutters. What a weird character, he thinks.
"Well I'll be damned," Says a voice from behind him.
Does anyone go to class around here! Gansey mentally screams as he turns to face the newcomer, before sighing in relief at the sight of his friend. "Ronan, am I glad to see you."
The tall figure chuckles. "Come on your highness, lets get out of here before a serious teacher shows up," He says while signaling for Gansey to follow him. Gansey picks up the pace and follows his friend outside, feeling anxious about skipping class and standing out in the open. "Relax, if you act casual no one will even say anything," Ronan explains.
Gansey eyes him questioningly. "How often do you cut class?" He asks.
"Not that often mom, you can chill out," He says with an eye roll.
Gansey huffs in annoyance but keeps walking. He isn't sure where they're going but he's sure that Ronan won't lead them astray. It may be a nice sunny day, but both of them know not to linger to long in the light, otherwise they'll get caught. Finally the two make it to the back of the building, and head toward's the tree line. Gansey spies an old park bench that rests in the shade of an even older oak tree. Convenient.
"So what on earth could cause the great Dick Gansey the Third to skip class? Did Noah start dating Blue or something?" Ronan asks jokingly
"What? No, don't be ridiculous. Why is everyone so interested in Blue's relations today," Gansey huffs. Quickly he grabs a mint leaf from a metal pouch in his pocket and absentmindedly begins to chew on it.
Ronan raises an eyebrow and hops onto the bench so that he is sitting ontop of the back-rest and has his feet where he should be sitting. Gansey is surprised the old bech didn't break. "What is it, Gansey?" Ronan asks.
Gansey looks around, no one in sight, not even so much as a security camera to be seen. Now is the perfect time for him to get things straight, the only thing missing is Noah, Adam, and Blue. But considering he is not to proud of what he will tell Ronan, perhaps it's best that they're not here.
"I ran into Whelk," He admits, a sigh escaping his lips. Ronan straightens his back just the slightest, Gansey doesn't seem to notice. "To tell you the truth I almost let him get to me, I was so close to hitting that bastard," He admits.
Ronan's eyes go wide. "The fuck did he do to you?" Ronan asks.
"Nothing much," Gansey says, kicking sime dirt. "He just said some nonsense about Blue being gay, and then about me not being at the top of the food chain anymore, or wait no -I think he said hierarchy, not food chain."
"Makes more sense that way," Ronan nods.
"What do you mean?" Gansey asks.
Ronan plays with his leather bracelets. "Just that you, we'll you don't really go on the Aglionby food chain, you're on its pyramid, and at the top no less. People like Kavinsky and I, we're on the food chain," He explains.
"I don't get it, whats the difference?" Gansey questions, getting irritated at his friends vagueness.
"Well, on a food chain it's eat or be eaten and who ever gets to the top of the food chain has proven that they can eat anyone below them. It's like some savage animal shit," Ronan says.
"I don't get-" Gansey is cut off.
"Meanwhile, the hierarchy is like a govermental pyramid thingy, like what Egypt had. You've got the peasant, then the middle class, and then the Pharoh, with like maybe some nobels snuck in between the middle class and the Pharoh. And you my friend, are much like the Pharoh, not that you need me to inform you of that matter," Ronan states flatly, his eyes challenging Gansey to disagree.
Gansey decides to disagree. "Well then where do the people on the food chain fit into the pyramid? You're theory is flawed," He sasses.
Ronan rolls his shoulders and a loud pop is heard from his neck. "It is not, you just don't get it, and you dont have to. The Food chain and the Pyramid are two completely seperate things, those on the pyramid and those in the food chain are just to different to be put into the same categories," He says.
Gansey shakes his head in continual disagreement. "That's dumb," He says.
"You're dumb," Ronan responds.
"Well anyway," Gansey says impatiently. "What does that mean Whelk was trying to tell me?"
"That the king is gonna fall, and he knows exactly how," Ronan states, his eyes focused on something far off in the distance.
"Thats dumb," Gasney repeats.
"Yea fucking right it is," Ronan agrees.
******************************************
Well I know its been awhile, but hey I finally updated, and it's plot development! Double yay! Honestly I know a lot of my earlier readers have lost interest in the story because its been going on for about a year now, so I completely understand that and its all chill, but frankly I'm still gonna finish this because I feel far to obligated at this point. We are finally 3/4 of the way there, and I am just gonna be thrilled as hell when I can finally mark this down as completed.
I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. Please continue to read, vote, and comment!
~Stranger