Frank solves my dilemma with a lactose intolerance analogy
WILL: Madam Pomfrey had be working my tail off that night. I had to help talk to many kids who were getting awful headaches because of the situation, including myself. I had to calm down students who were friends with Fred and George, comforting them and urging them back to their houses. The worst part of it all was that I had hardly any time to go to the library. That was the only place I had been able to think all week, and every day I ran into Nico. Of course, I hadn't had a conversation with him since the first night he had caught me in the library. He seemed to always know what I was thinking and it creeped me out. I was avoiding him, I always left the library the second he came in. Then again, I always went to the library because I knew he would visit. Was I really avoiding him? I don't know. I had bigger problems.
Fred and George were in a worse state than Madam Pomfrey had initially thought. They were transferred to St. Mungo's that night. Hazel was released as well, she had just needed some sleep. I knew my guess about her having visions was correct because she looked just as sleep deprived as I did.
I knew I needed sleep, but I went to the library still. I couldn't help it.
***
I'd completely reread the book on visions to see if I had missed anything. Again, I was left disappointed. It was frustrating! How could I be having these visions of people I never knew, and of people I did know but in a past that never happened? I examined it myself, Annabeth had in fact broken her ankle before. That's why it sprained so easily! That's also why I had a vision she came to me for a check up. Even worse, she had been quite literally stabbed in the back. I couldn't possibly forget healing a wound like that. She said she had that vision as well, and the scar to prove it.
My theory of insanity was my only logical explanation. I stared at a page of the book, pretending to read, but really I was trying to come up with more logical explanations. Some possible theories of what the heck was going on at this school included the following: we had all been given some potion to make us slowly lose it, we were all sleep deprived and slowly losing it, we had all gone through some strange worm hole into a different world.
Silly theories, right? Well, it was the best I could come up with at such short notice.
I guess I was thankful that the other people affected so far had been Hazel and Annabeth. Annabeth was like me and she hated the unexplained. We would both stop at nothing to find the answer to this thing. Hazel was our voice of calm reasoning and support, yet she wouldn't be afraid to call us out if we were being ridiculous. I was the voice of action, Annabeth was the voice of strategy, and Hazel was the voice of reason. Hopefully we'd make a good team. We could be golden! Yes, we could be a golden trio. That phrase had a nice ring to it.
I wondered if anyone else was being affected by this? So far, it was only Hazel, Annabeth, and I. I had a feeling that once I met up with Annabeth and Hazel again they would tell me any new information they had. I also had a feeling I would be needing a bigger notebook.
My dream journal was down to its last page now. It didn't help that haikus continued to spill out of my head. I didn't even like haikus now! They became my least favorite form of poetry. The words of my mother pounded my brain every time I tried to let them slip away. She'd always talk about how when she wrote songs if she waited more than a day to write down a good lyric she'd forget it. She's always tell me that no matter what idea I had, no matter how good or bad of a writer I was, I had to write it down.
"Is that a diary?"
I nearly jumped out of my seat. There he was, the embodiment of darkness himself: Nico Di Angelo. The bags under his eyes were bigger than usual. His expression looked nearly defeated, like he was almost done putting up a fight against whatever was bothering him. He looked near defeat.
"Uh--It's, um. I--"
He shrugged, and gave an expression that wasn't quite a smirk, but his lips were turned up slightly above a line.
"I depicted you to be a sensitive type. You like to repress it though. You think it makes you seem more intimidating."
He took a seat across from me at the table. Why had he taken such an interest in me? Also, why wasn't I leaving?
"Did you just go for a fly or something? Your face is red like you've been exercising."
I was going to say something snarky like, "have you never heard of blushing, genius?" But I didn't think that would help me in whatever this was. Was it an argument? No. It was just an uncomfortable conversation.
"How did you know I play Quidditch?" I put the notebook away.
"You're one of the only people with actual muscles in this whole school. Anybody with eyes could tell that you played."
He never made eye contact when he spoke. People did that when they felt threatened in a conversation, or when they felt guilty. I couldn't quite tell which one Nico was. I was about as threatening as a shitzu. Well, he had mentioned my muscles. Maybe he thought I was intimidating?
"I'm not the only person with muscles in this school. You look like you've lifted a few semi trucks. Maybe you should join Slytherin's team, they need all they can get."
Nico scoffed.
"I can see that you're trying to compliment me in hopes of taking my attention away from the fact that you're putting away your diary."
Why was I still blushing?
"It isn't a diary."
"Then what is it?" Now Nico was smirking. I hadn't depicted him as the smirking type. Why was he so much better at making depictions of me?
"It's--It's a journal?" Why did I say it like it was a question? Man, only a few minutes into this conversation and I was mortified. He made me feel self conscious.
"Relax, Hufflepuff. I may be a Slytherin but I'm not a bully. You know, they aren't all that bad. Most are just annoying. Leo Valdez, for example. Good intentions, bad delivery."
"Uh huh." Was all I could muster. I pretended to be interested in my book again.
"That must be a good book, you've been reading the same one for the past week. Also, you've been on the same page for about ten minutes. Is it that interesting, or are you just dangerously bored?"
"I'm just--I find it interesting!"
He reached over and closed the book, reading the title. He nodded with an obvious disinterest.
"A book about visions, huh. Same one you borrowed from me. Have any strange dreams lately?"
"I--I just, no! I--why do you keep accusing me of things?"
He shrugged.
"Why do you keep acting guilty?"
I didn't have a response.
"You're frustrated because you don't have me figured out." He laughed. "You seem like the kind of guy who likes to read. You're mad because you can't read me like one of your books. You like to have meanings behind things, which is why you're reading this book. You want to find meanings behind the strange dreams you've been having. That right there, it's a dream journal. Isn't it?"
We stared at each other for a solid thirty seconds. Now, he looked he directly in the eye. He was daring he to argue.
"You're a legilimens. You're reading my mind." I proposed.
"Not quite, good guess though."
He leaned back in his chair and put his feet on the table, flipping through the book on visions like all of the pages were as blank as his stare.
"How do you know me so well? Nobody is that good at reading people."
He shrugged.
"It's easy to read a person who makes their self as easy to read as a children's book. That person, being you of course."
He still stared at me blankly. There were only so many was I could describe his stare before I started to sound monotonous.
"If I'm so easy to read then, let me have a shot at reading you!" I argued.
He crossed his arms and sighed.
"You're stubborn, that's another trait. Well, go on then."
Let's see...
"You've gone through a lot, there's no question. You're stubborn, that's something we have in common. You read other people's emotions and you're good at it because you're so good at hiding your own."
He nodded.
"Good guess. Let me keep reading you. You didn't want to bring up the fact that you know even more about me because of the daily prophet articles that I don't doubt you've read. You didn't want to bring up the fact that both of my parents were just killed because you didn't want to make me uncomfortable." I nodded, he was good.
"Most of what comes out of the prophet is complete rubbish anyways. I know they're writing some not-so-friendly articles on you and Harry Potter. They're calling you the new boy-who-lived, and they're saying that you and Harry are part of some plot to overthrow the ministry. It's ridiculous. However, the ministry does need overthrowing. If you would happen to make those plans anytime, count me in."
He laughed, the first genuine laugh I'd heard from him. After that, he covered it up quickly with a smirk.
"Maybe we could make other plans some time, perhaps?" He suggested.
"W-What?" I felt my face grow hot again. This kid was annoying...
"Only if you're up for it, of course. Sometime we can meet up and you can tell me about those visions of yours." He winked.
I was at a loss of words. I don't know if my face was red from embarrassment or frustration.
"See you around, golden boy."
Golden boy?! Why did he call me that? He couldn't have known about the healing.
"You're a leglimens." I mumbled, one last time.
"And you're a conspiracy theorist. Instead of asking questions about some things, you should just accept them. It's easier that way." And he was gone. Gone! Just like that.
***
By the time I got back to the Hufflepuff house my face was still red. I'd had multiple people ask me if I was feeling alright. I'd lie and tell them I had just gotten back from a quick fly out on the fields.
Once I found an extra notebook in my trunk, I spend the rest of the night out in the common room beside the fire just...writing. Not anything in particular, just words and phrases. Things that made me feel that strange sense of déjà vu that I had been feeling all week.
"Will!" Frank greeted me. Him and Natalie walked in together. She'd had a crush on him forever, it was obvious. She was always staring. Everybody thought she was a sweet girl. I thought she was too much of a gossip.
"The Hufflepuff hero!"
"Hah, I think you're confusing me with Hazel. She's the one who helped to get Fred and George to the hospital wing on time. All I've done tonight is cure headaches and usher people away from the hospital wing."
Frank tapped his chin in thought, then stuck up a finger like he had just had a major breakthrough.
"I got it! You can be the Hufflepuff sidekick. I can see the headlines! Will Solace, raised in a muggle world, discovers he has abilities!"
"No offense frank, but I don't think that makes for a very good comic book. That story sounds like the story of every other muggleborn in this school."
Frank shrugged. Natalie laughed a bit too hard. She annoyed me.
"Frank, that's funny. Really! I'd read that book." She giggled.
How could someone make a person so dumbstruck? When she wasn't giggling like an idiot around him, she was failing to complete simple sentence. I was then struck with the realization that that's exactly how I had acted around Nico earlier. Tongue-tied.
"You don't look so good, Will. I'd imagine you're exhausted. You've been running everywhere tonight for Madam Pomfrey."
I nodded.
"Yes, I have. I'm just a bit off."
I set down my notebook and closed my eyes. I was getting a headache which was ironic, given the fact I had cured countless headaches tonight. I didn't know how this whole healing thing works, I didn't want to risk trying to heal myself. I might spontaneously combust.
"You aren't humming to yourself, that's definitely different. You always hum when you're happy, when you're thinking--what are you feeling right now?" He sat beside me. Natalie seemed annoyed to be ignored. She took a seat beside him and pretended to be concerned for me.
Why did everyone know me better than I knew myself?
"Truthfully, I feel drained. I need a nap. I don't want to go in my dorm because I don't feel like being bombarded with questions from those guys."
"Alright, then nap! I'll keep watch to make sure nobody draws on your face or anything." Frank knew from experience. He was a heavy sleeper, and the guys in his dorm thought they were good pranksters.
"Okay, fine. I'll nap."
I learned that napping was the wrong answer to escape from my problems.
***
I was sick of the whispers and stares. I guess I had to get used to it, it was my fault after all. I tell one of my siblings a secret, then suddenly I become camp's next gossiping topic.
"I'm sorry Will," Kayla had said, "I only told Austin, then he told Katie, then she told--well, long story short, the Aphrodite cabin found out."
Great, the biggest gossips at camp knew. Awesome! Fantastic. This day couldn't have gotten any worse. At least, that's what I thought until I heard the dreaded phrase: "WE NEED A HEALER!"
Yep, my day had in fact gotten worse.
I ran to the source of the call. Why did this sort of thing always have to happen on my lunch break? I'd been working all weak purely to avoid the other counselors and campers. Even if someone's injury was as minor as a paper cut I was on it. I needed as many excuses to avoid him as possible. Of course the only time I had to myself had to be when a real injury occurred.
A crowd stood surrounding the rock wall. I'd told Chiron multiple times that a lava rock wall wasn't the best option, it's where most of camp's serious injuries came from. He never listened, said it was an important monument to camp. Monument? More like death hazard.
"I'm on it!" I shouted, pushing through the crowd of people. My heart somersaulted as I saw who my patient was. Of course, like the world was playing a practical joke on me, the patient had to be Di Angelo.
"MOVE!" I pushed through the crowd and knelt beside him.
I already heard the laughter.
"Yeah, go Solace!" An Ares camper shouted. "Isn't this your dream come true, you being his knight in shining armor?"
Kayla and Austin shot the boy a glare. He laughed it off. Other Ares campers joined in the laughter.
"What in Hades happened?" I asked him. Nico coughed, then did something very unlike him. He laughed.
"This is what I get for trying to participate in a camp activity, I get burnt."
His hand looked gruesome. Since many people out there are probably squeamish, I'll leave the burns to your imagination. Let's just say, his hand looked a lot like an overcooked pizza. Black and charred on the bottom, red and gooey on top. Sorry for that.
"He was climbing and he accidentally lost his grip. When he fell, his hand sort of skimmed the lava." Kayla explained.
"Skimmed. Well, skimmed seems like quite an understatement. Get up, Nico."
He coughed again. He was up to something, why was he smirking?
"Help me, would you?" He asked.
"Gods," I replied. "I'm never going to live this down." I picked him up, bridal style. He was lighter than a small child so it didn't take much effort.
The Aphrodite campers were all "awe-ing" their hearts out. My face was redder than the lava at this point.
"You shouldn't be complaining. I'm the one losing flesh on my hand at the moment. Burning flesh is not my favorite smell in the world." He complained.
I didn't say anything. The more I spoke, the more the crowed laughed and cooed. I walked Nico to the infirmary without saying a word until it was only him and I in the patient room together.
"Was three days in the infirmary not enough?" I asked. "Honestly, death boy. Can you do anything without nearly getting yourself killed?"
He scoffed.
"It's a burn. People get burns from the wall every day! Why are you chastising me?"
I shook my head. He had chose a vey unfortunate time to get burnt. The world hates me. Huh, Will Solace is avoiding this Di Angelo kid. Let's make him stick him hand in lava!
Honestly, thanks gods.
"And you say I need to work on my social skills. I'm asking you a question and you're ignoring me. That's considered impolite to ignore people, you know." Nico said, mocking me. I'd given him the social skills lecture nearly every day he was in here.
I didn't respond, I couldn't possibly embarrass myself further.
"Okay, I'm done. Take an ambrosia square for the pain, you can go now." I spun around in my chair to a desk in the corner of the room, pretending to write something down on a chart.
Nico laughed again. Maybe it was his brain that needed healing?
"You know I know, right?"
The led on my pencil broke. Damn it, I was out of options. Thankfully, I found a pen lying beside it. I clicked it, pretending to write something down.
"Dude, it's not that big of a deal."
The pen was out of ink. Why did the gods hate me?
"Typical child of Apollo: melodramatic."
My last option was a quill an ink set. Who used a quill these days, why was it even in the infirmary?
He laughed and sighed, one last time.
"The feeling's mutual, sunshine. If that makes you feel any better."
Finally, I turned around. I could never tell when he was being sarcastic. He usually called me sunshine to mock me for being a son of Apollo. It was the same reason I called him death boy, being a child of Hades. This time seemed different.
"What do you mean, 'the feeling's mutual?'" I asked.
"I've depicted you as many things, but I didn't think you were slow. Catch up, Will. I've heard the rumors. I know you like me." His expression was unreadable.
"I--I don't know what you're--" I couldn't cover it up, it was too far gone. "Who told you?"
He laughed, the most genuine laugh I'd ever seen from him. Not a chuckle, nor a snicker. A whole-hearted laugh.
"Piper McClean heard a group of her campers talking about you, and she heard my name mentioned. She got the information out of them, then gave them a lecture about spreading rumors. Jason found out from Piper, and him and Percy cornered me. They randomly asked me a bunch of questions about you: were you kind to me? Were you a decent guy? Etcetera. They said the questions were rhetorical, but Percy's about as good at keeping secrets at he is a remembering to tie his shoes before capture the flag. He blurted out that he heard you had a bit of a liking towards me. He asked me my thoughts on you, and I told him."
We stared at each other for a moment.
"That's the most you've ever spoken at once to me. How did you say all of that without taking a breath?"
He shrugged, fighting back a smirk.
"What--um, what did you tell Percy? About your thoughts on me, that is."
"Like I said, sunshine. The feeling's mutual."
I was tongue-tied. Why did he do this to me? I was going to be a doctor, a medical professional! I couldn't be tongue-tied.
***
I shot awake in alarm. Frank was hovering over me in concern. I was nearly hyperventilating.
"Have a nightmare?" Frank asked. "It's alright. Everything's fine!" He smiled. "Let's talk it out."
This was the first vision besides the one about Annabeth where I saw the face and heard the voice of the person I was talking to. This was the first vision where I seemed aware of what was going on, and when I had control of my actions. I wasn't hovering over it, watching myself say and do these things in confusion. I was saying and doing the things! I knew where I was, some camp. I knew the names of people around me. Chiron, Kayla, Austin, and...Nico? Only fragments remained in my memory, but one distinct part of the vision remained clear.
I wasn't...I couldn't be! Had I always been? How did I know? No, this couldn't be! I was already muggleborn, and being a muggleborn was bad enough in this time. I couldn't be, I couldn't be--the other thing! I couldn't say it. I wasn't. I not. It's ridiculous!
Deep down I always knew. It's like I told Annabeth in the hospital wing, I faced more prejudice than she knew.
Frank sat behind me and placed a hand on my shoulder. I shrugged it off.
"No! Goodness, no." I mumbled. I buried my face into my hands. What if Frank knew, one of my only friends? Would he abandon me, would he feel awkward comforting me?
"Will, what's wrong? We can talk it out." Frank insisted.
"I--Frank, I think I'm--"
What would he say? What would everyone else say?
"Come on, it's me: Frank, teddy bear Zhang. Remember? Whatever it is, ol' Frankie can't be that upset." Frank encouraged. He was right. Frank, teddy bear Zhang. I could trust him. I had trusted Annabeth, a girl I barely knew, telling her the fact that I had seen her in a vision. I could tell Frank that I was--whatever.
Whatever. It was all a dream! Hah. It was all a dream.
"You're really upset about this thing, whatever it is. It's okay to tell me, we'll talk it through!" Gosh, why did Frank have to be so kind? Such a bloody Hufflepuff, he was.
"Last year at the Yule ball I went with Hannah Abbot, remember?" He nodded. I continued. "All of the other pairs were dancing with their dates. Even the people who barely knew each other looked like they were in their right place, they looked comfortable. They looked right, and they looked like they felt right about it."
Frank nodded again, showing he was listening. Man, everybody needs a Frank Zhang.
"I expected that dancing with her, I would feel the same way. I thought there would be some sort of magic beyond what you learn at Hogwarts. I thought she was pretty, I thought she was kind. But when we danced, nothing changed. She was still just friendly, pretty Hannah."
I shouldn't tell him, I hesitated. Word would get out.
"Okay, go on." Frank crossed his arms and nodded. I felt like I was speaking with a therapist.
"I remember looking around at the other pairs, seeing every girl in their dresses with their hair and makeup. I thought I was supposed to feel something, I don't know. But I didn't, and the dresses and hair weren't what I was looking at. While I was forcing myself to look at the girls with their stupid dresses, my eyes would wander--I--"
This was it. Here goes everything.
"I was looking at the guys, in their tuxes and suits. I was laughing to myself at how foolish and awkward they were, admiring how hard they tried to make sure the girl was having a good time to the point where they were all like helicopters, hovering over them. I--I was looking at the guys because I'm--"
Frank didn't seem affected.
"Because you're a male serial killer? What you're about to tell me can't be much worse than that." He offered.
"Stop making me laugh. I'm trying to have a crisis here!"
He chuckled and put a hand on my shoulder. I tried to shrug it off but he put it right back on.
"I'm gay." I blurted out. Frank rolled his eyes.
"I used my context clues there, Will. It's not a big deal."
"Please don't-"
"I won't tell anyone," he assured me. "It's alright! Since we're sharing secrets here, I'll give you one of mine: I'm lactose intolerant."
I rolled my eyes this time.
"Yeah, I knew that."
"No, but you see," he continued. "Me telling you I'm lactose intolerant shouldn't be any different than you telling me you're gay. You didn't always know I was lactose intolerant. You offer me a cup of milk, I explain why I can't have it, and you give me water instead. Someone asks you what girl you fancy, you say you're into guys, and they ask you which guy you like instead! You see, a sexuality is just a trait, same as being lactose intolerant. I didn't choose to be lactose intolerant and I can't change that. The thing is, being lactose intolerant doesn't affect anyone else but me. Why would someone else be bothered by it? It's simple. Lactose intolerance is the solution to all of the world's needed analogies."
With that, he left. He left me staring into the fire, contemplating that analogy.
***
IN THE HUFFLEPUFF GIRLS FIFTH HEAR DORMITORY.
Author's pov
"It's awful what happened to Fred and George, you know. I had just bought some of those silly ears from them!" Hannah threw her extendable ears at Susan. "To think, they may never be able to open that shop."
"Well, I guess the best way to honor them in their time of need would be to test out the product, only for a quick second!" Susan giggled.
"No, Susan. I only bought the things because the twins wouldn't leave the other Hufflepuffs alone! I don't want to intrude on people's conversations. Besides, we don't even know if they work." Hannah pointed out. Susan sighed and sat back on her bed, playing around with the extendable ears.
The door opened. Natalie stepped in. She was an interesting girl. To the boys she fancied, she put on her best persona. To the girls who were on her bad side, she was like a typical cheerleader in a high school drama show.
Susan and Hannah had gotten on her bad side in their third year, when Natalie was a fifth year prefect, and she caught the girls out after hours trying to put a hair loss potion in the shampoo of the Gryffindor boys. Natalie's crush a the time had been a Gryffindor named Oliver Wood. They were on his shampoo when Natalie caught them after hours, having heard from the hallways when Hannah not-so-subtlety dropped her lantern.
Since then, Natalie always stopped by their particular dorm to see if they were up to no good.
"Whatcha up to, girls? What are you hiding?" She asked, in a tone a mother may use with a newborn child.
"The only thing I'm hiding right now is the urge to hold up a particular finger in your direction." Susan mumbled. Hannah shot her a look of warning.
"What was that?" Natalie asked. Susan shrugged.
"I sneezed," Susan lied. "The polite thing to do is to say bless you. Though, I don't think you've been informed of manners yet. At least, it doesn't seem so given the way you act."
Natalie laughed, as if the girls were all sharing some inside joke.
"Your sense of humor is amazing, honestly. The world needs more people like you." Natalie beamed.
"What is it that you want exactly?" Susan asked. Natalie sighed in defeat.
"My extendable ears broke. I was using them to listen around the dorms to make sure everything was alright, then I overheard you talking about your own extendable ears. Ironically, I tripped and landed on them." She presented the crumbled up ear. "Sad, is it not?"
"Yeah, it's not." Susan replied.
Natalie held out her hand.
"If you lend me yours for the night, I won't tell Hazel about what you two were saying about her earlier. You know, extendable ears are great for hearing gossip!"
Hannah and Susan exchanged worried glances. They had previously been discussing how strangely Hazel had been acting lately, saying maybe she had done something to the twins that were in the hospital wing, being transferred to St. Mungo's.
"Fine." Susan handed the ears to Natalie, who turned them on and made herself at home in the girls' dorm by taking off her shoes and sprawling across the bed.
The girls gathered around the ear.
"Last year at the Yule ball I went with Hannah Abbot, remember?" All of the other pairs were dancing with their dates. Even the people who barely knew each other looked like they were in their right place, they looked comfortable. They looked right, and they looked like they felt right about it." The voice of Will Solace spoke through the ear.
Hannah blushed as she heard her name. Susan and Natalie both looked at her with curiosity.
"What, he was kind! He asked me to the ball last year but it wasn't any big deal." She mumbled.
Will's voice continued through the ear.
"I expected that dancing with her, I would feel the same way. I thought there would be some sort of magic beyond what you learn at Hogwarts. I thought she was pretty, I thought she was kind. But when we danced, nothing changed. She was still just friendly, pretty Hannah."
Natalie and Susan still stared at Hannah.
"I remember looking around at the other pairs, seeing every girl in their dresses with their hair and makeup. I thought I was supposed to feel something, I don't know. But I didn't, and the dresses and hair weren't what I was looking at. While I was forcing myself to look at the girls with their stupid dresses, my eyes would wander--I--"
The girls didn't say anything.
"I was looking at the guys, in their tuxes and suits. I was laughing to myself at how foolish and awkward they were, admiring how hard they tried to make sure the girl was having a good time to the point where they were all like helicopters, hovering over them. I--I was looking at the guys because I'm--"
Frank's voice came through the ear next. Natalie blushed.
"Because you're a male serial killer? What you're about to tell me can't be much worse than that." He offered.
Will's voice spoke next.
"I'm gay."
"Girls," Hannah said. Susan and Natalie stared at the ear in shock. "Girls! Stop listening, this is wrong!"
Susan and Natalie still stared at the ear, desperate for more information. Hannah glared at Susan. She expected this from Natalie, but Susan?
They listened to the rest of Frank's speech about lactose intolerance before any of them said anything.
"This is ridiculous, Natalie get out!" Hannah lectured.
Susan finally came to her senses.
"Yeah, this is wrong. Gosh, this was so wrong. Natalie, get out of here! And if you say anything about Will to anyone, we'll both hex you to oblivion!" Natalie smirked to herself and left, neither of the girls realizing that Natalie took the ear with her.
Hannah hopped into bed and didn't say anything to Susan.
"We aren't speaking about this. Not to anyone, not even to each other. What happened, what we did was awful." Hannah ranted. "We are awful. Hey, where are you going?"
"Relax, I'm going to shower!" Susan lied. "Also, yeah. I get it. I'm not telling anyone!"
***
Susan ran straight down the stairs to Will. She felt awful about what happened, but she needed him to know he wasn't alone.
"Hey, Will." Susan greeted.
"Uh, hi Susan?" He said. He looked surprised to see her. It's not like they'd ever talked much before.
"I need to confess something to you. I hated you last year." Susan admitted.
"Oh, okay." Will said, questioningly. "I don't recall us ever having talked much to each other. But, um, why did you hate me?"
"I hated you because you were everything. You were some Quidditch jock, smarty-pants medical boy that had everything figured out. You were everything that I wasn't. Attractive, athletic, ambitious...the three a's! Hanna loved that kind of stuff, the people who knew their place in the world. When you asked her to the ball last year, I thought you were trying to take her from me or something. I--I dunno. I felt like I was losing my best friend."
Will stared at Susan, blankly.
"WHY IS IT THAT EVERYBODY IN THIS BLOODY SCHOOL IS A LEGLIMENS!" He complained. "How, just how did you hear any of that conversation? Were you eavesdropping? Of course you were. Great! Now you know, and you'll tell Hanna, and she'll tell Zacharias and Justin, and they'll tell Ernie, and he'll tell Hazel, and she'll tell Annabeth, and she'll tell--well, she hasn't got many friends beside me and Hazel but she'll find someone to tell! And then the entire bloody school is going to know! Ugh, do I have to have a sign on my back to confirm it? Is everyone going to be asking me about it? Ugh! This is why guys don't typically open up to people, you know. They don't appreciate being gossiped about. Girls are used to it because guys are awful to girls...and girls are awful to guys, and everybody and everything is simply awful!"
"Wow," Susan thought. "Seems I've set off a bomb."
"Relax, you melodramatic fool. I only heard because I was messing around with my extendable ears. I promise nobody else heard." Susan lied to reassure him. "And I only came down here to tell you that I hated you because you made me realize something about myself. You took Hannah away from me, and I thought I was broken. I felt like part of me was missing. I'd always thought that Hannah and I's friendship was more than thought--I tried to convince myself that it was like a sisterhood or something cheesy that girls say about their friends. But, I fancied her. Okay? And you made me realize that." Susan stood up, letting Will process what she had just told him. "I won't tell anybody you're gay, okay? I promise. As long as you keep my little crush a secret as well. And for the record, I don't hate you anymore."
Susan went off to the bathroom, running wet water through her hair to make it seem like she had showered. She was too tired to do so, and she didn't want Hannah questioning her.
"Hey."
Susan froze. "What was Natalie doing in here? She should have been somewhere else spreading misery. She'd already had her fun with Hannah and I earlier," Susan thought to herself. "What else could she want?"
"Hi. Uh, mind stepping out of the way? I kind of need to get to bed before it's after hours and you give me a detention or something."
Natalie purses her lips which was never a good sign.
"So, you and Hannah share a room. Other girls sleep in there as well. Doesn't that make them uncomfortable?" Natalie asked.
Susan froze, suddenly remembering that Natalie still had the extendable ears.
"Oh, they don't know. Do they? They don't know that you like girls."
"What's it to you?" I pushed past her to my dorm.
"Oh, it's everything to me! Believe me, because now that I know your dirty little secret I have you right under my wing." She smirked.
"Oh, Merlin. No." Susan uttered.
"Oh, this is going to be fun!" Natalie cheered.