━━━━༻ ♠ ༺━━━━
secure
01100101
━━━━༻ ♠ ༺━━━━
One second, she was in her bed. And in the next, (Y/n) found herself on the train.
Sunday had come faster than she'd like. The night before was spent with her fighting her father for possession of the food she had ordered and smacking him with the electric massager. Exhausted, she went straight to bed after that and fell asleep instantly, not before accidentally butt dialing Reese, according to the redhead.
She woke up that morning to countless worried messages from the said boy. They all fell along the lines of "are you okay, (N/n)?" and "did you get kidnapped? Wait, I'm going to call the FBI!" She decided not to tell him that the FBI wouldn't care about a single girl like her and that their fathers were probably scarier and more efficient than them.
Now the two were on an express train heading for Liverpool, where Keller's rugby game was taking place in a rival school's field. The only reason (Y/n) brought Reese along was as a GPS in case she got lost. Heck, she didn't even know what train she was on and whether she was going in the right direction or not.
What is responsible? Is it edible? Ooh, that rhymed.
As promised, she had asked him earlier over the phone whether he wanted to come or now. The redhead agreed without a moment of hesitation, and now here they were. While Reese was overly excited about going to see his newfound friends play—Nicholas was also on the team—(Y/n) was dying on the inside as she remembered the first and last game she'd seen.
The screaming, the colliding of heavy bodies, and all that mud, sweat, and blood...she even saw a player get bodyslammed and thrown several feet away. He was later taken to the hospital.
"Look, it's a bird!" Reese was saying excitedly as he stared out the window with wide eyes. "No, it's a plane! Wait, it's Superman!"
She glanced at him and gave him her best flat look. "I thought you liked Marvel better."
"I do but I made you look," he grinned. "Isn't the Beatles Statue here? We should go see it!"
"We aren't here for sightseeing...and since when did you like the Beatles?"
"I like their name. Reminds me of that stag beetle I planted in your shoe in second grade."
Her head whipped towards him so fast it nearly popped off. "That was you? You know what...I don't have the energy to argue with you today. I give up."
"When do you have the energy to do anything besides sleeping?"
"Staying awake is annoying," she said matter-of-factly. "People are too complicated. It's annoying."
"They call people like you misanthropes, you know," Reese snorted in amusement. "Wait, does that mean you find me annoying?"
She scoffed and tugged her coat closer around her. "I dunno, do I? Also...what's up with your bag?" Her gaze slid to the giant duffel bag the redhead had rested on the seats beside him. "We're only going to Liverpool. What do you even have in there?"
He shrugged and patted his bag, his smile unchanging. "Just a few things," he replied. "Like some medication."
"Ah...you still have asthma, right?"
"Mhm, but it's not as bad as before. I didn't want to take them with me, but my old man threw a fit about how he wasn't going to drive all the way to Liverpool just to pick up my dead body, so he threw them at me. Look!" He tilted his head towards and lifted up his long hair. "I think there's even a bump. Do you see it?"
(Y/n) peered at the spot he was showing her. "I don't see anything. Maybe...it's a tumor."
His head snapped back and his eyes widened. He gripped her shoulders and began shaking her. "A brain tumor? No way! That's not true, right? At this rate, dad will really have to drive here to pick up my corpse!"
"That was a joke," the (h/c)-haired girl managed to say as she was being shaken back and forth. "Stop stop shaking me, you idiot!" She slapped his hands away. I'm so tired now.
Reese released her and his anxious face morphed into a pout. "I'm the idiot? Then you're the bully, (N/n)!"
I cannot understand Izzy, she sweatdropped. "You're the idiot for falling for it every time," (Y/n) rolled her eyes. "A tumor doesn't develop that easily."
"Wait, really? It doesn't?"
"Bro...how much cake did you eat today? Are you still physically capable of going to the game?"
"Of course I am!" He said proudly. "I could even participate if I wanted to."
"Please don't," her eyes widened. "You're going to get run over and snapped in half. It's too dangerous for you!"
"Aww, are you caring about me?" The redhead placed a hand on his chest dramatically. "You finally learned to appreciate the great Reese Grayson, (N/n)! Well, it was about time—"
His ego was almost bigger than her love of sleep. "If you don't snap out of it soon, we're going to miss our stop," (Y/n) deadpanned. "Is this our stop?"
Reese turned to look at the station name they had pulled into and his face blanched. "Oh, sh*t! We've actually missed it by one! Come on!" He pulled her to her feet and shouldered his duffel bag before sprinting through the closing doors. "We can catch the opposite train if we hurry!"
And now I have to run, the (h/c)-haired girl frowned. But if I don't, I'll be late. Which one is more annoying? Definitely the latter. It means more people will be there.
When the two arrived, the game was well into the first half. The score was 11 to 7, with the latter being Fortuna's team. Fortuna was dressed in yellow while the home team, Asemora, was clad in blue uniforms. The players ran across the grassy field, not one of them at a standstill. She could hear even from a distance the hollers and shouts of the teams calling to each other.
"Hey, you guys made it!" Came a shout. It was Jason, his shaggy green hair standing out starkly from the crowd. He was waving his arms. From the looks of it, he was alone. "I saved you guys a seat."
Reese sat down beside him and high-fived him. "Thanks, man. Are we winning or losing?" (Y/n) timidly took a seat beside the redhead, wincing at the crowd's roars when Asemora scored another try.
"Losing, unfortunately," Jason admitted with a wince. "Kels and Nicholas scored a total of four, but Asemora's really good. And they're our rival school on top of that, so the coach ain't gonna let this slide. I feel bad for them; Coach Johnson's a real spartan."
Reese and (Y/n) shared a surprised look. "You mean Elijah?" The redhead asked. "Elijah Johnson, the P.E. teacher?"
"Oh yeah, that guy. He's a chill dude until it comes to rugby. You have him?"
"Yup," (Y/n) confirmed. "I didn't know he coached rugby."
"I'm pretty sure he's been coaching for about three years now. The team's been doing a lot better too. Gotta give him a beer, he knows what he's doing."
Eli? She thought incredulously. The same Eli who can't use a computer and blows up his microwave every week? That same Eli?! She glanced at the redhead beside her. Reese caught her looking at him and made a confused face back.
"I think we have a catfish case on our hands," he cupped a hand around his mouth as he whispered to her. "Elijah who still uses the fax machine as a rugby coach? I guess I can kinda see that but still."
(Y/n) shuddered. "Adulthood is scary if it can change him that much," she whispered back. "Can we skip the growing up part and...go straight to retirement?"
"Sounds like a plan."
"Hey, what are you two whispering about over there?" Jason's green hair popped into view from behind Reese's bright red one. "Let me join." He slung an arm casually around the other male's shoulders. "Yep, yep, I agree."
"Bro, what are you on?" Reese snorted, shoving his arm away.
The green-haired male was unfazed and let his arm fall limply to his side. "What, we weren't talking about the meaning of life?"
"That's a good question but no, it isn't. Anyway," he changed the subject. "So we're losing?"
"Deada** if we lose, Coach is going to lose it," Jason shook his head. "Something about bad blood with the Dragons' coach. No sh*t we're losing; the score's—oh sh*t it's 33 to 21 now. Damnn, Kels and Nicholas are not in top form today."
"Dragons?" (Y/n) echoed. Her (e/c) eyes flickered to the field in interest. "What's our mascot?"
"You've been in this school for two years and you don't know? Tigers, sis. We're the tigers, 'cuz they're lucky animals or some sh*t. I think rabbits are luckier. Y'know, rabbits feet and all that jazz."
The crowd roared, some cheering and some jeering as someone made an attempt to score a try. It was Keller, his uniform muddied and rumpled as he sprinted across the field with the ball tucked under his arm. The (h/c)-haired girl watched with interest and fear as a blue-clad player ran into his path and lunged forward, wanting to tackle the brown-haired boy to the ground.
Miraculously, Keller managed to pass the ball to Nicholas before two other players piled on top of him. The mohawk-haired male fumbled a bit in the air while catching it, and then made a beeline for the opposite end of the field.
"Wait, didn't he have cornrows the other day?" (Y/n) turned to Reese for confirmation. The redhead shrugged.
"I thought it was a man bun."
"Oh."
Nicholas had a bodhisattva face as he sprinted with the hall under his arm. As rival players increased their speed to catch up to the male, he easily broke through their defense and continued forward.
Maybe he is a ninja after all, she watched with wide eyes. Her nails were digging into her palms in anticipation and worry for her newfound friends. The energy of the crowd was getting to her; for some reason, unlike the last time she had came with Wei Wei and the crowd only overwhelmed her, this time she felt no nausea. Instead, it was replaced with a feeling of an excited high mixed with adrenaline and exuberance.
Perhaps it was because this time she knew the players. Or maybe it was because she was watching it with her best friend. No matter the reason, (Y/n) found herself genuinely enjoying the match.
Wait, I'm supposed to be the lazy I-don't-give-two-shits character, she realized. Whoops.
Nicholas' face remained unchanged as he crossed the distance between himself and the goal line. He dove forward, letting the momentum carry him forward and down, slamming the ball into the grass well past the white line.
The buzzer ran. He had scored a try.
"I'm confused," Reese furrowed his brow. "I thought the goal was that pitchfork thing but with two fork things. What do you call them, (N/n)? The ends of a fork?"
"That's a tong, Reese," she answered.
"Yeah, that thing. Dongs."
"I mean, you're not wrong," Jason gestured towards the field. "What you say Nicholas do just now was a try. That's worth four points. The other goal is the one you kick through, worth two points. Nicholas and Kels are both backs, meaning they don't participate in scrums and will score the most tries."
"What's their position?" Reese asked. "Is it like football?"
Thank God we didn't bring Carrie along, (Y/n) thought of the blatantly American brown-haired girl. I don't remember how many times she's gotten into a fight with a Brit over fries or chips, football or soccer, and tomato ketchup and ketchup. I don't know why she still tries.
"Don't let Coach hear you say that. He'll give you an earful—and a mouthful of a fist—if you compare the two. 'Football is after rugby so rugby is superior,' he says. His words, not mine."
Oh yeah, Eli always did like rugby. Actually, obsessed is a more accurate term.
"Anyway, what were you saying?"
"I asked what their positions were."
"Right," Jason began. "Kels is the scrum-half and Nicholas is the winger, which is perfect for them. Nicholas is easily the fastest dude on the team and Kels is good at catching and passing. But they suck today. Probably ate a bad yogurt or something."
If only that was the answer to everything, she mused. Wouldn't that be nice?
After the game, (Y/n) told the green-haired male to tell Keller she said hi. "We have a project to do and we're running late," she explained. "Sorry! We'll see you at school."
"Yeah, sure." He turned to Reese and did their bro hug thing. "I'll see you back in hell. It's gonna be hella cold without you though."
"Aww, it's okay. I'll try to set off a bomb or something."
"Knew I could count on you bro."
When you finally meet someone more dramatic than Reese and put them together with the redhead, the result is nothing short of explosive.
"Hurry up or we'll miss the train," (Y/n) tugged on her companion's sleeve. "Or I'll leave without you."
"Okay, okay, I'm coming, (N/n)!"
They managed to catch the train heading back to Manchester before it left. The short ride was spent with Reese watching the footage of the game he had filmed on his phone and showing moments he found funny to the (h/c)-haired girl. Even she, with how impassive she was, had to crack a smile at his energy. I mean, how could you not like Reese?
The train pulled to a stop in a station a few blocks away from Fortuna Institute. They hopped off and began sprinting towards Reese's dorm in Autumn Dorm, which was one of the four buildings that flanked the main school building, two on each side. They cut through the trees that bordered the school grounds, taking the shortcut they knew by heart due to the number of times they had been late. A hidden path following the small stream in the woods.
When they arrived, with Reese at the lead and the (h/c)-haired girl huffing from the run behind him, Leon was already there. He was glaring down at his phone and leaning against the side of the door with his headphones on.
He looked pissed. And for your information, that did not mean drunk in this context.
The black-haired male looked up at the sound of their approach and scowled. He held up his phone. "Twenty minutes late," he snarled. "What the f*ck were you two doing?"
"S-sorry man," Reese came up to him warily and smiled sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. "We got a little caught up. But we're here now, right? Let's go in!"
Thank you, Reese, for your endless supply of positivity and energy, (Y/n) mentally thanked the redhead as she followed him into Autumn Dorm. Leon trailed a good distance behind them with a permanent scowl on his face, his hands shoved deep into his hoodie pockets.
Autumn Dorm was a gold-themed building, true to its name. It was not lacking compared to the other four in terms of grandeur and architecture, but compared to Winter and Summer, it had a much more modern design. The lobby itself was almost larger than her apartment, with golden furnishings in a well-lit space. Everything was polished to the point she could see her own reflection when she looked down at her feet.
Maybe I should've lived here after all, were her thoughts every time she came to see Reese. But home is nice too.
(A/N: here's a picture of the Autumn Dorm lobby. It's not mine)
Leon looked unimpressed by the sight. It made sense, since (Y/n) has seen the inside of his dorm before, and the other four dorms paled in comparison.
And these were lobbies. Freaking lobbies.
"Right this way," Reese led them to a hallway of elevators and pressed the up button. "I live on the seventh floor, so you won't need to worry about the noise. I don't have a roommate either." He said this mostly towards the silver-eyed male, since (Y/n) already knew all this.
Leon's only response was a grunt as he continued scrolling through his phone.
Isn't he thrilled to be here?
The elevator chimed and they arrived on the seventh floor. Reese brought them to his room, the seventh room down the hall and opened it. "Pardon the intrusion," (Y/n) murmured quietly as she took off her shoes and placed it near the door. She took a pair of slippers from the cabinet and stepped into them like she always did. It was almost by routine at this point, with the sheer number of times the rest of their friend group came to crash at Reese's dorm.
Leon just walked right in.
Rude.
At least he had the decency to take off his shoes, she observed. She hated people who walked into her home with their shoes on. When did he take them off anyway?
"Do you guys want anything to drink?" Reese took their coats from them and hung them up on a coat rack. "I have soda and some juice. (F/d) for you, (N/n)?"
"Yup," she said, popping the 'p.' She took a seat on his couch and sank into the cushions, taking one in her arms and hugging it.
(A/N: I forgot to include that in the intro. (F/d) is favorite drink and (f/f) if I use it is favorite food)
Leon stood awkwardly near the door. He had finally peeled his gaze off his phone and had pocketed it. Now he was examining the room, his face not scowling for once. When he wasn't calling her a middle schooler or glaring at every one, (Y/n) found his aura to be more bearable.
His usual presence was like one of a serial killer's, and it was suffocating. He has his reasons to be on edge all the time, she told herself. And it's none of my business.
Her little world was all that mattered to her, and she'd protect it no matter the cost.
"What about you?" Reese gestured towards the other male. "Anything for you?"
"I'm good, thanks," he replied. "Where's the toilet?"
"Uh, it's down the hall." He pointed him in the direction of the bathroom. "If there's no more toilet paper, there should be extras on the shelf."
"Got it."
As he left, the redhead took a seat beside her. His posture was relaxed, having gotten used to the other male's presence. "That game was something," he began. "Nick managed to turn it around. I mean, I totally knew they were going to win. I had full confidence."
"Says the person who started ranting to me about how it's the effort that matters," the (h/c)-haired girl raised an eyebrow incredulously. "Full confidence, I see."
"I'm not lying!" He protested. She made a disbelieving noise and took a sip of her drink.
"Sure, sure. Whatever you say."
"But I'm really not!"
"I said I believed you, didn't I? Anyway," she changed the subject. "Do you have the textbook with you?"
"Oh yeah, I do." The redhead got to his feet and went to his table. He pushed a few books to the side and retrieved a large textbook. He brought it back to the couch and sat down. "I marked the pages about the Holodomor."
She took the book from him and opened it up on the couch. "We need to focus on one thing about the Holodomor," she said. "It could be something like its impact on the Ukrainian population, or we could write about its controversy, like how some world leaders today deny it ever happening."
"Okay, let's do that."
"Would ze—Leon mind? He's not stuck in the toilet, is he?"
"It'll be fineee," Reese waved a dismissive hand. "Even if he gets stuck, I bet he could break my bowl easily—wait, that's a bad thing! I don't want to pay for it. Leon, bro! I'm coming to save you!" He ran off towards the bathroom, armed with nothing but a clothes hanger.
As much as she liked the guy, she seriously was concerned with what went on in his head sometimes. Then again, she wasn't one to talk. I guess that's why we became friends.
Reese returned moments later with a proud smile and an annoyed Leon in tow. "My beautiful voice got him unstuck!" He proclaimed victoriously with his hands on his hips. "One shout and that did the trick."
"What the f*ck are you on?" Leon growled, running a hand through his hair. "Nevermind, I don't want to know." He plopped himself down on the couch and turned towards the (h/c)-haired girl. "Book."
She blinked in confusion. "Huh?" Without warning, he took the textbook from her. "Hey! I was using that!" Ignoring her, he began flipping through the pages and reading through it.
"Let's do the reason why the Holodomor's existence is being denied," he said gruffly as he took pictures of the pages.
That was my idea, (Y/n) scowled. "That's what I said."
"Well, good for you. Do you have a computer I can borrow?" On closer inspection, she realized Leon had come empty-handed. Wow, okay.
"You can use my laptop," Reese offered.
"Forget it then," Leon took out his phone. "I'll use this instead. You guys research the history of the Holodomor, and I'll find news articles." Without waiting for a response, he leaned back against the couch and slipped his headphones back on as he began tapping away on his phone. Didn't they have such wonderful teamwork?
(Y/n) decided not to pursue it. She turned towards the shorter male. "Do you want to take before or during and after the Holodomor?" Reese averted his gaze from the black-haired male and faced her.
"You can choose. I'm fine with either."
"Let's decide with a coin," she suggested. "Heads is before and tails is during and after. Heads or tails?" She pulled a quarter out of her pockets.
"Umm...heads."
"'Kay." She flipped the coin into the air in a brilliant silver arc, before it spiraled downwards, clattering onto the coffee table. It wasn't exactly a secret that she was good at flipping coins, but was terrible at catching them. Then again, how can you fail at flipping a coin?
The two simultaneously leaned forward to get a closer look at the coin. Their heads collided and (Y/n) winced at the impact. "Ah, I'm so sorry!" Reese apologized frantically. "U-uh, I'll go get an ice pack!"
"No, I'm fine!" She tried stopping him before he could run off and return with a schoolbag's worth of ice like the last time she got injured. "Besides, that was my fault too. I misjudged the distance."
"But what if you got a tumor?!" He cried, panic and fear clashing in his bright green eyes. She fought down the urge to smack his head and then herself.
He seriously believed me?! "Like I said, you can't get a tumor that easily! Come on, let's start researching before it gets late."
"But—"
"Do you two ever shut up?" Leon interrupted. Throughout their exchange, he looked as if he was on the verge of snapping. And snap he did; he was gripping his phone so hard (Y/n) was afraid he would break, and his pencil had snapped in two in his hands. Plastic shards littered the coffee table and the paper he was writing on like a tailor's remains against the glass. "I came here to work on the project, dumba**es, not fool around. Otherwise, you're just wasting my time. So—f*ck this, f*cking work already."
Reese mimed zipping his mouth and throwing away the key. "Sorry, bro." (Y/n) murmured in agreement beside him.
"I'm not your f*cking bro, freak show," he scowled.
"My bad, dude."
"I said—"
"Woah, won't you look at the time?" (Y/n) interjected loudly before things got ugly. "It looks like lunchtime and I sure am hungry. Food, anyone?" She got off the couch and made her way to her phone in her coat.
Reese raised his hand. "I want curry today!" He said over his shoulder from the couch. "Ooh, and some strawberry ramune."
"Alright, what about you, Leo—"
"Wait!" The redhead interrupted. "Can I get a cheesecake too?"
"Okay..." (Y/n) tried again. "Do you want anything, Le—"
"Nevermind, I want a slice of tiramisu instead!"
"Tiramisu it is, then—"
"Wait, no! I want a slice of sponge cake! No, strawberry short cake! Or maybe a strawberry tart! Hey, (N/n), which would be good? A tart? Or a cake? I should get a cake, right? Yeah, let's go with that. You wanna share with me?"
Leon had looked even more murderous than ever, but he forced it down and leaned away from the redhead. He turned to whisper to the (h/c)-haired girl. "Oi, are you two both alright up there?" He asked. "Like in the head?"
"Wow, how rude," she glowered at the taller male. "I'm perfectly sane, although I can't say the same about Reese—"
"Hey!" The said boy protested. "I was the youngest person to win the Nobel Sanity Prize!"
She and the silver-eyed male shared a look and simultaneously let out a sigh. "Anyway, what do you want to eat?" She pulled out her phone and went back to the couch. "At this hour takeout's the best choice. There's some Italian and French restaurants around here. There might be a Japanese one too, but I forget."
"Oh, then sushi's fine," Leon replied. "How much is it?"
"Umm, let me see." (Y/n) walked up to the T.V. and picked up a stack of brochures and menus. She removed the one for the Japanese restaurant from the pile and opened it. "Depends on what you want. There's a lunch special here too, a full bento for ten dollars, depending on what kind you get."
"F*ck that sh*t, I only want sushi. Doesn't matter what kind. Get the most expensive one."
Does he think the pricier something is the better it'll be? She sighed. I rarely eat at this place so I can't be of any help. "Alright, that would be the sushi pack combo, which is—holy cow, twenty-six dollars for like what, fifteen?!"
"Just get it," was he only reply. Obviously he didn't think much of the price.
Well, okay then. I guess I'll get the standard sushi roll since I already have this menu on hand. She dialed the number and made the appropriate arrangements. Reese's order was especially annoying. She had to call two different places and then run downstairs to buy his ramune from the vending machine since the restaurants around them didn't sell the soft drink.
"Yay, thanks, (N/n)!" The green-eyed male thanked her happily as he took the drink from her. He popped the glass marble out and took a long drink, downing it in one go. "Woah, that was good! Can I get ano—"
"No," she said flatly. "You can have an apple instead."
"Ehh?" He whined. "But I want—"
"An apple a day keeps the doctors away," she explained. "If you throw it at them, that is."
He snapped his fingers. "Woah, that was a good one! I should try it someday."
"You can. But don't expect me to break you out of jail for assault."
"What? That's so cold, (N/n)! Wait, I can still count on Carmen!"
Carmen Parker was a jack of all trades and a master of none. Why she was skilled in prison escape, no one in their friend group knew. And no one dared to ask.
Some things were just better left unsaid.