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When you're lost in the wild, always follow the river, (Y/n) told herself as she walked. Or the North Star. I am the North Star. I think I'm lost again.
The two had been walking for god knows how long until finally they caught a glimpse of a familiar-looking golden hair. It was Lucinda. She was lounging on a beach chair in a bikini with a pair of sunglasses over her eyes and a glass of juice on the table next to her. The blonde noticed them approaching her and lifted her shades up to get a closer look at Conan.
"Who did you kidnap this cutie from?" Lucinda cooed, sitting up. "Hello there, what's your name?"
The black-haired boy instinctively hid behind the (h/c)-haired girl. "Brother told me never to talk to girls with too much makeup," he whispered. "But you're really pretty, miss."
Lucinda was at a loss for words, something (Y/n) has never seen before. "Should I be offended or flattered?"
"Both," she said simply. "Kidding, this boy's Leon's brother. He got lost—"
"Leon?!" The other girl lunged forward and began shaking her. "Leon who? You mean Leon Matthews?!"
"Jesus, woman! Stop shaking me!" (Y/n) batted her hands away and massaged her sore shoulders with a scowl. "Yeah, Matt-something. I was going to ask Reese for his number since we're history partners and everything."
"Why not Jas? That boy has connections everywhere."
"...That makes him sound super shady. But that's a better idea. Don't wanna interrupt Isla or anything." Lucinda grinned at this and pulled her sunglasses back down.
"While you do that, I'm just going to rest here for a little longer," she said. "Too bad there aren't any hot guys around here, ugh." With that said, she was back in her own little world, her aquamarine eyes fluttering shut under her shades.
What a cooperative friend you are. "Let's go find my friend Jas," (Y/n) said to the boy by her side. "You'll have to help me find him, okay? He's the overly tall blue bean sprout spraying purifying mist everywhere. You can't miss him."
"Got it, miss!" Conan saluted her. "And then I can find my big brother, right?"
"Of course. But don't run off or you'll get lost again." He nodded solemnly as if he was given a life-threatening mission rather than his first errand. Maybe first errands are a big thing among kids. Who knows. I don't remember being a kid.
She decided to strike up a conversation with the boy. "Have you been here before? You don't look too bothered with the new scenery."
Conan shook his head. "That's because I've been in the Amazon before, miss."
Why am I not surprised? "You don't have to keep calling me miss. Call me (Y/n)."
"B-but big brother always said I had to be polite, especially to the adults. I have to put a nickel in the jar every time I say something bad."
She visualized that in her head and shuddered. Thank the lord he's not my brother. I'd be broke. "I'm not exactly an adult," (Y/n) pointed to herself. "I'm not 18 yet, so just call me (Y/n), alright?"
"Well, okay then..." he eyed her suspiciously. "But you promise not to tell big brother?" He held out his hand. "Pinky promise?"
This kid is going to be something in the future. "Yeah, I promise." She hooked her pinky around his. "Oh, perfect timing. I see Jas over there"—she took in a deep breath—"JAS!" The sound came out as a crossover between a dying elephant and an inflating balloon as her voice died out towards the end of the name.
The navy blue-haired male's head snapped up and he said something into his phone before looking around. She couldn't see his expression beneath his sunglasses, but she was willing to bet he wasn't surprised at the sight of the boy beside her.
Jasper came up to them and removed his sunglasses, his eyebrows raised. "Where did you kidnap him from, (Y/n)?"
"Why are you assuming I kidnapped him?" She scowled. "Don't be a Lucy."
He crouched down to meet Conan at eye level. "You're Conan, right?" He said in a gentle tone. "Conan Matthews?"
The black-haired boy looked confused and suspicious. He tugged on the (h/c)-haired girl's sleeve. "M—I mean, (Y/n)," he whispered. "Is your friend a girl or a boy?" He probably didn't mean any harm or for Jasper to hear it. But Jasper did and (Y/n) turned pale.
"You can't ask that kind of question!" She said in a hushed voice back.
Jasper started chuckling. "I am a guy, Conan. I'd be concerned if I appear otherwise." The bitterness in his voice made (Y/n)'s chest hurt as she remembered something that happened last year, something she wished she could make better but couldn't.
"O-oh, I'm sorry," Conan looked down at his feet sheepishly.
Jasper smiled and waved it off. "It's alright. Now tell me, what brings you here all alone?"
"I got separated from my big brother. (Y/n) said you could help me find him. Can you really?"
"Of course. I'll call my family's inves"—he cut himself off at the (h/c)-haired girl's pointed look and changed his words—"excuse me, my butler to get your brother's phone number. I'll call him to come and pick you up. Is that fine with you?"
The black-haired boy excitedly nodded his head. "Yes! Thank you so much...um..."
"Jasper."
"Jasper! Thanks, Mr. Jasper!" He came out from behind (Y/n) and hugged the violet-eyed male. Conan turned back to her with sparkling eyes. "Did you hear that? He said he'd find brother!"
(Y/n) nodded with as much energy as she could muster lest someone called her a party pooper again. "Isn't that great?"
"Uh, huh!"
"In the meantime," Jasper interrupted them as he got off his phone. "Why don't you two go to Carmen over there?" He motioned towards the brunette who was chasing after Isla with a water gun. "She'll play with you until Leon gets here."
"Okay! Come on, miss!" Conan tugged on her hand. (Y/n) smiled softly and ruffled his hair with her free hand.
"I will in a bit, Conan," she said. "I need to talk to Ja—um, Mr. Jasper here for a bit. You can go ahead, alright?" Jasper rolled his eyes at the name while the boy looked on with confusion. Then he shrugged and smiled.
"Got it!" He saluted her and ran off in the direction of the frolicking duo who didn't seem to notice them yet. Speaking of which, (Y/n) frowned. Where's Reese? I thought he was with Isla...nevermind, that's not important now.
She faced her blue-haired friend and got a good look at him. She took in his unusually pale and shaky demeanor with worry evident in her (e/c) eyes. "Jas," (Y/n) said in a tone akin to one you would use around a wounded beast. "Is...everything alright with your family?"
The male smiled emotionlessly and slowly lowered himself to a chair beneath the large parasol. "I suppose it depends on your definition of alright," he sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Nothing's changed, (Y/n). I couldn't tell them. If I did..."
He broke off with a tortured look and held his head in his faces, his eyes hooded and shadowed by his bands. "If I did, they would disown me. You remember how it went last year, do you? Even my mother who can barely tell me apart from Father turned hysterical with the slightest mention of my sexuality. How can I tell Father, who'd use every method humanely and inhumanely possible to force me into an engagement immediately? It's a wonder I don't have a fiancée yet."
(Y/n) did remember. She recalled her and the other girls providing moral support for the male when he was going to come out of the closet to his mother, the only parent he was remotely close to. But she was also a parent stricken with mental illness and must spend the rest of her life in a mental asylum as per her husband's orders. But the woman still loved her child, and Jasper was betting on that love.
But last year, when he hinted at the fact that he wasn't into girls, his mother turned hysterical. She flew into a panic and needed the nurses to sedate her, screaming maniacal curses and slewing barbaric insults at her only son.
"You insolent brat!" The woman had spat as she lunged forward with inhuman strength, seizing her son by the throat and slamming him against the wall. "I didn't raise you to be a faggot, you dirty, little b*tch! You live for me, and only me, understand?!"
Then the nurses and doctors burst into the room to restrain her.
"It's all your fault..." she sobbed as a doctor shoved a needle into her neck. "If only you weren't born, then he would still love me. But he doesn't. The only reason I'm still alive is because I have you, my lovely Jasper. So hear me, you must get married. You must have a child! Then he won't leave me...then he will love me again! So don't be a selfish brat, you f*cking faggot! Listen to your mother!"
(Y/n) has met almost all of her friend's parents, save for Jasper's. And her impression of them was anything but positive.
A cold, broken family hidden under a seemingly perfect mask. A dollhouse family on the exterior for the public to see, with countless dirty and dark secrets buried underneath. Even the others didn't know about this. (Y/n) only found out when she was bringing Jasper some flowers they had bought for his mother in the hospital, and she overheard the traumatizing conversation.
A woman starved for love, her mind breaking in the process. A man striving for absolute perfection, knowing nothing but his money and power. That was the Reynolds. That was the side of them only they themselves knew. And now another was privy to their secrets.
Her.
(Y/n) wanted to do something for her friend. She wanted to wrap him in a big hug and squeeze him tight. She wanted to be able to say "everything's going to be okay," and really mean it. It hurt her to watch the male live by his father's expectations every day and attend monthly marriage meetings with girls he'd never love.
And it especially hurt when he laughed it off and said, "Don't worry about it, (Y/n). It's a stupid problem, really. I'm just a fool for making a big deal out of it." She knew he was really suffering when he said those words. And she hadn't known the right words to say back.
It pained her to say this...but (Y/n) knew none of them in their friend group, especially her, were the ones who could say the right thing to the hurting male and make it all better.
"Well, that's that." Jasper fixed his hair and smoothed down his shirt. He popped a smile onto his face and inclined his head towards the water. "Shall we join them?"
Again, (Y/n) could only mutely nod. Was following behind them and watching their backs that hid a crying face all she could do for her closest friends?
(A/N: I apologize if you get offended with that word. I am also very uncomfortable with saying out loud, even though some LQBTQ+ people use it positively to refer to themselves)
WATER:PARK
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ησση
Impressively, barely an hour passed until Leon burst into the water park in a disheveled mess. His hair was unkempt and his clothes wrinkled as if he had gotten dressed in a rush and ran the whole way here. He didn't bother to fix his windblown appearance or wipe the panicked sweat on his skin as he made a beeline for his brother.
Conan looked up at the footsteps, pausing in where he was tossing a beach ball to Isla. His face lit up. "Brother!" He let the ball fall into the water and he ran out towards the tall male.
Leon's face was the softest (Y/n) had ever seen as he crouched and down opened his arms. The boy ran into them without hesitation and buried his face into the male's white shirt. "Brother!" He said again. "I-I'm so sorry I got lost! I didn't mean to, honest! I—"
Leon patted his back, hushing him. "It's alright," he said in a tender voice. "I'm not mad. It was my fault today. I'm sorry, Connie."
Conan's eyes watered up and tears began flowing out his metallic orbs in clear waterfalls. "I-I thought you left me behind! I was so scared..."
"Everything's okay now. I got you."
(Y/n) turned respectfully away to give them their space, feeling a little awkward being around the heartwarming moment. They look like father and son, she wanted to say, especially with their height difference. Conan's a cute kid. Can't say the same about the older one.
The pro moment ruiner is back in action. You're welcome.
Leon released his embrace and rose to his feet. She noticed he didn't release his grip on his brother's hand. Huh, what? He was coming towards her. Why is he coming here? I swear I didn't kidnap him or anything, so why me?!
It was kind of intimidating seeing a person of his stature come towards her so quickly while minding his brother's ability to keep up with his speed. (Y/n) had two choices: stay to see what he wanted or run away and live another day.
She chose the first one, mainly because she had no more energy left to run. Leon crossed the distance between them quickly and much to her surprise, he didn't look angry or annoyed for once.
He rubbed the back of his neck, not quite looking at her, and said, "Thanks for looking after my brother. I'll make it up to you one of these days."
(Y/n) was not used to being thanked sincerely by anyone other than her friends or family. It was always either a grunt or a proud lift of their chins. "Um, you're welcome...?"
The male nudged his brother. "Connie, what do you say?" The boy snapped to attention.
"Thank you, miss! And sorry for causing any trouble!" He turned to his brother who nodded with a small grin and ruffled his hair. Conan giggled and hugged him.
"No problem, Conan," she said slowly. "And uh, Leon?"
He looked up. "Yeah?"
"You don't have to make it up to me or anything. Just finish our project, get an A, and we cool."
"You sure?" Leon furrowed his brow in suspicion. "There's nothing you want?"
"Are you saying I should've left a lost kid by himself unless I got some kind of reward?"
"No, well, I—"
"Besides," she continued. "Technically Jas did most of the work. All I did was lead Conan to him. Right?" She directed the last part at the said boy who grinned widely in response.
"It was fun, miss!"
"Okay, for real. Don't call me that. It makes me feel old!"
"Then, lady?"
Cute kids are above the law. Even I can't find it in me to glare at him. "Please...just (Y/n) is fine."
"Okay, miss (Y/n)!"
She gave up. There was no use trying to get him to call her by her name now that he's reverted back to his won ways. The (h/c)-haired girl straightened back up to her full height, her eyes locking on a pair of silver eyes staring her way. It almost made her fall backward with the shock.
"Is there something on my face?" She asked the male hesitantly. Leon blinked, as if not even realizing it himself that he was looking at her.
He shook his head and offered her a small smile. "No, you just look a lot like someone I know."
Did this dude seriously forget me or something? "By any chance, is her name (Y/n)? Like, you know, your history partner? 'Cuz I'm too unique to have a clone."
"Not that like," the black-haired male chuckled, shaking his head. "You're quite similar to my little sister."
Wait, what? (Y/n) turned towards Conan with wide eyes. "You're a girl?"
The boy pouted and crossed his arms across his chest. "Am not! I'm 1000% a boy, you know! Brother means our little sister, Deryn!"
"Little sister?" She turned towards Leon for confirmation. "That's...cool. Big family, huh?" What's with all these animal-themed names? Their mom must be a real piece of work.
But instead of looking affectionate like he had when he talked about his brother, there was a sorrow in his metallic eyes that made the (h/c)-haired girl freeze. The tall male tensed, his slack hand tightening and his face filling with countless emotions warring for sovereignty. There was anger, she saw. A dark rage she remembered seeing many times in his eyes. But this one was darker, much darker, and filled with murderous intent.
No, not only anger—there was regret. Regret at something she didn't know and a hint of his resolve mixed in. (Y/n) didn't know what happened to make him show such a broken expression, but she wasn't about to pry.
"No," he said again, although this time there was more force in the word. "It's just the two of us." Conan looked a little sad as his brother said that, and he sided closer to the male.
"I see..." she began awkwardly, not sure of what to say. "Well, it's great you found your brother, Leon. I'll see you on Monday, I guess...?"
Leon nodded with a trace of relief and gratefulness flitting across his face like a shadow. "Yeah, sure. Connie, let's go."
"Bye, miss (Y/n)!" The boy waved at the (h/c)-haired girl with a bright, gap-toothed grin and followed his brother towards the waterpark exit while saying something energetically to him. Leon nodded and smiled as he listened intensively. (Y/n) watched with idle curiosity as their silhouettes faded into the mist and they were gone.
Carmen came up to her with wide eyes. "Do you think he could teach me how to get a body like that?"
"You're ripped enough as is, Carms," Lucinda snorted. "Besides, you could train for centuries and never even come close."
"Hey! I beat my record of 250 pushups! I can do 300 now, y'know?"
"Is that going to get you a boyfriend?"
"Well—uh, I guess n—actually, it can!" The brunette declared triumphantly. "I can easily kidnap one home!"
"Honey, that's a crime. And he won't love you that way."
"Oh yeah. Love was a thing."
"What did you take relationships for?!"
Carmen looked confused. "It's not a one-sided relationship where the guys bring you food at your beck and call?"
Lucinda looked close to smacking her. "No. Darling, that's servitude—"
"But isn't that what you're doing?"
"I don't have boyfriends, Carms. I have lovers. There's a difference."
Carmen looked even more confused. "There is?"
"She means boy friends," Isla came up to them and took a towel from the table, wiping the water from her face and hair. "The difference is the space in between. That's called the friendzone."
"Wait, really?"
(Y/n) made her way to the table where all their stuff was shoved underneath. "I'm thirsty," she said mostly to herself. Jasper looked up from where he was reading something on his phone.
"Do you want water?" He asked, unzipping his bag. "Or juice? I can get you some from the bar over there. What do you want?"
"(F/d), please."
"Give me a minute." He got up and went towards the bar.
She sat down in the shade of the parasol and planted her face into the cool surface of the table. She let out a happy sigh. I really should live here from now on...but I'm a broke student and I can't afford the rent. I'll be one with the trees then.
A shadow fell over the table as someone sat down. (Y/n) looked up, half expecting it to be Jasper returning with the drinks. But it was Reese, his long red hair untied and falling over his bare shoulders in dripping, crimson waves.
She made a displeased face. "You're getting the table wet."
"What, no towel to offer me?" He placed a hand on his chest as if wounded. "And here I thought you cared about me, (N/n)."
"Okay. Do you want a leaf, some salt, or more water?"
"Wow, I see how it is. I'll take the water then."
"Go jump into the pool."
"At least say that with a nicer tone," the redhead sulked. "You sound like you're telling me to go jump off a bridge."
"That works too."
"(N/n)!"
Jasper returned with the drinks and set one down in front of the melting puddle that was (Y/n). "Hey, Reese," he greeted the redhead. "Do you also want one?"
"Do they have strawberry ramune?" He asked excitedly. The navy-blue haired male rolled his eyes.
"Of course not. But they have strawberry flavored drinks. Want one?"
"Aw, thanks, bro." As Jasper left again, Reese turned back to the girl with a pointed look. "You could learn a thing or two about basic human compassion from him, (N/n). Look at Jas—he'd make a great wife!"
She didn't bother to look up as she replied. "I thought this was about quote-unquote 'basic human compassion,' not wife material."
"Wife material? What do you mean?"
"Isn't that what you said?"
His face betrayed nothing. "That's what you said."
Damn actor. "No, it isn't."
"Yes, you did."
"No, I didn't."
"Yes, you did."
"No."
"Yes!"
"No."
"Yes!"
"Maybe."
"So—wait—"
"I come back and this is what I hear?" Jasper chuckled as he placed a glass of juice down in front of the redhead. "We'll have to work on your civilized conversations."
Reese gasped as if insulted. "Excuse me, but I'm very civilized—"
"Talking like those overly clichéd girls from Mean Girls isn't helping your case, Grayson."
"And how would you know what they sound like?" (Y/n) narrowed her eyes. "Suspicious..."
Jasper raised his hands in surrender and backed away. "I blame Lucinda. It's all on her."
That actually sounded believable.
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Nobody:
Nicholas: I'm a ninja.
Also Nicholas: You can be a ninja too if you throw your ninja stars down there in that little star button, wink wink ;)
Reese: Don't be a silent reader, my beaaaaautiful plebeians! :D Keep calm and be a tomato!