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spookysprincesa · 5 years

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Things change (Oscar Diaz x reader)

Request: hellooo can you please do an imagine where spooky and the reader have been friends for a while but then when he gets out of jail he starts to become an asshole to the reader( you could make up any reason why) and then eventually they he starts being sweet again and they get together. i don’t know if that made any sense but please and thanks :)

Warnings: some angst, swearing as usual

Word Count: 1631

Masterlist

You knew from his brother that he was going to be released at the end of the week. Oscar ‘Spooky’ Diaz, your best friend since high school, would eventually be around again.

You had considered visiting him in jail, but couldn’t really master the courage to do so, afraid of how it would be to talk to him through a glass window, between murderers and all sorts of other dangerous inmates.

So you had been waiting. Four long years, not a day had passed without thinking about him. All the good times, the memories of trips to the beach, house parties, hanging out after school followed by cooking sessions regularly crossed your mind, leaving you with a warm, content feeling of happiness.

Cesar had told you that the homies would throw a welcome back party as soon as Oscar would be home. Cesar was sure Oscar would want you to be there, so naturally you were planning on going. You were even counting the days, anticipating catching up and reviving the memories of an amazing, deep friendship.

Arturo, your ‘friend with benefits’, wasn’t to keen on all the excitement about Oscar’s release, in fact he seemed fairly jealous. Which, given your state of relation, was way inappropriate.

He insisted on joining you to the party, although you announced that you wouldn’t be able to socialize with him, you were going because of Oscar, after all.

Arriving at the party, which was bustling with people of all sorts, Arturo wouldn’t leave your side. The minute you spotted Oscar for the first time that night Arturo had his hands all over you. Quickly, you pushed him away slightly to create some space, only to watch Oscar leave the house. Rolling your eyes, you shrugged Arturo’s hand away and followed Oscar outside where he was standing with some of his homies.

You approached him, smiling, ready to engulf him in a welcoming hug, but he just frowned at you.

“Remember me, Papi?” You giggled, trying to break the ice.

Oscar chuckled without showing the slightest inclination to any acts of friendliness. “Shouldn’t you be inside with your novio?”

All the Santos on the front porch laughed at his comment and you were glad it was already dark, because your cheeks were burning brightly red.

“I don’t know, shouldn’t you be happy to see me?” You riposted with your hands on your hip, cocking your head to the side.

“Nah, I’m good, hyna.”

Your blood was boiling. Why did he have to be such a dick? What had happened?

Biting the inside of your cheek, you decided not to make a scene. But when another woman you had never seen before turned up and flung herself onto Oscar (and- even worse- was greeted by a warm smile and a hug), you promised yourself to not let him get away with this.

A while later, you saw your opportunity. Oscar had disappeared in his bedroom, to get something or have a moment of peace, you didn’t know the reason, but swiftly sneaked in and closed the door behind you, locking it.

“Hi,” you announced clearly to get his attention, and he quickly spun around from standing with his back facing you, looking you up and down, puzzled.

“We need to talk.”

“What the fuck?” Oscar cursed, trying to push past you, but you snitched the key out of the keyhole and stuffed it into your bra. He’d have to do a little digging to get it back.

“Yeah, Oscar, what the fuck? Why are you treating me like shit, huh? What’ve I done?”

He looked down on the ground, almost sheepishly, before replying. You were expecting the soft Oscar you knew and loved, but instead you were taken by surprise at the painful coldness in his eyes.

“I don’t want anything to do with you anymore,” he spoke, furrowing his brows. The muscles in his jaw tightened and you could see it.

“What?” You voice came out as a whisper while your heart was beating up to your throat so heavily your head began to hurt.

“Things have changed, I’ve changed. And I made this decision. Give me the key back, now, Y/N. You have to leave.”

Silently, tears already blurring your vision, you reached for the key between your breasts and unlocked the door with shaking hands. Without looking at him again, you stormed outside, knocking into some random people on your way out.

One week later your emotional state had improved slightly. You were still laying awake at night, contemplating why Oscar had turned you down like that, but at least you had gone back to having fun. Your friends and also Arturo had to serve as distraction from your heartbreak of losing a friend, and they all gave you the same advice: forget him.

Which, of course, wasn’t as easy as you had wished. You constantly ran into Santos gang members, every time praying for them not to be Oscar.

The day you’d meet Oscar again for the first time in weeks would change your life forever, though.

It had been a particularly rough day for you, meeting a deadline at college, trying to get Arturo off your back because he was being too clingy again, plus your parents had persuaded you into babysitting your little brother for hours.

So at the end of the day, you took a lone trip to the beach to clear your head. Sun was gradually setting over the ocean as you sat in the sand, a glass of your favourite drink in hand. Sighing, you mentally let all your worries fly off with the Californian wind.

Suddenly, a deep, familiar voice behind you made you jump.

“Hi, is this seat taken?”

You spun around so fast you nearly dislocated your neck, only to see the tall figure of Oscar, your former best friend, tower behind you. Being taken by surprise, you were lost for words, so he just sat down beside you in the warm sand.

“What are you doing here?” It was the best and first question that popped up in your head. And you really, really wanted to know.

“I need to say somethin’,” Oscar spoke and you felt his gaze burn on you while you looked away into the distance. He chuckled lowly and nudged your knee with his so you looked at him.

“I’m sorry for what I said. For how I’ve been acting and shit. I didn’t mean any of it. I was just insecure.”

You sighed in relief. The first thought crossing your mind was what if he wants to keep being an asshole, what if-

Wait, what?

Insecure?

“I wanted to tell you this before I went to jail, but obviously I didn’t get the chance. And when I got out I was way too stressed, seeing you with that guy, I freaked out big time. That was why I acted like a pendejo, I didn’t want it to get to me.”

This all didn’t make any sense at all, so you frowned, trying to piece everything together.

Oscar chuckled once more at your puzzled expression and took your hand, his thumb rubbing lazy circles on your wrist. The unexpected, almost magical touch sent a shiver down your spine and you kept staring at him with your mouth agape.

“I love you, bebesita.”

His words ripped through you like a detonating bomb, coming so surprisingly, so shockingly you couldn’t even believe this was happening. It had to be a dream, it-

The proof came as quickly as his love confession. His soft, full lips captured yours while his big hand cupped your cheek. It was a short, sweet kiss, that left you wanting more when he pulled away and gently knocked his forehead against yours.

“I’ve been wanting to do this for so long,” he whispered as you blushed and looked down shyly. All the emotions of the situation overwhelmed you, turning your brain into jelly.

Oscar moved his hand under your chin so you met his gaze. Those brown, sparkling eyes seemed to look right into your soul before he closed them and pressed his lips to yours once again. Oscar easily pulled you closer to him on the sand and fell back, dragging you with him. You giggled against his lips and grabbed his shirt for support. Landing with your chest flush against his, you brushed your thumb over the teardrop tattoo under his eye, as if to tell him that you would be there for him. No matter what.

“Sorry again for all the shit I’ve put you through,” Oscar muttered against your temple and lovingly kissed your hair after you’d rested your head on his broad chest.

You smiled contently, “It’s alright. Can you do me a favour though?”

“Anything, princesa. Literally.”

“You might have to make sure that Arturo knows I’m yours now,” you giggled, already picturing Arturo freaking out.

Oscar let out a deep, hearty chuckle causing his chest to vibrate. “No problem, hermosa.”

You stayed at the beach for an hour longer, just enjoying the silence, the intimacy, the quality time, before both of you would head back to Freeridge, each in their own car. Oscar called you as soon as you got through your front door, telling you how he already missed the feeling of your lips against his. And just as you slumped down on your bed, his scent still surrounding you, a loud knock on your front door made you get up in annoyance again. Sighing, you opened the door, expecting somebody to get on your nerves, but instead there stood Oscar with a bag of takeaway in his hands.

“I missed you,” he said, grinning from ear to ear like an idiot at the happy look on your face.

#oscar diaz #oscar diaz imagine #oscar diaz x reader #on my block #on my block x reader

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this-is-freeridge · 5 years

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The Air Between Us

Chapter Two: Mari spends some time with Spooky before she finally meets Ruben.

Warning: this fic deals with dark themes, including but not limited to teen pregnancy, rape, drug abuse, murder, abortion, underage drinking and underage sex.

Find all chapters here

I adjusted one paragraph in chapter one to fix a timeline error - feel free to re-read that here before reading this.

There was definitely more than nicotine in that cigarette.

The world was spinning. It was slow, like a galaxy spins in swirls full of bright blues and pinks against a dark, empty sky. Mari giggled and reached out a hand, reaching out for the sun in the sky as though she could wrap her fingers around it and rip it out of the sky to keep all of the light for herself.

Spooky’s laugh pulled her attention back. She turned to look at him, black curls falling over her face and clouding her sight. She giggled again and pursed her lips, blowing upward in an attempt to move the dark strands that were tickling the end of her nose.

A warm, calloused hand grabbed her own.

“What are you doing, girl?” Spooky said, guiding her hand from where it hovered in the air and placing it gently back in her lap.

“I’m catching the sun!” She exclaimed happily as she slumped across the couch and over Spooky’s lap. She looked up at him and smiled when she saw the amused glint in his eye as he smiled back down on her.

“This is the softest couch,” she said. Her eyes closed as she let the sun kiss her skin. “I feel like I’m floating,”

And she did. She felt like she was floating, adrift at sea whilst all her problems were being pulled away in a riptide. She had no cares left in the world - not (finally) meeting Ruben; not Geny’s obvious dislike of her; not her junkie mother (and, by extension, her mother’s junkie boyfriend); not any part of the life she had left behind. She felt free and she loved that feeling, but that’s what scared her the most.

Spooky brushed the hair from her face and asked “you good, chica?”

Mari only nodded in response as the cholo took her by the shoulders and helped her get back into a seated position. She leaned against his side, still feeling weightless. Spooky took the joint from where it sat on the small ceramic plate that acted as an ashtray atop a plastic milk crate for a table.

“I’m great,” she sighed happily and gazed upward, squinting against the harsh sunlight but beaming brightly up at him, “never been better. Today has been the best! I’ve come to a new town, made a new friend, and soon I’ll get to meet my dad!”

Spooky inhaled deeply, shaking his head at the young girl who was resting lazily against his side. He made a conscious effort to turn his head away from her as he exhaled the smoke before he turned back and asked her, “is this the first time you’ve been high?”

Mari gasped and almost jumped in her seat. “Yes! I’ve done that too!”

She was all but giggling like a schoolgirl with a new toy. Spooky thought that something about her innocence should put him off, but it didn’t. She had looked so down, so uncomfortable, so fake tough for so much of the day that it actually made him happy to see her smiling. He didn’t know why - he shouldn’t care, but she was in Freeridge now. She came here for a new life, she had family in the community - hell, her half brother was one of Cesar’s best friends - and now she was a part of this community; the big, dysfunctional family that is Freeridge. That meant that she was, at least to some extent, Santos responsibility too.

Spooky felt like he took on a lot of that responsibility. Maybe it was because he wad the leader of the Santos, and therefore it was on him to keep the neighbourhood safe and the Santos in line. Maybe it was because she was so young, new to town and seemingly innocent that it brought out the big brother instincts from deep within. Or maybe it was just because that girl is fine and he wouldn’t mind staying on her good side. (He figured it was the latter, since her tan skin, dark curls and pouty lips definitely didn’t elicit brotherly thoughts).

‘Shit,’ Spooky thought. Mari was meant to be meeting Ruben in less than an hour but she was in no state to do so. As cute and funny as it may have been to the cholo, he didn’t think Ruben or Geny would appreciate the scene, and this was far too important to Mari for him to let it fuck up. He wasn’t about to help Freeridge break up another family.

He placed his hands on his knees and boosted himself up with a heavy sigh. He stretched his arms out above his head to stretch his back and rolled his neck to work out the kinks that had built up as he had sat so still (and uncomfortably) so not to disturb Mari while she leaned against him.

Pretending not to notice the way the younger girl was openly ogling him as he stretched, he held a hand out to help her up. She didn’t take his hand, but she smiled up at him. It wasn’t the bright but vacant smile she had earlier when she was talking about the sun and all the things she’d done today. This was was slow, taking it’s time to take over her face and sweet, like cotton candy. He raised an eyebrow in silent question, trying to stop his own smile.

“You’re sweet, Spooky,”

She said his name as though she was challenging him. To what; he didn’t know, but were her words true? Maybe, to her. He could be sweet when he wanted to, and right now, with her, he wanted to. People were scared of him - and he could be scary, but he didn’t have a reason to right now. Sometimes it was nice to stop being Spooky, the tough, responsible gang leader, and just let himself be Oscar, a caring brother, a great cook, a sweet guy.

Of course, he wasn’t about to say any of this, so in response he took her hand and dragged her up and inside the house. She didn’t protest, only asked where they were going. He pulled her gently to the kitchen and sat her down at a round wooden table. She grabbed the chair beside her, dragged it closer with light screech. Looking right at Spooky, she patted the empty seat.

Flashing her one of his amused smirks (that she was starting to think was just his face) he shook his head and wandered past her into the next room.

“Where are you going?” Her voice was higher than expected, and her heart started to race at the thought he was going to leave her in here alone, “you can’t just take me into your house and leave!”

“Calm down, hyna,” he said, stopping as he was just past the threshold, “I’m just making you some food,”

Realising that he was going to be in sight, just in the kitchen barely two metres away, her speeding heart relaxed. She laughed at her panicked outburst when she noticed there wasn’t even going to be a door between them, only a couple of small island counters.

Spooky pulled some ingredients from the run down looking fridge; eggs, cheese, bacon and cream. Crinkling her nose at the mix of ingredients, she asked, “what are you making me?”

For the first time, he smiled a genuine smile. She liked that look on him.

“The Spooky Surprise,” he said, pulling a bread roll from a little wooden breadbox atop the bench.

She sat silently as he worked. The stove was small, but he used it like a pro; frying bacon in one pan, scrambling the eggs and cream in another, all while the roll, now with an added slather of butter, was toasting under the grill.

“I didn’t know you could cook,” she said absentmindedly. She liked it though, he looked like he was in his element. He looked happy, like he didn’t have a care in the world. She liked this side of him, a lot, and she felt privileged to be allowed to witness it.

With a shrug, he answered her, “There’s a lot you don’t know yet; you only met me today,”

“Yet,” she responded as he assembled the strange breakfast burger type concoction - bread, bacon, scrambled eggs, cheese, bread - it looked sickening, “Does that mean I’ll get the chance to know you?”

He didn’t say anything as he brought the food to her and set the plate down and sat on the chair across from her. Maybe she would get to know him, maybe they’d never speak again. Maybe he’d only let her hang around long enough for them to smash. He didn’t know, he wasn’t thinking that far ahead, so he didn’t say anything; he didn’t want her to get any ideas.

Shit, he was just trying to help out someone new to town and now she was acting like they were friends. He didn’t have time for a girlfriend, and he didn’t know if she’d be cool being just another hyna, and he didn’t know if he could be bothered having her around if they weren’t fucking.

“Eat,” he said. His happy and carefree demeanour had vanished and that deep frown (the same one he had when he saw the Prophet$) was back. Mari instantly regretted her words; she should’ve known that his armour would’ve come back up when she started talking about wanting to know him - not Spooky, but the mysterious, unnamed man underneath.

When she didn’t start on her food, he repeated, more forcefully and with a bang of his palm on the table, “eat,”

She didn’t mean to, but she flinched at the aggression. If these mood-swings were common, she was starting to understand why he is nicknamed Spooky.

He seemed to catch himself and, with a hiss of fuck under his breath, he leaned back and said, one last time, “eat, please,”

“Why do you care so much if I eat, huh? Where’s your food,” she pushed the plate away with one finger, just to be difficult, and folded her arms across her chest, back on the defensive and ready for a battle.

Mari wasn’t prepared for the answer she got.

“I’m not hungry,” he started, “and you’re meant to be meeting Ruben in just over half an hour, and I can tell you’re still high. Food can help bring you down. I don’t want to be the reason your meeting with your dad goes wrong,”

She pulled the food back toward herself, but she didn’t eat it yet.

“What if,” she started, but she couldn’t meet his eyes as she focused her attention on picking at the splintering wood of the worn table, “what if I’m making a mistake? What if Ruben doesn’t want me there?”

“He know you’re coming?”

“Of course,”

“Then he wants you there,”

About half an hour, one sloppy but surprisingly delicious Spooky Special and a glass of water with lemon juice and cracked pepper later, she was back outside that house. Spooky had walked her there, but she made sure he left this time. She needed to be a big girl and handle this herself but she knew she couldn’t do that if there was a getaway car waiting just outside.

Crossing the yard a second time was like deja vu and a sense of foreboding hung above her like her own personal storm cloud. She knocked on the door and tensed, waiting for Geny’s rejection to pierce through her a second time.

It didn’t come. This time, when the door opened, behind it was a man. He was tall, with a wide face and a full, greying beard. The hair atop his head was greying, too, a sign of age and low spirits. This man didn’t look dispirited though, or old for that fact. There was a youthful glint in his eye and he was smiling so gleefully he reminded Mari a little of Santa Claus.

“Mariana?” He asked, almost giddy.

She swallowed the nervous lump in her throat and nodded. “Uh, yeah. Ruben?”

The tall man looked like he might cry as his eyes glossed over with unshed tears. And then, he swept in and engulfed her in his large arms. She froze for just a moment before she hugged back. She wasn’t used to this sort of affection, but she could get used to it.

Hugging Ruben felt safer and more at home than she ever did with her mother and her mother’s boyfriend. Though unfamiliar, it was nice.

“I’m sorry,” he said, stepping back and sniffling, “I’m just so happy you’re finally here,”

Finally here. Mari supposes Geny didn’t tell him she was actually here earlier. She didn’t blame her, but she couldn’t help but wonder if Geny would ever be accepting of her.

“That’s okay,” she said, offering a smile, “I’m really happy to be here. I can’t believe I’m finally meeting you,”

She allowed her happiness to show on her face. Her smile was wide and her eyes were smiling too, twinkling up at the man that was living proof that she wasn’t doomed to be like her mother. There was no point hiding her happiness behind her nerves or fear of rejection. Even if the rest of the family - Geny, four kids, and their abuelita, if she remembers what he had told her via email - didn’t want her there, Ruben was happy to have her in his life and that’s all that mattered to her.

“We’re happy to have you here. I’m sorry it took this long,” he said solemnly.

“It’s okay - I know you tried,” she said with a small shrug. There was no use apologising anymore. What’s done is done and can’t be changed, she could only hope it could be forgotten.

“Well,” he said, cheering back up, “come on in and meet the family!”

And finally, she stepped over the threshold and into her new life.

Once again, I don’t speak Spanish so I’m using Google, please correct me!

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#on my block #on my block netflix #spooky diaz #oscar diaz #becky g #on my block fanfiction

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sanctimoniousscrawlings · 6 years

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How I Fell in Love with the Sun and Other Tales of Woe

Chapter 1 // Day 1 // Aether

The scent of the forest wafts throughout the garden, mingling with lavender, peppermint, chamomile, and black tea. I breathe it all in, lying on a stone bench with earbuds in and staring at the sky. I’ve got an hour left before I need to head to school. It’s been three years since I’ve received the official letter, telling me to move to this town and attend The Academy (which is simultaneously the most needlessly ominous and excessively bland name for a school I have ever heard). I’ve received no instructions since then and at this point can only assume they’ll come this week or the final day of school. My phone vibrates in my pocket but instead of answering, I sit up and pour myself another cup of tea before carefully placing the teapot back on the tea tray on the ground. I take another sip of tea and only then do I deign to check. It’s Ness. Her shift at The Night Owl has ended and she wants to meet early before class starts. I agree to meet up with her and put my tea tray away inside then spread royal blue wings (that of a Rhetus Periander), taking off in flight.

Trees sail by me as I fly toward the meeting spot, the rich scent of the forest filling each breath I take. Among the tall oaks and birches is a marble gazebo beneath a massive weeping apricot tree. Upon seeing me, Ness steps out from the gazebo, her hair like brilliant flames twisting in the breeze. Her eyes were forest green, luminescent in the morning light and made brighter by her pale skin and freckles. Cackling, I loop my arms around her in an embrace as I land pretty much tackling her to the ground. I roll off of her, helping her up while we both laugh. “Look at you- out here lookin’ like a Celtic goddess ‘n shit. I couldn’t resist knocking you from your pedestal.” “Ugh, I missed you, ho. Man, you’ve really gotta get your rage toward her imperious maliciousness out. How’s that going by the way?” I crack my knuckles behind my head, stretching, and start walking toward the road leading to the school. “Plans within plans, baby. I’ll knock her off her false throne by winter break.” “Can I finally be in on this? I’ve got some bones to pick with her.” “Absolutely. I think we can probably get at least 60 people together to take a stab at little miss Cesar.” “Please tell me you’re literally planning on getting 60 people together to stab her. That would be so much more satisfying than the political intrigue I’m certain you’re gonna go for.” “You know I don’t like actual violence unless it’s absolutely necessary.” “She has half the school hypnotized. Evil witches get stitches.” “Or,” I stretch the word, “we could break the hypnosis. I found a spell- it’s advanced magic, but I’m like 85% sure we can easily tackle it together. We’d need a third person, though. Know anyone skilled enough?” “No one comes to mind- but then most of the spellcasters at school kind of hate me, so...” “They don’t hate you, they’re intimidated. Few people can cast major spells without the rites like you do this early.” “I’m one of three humans in this school. You know most otherfolk don’t trust us; my skill level just makes it worse.” We get to the road and I’m about to ask how her trip home went when a black Jaguar zooms past us towards the school. The driver, Abby, screams something unintelligible- likely something rude- and cackles. Her poor boyfriend beside her stares ahead blankly. "Speak of the devil. I see she's still a raging c-" Vanessa starts before a pickup honks behind us, burying the end of that sentence. "Get in losers, we're going shopping!" It's Robin. His green eyes were lit with mischief and he had his thick black hair cut to a militaryesque fohawk since I'd last seen him. "C'mon, I'll drive y'all the rest of the way in." "Sure!" I say before I can stop myself. I catch the look Ness gives me as if to say When did you two become friends? "It was a long summer," I say simply, shrugging. "Clearly," the displeasure in her tone is enough to make me reconsider, but she tosses her things into the bed of the truck anyways. She sits in the middle before I can pseudo-casually get there myself. He, of course, misconstrues this for interest and grins at her. "And how are you, gorgeous girl? My friend here treating you right?" He asks, winking at me. I melt. She side eyes me knowingly and it makes me uncomfortable. "Well, let's get goin'," I chuckle nervously. "Oh, Robin, this is Vanessa. Ness, this is Robin." "We're acquainted," she mutters. "I mean, we did have Chemistry together," he states, matter-of-factly. "Ooh, chemistry?" I inquire, waggling my eyebrows with a mischievous grin. "Oh, do tell." "Yes. But it was just that one class. And you destroyed the lab," she continues for him. "Worst lab partner. 11/10 would trade you away again." "Wait that was you?" I ask, poorly attempting to stifle laughter. "I'd like to take credit but it wasn't on purpose. A certain someone's handwriting-" "Say no more, I get it," I laugh out. Ness narrows her eyes at me and I shrug at her. "You know your handwriting is an atrocity marring the entire human race. You may create beautiful images on canvas but your penmanship leaves something to be desired." "Would you say it's something like... legibility?" Robin asks, voice dripping with mock innocence and we both crack up. "It's gotten better, though," she mumbles, chagrined. "I know, I know. I still love you anyway." I kiss her on her forehead as we pull into a parking space. "Well, we're here. I'll see you in class?" Robin gives me a look I can't quite decipher- a feat which terrifies me to the core. There’s never a moment I don’t know what the people around me are feeling. It’s my curse. "Yeah, thanks for the ride! See ya!" I get out and grab my bag then Ness follows suit and we walk inside. "I would just like to point out that the awkwardness of that entire ordeal was tangible. Like, I'm pretty sure if I had reached out I could have snatched it from the air. I probably should have." I feel the acidic green waves of jealousy pulsing out from her. "I dunno. I think you guys would get along if you gave him a chance." I'm ignoring her point and we both know it. "Guuurrrl. We are gonna have to have some words about that boy. Don't trust him, he's awful." "I'm not allowed to have other friends now?" "Friends. Uh-huh." She lengthened the grunt to make it clear she didn't believe me. "I'm not gay." "I thought your kind doesn't believe in sexual orientation." "We don't. In fact, I don’t like men or women, so I have even less of an orientation. Hey, look, our lockers." I open mine, blocking her view of my face. This isn't a conversation I want to be having. "Hey, what's this? I pull an envelope from the locker, the only words on it say 'Game On.' "Don't change the subject, she says. Not even bothering to look. "You aren't getting out of this." I'm not paying attention, though. I open the letter, the locker door still blocking her view. In an elegant script, the note reads:

7 others attending the academy. Figure out their identities. Good luck, chumps.

This is so stupid. Whatever; it will be a cinch. "Hey, are you listening?" I put the letter away before she can peer around the door. "Yeah. You don't like him and erroneously think I want the D. Not just any D, but his specifically. Don't you have to prep your art station? Find me when you want to talk about something else." I slam the locker and walk away. It's harsh but now I'm on a mission and, unfortunately, I think I know who my first suspect is.

I spend the first two periods trying to use my empathic abilities to figure out if anyone is feeling something unusual or potentially related to the first task. There are many nervous students- nervous about grades, about college, about dating, but not the Novae. Most of the students just seem to be half asleep and wanting to be anywhere else. By third period, I’m way too exhausted to read Robin- who is now my lab partner for one of the many science/magic crossover classes. I open my textbook, The Science of Chemistry and Art of Potion Making, to work on the assigned tincture. Towards the end of class, Robin slides me a notebook- the page it was opened to reading: 90% sure potion making does not qualify as art. It’s more sciencey than chemistry. Agreed. I feel like it’s almost like being a pharmacist, I write. He pulls the notebook back, giving it a strange look. I see I’ve traded up as far as lab partners go. Your penmanship is tight, my dude. You’ve got preschool teacher grade handwriting. That is, I pause to think before continuing, the strangest compliment I have ever received from another guy. Does that mean you’ve received a stranger one from a girl? My best friend is Ness. Valid point. I’ve gotta know what it was. “I would not want to face you in a war.” I pushed the note back to him. After a moment of watching him hold it out of the corner of my eye, I swivel my head to see his face had turned beet red and tears were forming in his eyes from trying to shove down the laughter. Rolling my eyes, I grab it back and write, first of all how dare you. I’ll have you know I am an excellent tactician. Upon reading this, he completely loses it and the bell rings. “Maybe- May- Maybe on something like Big Brother.” He struggles to get the words out through his laughter. “First rule of conquering a country: take out its leaders. Assassination is smarter than marching a platoon in.” “I thought you were nonviolent, like as part of your religion.” “That’s offensive; I’m an atheist. I just dislike violence- and I never said the assassination had to be literal. You can assassinate someone’s reputation, then you can replace them with a puppet ruler when they’re removed.” “And if they are removed violently? Plus, that could take years.” “I didn’t have a direct hand in it and my conscience is clean. I didn’t choose the method of removal, only that it eventually happens. I prefer to play the long game.” “That’s a little morally grey coming from you.” “There is no honor in war- plus I like to toe the line. No one interesting was ever lawful good.” “You’ve been playing with too many shitty paladins.” “Holy hell, you got that reference. And expanded on it with a valid retort. I’m shook.” “You play those games with my roommates a lot and Josh only ever plays ‘awful good’ characters. I’m planning on joining you guys and trying it out when you start your next campaign. I kind of wanna see you play a charisma based character so I can see this nonviolent tactical brilliance you speak of. I can totally see you as a bard. We’ll give you an electric lute and call you General Shredder.” “Given that I am basically already a bard, that would defeat the purpose of the roleplaying game. Besides, I’d have to be a rogue with high charisma to make my methods work and it’s gonna be my turn to gm anyways.” “Fair. Think you could convince Ness to join?” “If I did manage to she’d likely play a barbarian or monk and attack all the things. ‘You come to a fork in the road.’ ‘I punch it.’” I crack up at the thought. “Alternatively, she gets to the fork in the road and tries to intimidate it into telling her where to go.” “Tries? Girl would probably nat 20 on every intimidate check she makes. Nothing else, just intimidate. That fork in the road just wet its metaphysical underoos. You know what? I’ll try. She’ll break the game, but it will be glorious.” The minute bell rings and we part ways in the hall, our laughter echoing between us.

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