Hayley had thought she'd been able to read the situation perfectly. There'd always been a certain level of chemistry between she and Nigel despite their never interacting. Just when she'd decided to bite the bullet, final year and all, yet another delicate situation pops up.

She understood he and Cassandra's situation well enough. That's what she'd thought anyways. The latter was her best friend and she'd been there for her through every series of their breakups and getting back together, hiding what she really felt in her heart. She cheered for them every time they did make up, feeling like a despicable hypocrite for wanting them to just be done with it all so he could just finally take a glance in her direction.

Well, they did announce they were finally done with the charade six months back. Like she'd hang on to every word that crossed his lips as truth, she'd foolishly believed it. In retrospect, she now understood she'd gone too far ahead of herself. Just friends? Only an idiot would believe that. She'd still been holding on to the bright ball of hope when she'd offered for companions to visit her sick friend.

He'd declined. Of course, he had. He'd freaking made plans with her after their visit. Them showing up at the dessert shop she worked part-time at for ice cream was a shock in itself and it was only watching them that she understood what a fool she'd been.

"Hey." It was her best friend, Declan's voice that snapped her out of her morose state. "Easy on the carrots, will you? What's eating at you anyway?"

Hayley glanced at the carrots she'd been tasked to grate. They were in long strips, if they could even be called that. They were still so thick they might as well be the size of her finger. With a sigh, she pushed it aside before plopping into one of the swivel stools by the breakfast bar.

Declan had stopped by to get away for a while and they'd decided to whip up a quick dinner before calling it a day. Well, he was trying to whip up dinner anyway. She was just being more of a hindrance, honestly.

"I think they're still together," she mumbled as she grabbed her water bottle from the counter, rubbing her fingers idly against it.

"You mean your best friend and that guy you like?" he asked, done with chopping up the other parts of the gravy sauce and coming to take over with the carrots abandoned by his listless friend.

Hayley gave him the briefed up version.

"He probably still likes her," Declan said with a non-committal shrug, finishing up with the dicing and going to check on the boiling potatoes.

"You think?" she frowned, fingers stabbing onto her palms so hard she nearly drew blood.

"With what you told me, there's at least an eighty percent chance," Declan broke down. "Just give it up."

Hayley sighed before her bottle and taking a few gulps of water, her cell chiming in the background. She turned a look at it, spewing out all the water yet to go down on seeing the notification sitting pretty on her locked screen.

Cheeks burning, she slid it open, not even caring for the disgusted look Declan threw back at her. Eyes wide, she came to stand next to him at the burner before shoving the message in his face with a triumphant smile.

💜❤️
Want to grab a bite Friday night?
Received. 21:37 pm

"He might like you then," Declan snorted before going back to stirring the pot.

"Might?" Hayley parroted with narrowed eyes.

"Yeah?" Declan said. "Or maybe he's just trying to eat his cake and have it."

"Get lost," Hayley rolled her eyes before lowering her head to type in her reply. "He's not the type."

"’course," Declan acquiesced before playing two portions of the meal and dropping it at the breakfast bar. "Eat up, lovebird."

Hayley feigned a scowl before dropping next to him and keeping her cell aside, picking her fork and digging into her meal with relish.

"Though," Declan began. "I think you should try to feel out his thoughts on Cassandra."

"Right?" Hayley was immediately glowing at the suggestion, eating with twice her previous fervor. "That's a brilliant plan."

"Just subtly," Declan reminded. He knew her well enough and just thought to put it out there in case things didn't end up panning out the way she wanted and she ended up disappointed.

"I know that," she said with a rather disdainful eye roll. "I'm basically the queen of restraint."

"Keep telling yourself that," he mumbled.

–

"You guys should just get together already," Aries said, tone bored. Nigel and Hayley had been exchanging glances all of the morning. Sure, he'd had a fair share of crushes and romances that had blossomed here and there but at least he'd never been this sickeningly sweet or nauseating about it.

Nigel shot him a disgruntled look before retracting his gaze, bringing out his History notebook as he rubbed at his heated earlobe.

"Right," Aries suddenly piped up, going past that matter since he didn't look like he wanted to continue on it. "Coach wanted to see us for a few minutes after school today. Should be something about the tryouts next week."

"Sure," Nigel responded a bit absentmindedly. He and Hayley had been talking quite a bit but he was suddenly at a loss when she started giving him the cold shoulder, even averting her gaze whenever they met in the hallway.

Confused and flustered just thinking what could have gone wrong, he'd propositioned them going out later today. Well, he was glad he had. Now, nothing seemed to be the problem and he had a date in the bag. He snapped out of his musings at the buzzing of his cell phone. Despite his eyebrows furrowing at the sight of the caller ID, he still picked it, nervousness ripping through him.

"Mom?" He called, voice barely more than a bare whisper. Whether it was she or his dad, they hardly ever called him. He couldn't help the littlest feeling of hope welling up in him, instantly shattered in less than a minute at the words that proceeded.

"Can you come back? Home?" She asked.

Nigel blinked. Once. Then again. Sure something had to be wrong with his ears. Either that or the world had gone mad. "I can ask for leave, I guess," he said. "Did something happen?"

"Yeah," she gave a frustrated sigh. "It's Saxon. He's sick."

Nigel felt that feeling shatter into smithereens, his face draining of all color. "So, you want me to–" he pursed his lips, expression tightening when he was cut off.

"Yeah, come back and take care of him," she said. "Your dad and I have to make a trip and our calls to Leah are not going through."

Leah was their family doctor. Nigel's expression turned bitter, paying little mind to the concerned glance Aries shot over his way. "But, I have-" he stopped as her cutting voice nearly shattered his eardrums in the next moment.

"Are your crappy classes more important than his health?" she asked, tone full of bite. "I wasn't asking, Nigel. Just come back home."

"But," he felt his gaze turning sour. He'd also fallen terribly sick barely a week back but it'd been as much a silent affair in that household as anything that concerned him. He'd been left to sweat it out. 'course he had. "Can't you just drop him off at the hospital on your way? I just–"

"Don't you know he can't stand the scent of hospitals?" she berated. "You have ten minutes."

Nigel blinked before lowering his phone from his ears, knuckles frighteningly white around the device. "Can you help me take leave?" he turned to Aries, packing up his stuff.

"I'll help you write and pass it on in the evening," Aries passed over his keys. "Just go."

Nigel grabbed it before walking off, expression terse. He arrived back home in quarter of an hour and met his parents standing on the steps with an impatient expression.

"You're late," his mom stated, gaze cold. His dad didn't even bother with as much as a look.

"Sorry," he mumbled even if he'd been rushing over the fastest he could.

"Whatever," she didn't have time for this. "Just get some food in him. And drugs. You can leave once he's better."

Nigel said nothing as she stuffed a couple of bills in his hands for the medicine, heading on in once they began heading out of the driveway. Placing the bills on a sofa in the living room, he headed up the stairs before arriving at Saxon's door and knocking.

When he didn't get a response, he turned the knob before pushing open the door. There was no mistaking the heavy sting in his eyes as they welled up now. Saxon was half seated upright, back leaning against his headboard as he browsed his laptop.

"Nigel?" his voice was nasally but save that, there seemed no other indication that he was even sick. "Is there a problem? Why are you back home?"

"Aren't you sick?" Nigel asked, trying to get a grip on his emotions and nearly failing.

"It's just a cold," Saxon went back to what he was doing as Nigel helped himself in and brought over a chair to seat by his bedside. "It's whatever really. How'd you know anyway?"

"You should rest and get better," Nigel took the laptop and placed it aside before meeting his brother's gaze again, his now vacant.

Saxon sighed but didn't object and just slouched even further. "Thanks for looking out for me," he said. He knew it was more or less just because he cared. "I appreciate it. Really."

"What do you want to eat?" he asked, not responding to his previous sentiment. Truth was, with how he was feeling, he could care less for some couple words that had always felt superficial to him.

"Pork ribs," Saxon said the first thing that came to his mind with a tired yawn.

Nigel just held his gaze for all of a minute before getting to his feet. "Sure," he said, tone rigid. "Give me a minute."

"Nigel," Saxon called back when the other had his hand on the door knob once again. "Is everything okay?"

"Sure," Nigel's repeated before taking a leave. Despite the little drizzle starting out, he went to get the pork ribs his twin wanted and grabbed some cold medicine from a pharmacy on their street before heading back home. When he got back to Saxon's room, he was lying on his side, somewhat invested in the book folded in his hand. "You should eat."

Saxon let him seize the prose as well, awkwardly staring down at the packaged food in Nigel's hand.

"What?" he asked, just wanting to be done with this whole 'chore'.

"I don't have the appetite anymore," he managed to squeeze out.

Nigel's gaze glazed over before he put aside the pork ribs and medicine. After forcefully toning down his rampaging emotions, he forced up the edge of his lip in a smile that couldn't feel anymore plastic. "Then, what do you want to eat?" he asked.

"Just noodles is fine," Saxon said. "Are you mad?"

"Of course not," Nigel felt like he was reading lines at this point. "Why would I?" He made the noodles for him before bringing it back up. Even if it was rejected again, he'd still do his best to cater to his whims. Why? Because his mother's words verbatim was that he could leave once he was better.

That'd only happen if he downed the drugs with food he was satisfied with. Plus, he just wanted to be done with this so he could see if he could still meet up with Coach and follow up on his plans with Hayley. Anyway, it was already certified he had no backbone when it came to answering to his parents and would do whatsoever he could in his power to get into their good graces.

Saxon fought back a grimace after the first slurp of noodles. He knew his twin was bad at anything that ended up in one's palate but he hardly thought it'd be this bad, really.

"What?" Nigel asked.

"It's nothing," Saxon forced himself to eat up before he could properly draw the other's ire, slightly depressed on seeing him pick up the pork ribs to eat. He ate about half before swallowing the pills and laying down to rest.

Nigel watched time tick past and Saxon wove in and out of sleep. His finger trembled slightly when he received two messages just a little past four, one from Aries and the other from Hayley.

Aries
Coach said not to worry. He'd just see us Monday before school.
Received. 16:02 pm

Hayley🍬💛
Hey. You good? Are we still on?
Received. 16:04 pm

Nigel pursed his lips before glancing back up at Saxon who was slowly rousing once again. "You any better?" he tried to probe.

"I don't know," his words came out slurred before he made a lazy click at the back of his throat and tried again. "My head feels woozy."

Nigel didn't need to stay for this and promptly opened his clean chat with his mother.

-N-
Can I leave? He just needs to sleep a bit more to fully recover.
Received. 16:08 pm

Mom✨
Until then. A couple more hours won't kill you.
Received. 16:09 pm

Nigel wanted to leave badly but he was trying to raise or at least steady their opinion of him and not tarnish it. So he'd wait. Even if he'd rather be doing his own thing. Even if he'd be disappointing the last person he'd ever wish to.