The Academy

by Quinn Anderson

  His throat tightened on that last sentence. He was horrified to realize he was close to tears. Thank God his back was turned to Nick. If he looked at him right now and saw whatever combination of anger, betrayal, and pain that was surely on his face, he’d lose it.

  His confession was followed by several long seconds of silence that ticked by in Sebastian’s head like a doomsday clock. With each one that passed, he grew more tense, like he could snap at any second. Hurt and bitter anger, all directed at himself, bubbled in his stomach.

  Eventually, he cracked. “Please say something.”

  There was another interminable pause. And then Nick’s steady voice replied, “I have nothing to say to you.”

  Somehow, that felt more final than all the condemnations in the world. Sebastian resolved to do one final selfish thing: deprive Nick of the chance to scream at him.

  “Please go.” Sebastian waved over his shoulder in the direction of his door. “Get your things and go.”

  He expected Nick to put up a fight, but to his surprise, he heard shuffling. Nick’s weight rose up off the mattress, footsteps walked to the door, and then the hinges creaked as they opened and closed again, followed by a click that might as well have been a gunshot.

  For a long time afterward—Sebastian didn’t know how long—he stayed sitting on the edge of his bed, feet on the cool wood floor along with his eyes. His mind was blank except for one thought that repeated over and over.

  He didn’t even care enough to say anything. He had you figured out from the start.

  Theo took a bite of eggs and moaned. “Oh my God, this place is amazing.”

  “Glad you approve.” A smile tugged at Dante’s lips as he watched him devour an impressive bacon omelet. He had a plate of eggs in front of him as well, but his were scrambled with a side of fresh fruit. He hadn’t overdone it as badly as Theo had last night, so he didn’t need the extra grease.

  A cool morning breeze swept through the outdoor patio of Dante’s favorite breakfast place. It was a block from campus, and several Academy students were seated around them, eating what were clearly their own hangover cures.

  Leaves swirled in the wind. In autumn, they’d form tiny dervishes that flashed red and gold. Watching them was almost as much fun as hunting down the crunchy ones while he walked to class.

  “Something on your mind?”

  He glanced up.

  Theo was studying him from across their table for two. His green eyes were gold in the light and currently hanging shamelessly around Dante’s mouth.

  He grinned. “I might ask you the same thing. See something you like?”

  Theo swallowed, and his eyes found their way back up to Dante’s. “Sorry. I was just, uh, thinking about last night.”

  “Before or after you ended up coming home with me? Feel free to be specific.”

  Smiling, Theo looked down at his plate. “I was actually talking about the party.”

  He’s cute when he’s shy. I shouldn’t tease him . . . but I’m going to.

  “Oh, right. I keep forgetting about the party, considering the after-party was so much more fun.” Dante flashed the thousand-watt smile that he knew made Theo weak. “You were so cute when you insisted you wanted to hang out more only to immediately pass out on my couch. But my favorite part was when you woke me up climbing into bed with me this morning.”

  Theo’s cheeks filled with color, but when he glanced up, he was grinning. “That’s the best way to wake up, yeah?”

  “Yup, and long overdue.” Dante steeled himself. “We should talk about what this means. I’ve been joking about it so you don’t spook and bolt or anything, but this morning . . . It meant everything to me, Theo.”

  Theo set his hand on top of Dante’s where it was resting on the table. “I’m not going to spook. If anything, I’m worried about you. You’re the one who’s had to hide who you are all this time. I was starting to think this was never going to happen for us. I was so happy being your friend, I’d almost convinced myself I didn’t need anything more.”

  Dante shook his head. “I should have come out a long time ago. I shouldn’t have let what my family thinks stop me for a second. And most of all, I should have told you how I felt sooner. But we were friends, and we had Seb to think about—”

  “And it was all so complicated. I get it. For the record, I could have been more upfront about my feelings too. Now that we’re here, though, I want you to know I’m in this.”

  “I’m in this too.” Dante squeezed his hand. “So long as you’ll have me.”

  “Okay.” Theo smiled. “But seriously, about last night. Do you think our plan worked?”

  “It’s so hard to care about Seb’s drama right now, but all right.” Dante dutifully turned off the charm and pondered his question, lips pressed together. “Yes and no. The make-Seb-jealous bit definitely got him to acknowledge his feelings, and it was a great sign that Nick was at the party, but I don’t know if it’s enough. Last we talked to Sebastian, he was still determined to win the bet, and Nick only recently defrosted toward him. One wrong move, and the whole thing could topple.”

  “You worry too much. I’m sure once they both realize their feelings aren’t going away, they’ll be adults about it, have an honest conversation, and everything will work out fine.”

  Theo’s phone buzzed on the table. He ignored it, until it buzzed again, indicating that someone was calling him. “Sorry about this.” He glanced at the screen. “It’s Sebastian. Speak of the devil.”

  “He might be calling to tell you that Nick spent the night, as if we don’t already know.” Dante grabbed a spoon and went for his fruit. “Go ahead and pick it up. If he starts to gush, I can tease him about it until one of us dies. And if he’s the one to go, I’ll get a Ouija board.”

  Chuckling, Theo accepted the call. “Hey, Sebby. What’s up?”

  He must’ve put it on speaker, because Dante heard Sebastian loud and clear.

  “I won. I won the bet. I got Nick to kiss me.”

  Theo, who was halfway to taking another bite of eggs, dropped his fork with a clatter. “What?”

  There was a pause. Sebastian sounded like he was taking a deep breath.

  “Sebastian, no.” Theo’s voice was panicked. “What did you do?”

  “I’ll drop by your dorm to pick up Barbzilla on Monday before class. We can talk then.”

  The line went dead. Theo held the phone up and stared at it, as if expecting it to continue the conversation.

  Dante looked between him and it in rapid succession. “What the hell was that?”

  “That was Sebastian claiming his victory. As in, he still cares about the ridiculous bet. As in, our plan failed, and he and Nick aren’t madly in love like we’d hoped.”

  Dante blew out a breath. “I knew he was in denial, but this is going way too far. And after they practically announced they were a couple in front of everyone. Do you suppose he told Nick the truth?”

  “He’d better have, or I’m going to be pissed. Nick’s my friend too.”

  It was surprising to hear an angry edge in Theo’s airy voice. In a good way. Dante wasn’t thrilled by this turn of events either. How could Sebastian insist on clinging to the bet when he had a real shot with Nick?

  Reminds me how all my feet-dragging almost cost me Theo. I can’t let Seb make the same mistake.

  Out loud, Dante asked, “What should we do?”

  Theo shrugged. “I was thinking go to Sebastian’s apartment and slap some sense into him.”

  “Calm down, Tyson. You can’t do that. Not because it’s illegal—Sebastian would never be able to make the assault charges stick after my testimony—but because there’s someone else who needs you more right now.”

  Theo exhaled hard. “Nick. I should talk to him. I wonder where he is.”

  Just then, Theo’s phone buzzed again. At the same time, Dante’s began to ring.

  “It’s a text from Nick,” Theo said.

  “It’s a c
all from Sebastian,” Dante replied.

  They exchanged a look that Dante swore was as good as words. Breakfast is officially canceled.

  “I’ll talk to Sebastian.” Dante stood up. “You go find Nick and see if he’s okay.”

  Theo got up as well. “I will.”

  “Oh, and Theo?” Dante grinned. “I want to hear everything.”

  Theo smiled. He glanced down at the table. “Can I buy you breakfast?”

  “No, I got it. Nick needs you. Go make sure he’s okay.”

  “Has anyone ever told you how sweet you are?” Right then and there, Theo cradled Dante’s face and kissed him. There was a moment when Dante panicked—they were in public; people could see them—but then the warmth of Theo’s lips swept all his worries away. It was like the sunlight tickling his face, only it came from within. From one particular place in his chest, he suspected.

  Dante kissed him back for good measure, letting the call go to voice mail. “Go. But maybe come over later?”

  “You know it.” He shook his head. “I can’t imagine what Seb is thinking. Good thing I had that talk with Nick, or this would be a disaster. As it is, there’s a chance we can salvage this if we can get Seb to come to his senses.”

  Dante crossed his fingers and dialed his phone. It only rang once before the line clicked. “Sebastian, you had better have a damn good explanation for this.”

  Sebastian said something in response, but Dante’s eyes were on Theo as he walked away. Right before he would have disappeared around the corner, Theo turned back and looked at him. When their eyes met, he blew Dante a kiss before ducking out of sight.

  Dante’s face hurt, he was smiling so hard. Much as he wanted to be disappointed in Sebastian, he was having a hard time feeling anything other than pure, unadulterated happiness.

  Two Weeks Earlier

  “I’d like for us to be friends. For now.”

  Theo was sitting at a desk in Nick’s dorm room, watching him process all the new information Theo had laid upon him. Though they’d only just met, Theo had gleaned a couple of things from their short conversation: Nick was smart, down-to-earth, and had been hurt in the past. It was all in his wary eyes and the way he skirted around talking about his life before now.

  With every passing second, Theo was more and more convinced Nick and Sebastian were made for each other. Good thing too, because he’d come here with a very specific plan in mind.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Nick’s expression was tense.

  Theo waved him off. “Sorry. I’ve been told I have a talent for sounding unintentionally ominous. I mean I hope that one day we’ll be close friends. Like best friends, you know?”

  “Oh, okay.” But Nick was still eying him with the wariness of a cornered mouse. “Why are you telling me all of this? I gotta admit, this is up there on the strange scale. Ever since I came here, I keep having the oddest conversations.”

  “It’s like I said. I’m here to give you a warning and maybe make a friend. Nothing else, and certainly nothing sinister.”

  Nick looked adorably confused. “I’d like to be friends too, though your whole riddle-me-this schtick is making my head hurt.”

  “Which is why I’d like to tell you the truth.” Theo sat back in his chair. “We made a bet about you.”

  Nick’s brow furrowed. “What? Who?”

  “My friends and me. Sebastian and Dante. We made a bet. It’s this silly thing we started doing in high school after watching Cruel Intentions one too many times. We’d pick someone—usually a hot new boy—and bet to see who could kiss him first. Oh, but the guy has to initiate. That’s what makes it a challenge: getting him to like you enough to do that.”

  Theo studied Nick’s face. Was he going to get angry? Kick Theo out of his room? Theo hoped not, or his plan might be ruined before it began.

  But Nick didn’t do either of those things. He studied Theo right back. “Why are you telling me this?”

  “Because the bet is shitty. It is and always has been cruel and mean-spirited. I don’t want anyone to get hurt. Now that I’ve told you what’s going on, you can’t be caught unawares.”

  “I’m confused. If you think the bet is terrible, why participate?”

  “That’s where our new friendship comes in.” Theo leaned forward in his chair. “I know I have no right to ask this of you, but I need a favor. Sebastian is going through some shit right now. Serious shit that none of the adults in his life are being very adult about. This bet is his way of . . . I dunno how to explain it. Lashing out? Getting some company for his misery? The point is, I’d like you to play along.”

  “Seriously? You want me to kiss Sebastian?”

  “No, I want the opposite. Resist him. Resist him for as long as you can. Drag it out until you can’t anymore.”

  Nick frowned. “But I could do that forever.”

  You think that, but you haven’t met the real Sebastian yet. The guy I know and love. Once you two get to know each other, I don’t think that’ll be a problem anymore.

  “If that’s what you want, sure. Feel free to reject Sebastian over and over again. Just don’t let him know you’re onto him. Okay?”

  Nick looked off to the side. “I dunno. That’s a tall order. What’s this subterfuge supposed to accomplish?”

  “It’s going to make Sebastian realize the bet is a mistake. He doesn’t really want to hurt anyone, you see. He’s looking for a distraction, and I think getting him to realize that on his own will be better in the long run. That, and his life is kind of a dumpster fire right now. He doesn’t need his own best friends telling him he’s a jackass.”

  “Dumpster fire, huh?” Nick cocked his head to the side. “I have to admit, I’m intrigued.”

  Theo smiled. “I know I’m asking for a lot, but it’s for a good cause, and honestly, once Sebastian realizes his mistake, I think you two will get along swimmingly. And I know Dante thinks you’re cool. In other words, I’m pulling a Mean Girls and inviting you to sit with us at lunch. Play along, and you’ll get three new friends out of it.”

  Not the absolute truth, but also not a lie. Let’s see what he says.

  Nick chewed on his bottom lip, seemingly lost in thought.

  Theo was taut with anticipation, but he was careful to keep it off his face. His plan depended on Nick being willing to go along with it.

  After an interminable pause, Nick nodded. “All right. I’ll do it. But I have some caveats.”

  Theo’s relief was profound. “Name them.”

  “I reserve the right to back out of this at any time. Sebastian seems like a nice enough person, but he’s also . . . weirdly intense. If shit gets too real, I’m out.”

  “That’s fair. Anything else?”

  “Yeah, one more thing. You said the bet’s to see who can get me to kiss them first, right?”

  “Right. And Sebastian’s going to do whatever he can to—”

  Nick got up from his desk, walked over, and before Theo could so much as sit up in protest, he planted a brief but firm kiss on Theo’s lips.

  “There.” Nick pulled back with a grin. “Congrats, you won the bet. And it only took a day too.”

  Theo blinked at him. “Ooh. Nice thinking. You’re going to fit in great around here.”

  Nick moved over to his bed and flopped onto it. “So, you wanna watch some Netflix or something?”

  “I’m calling it early: this is the start of a beautiful friendship.”

  Present Day

  Nick walked back to his dorm in a daze, using his phone to navigate from Sebastian’s place to campus, since he’d only ever been driven there. It was only a few miles away, but it felt like he was moving through molasses. He’d been semi-dumped by his not-boyfriend, and though he’d seen it coming, it still didn’t seem real.

  This was your decision, Nick. You kissed him. You let him think he won knowing he might do this. You have no right to be surprised.

  But as he trudged up to Powell Hall and climb
ed the steps to his room, he discovered he was surprised. As prepared as he’d been for the possibility that Sebastian was only pretending, an equal part of him had been hoping for the opposite.

  And that part of me is a complete chump.

  When he walked in, the first thing he did was glance at Deen’s bed. For once, his roommate wasn’t home. He was probably off in the dining hall, stuffing his face to chase off the vestiges of the party.

  Unbidden, images from the night before flashed through Nick’s head. Getting to know Sebastian. Fighting with him. Having desperate, fantastic sex with him. Sleeping next to him and waking up to his peaceful, handsome face.

  At that last one, Nick slammed a mental door shut on his memories. He couldn’t. He was still too raw.

  He started to reach for his bag on instinct—the first thing he did whenever he entered his room was toss it onto his bed—only to remember he’d left it at Dante’s apartment. Great. He’d have to go back there and pick it up. Sebastian might show up there again, and then Nick would probably die.

  Someone knocked on his door, dispelling the macabre thought. Nick didn’t bother to look through the peephole. He flung the door open and said wearily, “Hi, Theo.” Then he slumped over to his bed and tossed himself onto it.

  Theo walked in and shut the door behind him. “I got your text.” He dug his phone out of the pocket of his jeans—the same ones he’d been wearing last night, Nick noted absently—and read aloud. “‘I’m so sorry, Theo. I couldn’t keep up the charade any longer. Shit with Sebastian was getting way too real, and I had to end it.’ Care to tell me exactly what the hell happened?”

  Nick sighed. “I decided to kiss him, and right after, he called you. Then he confessed the whole sordid scheme to me and told me to leave.”

  “He didn’t beg for forgiveness or anything?”

  “Nope. Wouldn’t even look at me. I knew from the start he was playing me, and yet I let myself get caught up anyway. How naïve am I?”