Chapter 61

It was a fairly emotionally tense group of kids that Marcus returned too after his Easter break. He walked into the dorm to find Fergie sat on his bed, playing the fiddle, something he reportedly only did when he was upset, and Seiji sat on his bed pointlessly sharpening knives, looking very menacing. Art was nowhere to be seen. Everyone else had gone home by that time.
Marcus walked softly over to his boyfriend�s bed, �Hey baby,� he said softly, �how are you feeling?�
Fergie shrugged, and then glanced nervously over at Seiji, not really wanting to discuss anything in front of him, no matter how good friends they were.
Understanding Marcus dumped his bag on his bed and reaching into his pocket grabbed his packet of fags, �Want to go outside for a smoke?� he offered.
Fergie grinned gratefully and swung his legs over the side of the bed, not bothering with the ladder he jumped down, placing a gentle kiss on Marcus� lips, �Love too,� he grinned.
The two boys walked out in silence, the only sign of any connection or emotion between them was that they were holding hands. When they got outside the boarding house, they walked over to the familiar spot they seemed to be frequenting more and more often.
Sliding down the wall to sit on the floor, Marcus reached up and grabbed Fergie�s hand, �Now what�s up?� he said, �You and Seiji both looked fairly pissed off at something.�
Knowing that his boyfriend wouldn�t mind, and would be caring and understanding, Fergie went on to explain what had happened that night.
�Shit,� Marcus muttered when his boyfriend finished, �I bet Seiji wasn�t pleased with that. And he could be kinda scary if he was angry.�
�The problem wasn�t that Seiji saw us,� Fergie went on to explain, �he was actually really forgiving, I mean, he trusts me and he trusts Art, and so when we told him that nothing had happened, he believed us. The problem was that Miss Ellins came in to wake Art up in the morning and found me in bed with him. She said she was fed up with finding Art in bed with students, and that this was the last time.� He glanced nervously at Marcus, �She complained to Sir, and he said that he really had no option, and he�s had to ban Seiji from sleeping in Art�s room, and Art from sleeping in the dorm.�
�Shit,� Marcus repeated, �So that�s why Seiji�s pissed off, and I can�t imagine Art�s too pleased about it either.�
�And I feel rubbish.� Fergie muttered, drawing heavily on the cigarette in his hand. �I mean, it was basically all my fault,� he went to stub the cigarette out on his arm, wanting to feel the burning again.
Marcus reached across and grabbed his hand, stopping him from hurting himself, �Actually, I reckon it�s mostly more David�s fault for being a sick fuck.�
Fergie glanced up at his boyfriend, his eyes full of thanks, and stubbed the cigarette out on the ground beside him. �Thank you,� he whispered.
Marcus reached out and put his arm around Fergie�s shoulder, pulling him close and kissing him, �I love you,� he said simply, �And I�ll always be here for you�ok?�
Fergie nodded, and snuggled further into Marcus� hold.
They sat there for a few minutes, not really thinking about anything, just relishing in the fact that they were together again. It was a while before Fergie remembered his manners, �Hey,� he muttered with a smile, �Did you have a good time at Seth�s house?�
�Yeah,� Marcus straightened up, �I�ve got exciting news to tell you.�
�Really?� Fergie sat up more, turning to him, �which is?�
�My agent was talking to me, and he�s seen some of the sketches I do in my spare time, and he spoke to someone who spoke to someone else who spoke to�well,� Marcus grinned, �You get the idea, anyway, I�m going to start my own clothing line.�
�What?� Fergie muttered with a laugh, �And there�s people out there who still think you�re straight?�
Marcus shrugged, �Look it�ll be cool, nice designer stuff, I can decide what I want, and then it just gets my signature on it. I think that�s awesome, don�t you?�
�Yeah,� Fergie said, �No honestly, even though I may rip the shit out of you for this at times, it is awesome.� He kissed his boyfriend on the cheek, �I�m proud of you.�
Phillip was walking calmly down the corridor, he hated being left in school over Easter, but his parents had gone to the Canary Islands and left him on his own. It did mean however he�d picked up on some good gossip to tell the others when they got back to school, Ariadne was going to be particularly pleased with him, and he knew what that meant. He�d heard that Art had been caught in bed with another student, and so he�d been banned from seeing his boyfriend, talking of which, Phillip glanced up to see Seiji wandering down the corridor to see him, stupid fuck, who�d want to go out with that freak albino teacher anyway. He tried to suppress a snigger, but found he couldn�t. He laughed, and that was the last thing he remembered.
�I�ve told you.� Sir stared across the desk at Seiji, �you have to keep your hands to yourself.� He sniggered slightly, �I mean you have to control your anger�� he paused and thought about whom he was talking to, �and keep your hands to yourself.�
�S�not my fault.� Seiji muttered, �If you tell me I can�t sleep with my boyfriend, things like that are bound to happen. There�s nothing I can do about it.�
�Oh so beating up Phillip was entirely accidental.� Sir raised an incredulous eyebrow.
�Don�t you eyebrow me.� Seiji muttered,
Sir raised his other eyebrow, �What was that?�
Seiji narrowed his eyes at the head, �If you want to get into an eyebrow war�then that�s fine by me.�

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THE NEXT FEW MINUTES WERE CENSORED BECAUSE THEY WERE SO DAMN CREEPY
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�Fine,� Sir conceded, �you can go back to sleeping in Art�s room, or he can sleep in the dorm, whatever. I�ll sort it.�
Seiji grinned smugly at his headmaster, before standing up and walking towards the door, �Thank you,� he said sweetly, his voice dripping with sarcasm, before he added a quiet, �loser.�
Ash thrust the box of chocolates into the man�s hands, �This is just to say thank you?�
�Thank you?� he questioned, �Sweetie, it�s you we ought to be thanking.�
Ash blushed, looking around the hairdressing salon, �I�m going to miss it here.� He admitted, �This has been the best work experience ever.�
�Ash,� the hairdresser said, looking Ash in the eyes, �I tell you what, over the summer break, you come and see me, and you can work here, properly. You�re a good little hairdresser, and I�d like to see you given some training.�
Ash squealed slightly, and clapped his hands, before flinging his arms around his mentor in an impromptu hug, �Thanks,� he squealed, �Thank you so much.�
And so it was that he skipped out of the hairdressing salon on the last day of his work experience.
�Mum,� Raven muttered from where she sat in the back of the car, �This isn�t fair.�
�Why�s that dear?� Mrs Yue glanced in the rear-view mirror to see her daughter, who had a face like thunder.
�Because I�m stuck here in the back with Matt and Eagle,� she glanced over at the two boys who were currently holding hands and whispering sweet nothings into each other�s ears, �And Alex is in the front. I reckon Eagle should have to sit in the front.�
�Well,� Mrs Yue conceded, Alex and Raved would probably be less�coupley than Matt and Eagle, �Perhaps we�ll stop at the next service station for lunch, and then perhaps you can talk about swapping seats.�
�What?� Eagle snapped up, suddenly in the conversation, �What�s happening?�
�In a bit,� Angela said gently, �Perhaps you and Alex can swap places so Alex and Raven can sit next to each other for a bit.�
Eagle and Matt glanced uncertainly at each other.
�Ok then�� Matt said eventually,
��if we can neuter Alex first.� Eagle finished for him, and both of them burst out laughing.
As they got out of the car, Alex pulled a tearful Raven into his arms, softly kissing the top of her head. �What is it?� he asked softly, not that he needed to.
�They�re so mean,� Raven sniffed, snuggling against him, �And they�re mean about you. And you and me aren�t mean about them, are we?�
�Well,� Alex said with an uncharacteristically evil smirk, �Perhaps we should.�
Raven looked up at him her eyes sparkling with malicious delight. �You know,� she conceded, �it might just be fun.�
As they walked into the generic fast-food restaurant, they glanced across at the table where Matt was sat on Eagle�s lap.
Raven and Alex walked calmly over to them, and sitting down, Alex pulled Raven into his lap.
�Hey Alex,� Eagle said with a scowl, �Leave my sister alone will you?�
Raven�s eyes narrowed in a mimic of his scowl, �Hey Matt,� she said turning to Matt, �Leave my brother alone will you?�
Angela Yue had to hide a smirk behind her hand, so Raven was finally sticking up for herself, and about time too. She decided she�d stay out of this one.
Toni put her violin back in the case, putting the protective velvet material over the top. She barely looked around as she heard someone walk into the room,
�Will you be in Rome next week?� her friend (a flutist) asked.
Toni shook her head, surprising herself by smiling, �Nope,� she said softly, �I�m going back to school.�
Tor could hardly sit still on the plane on the way back to England, he was fidgeting the whole time. In the car on the way from the airport to school he spent the whole time staring out of the window. When they eventually got to school, he barely stayed long enough to say goodbye to his mother and grab his bags before he legged it into the boarding house. He ran up the stairs like his feet were on fire. He ran over to where Fergie was sat on his bed, and dropping his bag, reached out and pulled his twin into his arms, holding him as tightly as he could.
�Did you have a good time?� Fergie asked, trying to move his arms, which had been pinned to his side by Tor�s bear hug, to around his brother�s waist.
Tor shook his head, but didn�t answer, instead kissing his brother.
Fergie smiled against Tor�s lips.
�It was hell without you.� Tor muttered into their kiss, �I missed you so much,� his words were inaudible, but they didn�t need to be heard for Fergie to know what he was saying.
Fergie felt himself relax, the soothing feeling of his brother�s tongue flickering against his lips as he spoke, �I missed you too,� he murmured, wriggling his arms free of his brother�s grasp. He slid both arms around Tor, one hand holding the back of his head, one hand holding his back, �I�ve missed you so much,� Fergie admitted, �But it�s ok. We�re back together now. Yeah?�
Charlie was sat in the back of his parents car with Nienna beside him. She was chatting happily at him, but he wasn�t really listening, instead he was gazing out the window. The next term was the summer term, and for Charlie, the summer term meant hell. It wasn�t that he didn�t like the summer, it was one of his favourite times of the year, but the summer term also meant Ally Bloody Richards walking around topless, as he would invariably do. Charlie knew he was straight, for God�s sake he had a girlfriend, and he really fancied Nienna, but there was something about Ally that made his stomach flip. He guessed it was probably because he�d been in love with Ally for so long, that he just couldn�t get out of that mindset, it was still Ally he thought of when he jerked off, no matter how hard he tried to picture his girlfriend.
�Charlie?� Nienna prompted.
Damn, he should have been listening to what she was saying, probably best to cut his losses and admit his fault, �Uh sorry,� he twisted around to look at her, �Wasn�t really thinking, what was that?�
�Just wondered what was on your mind.� Nienna said with a slight frown, �You�re looking�vexed.�
Charlie couldn�t help but grin, if there was one thing that going out with him had changed in Nienna, it was her vocabulary. �I�m alright babes,� he said softly, reaching over and giving her hand a reassuring pat, trying to refrain from too much physical contact with his parents in the car with them. �I�m tired,� he lied, �I might just try and sleep for the rest of the journey.�
Nienna smiled sweetly at him, reaching for her mp3 player, �Good idea,� she said, �Sweet dreams.�
Charlie had to work hard not to wince at her words as he pulled his coat over his lap, ostentatiously as a makeshift blanket, in reality to cover the hard-on he knew he was about to get. He leant his head back and staring out of the window let himself succumb to his one sin. Charlie Edwards didn�t have many vices, he didn�t smoke, he didn�t really drink, he certainly wasn�t a womaniser, in fact from his point of view he had only one sin, and that was daydreaming about Ally.
Mara got back to the dorm late at night, and all the lights in the boarding house had been turned out. She knew the way well enough to follow it in the dark as she climbed the stairs to the dorm. Pushing open the door she dumped her suitcase by her bed, deciding she�d unpack in the morning, it was too late now. She glanced around to see if Tor was back, and for the first time ever, wasn�t surprised by what she saw. She wandered over to the bunk where the twins lay arms wrapped around each other. For a moment, she stood staring at them in the moonlight; they really were absolutely identical, no way of telling them apart. Or so she thought until she saw the faint blush of sunburn across the cheeks of the twin nearest to her. That would be Tor, he said he�d have been bound to get sunburnt in Spain, and she knew it hadn�t exactly been sunny in England where Fergie had been. She reached out and gently stroked his cheek.
Tor and Fergie both woke at the same instant, eyes fluttering open. Tor felt a hand resting gently on his face and glanced up to see his girlfriend smiling at him. �Hey,� he whispered sleepily, rolling around so he was facing her and not Fergie.
Fergie shut his eyes and pretended to be asleep again, even though if she thought about it Mara would realise he wasn�t, there were times when they needed to be alone.
�Did you have a nice time?� Tor asked, sitting up slightly, but carefully pulling the bedcovers around himself so Mara wouldn�t see that he wasn�t wearing anything.
�Yeah.� She whispered softly in reply, �You?�
Tor shrugged, and nodded even though it was a lie. He had had rather a nice time in Spain, except for the fact that Fergie hadn�t been there. There had been this really nice Spanish girl though, although he never learnt her name�he wasn�t going to tell Mara that though. �Yeah, it was ok. Kinda boring though,� he decided would be the most diplomatic answer.
Mara grinned, �Good,� she said, �Just wanted to tell you I was back.� She said straightening up. As she saw Tor was about to sit up and follow her she shook her head, �You stay with him,� she whispered, �I�ll talk to you tomorrow.�
Watching her walk over and reach under her pillow for her pyjamas Fergie raised an eyebrow at his brother. �What the hell are you doing here?� he asked softly, too softly for anyone but Tor to hear.
�She said I could,� Tor muttered defensively.
Fergie reached down, and pulled a pair of pyjama trousers onto his brother. �Wait until she�s just got into bed, and then go and sleep in her bed, not mine.� He chided.
Tor sighed, and reluctantly agreed, kissing his brother before he left. From where he lay in Mara�s bed across the dorm, he looked across at Fergie. �Love you.� He mouthed.
Fergie grinned and shook his head, �Love you too,� he admitted begrudgingly.
Mikey sat in the passenger seat of the car, not really thinking about much, his eyes closed almost drifting off to sleep. He knew it would probably be polite to talk to Ally, who was driving, but then again, he knew Ally wouldn�t care and it was late and he was tired. He was jerked awake by the car engine turning off. Opening his eyes he glanced around to see that they were in a lay-by in the woods near school. �The fuck Ally?� he said, turning around to face his boyfriend.
Ally shrugged, �Want a kiss,� he said simply.
Raising an eyebrow, Mikey leaned over and kissed him, �So you stopped the car.�
�Oh come on Mike,� Ally sighed, �You know its hell when we�re at school, being so damn�straight.�
Mikey fought back a laugh, �I thought you said you were straight Al.� he said quietly, not looking Ally in the eye.
�Yeah, well,� Ally cleared his throat awkwardly, �Maybe I�m not.�
�Ally Richards�� Mikey turned to him with a triumphant smirk on his face, �was that just coming out to me?�
�Well,� Ally blushed and then stopped himself, �I ought to be allowed to come out to my own boyfriend,� he said with a laugh, and leaning over gave Mikey a kiss.
�So why did we stop again? I don�t think you ever answered that one.�
�I don�t know,� Ally admitted, �Mainly because I don�t want to go back to school, because the whole of this Easter break has been great, and I�ve been spending time with you, and now�now we have to go back to being just best friends again.�
Mikey smiled softly, and reached over to turn the keys in the ignition, on the way back, he kissed Ally, �Don�t worry baby.� He said softly, �Just think about it, yeah we have to put up with this term, but then�� he grinned to himself, �then it�s the summer holidays, two months of just each other!�
Ally grinned and put the car into gear, �Your right,� he said with a smirk, �Roll on summer.�