Title: Pranks and First Kisses
Fandom: Power Rangers Megaforce
Pairing: Troy/Jordan, Gia/Emma, Jake & Gia
Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with Power Rangers. It's not my toy box and I'm merely playing. I also own nothing to do with the movie D.E.B.S.
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Troy had a plan for his year, but of course nothing went according to plan, especially after Jordan got his teammates to start a GSA while Jake and Gia started a prank war.
A/N: Written for![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
revieloutionne for the remix revival exchange. A remix of their fic: Mistel Me What You're Thinking.
Pranks and First Kisses:
Troy had a plan for how his year would go. He had a plan for how his parents would forgive him, would let him come home. If he could just keep his head down, not call attention to himself, not look at any guys the way he’d been told he should be looking at girls, then maybe his parents would let him come home. Then they could all just forget about them banishing him to his aunt’s house and acting like he's never existed.
Of course that was before he fell asleep on the bus and was almost late for his first day because he was having bizarre dreams about Power Rangers again. That was before Troy left his first class and saw a boy with a wide smile talking loudly to his friends, obviously spinning a tale that was getting bigger as he was telling it. Troy forced himself not to watch as the guy walked down the hall and instead turned towards where he thought his locker should be.
Troy held onto the plan even after he was told he’d be a Power Ranger. He wasn’t sure how long it was going to take to defeat the Warstar, but he’s going home. He had to be able to go home.
~~~~~*****~~~~~*****~~~~~
Jake followed Noah and Gia’s not so subtle gazes to see that they’re both watching Troy and Jordan at the counter. Ernie gave both of them their froyos and Jordan said something that made Troy smile brightly, then bite his lips. Emma sighed. Jake frowned as he turned to take all of them in.
“Well I ship it,” Noah said before he looked back down at his homework.
“They are moving so slowly,” Emma complained.
“Glaciers move faster,” Gia agreed.
Jake glanced back to see Troy blushing slightly as he and Jordan talked. Jordan was now the one biting his lips as he gave Troy this hopeful look.
“Jordan?” he asked his teammates quietly. “Really?”
“Troy likes him,” Emma told him. Gia and Noah made noises of agreement.
Jake considered protesting, except he was relatively sure Jordan and Troy had been flirting. He frowned, unsure of how to respond when Gia rolled her eyes. He settled on pointing out, “Troy could do better.”
Jake wasn’t sure how to read the emotions that flickered over Noah’s face.
“Come on,” Jake whispered. “After that whole red ranger lying thing, we’re just going to forgive him?”
“Troy has,” Emma pointed out.
“Besides, Jordan apologized,” Gia put in. “That’s more than some people do when they realize they’ve made a mistake.”
There was something in Gia’s tone that Jake wasn’t sure how to read, but Noah looked at him again and Jake worried that Noah was going to kick him under the table. It’s on the tip of his tongue to admit he feels clueless when Troy paused at their table to tell them he was heading home before he left. Jake grinned. If Troy was leaving this quickly than clearly there hadn’t been flirting. He believed the whole thing had been dropped, except the next time they all end up at Ernie’s without Troy Jordan joined them. Jake took in the welcoming looks his teammates give the guy and forced down his protests.
Then Jordan told them, “I think, for far too many and far too obvious reasons, that our school is in dire need of something like a GSA.”
It made sense, especially if Jordan was trying to subtly see if Troy was interested, but then everyone agreed and suddenly they’d decided that Gia should be president and that Mr. Burley had to be asked to be the adviser. Jake agreed that Mr. Burley would likely agree, but he wasn't sure what else he could add. What does he know about GSA’s? He wasn’t sure it made sense for Gia to be president. He tried to get them to slow down, then pointed out that the person in charge of the GSA should probably actually be, well, not straight.
Gia’s eyes bore into him and Jake had one brief moment to wonder if he’s stuck his foot in his mouth, then she told him flatly, “Okay first: the club will be open to students of all sexualities and gender identities, including straight allies such as yourself, who will attend meetings, and show their support by listening and supplying whatever help they've been asked for. Second: I'm not. Emma and I have been dating since middle school and I thought we'd been embarrassingly obvious about it.”
Noah and Jordan agreed and Jake was suddenly sure that somewhere along the line he’d fucked up. Why hadn’t Noah pointed this out to him? Why had no one told him? Hadn’t Gia been flirting with him? He’d thought there had been flirting! He…
“And so third: the only reason I've been okay with your persistent come-ons is that I honestly thought they were a joke. Seriously that kind of ignoring refusals is...” Gia paused, frowned, and Jake realized with horror that she was trying to put this delicately and that wasn't Gia. She was a person who cuts right to the point and now she wasn’t.
“Bullshit,” Noah supplied.
Jake protested weakly. If his best friend thought that he was being rude, but hadn’t felt comfortable pointing it out, how tone deaf had he been?
Gia continued, “It is, and a lot of people see it as a red flag that you might do worse. And I know you were picked by Gos-” she glanced at Jordan, “that you received that certain honor, and that if you were awarded it, you must not be the kind of guy who would do worse, but I don't think anyone you ask out in the future will be aware of that.”
“No, I...” Jake hunched sheepishly, “I knew I was being kinda pushy. Just plain pushy, really. I just really hoped?”
“I understand, but it's still not cool, and if you do it again I will not hesitate to maul you.”
Jake nodded his understanding, relieved that everyone went back to deciding details on how to get the GSA started. Noah was going to talk to Mr. Burley. Gia was going to find a room. Emma started talking about flyers and a name, then she asked him to help. Jake’s eyes widened as he wondered if she was going to kill him. He needed to apologize to Gia before Emma killed him! Gia had said apologizes were important to her and he'd screwed up so badly! Panicked he protested and started to suggest he go with Gia. She cut him off and told him to go with Emma. As Noah and Gia left, Jake looked over at Emma. She grinned. Jake sank back into his chair. “Please don’t kill me.”
Emma’s grin turned pleased. “Don’t hit on my girlfriend again.”
“I swear I didn’t know,” he tried.
“Don’t do it again,” Emma reiterated. Jake nodded. Emma continued, “Shouldn’t you be more worried about Gia killing you?”
“I’ll apologize to her tomorrow,” he promised. “What can I do to help?”
He helped lug Emma’s equipment around as she decided on pictures and they tried to come up with ideas for flyers. So Jake was tired when he apologized to Gia, at her locker, before first period. He stumbled through it, awkwardly. As he took in the cautious look on her face he realized how uncomfortable he must have made her and began to internally berate himself. Then he offered to carry her bag and the words hung between them and he wanted to back track. She shoved her bag at him as she told him she’d think about accepting his apology.
The next morning he lamented his failure to Noah, who rolled his eyes. “I tried to tell you.”
“When?”
“You cut me off,” Noah shrugged.
“I made my own bed?” Jake sighed. Noah started to agree, then his eyes widened and he ducked back to his locker. Jake turned. Gia stood there holding two books in her hands as she dangled her backpack towards him. He took it automatically and then frowned at the weight of it. “What’s in here?”
Gia smirked.
“How much trouble am I in if I open your bag to look?” Jake asked.
Gia made a considering noise before she told him. “I’ll forgive you if you wait till after you carry it to Burley’s class for me.”
When they got to Burley’s class Jake discovered she'd put bricks in her backpack. She grinned as he gaped at her. She leaned in. “Buy me a froyo later?”
Jake clicked his mouth shut, frowned, then asked, “As part of my apology after the backpack thing or as friends?”
Gia considered him for a moment, then stated, “I’ll think about it.”
Jake wasn’t sure what to think when a rumor started to spread that he was going on a date with Gia. After he told the fifth person to congratulate him that he and Gia were friends and only friends Jake looked up and saw Gia laughing as she watched. Jake turned back to his locker as he debated how to react.
~~~~~*****~~~~~*****~~~~~
Troy felt every part of him still as he looked down at the flyer Emma had handed him. He’d seen them up around school and had done his best not to acknowledge that his friends were starting a GSA.
Gia walked up and wrapped and arm around Emma as she asked, “You’ll be there, right?”
Troy tried to stop the nervous smile on his face. He focused on the paper in his hand. “You’re the president?”
“She is,” Emma grinned. “I’m the treasurer. Jordan is the secretary, and Lindsey is going to be the vice-president.”
“We were going to talk Noah into being the vice-president, but we figured two of us was enough. That way if we’re otherwise occupied during the meeting time we don’t have to cancel the meeting or expect Jordan to just take over,” Gia explained.
“Make sense,” he managed to comment. They smiled at him and he realized with trepidation that there was no way to tell them he couldn’t go without hurting them. He’d have to explain why he couldn’t in the middle of a crowded hallway! Troy swallowed and reminded himself his parents wouldn’t find out that he’d gone to the meetings. The words felt bitter in his mouth as he agreed to go. He tried to tell himself he’s only going to support his friends, that it doesn’t mean anything about him. He tried to tell himself he doesn’t even have to participate.
He sat in the back, watched as more people than he anticipated showed up, watched as relief flooded some of their face, even as his shoulders tensed. He looked away from his friends smiling face, even Jake looked at ease. Troy avoided Jordan’s hopeful gaze, forced himself to look down at the desk in front of him instead. He had nothing to say and nothing to offer. The worst part was he wanted to feel the hope they were offering, but to do that meant he’d given up on his goal of going home.
~~~~~*****~~~~~*****~~~~~
Jake was talking to Noah when feathers exploded out of his locker and rained down on his head. Jake sputtered as he took in the shock on Noah’s face. Gia laughed behind him. Jake squared his shoulders. She hadn’t won this round of their prank war yet, she was still walking around school in a Pilgrim costume. Jake stilled as he looked from his locker to Noah, then back to his locker. Emma, Noah, and him knew the combination to his locker, Jake realized and clearly Noah hadn’t helped Gia with her prank.
When he found Gia alone in the library later that day he sat across from her and began to compare notes for their last pranks.
“I got double crossed by my own girlfriend,” Gia’s eyes narrowed.
“What are we going to do about it?” Jake asked, anticipation of a new prank war bubbled inside him.
“It’ll have to be good,” Gia decided.
“But not too awful or she’ll never forgive either of us and we don’t want her too mad at you,” Jake concluded.
Gia nodded and they both agreed to think about it for the rest of the day, then get together at Gia’s later.
It wasn’t until they were lying on Gia’s bedroom floor, the tops of their heads touching that Jake realized that somewhere in the middle of their prank war the two of them have become friends, that he was grateful for that.
“What? Did you figure it out?” Gia asked.
“No, just that I’m an idiot.” Jake shrugged. “Thanks for giving me a second chance, being your friend is awesome.”
Gia sat up, leaned over, and looked down at him as she instructed, “Less telling me I’m awesome, more helping me get back at my girlfriend.”
“Is she allergic to chocolate?”
“No, she just doesn’t like hot fudge.”
“So what if we put it on her next froyo?” Jake grinned.
“What if we put it on the bottom so she can’t scrap it off?” Gia smirked.
“What if we got cones so she couldn’t tell?” Jake continued. “Do you think Ernie would help?”
Gia groaned. “He’d tell me that upsetting my girlfriend isn’t the way to harmonious relationship, or something, but she knew there would be a price for double crossing me. What if we…?”
~~~~~******~~~~~~******~~~~~
“Troy!” Jake protested, “You should join us.”
Troy eyed the spot on the floor between Gia and Jake. Gia had her back to the couch, with Emma between her legs. Emma had bowl of popcorn in her lap, she’d occasionally reach back to feed Gia a piece. Jake and Noah leaned against each other in a semi tangle of limbs, another popcorn bowl resting on their hip. Troy had the couch to himself. He also hadn’t been pranked by the combined pranking duo that Gia and Jake had turned into, he knew better. He refused, grateful that he was able to turn their attempt down.
On the TV the D.E.B.S. race off to rescue Amy.
“Lucy is so hot,” Gia commented.
“I’ve always been partial to Amy,” Emma countered.
“That cause you’re attracted to blondes,” Gia teased lightly.
“Bad ass blondes you mean,” Emma teased back.
This somehow turned into a conversation about how everyone got their first kiss. Gia had Emma to thank for hers, on the day they confessed their feeling for each other. Emma told a story of her and Jordan in the sandbox when she was five. Jake and Noah pointed at each other, as Noah elaborated, “We were twelve.”
“But you're straight,” Emma protested as she poked Jake.
“Yeah so?” Jake shrugged. “My best friend stopped paying attention to me. I got jealous.”
Gia paused the movie. “That's not details.”
“I convinced Noah to go to the McKnight soccer camp with me,” Jake told them.
“Connor McKnight is kinda dreamy,” Emma nodded.
“I’m scandalized,” Gia teased in a faux betrayed voice.
Emma laughed.
“His friend Ethan was there for a few days,” Noah continued with the story. “He knew a lot about computers and I may have asked a lot of questions.”
“More like followed him around with hearts in your eyes,” Jake grumbled.
“I was twelve,” Noah shrugged.
“We had a whole week away from our parents. We'd planned an adventure, and then he forgot I existed,” Jake complained.
“We argued and I somehow told him I might like guys as much as I like girls,” Noah finished. “So he decided that the best way to be a good friend was for us to try kissing.”
“You’re straight,” Gia frowned at Jake.
“I know. I was desperate. It wasn’t the first time I’d did something stupid for attention, it probably won’t be the last,” Jake shrugged.
“You have us to look at your plans now,” Emma reassured.
They all agreed, but then they look at him and Troy felt caught for a moment. He stared down at his bowl of popcorn and admitted he had no first kiss.
“Jordan?” Jake prodded.
Troy felt every part of himself go cold as he reminded Jake, “We’re just friends.”
Troy wanted more, but he’d also accepted that he couldn't want more.
“You take turns walking each other to class,” Emma pointed out.
“Most of our time out of school is spent training or being rangers,” Troy reminded.
He thought the matter dropped until Jake and Gia hung mistletoe at the school dance. He got caught under it with Jordan. Emma stood there and her eyes danced as she watched them. For one brief moment he thought about stepping forward, he wanted to kiss Jordan. Instead he stammered out that he couldn’t and escaped.
Jordan avoided him after. There was no more joking between classes, no more shared lunches. Jordan wasn’t even at the GSA meetings anymore. Troy wasn’t prepared for the way it hurt, like he’d been abandoned all over again, but this time it was his own fault, he was the one who’d run away.
His aunt fussed and worried, but Troy tried to pretend he was okay. Jake and Gia apologized, both of them practically vibrated with worry.
“He hates me,” Troy realized, hating himself more. He wanted his best friend back. He missed the way Jordan’s smile made him happy, or the way Jordan could weave a story until Troy felt at ease. He wanted that back, but he wasn’t sure what to do or say.
He still wasn’t sure what to say when Gia and Jake brought Jordan over and then left, or when his aunt left the two of them in the living room. He stared at Jordan. How as he supposed to fix this?
Jordan deflected and teased and then Troy managed to stay the words he’d been forcing himself to avoid, “I’m queer.”
Jordan figured it out quickly. “I can't say I wasn't ho....oh no. You live with your aunt.”
Troy nodded and stared at his hands.
“You're queer and you just transferred schools and you live with your aunt,” Jordan concluded.
Troy wasn’t able to hold himself together anymore at the words. He’s not really sure how he ended up with Jordan holding onto him tightly as they both cried, but he clung onto Jordan, he needed another person to know what he’d been going through, to agree that it was horrible.
Jordan held onto him firmly and told him, “Troy, you don't have to carry that alone. I'm here for you. All your friends are here for you, okay?”
Troy wasn’t sure how to respond. He’d just ugly cried over the guy that used to be his best friend and his parents don’t even love him anymore, how can Jordan even want to be his friend?
“You are one of the best people I know, Troy,” Jordan told him. “Do you know how many people bothered to treat me like an actual human being after I lied about being a ranger?”
“I don't-”
“You. And your friends did because you did, because you make people better just by being around them,” Jordan insisted.
“That's not true,” he protested.
“It is, Troy! It happened to me, and I can tell you for a fact that the Jake I knew last year would have been walking out on me with the rest of that crowd.”
“But my parents-”
“Did a stupid thing. A stupid, awful thing. And someday they might realize what a mistake they made, but maybe they won't. You can't let that decide your self-worth.”
Troy bit his lip and agreed to try. He leaned against Jordan, suddenly exhausted in a way he usually wasn’t unless he’d just battle a human sized bug like alien with his friends. He told himself he should move, that even though they’re probably friends again Jordan probably doesn’t want him laying on…
“For the record,” Jordan said, looking down at him, “and I'm just saying this to show your parents aren't the be-all and end-all of opinions this isn't meant to be pressure or a request or anything it's just something I feel like you should know – I have had the stupidest crush on you since you introduced yourself at the counter at Ernie’s. Like, ridiculous stupid.”
Troy stared, not sure what to do with the hope that settled around him. “Are you serious?”
“Absolutely. I know you've got a lot to deal with, so probably a relationship isn't something you're looking for right now and that's fine. But if you are, someday, and you see me that way? Don't hesitate.”
Troy felt himself start to smile as he agreed, he wasn’t ready for a relationship yet, but maybe soon. Jordan returned his smiled and agreed that soon worked. They slipped back into being friends easily. They walked each other to class, shared lunch, met at Ernie’s, except now Jordan came over his house, he hung out with Jordan at his house, sometimes they even held hands or cuddled.
There were times that still hurt, letting go of his goal of going home wasn’t easy, but his friends understood and Troy attempted to just take each day as it came, put one foot in front of the other, even on the difficult days. He was also thankful that though Jake and Gia were still a prank duo, they were no longer so caught up in the brilliance of their pranks to not consider the consequences first.
Troy felt settled, calm, a month later when he took in Jordan’s smile and without thinking leaned in. Jordan met him halfway. The kiss was brief, they’d barely brushed lips when Jake interrupted loudly, “Finally!”
Jordan pulled back to give Jake a mock glare, but laughed instead as Gia elbowed Jake and he protested. Troy smiled, settled his head against Jordan’s shoulder and watched as Gia and Jake bickered until Gia stood and attempted to glare at him, despite the fact that she couldn’t stop laughing.
“I’m not awful. I’m that word your girlfriend likes for both of us,” Jake taunted back.
“Incorrigible?” Emma offered without looking up from her homework.
“I don’t think she meant that as a good thing,” Noah told them.
Jake considered Gia for a moment. She attempted to glower. Jake glanced at Emma. Emma glanced at Gia, then told Jake. “Run.”
Jake scrambled for the door, Gia close behind.
Jordan brushed a kiss onto his cheek and told Troy. “Our friends are so weird.”
Troy laughed and agreed.
Fandom: Power Rangers Megaforce
Pairing: Troy/Jordan, Gia/Emma, Jake & Gia
Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with Power Rangers. It's not my toy box and I'm merely playing. I also own nothing to do with the movie D.E.B.S.
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Troy had a plan for his year, but of course nothing went according to plan, especially after Jordan got his teammates to start a GSA while Jake and Gia started a prank war.
A/N: Written for
revieloutionne for the remix revival exchange. A remix of their fic: Mistel Me What You're Thinking.Pranks and First Kisses:
Troy had a plan for how his year would go. He had a plan for how his parents would forgive him, would let him come home. If he could just keep his head down, not call attention to himself, not look at any guys the way he’d been told he should be looking at girls, then maybe his parents would let him come home. Then they could all just forget about them banishing him to his aunt’s house and acting like he's never existed.
Of course that was before he fell asleep on the bus and was almost late for his first day because he was having bizarre dreams about Power Rangers again. That was before Troy left his first class and saw a boy with a wide smile talking loudly to his friends, obviously spinning a tale that was getting bigger as he was telling it. Troy forced himself not to watch as the guy walked down the hall and instead turned towards where he thought his locker should be.
Troy held onto the plan even after he was told he’d be a Power Ranger. He wasn’t sure how long it was going to take to defeat the Warstar, but he’s going home. He had to be able to go home.
~~~~~*****~~~~~*****~~~~~
Jake followed Noah and Gia’s not so subtle gazes to see that they’re both watching Troy and Jordan at the counter. Ernie gave both of them their froyos and Jordan said something that made Troy smile brightly, then bite his lips. Emma sighed. Jake frowned as he turned to take all of them in.
“Well I ship it,” Noah said before he looked back down at his homework.
“They are moving so slowly,” Emma complained.
“Glaciers move faster,” Gia agreed.
Jake glanced back to see Troy blushing slightly as he and Jordan talked. Jordan was now the one biting his lips as he gave Troy this hopeful look.
“Jordan?” he asked his teammates quietly. “Really?”
“Troy likes him,” Emma told him. Gia and Noah made noises of agreement.
Jake considered protesting, except he was relatively sure Jordan and Troy had been flirting. He frowned, unsure of how to respond when Gia rolled her eyes. He settled on pointing out, “Troy could do better.”
Jake wasn’t sure how to read the emotions that flickered over Noah’s face.
“Come on,” Jake whispered. “After that whole red ranger lying thing, we’re just going to forgive him?”
“Troy has,” Emma pointed out.
“Besides, Jordan apologized,” Gia put in. “That’s more than some people do when they realize they’ve made a mistake.”
There was something in Gia’s tone that Jake wasn’t sure how to read, but Noah looked at him again and Jake worried that Noah was going to kick him under the table. It’s on the tip of his tongue to admit he feels clueless when Troy paused at their table to tell them he was heading home before he left. Jake grinned. If Troy was leaving this quickly than clearly there hadn’t been flirting. He believed the whole thing had been dropped, except the next time they all end up at Ernie’s without Troy Jordan joined them. Jake took in the welcoming looks his teammates give the guy and forced down his protests.
Then Jordan told them, “I think, for far too many and far too obvious reasons, that our school is in dire need of something like a GSA.”
It made sense, especially if Jordan was trying to subtly see if Troy was interested, but then everyone agreed and suddenly they’d decided that Gia should be president and that Mr. Burley had to be asked to be the adviser. Jake agreed that Mr. Burley would likely agree, but he wasn't sure what else he could add. What does he know about GSA’s? He wasn’t sure it made sense for Gia to be president. He tried to get them to slow down, then pointed out that the person in charge of the GSA should probably actually be, well, not straight.
Gia’s eyes bore into him and Jake had one brief moment to wonder if he’s stuck his foot in his mouth, then she told him flatly, “Okay first: the club will be open to students of all sexualities and gender identities, including straight allies such as yourself, who will attend meetings, and show their support by listening and supplying whatever help they've been asked for. Second: I'm not. Emma and I have been dating since middle school and I thought we'd been embarrassingly obvious about it.”
Noah and Jordan agreed and Jake was suddenly sure that somewhere along the line he’d fucked up. Why hadn’t Noah pointed this out to him? Why had no one told him? Hadn’t Gia been flirting with him? He’d thought there had been flirting! He…
“And so third: the only reason I've been okay with your persistent come-ons is that I honestly thought they were a joke. Seriously that kind of ignoring refusals is...” Gia paused, frowned, and Jake realized with horror that she was trying to put this delicately and that wasn't Gia. She was a person who cuts right to the point and now she wasn’t.
“Bullshit,” Noah supplied.
Jake protested weakly. If his best friend thought that he was being rude, but hadn’t felt comfortable pointing it out, how tone deaf had he been?
Gia continued, “It is, and a lot of people see it as a red flag that you might do worse. And I know you were picked by Gos-” she glanced at Jordan, “that you received that certain honor, and that if you were awarded it, you must not be the kind of guy who would do worse, but I don't think anyone you ask out in the future will be aware of that.”
“No, I...” Jake hunched sheepishly, “I knew I was being kinda pushy. Just plain pushy, really. I just really hoped?”
“I understand, but it's still not cool, and if you do it again I will not hesitate to maul you.”
Jake nodded his understanding, relieved that everyone went back to deciding details on how to get the GSA started. Noah was going to talk to Mr. Burley. Gia was going to find a room. Emma started talking about flyers and a name, then she asked him to help. Jake’s eyes widened as he wondered if she was going to kill him. He needed to apologize to Gia before Emma killed him! Gia had said apologizes were important to her and he'd screwed up so badly! Panicked he protested and started to suggest he go with Gia. She cut him off and told him to go with Emma. As Noah and Gia left, Jake looked over at Emma. She grinned. Jake sank back into his chair. “Please don’t kill me.”
Emma’s grin turned pleased. “Don’t hit on my girlfriend again.”
“I swear I didn’t know,” he tried.
“Don’t do it again,” Emma reiterated. Jake nodded. Emma continued, “Shouldn’t you be more worried about Gia killing you?”
“I’ll apologize to her tomorrow,” he promised. “What can I do to help?”
He helped lug Emma’s equipment around as she decided on pictures and they tried to come up with ideas for flyers. So Jake was tired when he apologized to Gia, at her locker, before first period. He stumbled through it, awkwardly. As he took in the cautious look on her face he realized how uncomfortable he must have made her and began to internally berate himself. Then he offered to carry her bag and the words hung between them and he wanted to back track. She shoved her bag at him as she told him she’d think about accepting his apology.
The next morning he lamented his failure to Noah, who rolled his eyes. “I tried to tell you.”
“When?”
“You cut me off,” Noah shrugged.
“I made my own bed?” Jake sighed. Noah started to agree, then his eyes widened and he ducked back to his locker. Jake turned. Gia stood there holding two books in her hands as she dangled her backpack towards him. He took it automatically and then frowned at the weight of it. “What’s in here?”
Gia smirked.
“How much trouble am I in if I open your bag to look?” Jake asked.
Gia made a considering noise before she told him. “I’ll forgive you if you wait till after you carry it to Burley’s class for me.”
When they got to Burley’s class Jake discovered she'd put bricks in her backpack. She grinned as he gaped at her. She leaned in. “Buy me a froyo later?”
Jake clicked his mouth shut, frowned, then asked, “As part of my apology after the backpack thing or as friends?”
Gia considered him for a moment, then stated, “I’ll think about it.”
Jake wasn’t sure what to think when a rumor started to spread that he was going on a date with Gia. After he told the fifth person to congratulate him that he and Gia were friends and only friends Jake looked up and saw Gia laughing as she watched. Jake turned back to his locker as he debated how to react.
~~~~~*****~~~~~*****~~~~~
Troy felt every part of him still as he looked down at the flyer Emma had handed him. He’d seen them up around school and had done his best not to acknowledge that his friends were starting a GSA.
Gia walked up and wrapped and arm around Emma as she asked, “You’ll be there, right?”
Troy tried to stop the nervous smile on his face. He focused on the paper in his hand. “You’re the president?”
“She is,” Emma grinned. “I’m the treasurer. Jordan is the secretary, and Lindsey is going to be the vice-president.”
“We were going to talk Noah into being the vice-president, but we figured two of us was enough. That way if we’re otherwise occupied during the meeting time we don’t have to cancel the meeting or expect Jordan to just take over,” Gia explained.
“Make sense,” he managed to comment. They smiled at him and he realized with trepidation that there was no way to tell them he couldn’t go without hurting them. He’d have to explain why he couldn’t in the middle of a crowded hallway! Troy swallowed and reminded himself his parents wouldn’t find out that he’d gone to the meetings. The words felt bitter in his mouth as he agreed to go. He tried to tell himself he’s only going to support his friends, that it doesn’t mean anything about him. He tried to tell himself he doesn’t even have to participate.
He sat in the back, watched as more people than he anticipated showed up, watched as relief flooded some of their face, even as his shoulders tensed. He looked away from his friends smiling face, even Jake looked at ease. Troy avoided Jordan’s hopeful gaze, forced himself to look down at the desk in front of him instead. He had nothing to say and nothing to offer. The worst part was he wanted to feel the hope they were offering, but to do that meant he’d given up on his goal of going home.
~~~~~*****~~~~~*****~~~~~
Jake was talking to Noah when feathers exploded out of his locker and rained down on his head. Jake sputtered as he took in the shock on Noah’s face. Gia laughed behind him. Jake squared his shoulders. She hadn’t won this round of their prank war yet, she was still walking around school in a Pilgrim costume. Jake stilled as he looked from his locker to Noah, then back to his locker. Emma, Noah, and him knew the combination to his locker, Jake realized and clearly Noah hadn’t helped Gia with her prank.
When he found Gia alone in the library later that day he sat across from her and began to compare notes for their last pranks.
“I got double crossed by my own girlfriend,” Gia’s eyes narrowed.
“What are we going to do about it?” Jake asked, anticipation of a new prank war bubbled inside him.
“It’ll have to be good,” Gia decided.
“But not too awful or she’ll never forgive either of us and we don’t want her too mad at you,” Jake concluded.
Gia nodded and they both agreed to think about it for the rest of the day, then get together at Gia’s later.
It wasn’t until they were lying on Gia’s bedroom floor, the tops of their heads touching that Jake realized that somewhere in the middle of their prank war the two of them have become friends, that he was grateful for that.
“What? Did you figure it out?” Gia asked.
“No, just that I’m an idiot.” Jake shrugged. “Thanks for giving me a second chance, being your friend is awesome.”
Gia sat up, leaned over, and looked down at him as she instructed, “Less telling me I’m awesome, more helping me get back at my girlfriend.”
“Is she allergic to chocolate?”
“No, she just doesn’t like hot fudge.”
“So what if we put it on her next froyo?” Jake grinned.
“What if we put it on the bottom so she can’t scrap it off?” Gia smirked.
“What if we got cones so she couldn’t tell?” Jake continued. “Do you think Ernie would help?”
Gia groaned. “He’d tell me that upsetting my girlfriend isn’t the way to harmonious relationship, or something, but she knew there would be a price for double crossing me. What if we…?”
~~~~~******~~~~~~******~~~~~
“Troy!” Jake protested, “You should join us.”
Troy eyed the spot on the floor between Gia and Jake. Gia had her back to the couch, with Emma between her legs. Emma had bowl of popcorn in her lap, she’d occasionally reach back to feed Gia a piece. Jake and Noah leaned against each other in a semi tangle of limbs, another popcorn bowl resting on their hip. Troy had the couch to himself. He also hadn’t been pranked by the combined pranking duo that Gia and Jake had turned into, he knew better. He refused, grateful that he was able to turn their attempt down.
On the TV the D.E.B.S. race off to rescue Amy.
“Lucy is so hot,” Gia commented.
“I’ve always been partial to Amy,” Emma countered.
“That cause you’re attracted to blondes,” Gia teased lightly.
“Bad ass blondes you mean,” Emma teased back.
This somehow turned into a conversation about how everyone got their first kiss. Gia had Emma to thank for hers, on the day they confessed their feeling for each other. Emma told a story of her and Jordan in the sandbox when she was five. Jake and Noah pointed at each other, as Noah elaborated, “We were twelve.”
“But you're straight,” Emma protested as she poked Jake.
“Yeah so?” Jake shrugged. “My best friend stopped paying attention to me. I got jealous.”
Gia paused the movie. “That's not details.”
“I convinced Noah to go to the McKnight soccer camp with me,” Jake told them.
“Connor McKnight is kinda dreamy,” Emma nodded.
“I’m scandalized,” Gia teased in a faux betrayed voice.
Emma laughed.
“His friend Ethan was there for a few days,” Noah continued with the story. “He knew a lot about computers and I may have asked a lot of questions.”
“More like followed him around with hearts in your eyes,” Jake grumbled.
“I was twelve,” Noah shrugged.
“We had a whole week away from our parents. We'd planned an adventure, and then he forgot I existed,” Jake complained.
“We argued and I somehow told him I might like guys as much as I like girls,” Noah finished. “So he decided that the best way to be a good friend was for us to try kissing.”
“You’re straight,” Gia frowned at Jake.
“I know. I was desperate. It wasn’t the first time I’d did something stupid for attention, it probably won’t be the last,” Jake shrugged.
“You have us to look at your plans now,” Emma reassured.
They all agreed, but then they look at him and Troy felt caught for a moment. He stared down at his bowl of popcorn and admitted he had no first kiss.
“Jordan?” Jake prodded.
Troy felt every part of himself go cold as he reminded Jake, “We’re just friends.”
Troy wanted more, but he’d also accepted that he couldn't want more.
“You take turns walking each other to class,” Emma pointed out.
“Most of our time out of school is spent training or being rangers,” Troy reminded.
He thought the matter dropped until Jake and Gia hung mistletoe at the school dance. He got caught under it with Jordan. Emma stood there and her eyes danced as she watched them. For one brief moment he thought about stepping forward, he wanted to kiss Jordan. Instead he stammered out that he couldn’t and escaped.
Jordan avoided him after. There was no more joking between classes, no more shared lunches. Jordan wasn’t even at the GSA meetings anymore. Troy wasn’t prepared for the way it hurt, like he’d been abandoned all over again, but this time it was his own fault, he was the one who’d run away.
His aunt fussed and worried, but Troy tried to pretend he was okay. Jake and Gia apologized, both of them practically vibrated with worry.
“He hates me,” Troy realized, hating himself more. He wanted his best friend back. He missed the way Jordan’s smile made him happy, or the way Jordan could weave a story until Troy felt at ease. He wanted that back, but he wasn’t sure what to do or say.
He still wasn’t sure what to say when Gia and Jake brought Jordan over and then left, or when his aunt left the two of them in the living room. He stared at Jordan. How as he supposed to fix this?
Jordan deflected and teased and then Troy managed to stay the words he’d been forcing himself to avoid, “I’m queer.”
Jordan figured it out quickly. “I can't say I wasn't ho....oh no. You live with your aunt.”
Troy nodded and stared at his hands.
“You're queer and you just transferred schools and you live with your aunt,” Jordan concluded.
Troy wasn’t able to hold himself together anymore at the words. He’s not really sure how he ended up with Jordan holding onto him tightly as they both cried, but he clung onto Jordan, he needed another person to know what he’d been going through, to agree that it was horrible.
Jordan held onto him firmly and told him, “Troy, you don't have to carry that alone. I'm here for you. All your friends are here for you, okay?”
Troy wasn’t sure how to respond. He’d just ugly cried over the guy that used to be his best friend and his parents don’t even love him anymore, how can Jordan even want to be his friend?
“You are one of the best people I know, Troy,” Jordan told him. “Do you know how many people bothered to treat me like an actual human being after I lied about being a ranger?”
“I don't-”
“You. And your friends did because you did, because you make people better just by being around them,” Jordan insisted.
“That's not true,” he protested.
“It is, Troy! It happened to me, and I can tell you for a fact that the Jake I knew last year would have been walking out on me with the rest of that crowd.”
“But my parents-”
“Did a stupid thing. A stupid, awful thing. And someday they might realize what a mistake they made, but maybe they won't. You can't let that decide your self-worth.”
Troy bit his lip and agreed to try. He leaned against Jordan, suddenly exhausted in a way he usually wasn’t unless he’d just battle a human sized bug like alien with his friends. He told himself he should move, that even though they’re probably friends again Jordan probably doesn’t want him laying on…
“For the record,” Jordan said, looking down at him, “and I'm just saying this to show your parents aren't the be-all and end-all of opinions this isn't meant to be pressure or a request or anything it's just something I feel like you should know – I have had the stupidest crush on you since you introduced yourself at the counter at Ernie’s. Like, ridiculous stupid.”
Troy stared, not sure what to do with the hope that settled around him. “Are you serious?”
“Absolutely. I know you've got a lot to deal with, so probably a relationship isn't something you're looking for right now and that's fine. But if you are, someday, and you see me that way? Don't hesitate.”
Troy felt himself start to smile as he agreed, he wasn’t ready for a relationship yet, but maybe soon. Jordan returned his smiled and agreed that soon worked. They slipped back into being friends easily. They walked each other to class, shared lunch, met at Ernie’s, except now Jordan came over his house, he hung out with Jordan at his house, sometimes they even held hands or cuddled.
There were times that still hurt, letting go of his goal of going home wasn’t easy, but his friends understood and Troy attempted to just take each day as it came, put one foot in front of the other, even on the difficult days. He was also thankful that though Jake and Gia were still a prank duo, they were no longer so caught up in the brilliance of their pranks to not consider the consequences first.
Troy felt settled, calm, a month later when he took in Jordan’s smile and without thinking leaned in. Jordan met him halfway. The kiss was brief, they’d barely brushed lips when Jake interrupted loudly, “Finally!”
Jordan pulled back to give Jake a mock glare, but laughed instead as Gia elbowed Jake and he protested. Troy smiled, settled his head against Jordan’s shoulder and watched as Gia and Jake bickered until Gia stood and attempted to glare at him, despite the fact that she couldn’t stop laughing.
“I’m not awful. I’m that word your girlfriend likes for both of us,” Jake taunted back.
“Incorrigible?” Emma offered without looking up from her homework.
“I don’t think she meant that as a good thing,” Noah told them.
Jake considered Gia for a moment. She attempted to glower. Jake glanced at Emma. Emma glanced at Gia, then told Jake. “Run.”
Jake scrambled for the door, Gia close behind.
Jordan brushed a kiss onto his cheek and told Troy. “Our friends are so weird.”
Troy laughed and agreed.
From:
no subject
From:
no subject