Kisses after midnight (WICKED #0) | ✓

41

THE CAMP ENDED WITHOUT much trouble, but Alina still weighed heavily on Mateo's mind. Even Sahar and Jay's new relationship couldn't get his mind off it, though Jay tried to help. Still, it was hard to focus on anything else when Alina didn't come to school for a whole week after, especially when no one seemed to approve of his idea to visit her. Even Jay had told Mateo to wait to talk to Alina, if only because showing up at her house would not make her react well at all. When Mateo protested Jay had just shaken his head, expression a bit off.

"I know you don't want her to stay any closer to people who hurt her," he said," but you can't do anything for now without making the whole situation worse. Trust me, I know how complicated this is."

"Did something happen, Jay?" Mateo frowned.

"It doesn't matter at the moment," Jay said, gaze focused on something far away, snapping back to Mateo's a second later," I just need you to give me a peptalk before I have to go to my house and get all my stuff."

It was a week after the end of the camp now and he had discussed his new living arrangements with the principal. He would be eighteen soon, but until then he could just live freely with the principal and after that, when he was older, he could choose to officially become his son. Clarkson had said he didn't want to pressure him into something so permanent until he was absolutely sure, so they would settle for the waiting period for now.

Getting Jay's things was more complicated than it seemed though. The principal had planned to go alone at first, but Jay had been vehemently against that. The fear he had towards his father was one Mateo was becoming more and more suspicious of and these kinds of remarks Jay made didn't help with that. Still, he didn't want to intrude, not when Jay didn't seem ready to talk about it yet. What was more important now was that he was safe and happy. He seemed to be exactly that now, in his cozy, new room in the principal's home, one filled with colorful furniture he and Sahar had picked.

The principal would pick them up soon and bring them to Jay's house, where his friend was going to go inside alone. Despite Mateo's reluctance, Jay hadn't been willing to budge on that, but he was happy enough he could come with to the entrance. Besides, being alone in the car with the principal probably would be the perfect time to discuss Alina. Clarkson would know what to do, that Mateo was sure of.

Jay glanced down at his phone when it went off, an amused frown on his face.

"Sahar got more scented candles for me," he said," my room smells like the inside of a cupcake."

"Nothing wrong with that," Mateo said.

"I would rather set all those clothes reeking of dirty money on fire," Jay said," but Sahar convinced me to donate them all."

"I don't think the scent of fabric burning would be soothing," Mateo said.

"That's because you don't think," Jay said.

Mateo's lips parted, but before he could even start his speech about how much Jay had broken his heart his friend already stood up. His expression had become something darker, the one he had worn that same night they had first started bonding, where everything had fallen apart. Now it seemed like life was finally going well for the both of them, in a way which gave Mateo hope for the future.

"Let's go," he said, slapping Jay amicably on the back," take every cent you can get from that fucker."

- ☾-

JAY NEVER WOULD HAVE believed it if someone had told him at the beginning of this year that he would be singing songs at the top of his lungs with the principal of St Joseph and Mateo Martinez. Now however he couldn't imagine life without the two of them. A glance at his phone background, a selfie Sahar had made of the two of them, made a smile tug at his lips, one which gave him more courage than anything else.