Friends Like These

A/N: So, this note is to inform you that plans for this thread have changed. Originally, it was going to be this huge expansive thread that weaved together a bunch of characters’ stories but I realized that it just wasn’t feasible, not if I ever want to get back to Amethyst Shore. So, I’ve condensed this thread, focusing instead on a handful of main pairings and doing a series of short stories that skip forwards through time a lot, to tell a full story through a bunch of moments in time. I hope you’ll continue to read the thread, as I think there’s some really fun moments planned.

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Episode 2: Making Up

A week after the Moving Day party, Jace Holland walked into Grayson Global. It was mid-morning on Saturday, and he'd decided to come and see whether anything had changed. He hadn't been to Grayson Global much at all since the party, as for some reason, Hazel had stopped talking to him. He had texted her a bunch, tried calling, and gotten nothing. He assumed he'd pissed her off somehow, but he genuinely had no idea what could have done it. In his hand was a small white box, about the size of a cupcake, which was good, as that's what it contained. As a response to Hazel's unending ignoring him, Jace had decided to come and see if he could pop in on her while she worked. Showing up with a chocolate cupcake was always a good idea, Jace knew, so he'd stopped by the place he'd been going to for years and grabbed one for her. She was something of a chocolate addict, in truth, and he'd become quite the loyal customer of this cupcake shop since he'd given Hazel his cupcake once all those years ago.

Jace approached the secretary at her desk, who gave him a smile. "Hi Jace. Your mom isn't working today, you know."

"Yeah, I know. I'm here to see Hazel." Jace replied, and the secretary winced. "What is it?"

"Well, Hazel asked-, uh, told me that she didn't want to see you." the secretary admitted, and Jace blinked. Wow. Whatever he'd done, it must have been bad. Jace shook his head.

"Alright, well, thanks. I guess I'll go, then." Jace shrugged. If Hazel didn't wanna see him, pushing his way into her presence wasn't gonna do the trick. He seriously doubted she'd appreciate the gesture, and she'd probably just get angrier at him interrupting her work. Jace turned to go, but the secretary called after him.

"Uh, Jace." she called, and Jace turned back around.

"Hazel told me to tell you to leave the cupcake." the secretary sighed. Jace looked at her incredulously, before he laughed, shaking his head.

"No way. Do me a favor, please tell Hazel I was here, and tell her that I'm going to really enjoy eating this cupcake." Jace snorted, and he walked towards the doors out of Grayson Global. The secretary blinked and called after him before he could leave.

"Oh. Um, Jace, Hazel told me not to let you leave without giving it to her. Please. You know she'll be in a mood if you don't do it." the secretary almost pleaded. Jace gave the secretary a sympathetic smile.

"I do know that. And I'm sorry. But I'm not just gonna let her walk all over me when she won't even tell me why she's angry." Jace said. The secretary gave a slow, almost fearful nod.

"Good luck. With, you know. Her." the secretary said.

"Yeah, you too. You might need it." Jace apologized.

He felt a little guilty eating the cupcake later, but he was so frustrated with Hazel that he didn't even care. The worst part, Jace thought to himself, was that she'd known him well enough to know he'd come to try and see her with cupcake in hand. If she thought he'd just do whatever she said, well, she had another thing coming.

———

Monday after school, Jace found himself sitting in Chloe and Amy's dorm. He was sitting on Chloe's bed, her and him sitting back to back propping each other up. Jace was half writing a paper, half complaining to his ginger best friends about the audacity of teachers assigning a paper the second week of the school year. Behind him, Chloe was doing the very important work of watching a soccer match while munching on some crackers. In the other bed, Amy was laying on her stomach, idly kicking her legs as she read the latest fantasy book she liked. This one was by somebody called Ava Rogers, called Witches in the Woods. It was a little less high fantasy than Amy's usual book based off what she'd told Jace and Chloe, but clearly still had the magic and monsters stuff Amy enjoyed.

"I mean, seriously! We've not even done ten school days!" Jace complained again, and Chloe pushed back against him, bumping the back of her head against the back of his.

"Shh, you're interrupting the game!" Chloe protested.

"And the book! Lucy is so close to finding out-" Amy tried, but Jace was on a roll.

"It's just so unfair! Where does Mr. Ward get off?"

"You're writing a science paper?" Amy asked curiously.

"Yes!" Jace exclaimed. "And it's due by fucking Wednesday."

"Oh, that's the worst." Amy nodded.

"Jace. Amy. Game. Shut it!" Chloe complained as Jace and Amy chattered over the commentary she was trying to hear.

"Oop, sorry, Chlo." Amy apologized meekly.

"Yeah, sorry, Chloe. I'll just suffer in silence." Jace said sadly.

"About damn time." Chloe muttered.

The dorm room was silent for a glorious minute before there was a knock on the door.

"What now?" Chloe groaned.

"I'll get it!" Jace was far too eager to jump up and abandon his science paper.

"Wait, not you! You're not supposed to be in here, this is a girl dorm." Amy realized, and Chloe's eyes widened. The sportier of the two redheads jumped up to shove Jace aside and answer the door while Jace waited behind the door, disgruntled.

“C’mon, use your brain. There shouldn’t be any guys here at all. You’re just lucky we like you.” Chloe told Jace with a grin, making Jace chuckle quietly. Chloe opened the door and she looked at Jace.

“Forget what I said, I guess.” Chloe said, and Jace poked his head around the door to see Scotty standing there smiling.

“Hey, Scotty!” Jace grinned.

“Hey, man. Quick, let me in before someone tattles.” Scotty said, glancing up and down the hallway. Chloe rolled her eyes but she stepped aside to let Scotty in.

Chloe closed the door behind him, and Scotty walked into the room to plop down on Amy’s bed.

“Hi Scotty!” Amy smiled, sitting up to give him some space. Jace and Chloe came back to sit on the bed they’d been sitting on, side by side now rather than back to back like they had been.

“What are you doing here?” Jace asked curiously.

“Looking for you! I stopped by your dorm but Zack said he hadn’t seen you, so I figured you’d be here.” Scotty shrugged.

“Yup, he’s never in his real dorm.” Chloe shook her head at Jace.

“Oh, come on, you love having me over.” Jace grinned, slipping his arm around Chloe’s shoulders.

“You’re not the worst guest.” Chloe chuckled, a smile spreading on her beautiful face.

“I love having you over, Jace.” Amy piped up, making Jace grin more.

“Oh, come on, Ames, don’t let him get a big head!” Chloe protested, making both redheads laugh.

Jace looked over at Scotty, who put up a hand on the side of his mouth so the redheads couldn’t see then he mouthed ‘threesome’ and gave Jace a thumbs up. Jace rolled his eyes, but Scotty was grinning and nodding encouragingly.

There came suddenly another knock on the door, and Chloe groaned.

“Since when is our dorm the local hangout?” Chloe asked, getting up to her feet to go and open the door.

“Hey, Chloe!” a familiar voice came, and Jace turned around to see his twin sister walking into the room. Chloe jumped on the bed, reclaiming her spot next to Jace, and Dana walked in to find no spots left on the bed.

“You can sit in my lap if you need somewhere to sit.” Scotty offered.

“I’d rather sit on the floor, thanks.” Dana said wryly. Jace nudged Chloe to scoot over, and it was a bit cramped, but Dana squeezed in beside Jace on the end of the bed, and he put an arm around his sister’s slim waist to make sure she didn’t fall off.

“Thanks, Jacey.” Dana smiled, and Jace groaned.

“Enough with that nickname or I’ll push you off this bed.” Jace said, and Dana laughed.

“Ok, ok, I’ll stop.” she promised.

“So, what brings you by?” Amy asked curiously.

“Just figured I’d come over and hang out with you guys, I didn’t know you’d have Jace and Scotty here too.” Dana said.

“Yeah, our dorm room is apparently the go to hangout spot.” Chloe nodded.

“I don’t mind it! It’s nice having everybody over.” Amy smiled.

“Yeah, it’s nice being over and relaxing.” Scotty nodded, looking around. “Usually when I’m in this dorm, I’m sneaking around trying to avoid detection.”

“That’s because you’re only ever over here to do pervy things.” Jace pointed out.

“Et tu, Jace? I am not! Sometimes I’m over here to do pranks, too.” Scotty said defensively, making Jace snort.

“You pull pranks on us?” Amy asked, surprised.

“Not on any of you three!” Scotty shook his head. “No, I only do it on the girls who deserve it.”

“Regular Robin Hood you are, huh?” Jace asked wryly.

“Yes, exactly! Prank the deserving, reward the fun ones, if you know what I mean.” Scotty grinned.

“Speaking of big heads…” Chloe muttered, making Jace laugh.

“Oh, god, did you guys hear what that bitch Hazel was doing today?” Dana complained suddenly. Jace raised his eyebrows at the venom in his usually sweet sister’s voice.

“Ugh, the devil spreading her demon wings, I’m guessing. Didn’t take her long. What did she do now?” Scotty asked.

“I’m sure Hazel’s not that bad.” Amy shook her head. “She’s probably just misunderstood.”

“I dunno, Amy. I think I understand her perfectly. I’ve looked into her eyes and seen the fires of Hell.” Scotty shivered for dramatic effect.

“I agree.” Dana nodded. “She’s always a monster to everybody. Can’t imagine anybody being friends with her.”

“I don’t think she even has any friends.” Scotty pointed out. “That’s good, too. I’d hate to see the kind of people who want to hang out with her.”

Jace wasn’t enjoying this new conversation topic much, but Dana and Scotty seemed fully onboard the hating Hazel train.

“Anyways, what did she do?” Scotty asked.

“Oh, right. You know that new girl, Victoria?” Dana asked.

“Yeah, she’s Hazel’s roommate.” Jace nodded. “I met her the night of the Moving Day party.”

“Oh, yeah, you brought her over here. Amy and I both met her, too.” Chloe nodded.

“Ooh, that hot blonde?” Scotty raised his eyebrows.

“Yeah, her.” Jace chuckled.

“What happened to her?” Amy asked worriedly.

“Oh, get this. That raging Hightower bitch went off on her in the middle of the cafeteria. Poor Victoria looked mortified, and she ran out of the room nearly in tears.” Dana revealed to everybody.

Scotty shook his head. “Hazel doesn’t have feelings, she’s a demon from Hell.”

Jace shook his head, and he stood up. “I’ll be right back, I just remembered I need to go see somebody.”

“Ok, hurry back.” Chloe said, looking up at Jace, and he nodded. The discussion over Hazel continued behind him as he left, and he couldn’t close the door fast enough behind him. He walked down the girls’ hallway to a specific door and knocked. Hard.

It was opened by a miserable looking Victoria, who seemed confused to see him.

“Hey, Victoria. How are you doing?” Jace asked her, and she shrugged.

“I’m fine. I guess you’re here about lunch. I don’t know what happened, I was just trying to be nice to her, and she flew off the handle at me. It was so embarrassing.” Victoria said miserably.

“I’m sorry that happened to you. Uh, is Hazel here?” Jace asked, and Victoria shook her head.

“Thankfully, no.” Victoria said. “I don’t know where she is.”

“Alright, thank you. I’ll try and talk to her.” Jace nodded.

“Good luck.” Victoria scoffed, but she seemed grateful as she closed the door.

Jace had a pretty good guess where Hazel was at the moment, and he needed to talk to her, not just about Victoria, but about her ghosting him. She’d ignored all his texts, all attempts at communication. He supposed it was time for a good old fashioned ambush.