The Switch {EarthMix}

20.

Earth nodded, his hand reaching out to the other's shoulder before slowly caressing it.

"Thank you for telling me all of that... I won't ask further because I want to respect his privacy, but I feel a little... more prepared if such a situation were to ever happen again. Thank you Vee..."

"It's alright. " The older sighed slightly but his lips formed into a soft and caring smile. " You know I am glad that Mix has you as his friend now too... I have seen him much happier since knowing you and... "

It almost seemed as if he was reminded of something that his smile froze, the happiness draining from his eyes and his body obviously stiffening in the position. Even Earth who wasn't accustomed to reading people's body language or picking up small changes in another's composure - he surely was obvious to his friend's change right now. Slowly, he moved away from the wall and stepped right in front of the older, their eyes meeting for a moment. And that was when it hit him too: They had been so occupied with taking care of Mix and Earth trying to figure out why this was happening and how to aid in the future... that they had forgotten about something different, something really important.

"This today ... that Nong Ming would ask Mix for help exactly on the day that they would be rehearsing something with fake blood... it seems a little too timed, doesn't it ?" Earth silently asked and his eyes lost the grip on Vee's.He slowly stepped back a little to give both of them enough personal space, but kept close enough to speak quietly about this more than precarious topic.

" If I am honest with you, it does. Looking at the bigger picture, that afternoon in Mix' apartment, the confrontation in the basketball hall and now... It just seems a little too much for a coincidence if you ask me. Just one event, sure. But all three of these happenings took place in...what... three or four weeks? "

"But that doesn't make sense... If Nong Ming would have wanted to break up with Mix, then why go to such lengths? They were apart just a couple days ago and then Nong Ming picked him up, they ended the Partner Switch and he even promised to stop sleeping around... If this was really orchestrated by him, I don't understand it."

"I thought a lot about it but I couldn't come up with a reason yet either... maybe it is just random acts, I don't know... " Vee's glance fell back on Earth and he tilted his head a little. "Earth... stop biting your lip so hard or it'll bleed."

The younger's eyes widened in surprise, his hand carefully reaching up to the bruised lips and slowly releasing it from the harsh bit.

"I didn't even reali..."

"I've seen you do that a couple times you know. It's natural though, many people have a special thing they do when they think, are nervous or anxious. Some play with their hair or hands, some bite their lips... it's nothing to worry about. Well... as long as you don't overdo it, you know , " Vee chuckled and then moved a little more in the direction of the storage room. "I think we gave Mix enough time to fall asleep... we surely can't just leave him here... I think it would be best for us to move him to one of our apartments."

"We can just go to mine , " Earth quickly answered , "...It's close enough for me to just carry him there and we were going to hang out at home anyway after school."

"Alright, what do you think about splitting up: You carefully get him to your apartment and I'll try to find his things, get us some food and drinks and then come to the place with my car? "

"Sounds like a plan."

Earth and Vee moved back into the storage room as quietly as possible, but paused when seeing Mix slowly open his red and puffy eyes. They exchanged a glance and it was Vee to kneel down to the younger, carefully placing his hand on Mix' head and smiling softly at him.