hopeless. (holloway)✔️

11 - "people can change"

Reality

Blair quickly walked into the cafeteria and spotted Corey, Mason, and Liam sitting at a table, Nolan, Sydney, and a couple others sitting at the table behind them.

He pretended as though he didn't notice and set his things down at the table with Corey, Mason, and Liam.

"Hey guys!" he said happily.

"Hey," Corey said, equally happy.

"That was fast," Liam muttered. "Act a little more desperate."

"What crawled up your ass?" Blair said, folding his arms across his chest.

Mason shoved Liam lightly and rolled his eyes. "He's just miserable because he misses Hayden."

"I am not!" Liam exclaimed.

Just then, the four friends noticed two people standing in front of them.

Sydney flipped her hair over her shoulder. "Well if it isn't the icon himself!"

Nolan stood awkwardly by her side, smiling at the ground.

Blair laughed. "Hello Miss Sydney!" he said and looked at Nolan. "And hello, Nolan."

"Hi," Nolan replied quietly with a shy smile.

"Hi guys!" Corey greeted them and Sydney ran over and gave him a big hug.

"What are you guys up to this fine morning?" Sydney wondered as she pulled up a chair, Nolan doing the same.

"Corey is drawing something for art, I'm studying for a bio test, and Liam is bitching and moaning," Mason said and gave a sarcastic smile to his best friend.

"I am not!" Liam whined once again.

"Liam stop being a bitch," Blair teased. "I just got here it just so happens my favourite people are here as well!"

"Oh you're too kind." Sydney laughed.

"How are you Nolan?" Blair asked as he looked over to the freckled face beside him.

Nolan shrugged his shoulders and flashed him a smile. "I'm okay. I-I can't get a hang of math this year, though. It sucks."

"If you ever need help, just sit with us!" Corey volunteered. Blair's eyes widened, reminding Corey of how terrible he was at math.

"Thanks," Nolan said and Liam stood up before walking out to the doors of the cafeteria without a word.

"What was that all about?" Sydney wondered.

"He's just missing Hayden a lot today," Mason quickly responded. "It's nothing." That was a clear lie.

"I'm gonna go talk to him," Blair said, kind of upset that he was leaving Nolan.

"Don't even try, B. He won't talk to me." Mason was giving him an 'are you crazy?!' look but he didn't care.

"I'll come back," Blair promised before leaving.

He caught up to Liam at the end of the hallway. "Liam?"

"What?" Liam replied dryly.

"What's wrong?" Blair asked. "I know it's not just Hayden."

"It never was about Hayden," Liam said matter-of-factly.

"Okay..." Blair trailed off. "So what's up?"

"You know he beat the shit out of me last year, right?"

Blair slowly nodded. "Yeah I remember. Him and Gabe."

"Then what the fuck do you see in him?" Liam asked angrily, raising his voice. "He beat the hell out of me and he's responsible for Brett dying. On top of that, he almost killed me and Theo because "Monroe was forcing him to" and he almost killed Jackson and his boyfriend. He stabbed Corey in the hand with a pen and exposed him to the entire library. He's a psychopath."

"He was scared! I was scared of you too at one point!" Blair defended.

"You didn't try to kill me!"

"He helped you!"

"Yeah, after he realized that his team wasn't going to win," Liam reminded.

"He put his life on the line to help you! He got beat up by his only friend and then watched him die. Plus, you guys are co-captains now and I thought it was because you finally understood that people can change!" Blair exclaimed.

"Not that much, Blair."

As Liam sped up walking down the hall, Blair didn't even try to catch up. And then he realized that Liam didn't even call him Blair bear.