Blue Moon Rising

Chapter 8: Becoming: Part 2 (IV)

Disclaimer: Don't own Trollhunters or any of its characters

Toby dragged the shell-shocked Atlas to the auditorium. It was a short distance, but considering what just happened, it felt like he had done a marathon.

Behind stage, the duo watched as Claire performed. She was perfect—everything about her was perfect—but it didn't stop the aching hole developing in his stomach.

He lied to his dad. Right to the man's face.

"I cannot believe that worked!" The shorter boy said happily. "Good thinking on my part, huh?"

Atlas continued to stare at his feet, dejected. "This wasn't supposed to happen."

"Man, I thought for sure Mr. Strickler was gonna bust us or something. Did you see the way he looked at you?"

"I should have told him before," Atlas said mournfully. "Now he thinks I'm Jim. If I try to tell him now he's never going to trust me again. He'll hate me, I know it."

Toby raised an eyebrow, clearly not understanding what Atlas was implying. "Whoa, dude, chill out. It's cool. Consider Jim as your human alias or something, though technically you are Jim, even if you're Atlas, so technically you're sort of both Jim and Atlas, but separate too, and ah—" he stopped for a moment, brows crossed. "Okay, I'm confusing myself now. Back to Mr. S, seriously, it's gonna be alright, identity-stuff aside. Mr. Strickler might be a stickler for the rules, but he's not a bad guy. At worst, he'll just give you a detention slip or something for the armor."

Atlas let out a noise that sounded like a mixture between a whine and a giggle. "You know what's funny?"

"What?"

"I barely even know this play," he admitted. "My mentor likes it, but I've never read the damn thing. What the heck am I going to say? I've never acted in my life."

"Improvise, man," Toby advised.

A round of applause interrupted their conversation. Claire bowed to the crowd, then, noticing the two boys behind the curtain, walked to greet them.

Claire waved then cocked her head to the side, smiling gently. "Hey! Jean, right?"

"At—Jim," Atlas corrected, wincing. Somehow, it felt wrong. Like he was using the identity of a dead person, even though that person was himself.

"Man, this costume looks more and more awesome the more I see it," She gushed, fingers tracing the designs on the breastplate. Atlas blushed at the close contact. Up close, he could smell her shampoo, a soft strawberry scent floating through the air. "Did you make this yourself?"

"No, he stole a magical amulet from the boy's locker-room and it made itself," Toby provided.

Claire looked between the two as if she didn't understand the joke, but laughed politely anyway. "Ha, ha. Nice. Very funny."

"Yeah, very funny," Atlas said dryly, smacking Toby upside the head when Claire walked off-stage. "You're lucky I like you well enough not to cut you down where you stand, human."

Toby rubbed his head, glaring back. "You have really got to work on your people skills, Atlas."

"Just as soon as you learn to shut your mouth."

"Next! Anyone next?" A shrill voice called.

Toby pushed him forward, perhaps a little too forcefully as payback for the head smack. "Good luck, Atlas! Oh, no wait! I mean, break a leg!"