Asterism

15. last night

Guys. when I say the next three chapters are crazy, I mean they're insane. In advance, I am sorry, please do not all gather in a seance to sell my soul to the Devil.

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"A high school cafeteria is living proof that humans have apes as ancestors: a study by Ian Matthews."

Marley and Gabby were laughing as Vanessa popped her head in the FaceTime frame, while a long piece of Fruit Roll Up hung from her mouth. "S'not my fault I was permanently banned from the library because a little whimp filed a 'restraining order.'"

"The 'little whimp' is our school librarian, Van, our SIXTY-FIVE year old librarian you punched in the face!" Ian retorted, earning a sharp look.

"You have no right to act like a saint defending the elderly, considering you were the one filming us and saying 'M'am, this is a Wendy's' while laughing. If I'm going to hell then so are you!"

Marley, by now, has seen the infamous video of Vanessa and Kingston High's librarian as their simmering hatred for each other finally heated to a boil. And though admittedly comedic footage came out of it, Vanessa had been suspended for a week and has been banned from the library indefinitely. This means that she and Ian now have to eat lunches in the cafeteria and it's an understatement to say Ian isn't happy about it.

"Hell is our godforsaken cafeteria," Ian shot back. "Will you do me a favour one of these days and make one other friend that will sit with you in there, so I can have a peaceful lunch in the library?"

Vanessa looked thoughtful for a moment before her nose wrinkled. She finished chewing her strand of Fruit Roll Up before she replied.

"Nah. People annoy me. Sharing a building with so many of them is enough to get on my nerves as it is."

"And yet, you're friends with all of us." Ian gestured to himself, Marley, Gabby. "Plus Dylan, my brother and Leo."

Gabby looked up from her logic book on Marley's left, from where they were sharing the minimal space on her dorm bed. "Now that's a real question. If you find people so annoying - which, is very relatable by the way and there is no contesting that - how are you so buddy-buddy with Leo Kahn?"

Vanessa balked. "Y'all are crazy. Leo and I talk all the time because hilarious and he just...gets me."

Ian, Gabby and Marley shared an amused look. The three of rhen already knew Vanessa and Leo had sparked up an odd friendship that has, in the past involved discussing the pros and cons of putting the dip tray in the centre of a chips and dip platter - for two and a half hours. At about the halfway mark is when they both finally realized that the centre placement was so in a circle of friends, everybody could reach said dip equally.

Marley has since concluded after hearing about many of their odd phone calls, that there is a part of Leo's brain that Vanessa seems to have a copy of. They're on the same wavelength in the strangest way but at least she's someone who can put up with him on the phone for more than five minutes.

"And to answer the first question about how I put up with the rest of y'all," Vanessa continued. "That's pretty easy because y'all aren't friends, you know?"

On the other side of the FaceTime screen of Gabby's MacBook Pro, Ian blinked, blue eyes trailing his best friend as she left her barstool and walked around the Matthews' grand kitchen, probably searching for something to eat. Marley frowned in confusion while Gabby looked up from her logic book again.

"We're not friends?" Marley echoed when Gabby did.

Vanessa appeared back in the frame, unwrapping a cheese string while handing one to Ian. "No, it's more than that. We're all family, so being part of this group is not by choice, like you can't choose your family. And it all happened because Marley and Aiden were meant to be in a way that's more than romantic love, because even the all the people THEY love are meant to be bonded for life, ya know?"