The meeting was simple. The city had an entity-bug problem. The kind that spawned from a mother-entity— a variant likely much more powerful than what Jasper and friends just dealt with. Freshmen and sophomores were cleared to use small bug cores at their leisure, without appraisal or approval. Juniors and seniors already had that right for smaller entities.

Freshmen were also ordered to travel in pairs or groups, or be on the phone with someone else in the program if they had to be alone.

They were to report anything unusual, be vigilant, not engage anything out of clearance level, blah, blah, blah…

Jorgien, Ozu and a few seniors were going to explore the steam-vent-sewer-system-or-whatever-it-was.

Everyone else was dismissed at that moment. Some of the upperclassmen bolted off immediately. Jasper understood; their free time was probably twice as valuable a currency as his. And some of them seemed hungover.

The queer corner had all been sitting on the pavement. Others had joined them, but here they continued to sit. It was comfortable being in their presence. Jasper didn’t want to leave them yet.

“Ice cream.” Aren said.

Everyone else looked like their brains started functioning again.

“Aren has spoken.” Josephine said as she stood. It was cold, but the sunlight was cold’s formidable opponent. Ice-cream would work.

“I’ll drive us.” Maria said, dusting her pants off.

“Oh, can I come?” Bashira chirped in from nearby.

“Us too!” Xavius and Xandrelle synchronized from nearby.

Next thing you know, everyone in the class was catching the unavoidable, all enticing wave of ‘spontaneous plans.’ All conversations turned to ice cream. Jasper started calling this type of thing the Aren affect. Since Aren barely ever talked, every word they said held an immense power.

As everyone was getting prepared to relocate, Josephine looked over at Bryan and Claire making out by some bushes on the side of the building. “I swear, if they take our lesbian spot—”

“I’ll kick their asses.” Maria said. “Let’s go.”

“But why the seismology building?” Jasper asked. It was such a strange spot to do the lesbian, the gay or the (gags) heterosexual.

“We’re waiting for a big rumble.” Josephine said.

“But the seismology building doesn’t make the earthquakes.” Jorge said.

“Shut up, Jorge.” Maria said. “You’re not riding in my car.”

“Yeah, that was a hate crime.” Jasper agreed as the girls walked off. Jorge looked genuinely confused.

Cody leaned over Jorge and said to him, “I think you mansplained when she was making a joke. And they’re mad because you saying that means you perceive them as not intelligent enough to joke, and think you have to explain such a simple concept to them.”

Jasper… needed to run away. Who the hell was this man? Did Jasper actually need to worry about getting feelings, or was his anxiety inventing things in his head again? Cody was so calm with his words, and willing to be the mediator. Or something. Was Cody more well-read than Jasper? To be fair, Jasper mostly read trashy fantasy and BL. He should probably pick up a bell hooks book sometime soon.

Their entire class of twelve ended up on this ice cream journey. It didn’t take long to make it to Choo-choo Cream, which, even though train-themed, was just a WILD thing to name an establishment.

When they arrived, got their orders and sat down, Cody took the liberty of sitting directly next to Jasper. They were moving tables together and the man claimed his spot.

Cue internal panic.

No, nothing to panic over. Jasper was near the end of the conjoined tables with his support group. Premature lust was not love! And Jasper did know Cody last semester, so maybe it wasn’t entirely premature… so what if he wanted to lean to the right a little and…

MHM. MHMRMHMHMM. He took a chomp of his own cream. It was worth the seven dollars. All the gooey cake and cookie and fudge bits. Yes, the go-to crisis food. Jasper will overcome! Wait, what exactly was he overcoming here?

“Is that the bake a birthday cake explosion?” Cody asked. Jasper thought the name was funny being spoken out loud. The weirder flavors were COFCee (coffee) pickup and clown wagon watermelon.

“Yeah, you wanna try some?” JASPER WHY THE FUCK WOULD YOU—

And Cody took a bite straight off Jasper’s spoon. Mans took INITIATIVE. Technically Jasper was holding it up for him, if anyone was being technical.

Attractive man bite spoon. Young adult lust. Feelings hormonal, not real. End of story.

Jasper knew he clung onto people quick. Because he always moved around as a kid, he had to make friends fast if he wanted any memories or good times that everyone else got to experience. And to escape the void of being alone in school.

Jasper knew this about himself. He was the type to threaten immediate friendship, even though it always ended up superficial. With his life, he had practically no experience in the relationship division. His last few years in high school were in… less gay areas. It was tragic, but at least he had light magic.

His relationships with Maria, Josephine, Aren and even Liz at home were starting to enter a deeper area he wasn’t used to. Like, Josephine TOLD him things (hint hint). Liz had stuck around longer than anyone in his life. Maria was the most reliable and down for literally whatever. And Aren deserved the absolute world. Yes, he should focus on building these friendships more than—

“Do you wanna try my brass collar banana blast?” Cody asked, holding up his spoon. Jasper damn near choked. When this establishment decided to cater to the college students, they took no prisoners.

And he was also baited. Jasper went straight for Cody’s banana-y goodness. Ok, that sounded a bit unhinged. He licked from Cody’s spoon. Of course he did. This guy was just… there. Like everyone else in his entire class.

Marilyn spoke up from the other side of Cody. “Guys, I think we’re all doing a great job of traveling in groups so far.”

Everyone laughed, probably not thinking about how inconveniencing the new rule was going to end up being.

Jasper glanced over at Cody’s rosy cheeks and beaming smile through all the laughter.

This was going to be a long semester.