second fic I’ve posted! I’m so sorry for being so inactive… with no new content I’m feeling very unmotivated. Thanks for everyone who stuck around and support me! I’m here if you ever need to talk. I love you all! :)
There is absolutely no problem with Seb and Carlos working together.
Oh, except for the fact that Seb has been in love with Carlos since before he even met him.
But that’s not important.
He didn’t mean to fall in love with Carlos, truly he didn’t. But, honestly, how couldn’t you?
Mr. Cilli clapped his hands together rhythmically. “Alright everyone, today we’ll be ending our civil war unit. We’re going to be doing a project, it being the end of the year and all. You will work with a partner to create a fake episode of a tv show based around the idea of the civil war. Any questions?”
`Natalie Bagley shot her hand into the air. “Will we get to pick our partners?”
“Unfortunately not. You’ll work with whoever is sitting next to you.”
Seb turned his head to the side and realized that no one was sitting next to him. How had he not noticed that earlier?
Carlos Rodriguez came running through the history door and dropped a few pieces of paper and pencils.
Every other group had started working on the project already. No one even noticed that Carlos was here.
“Mr. Rodriguez, that’s the third time this week. Next time I have to write you a detention slip.”
“I’m sorry! It won’t happen again!”
Seb’s legs started moving before his mind did, and before he noticed, he had gotten up to help Carlos.
“Here. You dropped a few things.” Seb handed Carlos a pencil from the ground.
“Thank you,” Carlos paused for a second before saying, “Pencils, you know? They’re slippery.”
Seb smiled at Carlos. “Yeah, I guess.”
Carlos quickly nodded and went to sit down in the chair next to Seb’s.
Mr. Cilli scribbled something down in his notebook and said, “Carlos, I assume that means you and Seb are working together.”
Seb’s eyes widened. Carlos? Working with him? He had to stop himself from smiling too wide.
“I mean,” Carlos started, “is that okay? With you I mean?”
Seb allowed himself to smile. “Yeah that’d be great.”
Carlos took a notebook out of his backpack and set it in front of him. “I’m Carlos. By the way.”
Seb smiled a little wider. “Oh I know. I’m Seb!”
“You.. know?” Seb couldn’t entirely read Carlos’s expression.
Seb widened his eyes. “I meant,” he searched his mind for an excuse, “I know your name. Like the name Carlos. It’s a- it’s a pretty name.” Well played. That didn’t sound too creepy. Probably.
Carlos looked almost flattered? Seb still couldn’t entirely understand. He could definitely understand the blush running to his face right now though.
“Thank you.” Carlos hesitated for a moment. “You have a pretty name too.”
Seb finally broke free from eye contact. Wow. Carlos had really pretty eyes. They were almost… distracting?
“But also,” Seb started, “I’ve seen you on the color guard. You’re really good!”
Carlos didn’t answer for a moment. “You really think so?”
Seb was surprised that Carlos would doubt his talent even for a second. “I know so. My older sister was the captain of the color guard before you, and she’s very impressed with their new leader.”
Carlos furrowed his eyebrows. Then he lightly gasped. “Your sister is Georgie Matthew-Smith?”
Seb thought Carlos looked like a lost puppy when he looked confused. It was so cute, that he almost forgot to answer the question. “The one and only! I’m not as talented in the dance department though.”
Carlos laughed, “Maybe you’ve just never had the right teacher.”
Seb just hummed in response. “So what are we thinking for this tv episode project?”
“Hmm.” Carlos thought for a moment. Then he gasped, “We should do something similar to a Glee episode! Like maybe they have to do a week where they have to sing songs that talk about the civil war? Or something similar to that?” He looked over at Seb, who was looking at him in a way he couldn’t exactly place. Carlos blushed and looked away. “Sorry. I was just being a gleek. Please ignore the last 30 seconds of your life.”
“I love glee. It’s my favorite show.”
“That’s a great idea, Carlos. Let’s do it.”
The next day, Seb walked into the classroom with a smile on his face. He had spent his entire class time with Carlos yesterday, and he couldn’t be happier about it. Sure, they were both a little awkward, but Seb found it almost endearing.
Carlos ran into the classroom again and put his papers on the desk next to Seb. The bell rang and Carlos texted something to someone. Seb got a glimpse of his wallpaper before he closed his phone.
“Hey. I like your wallpaper on your phone!”
Carlos looked at him. “You like Broadway?”
Seb scoffed, “Are you kidding? Who doesn’t?”
Carlos rolled his eyes. “You’d be surprised to know how many people did ‘Brigadoon’ and didn’t actually care for theatre.”
Seb pretended to look surprised, “You were in ‘Brigadoon’?” Of course he knew that Carlos was in this year’s spring show. He had been dying for a chance to have just one scene with him so they could talk.
Seb smiled and said, “I was ensemble too! And I totally agree. If you don’t like theatre, why do the shows?”
Carlos smiled. “I didn’t even want to be in the show either. I mean, don’t get me wrong. I love performing. But,” he trailed off for a second. “I actually wanted to be choreographer.” Carlos squeezed his eyes shut, fully prepared for Seb to start laughing.
“And they didn’t let you be one? That’s awful. You’re the best dancer in this school. In this city even! Anyone would be crazy not to make you a choreographer.”
Carlos looked at Seb for a second. He opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted.
“Okay everyone! You did some brainstorming yesterday. Today you’ll start the slideshow for the project. Then tomorrow we’ll present to the class.”
Carlos finally broke eye contact with Seb and looked down at his paper.
“So? What about you?” Carlos asked subtly.
Seb raised an eyebrow. “What about me?”
“Do you have a dream role?”
Seb hesitated. “Don’t laugh.”
“Seb. I’m not going to laugh at you.”
Seb looked up at Carlos. “Sharpay,” he says quietly.
“Sharpay? Like from High School Musical?”
Seb couldn’t look at Carlos. He was too scared to see his reaction. Would he change his mind and laugh at Seb?
“Wow. You’d be great as Sharpay!”
Seb listened for sarcasm, but he didn’t seem to hear any. He looked at Carlos.
Seb didn’t really know what to say, so he just blushed and hoped Carlos didn’t notice.
Carlos was too busy blushing to notice the other boy’s red face.
Today was the big presentation day. Seb was a little nervous, but he was a performer! He could do anything.
“Okay,” Mr. Cilli announced, “Today is presentation day! I’ll give you guys 10 minutes to review, and then we’ll start with Natalie and Kaden, Ashlyn and Steph, Seb and Carlos,” the teacher went on and on about the order of groups presenting, but Seb had been distracted. Carlos still wasn’t in class. He wouldn’t ditch on the day of presenting.
Seb took out his phone and texted Carlos.
‘Hey is everything okay?’ He sent the message and waited for a response. He checked his phone after two minutes. No response.
Seb shot up his hand and asked to go to the bathroom.
He ran out the door and speed-walked down the hall.
When he threw open the bathroom door, he saw Carlos pacing back and forth across the small space. He looked so panicked, it made Seb kind of want to cry.
Carlos heard Seb open the door and looked over at him. Seb’s eyes were filled with so much worry and another emotion Carlos couldn’t quite put his finger on.
Carlos stopped against the wall and slid down to sit. He could feel his breathing getting faster, and he tried to slow it down.
“Hey, hey, hey.” Seb said in a hushed voice. He walked over next to him. “What’s wrong ‘Los? Why are you pacing?”
Carlos threw his head back. He was so scared that he didn’t comment on the cute nickname. “I’m scared, Seb. The last thing I read in front of people was a report in February. And it was a group project with four people. I barely had to talk.”
Carlos’s hands were fidgeting so much that Seb reached over and grabbed both of them with his own.
Carlos was so nervous that he barely noticed.
Okay, that was a complete lie.
Seb’s hands holding Carlos’s and his pretty blue eyes made Carlos forget all his worries. Seb’s hands were warm and soft. You would think they’d be rough from all the farm work, but they weren’t for some reason. Carlos would have to ask him about them one day.
“That’s not true Carlos. You memorized all the songs in Brigadoon in under a week. You were the first one in the cast who was off book.” Seb thought for a moment. “Just imagine it being a performance. You’re really good at those.”
Carlos looks at Seb. But this time, he really looks at him.
Seb has a bit of acne. His eyes are a little darker blue than he’d noticed before. His hands are a little sweaty. And his hair is messed up a little.
Carlos thinks he’s so beautiful.
Before either of them notice, about 15 seconds has passed.
Carlos is about to say something, but Seb speaks up instead.
“We should probably get back to class. Our project isn’t going to present itself.”
When they get back in the classroom, they’ve been gone about 6 minutes. Mr. Cilli has always been lenient towards his students, so they only get a warning.
When it’s their turn to present, Carlos can’t stop looking at Seb. All he can think about is what he said earlier. And also, just him in general.
Seb isn’t looking at Carlos. He’s too worried that he’ll get lost in Carlos’s eyes, so he just avoids eye contact. Which pains him a little bit, but it’s alright.
In the end, their presentation gets a B.
They get points off for being distracted during the presentation.
And they’re both more than okay with that.
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