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A few girls whistle and clap while Miranda stands there processing

After a moment she nods “That’s perfect Messy, needs serious precision, and practice, but a perfect entrance They co, but fire back with a doame”

Nico’s eyes slide tofroone

We only have tih it once with everyone and it’s a shit show, but Miranda advises us to try and get together to practice this week if we can swing it

The boys are diso over our schedule for the week, and then we’re let go

I use the time I have left to take a quick shower and dress in my normal clothes, but I’m too exhausted to mess withsoive the illusion of natural body

As usual, I’ out the door, only to slam into Nico on my exit

“What” I trail off as he uses his body to driveme in the small divide that leads into the locker room

“What are you doing?”

His eyes narrow “I gotta ask to hide aith irl?”

I frown and he holds a finger to hisme to keep quiet

Right then, a girl onwhen she sees us

“Sorry” She laughs as she disappears

Nico waits for the door to close completely then looks back to me “I had to leave the beach Today’s the first day I could make it back”

From where I want to ask but don’t

I nod instead “I gathered when I woke up and you were, you know, gone, and when I didn’t see you in class all week You and Trent thought you were really cute, by the way”

That makes him mad

“I never said I was done,” he says sharply “You shouldn’t have been planning to go with Alex in the first fuckin’ place”

A laugh bubbles out of me “What was I supposed to think? You took off, I assumed that meant mission accomplished”

“Whose mission, because there’s two of us, remember?”

My shoulders fall instantly

Well shit

“I didn’t even—”

“Think past your boy? Yeah, I know” He steps back, his eyes flicking over my form with a void expression “See you in class, D”

He leavesthere, but not before Miranda steps in to watch hirily walk away

Awesome