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Chapter Text

Chapter 1: Prologue

 Tyler “Blu” Gunderson stood by his locker, adjusting his glasses while holding a stack of folders in his other hand containing his notes from different classes, a blueprint for his current robot for robotics class, and a few comic books stashed in between folders for reading material.

And next to him, adjusting her bright reddish brown hair into something manageable, is  Nicole Jackson standing at a height of 5 10” his childhood best friend, wearing her usual crop top, black open hoodie, showing off her toned stomach and navel ring glinting in the cheap fluorescent lighting, and a pair of ripped jeans as she was looking into her small mirror in her locker to make sure she brushes out every strand of bedhead out.

“So, I was thinking, if I move the motor on the base instead of the arm, it may move smoother.”

He stated as he brushed a strand of his dark brown hair out of the way.

Nicole rolled her eyes but the tone of her voice is anything but annoyed mixed with amusement.

“Yeah, sure if you don’t want to send the motor flying out of control and into the school equipment. We still owe the robotics classroom for that window.” She giggled.

“True. True. Maybe I’ll test it on a dummy first in a controlled environment just to be safe.” He laughed nervously.

“You mean yourself?” They both laughed at her joke as they prepared for class.

Nicole then closed the locker to look down teasingly at her best friend since childhood and while helping Blu get all that he needs into with his bag, she keeps looking around like she is guarding him from something, or to be more specific, someone.

And that is the moment when both doors at the school entrance swung open as Jewel Sanchez, also standing at a height of 5 10”, walks in wearing a zipped down hoodie wearing a plain light green shirt, low waisted jeans, and casual sneakers while her strawberry blonde hair is tied in up in a lazy ponytail.

And as her turquoise eyes scanned the hall, they immediately landed on Blu.

“Hey, there’s my favorite nerd!” she yelled.

Blu looked up and then up a bit more as Jewel was eye to eye with Nicole and standing between the two of them, he looked like Nicole’s little brother, and he knows it.

His cheeks turned scarlet. “Oh… hey Jewel. It’s good to see you. But, you do know my name is Tyler, right?” Blu stuttered.

“Nah, I prefer nerd. Or short stack. Like how Nicole calls you.”

As Jewel stepped closer to Blu, clearly enjoying the height difference, Nicole’s expression tightens as her protective instincts flared into overdrive.

“You’re adorable. Like a little puppy that I want to take home and cuddle with all day.”

Nicole blinked. “Eww…”

“Now, you must be the best friend I’ve heard so much about.” Jewel glanced sideways to Nicole.

“At least I'm a part of his life and not some walking cliché about to steal him away.” “Not yet.” Jewel teased back.

Blu held his hands up in surrender, gently getting between Nicole and Jewel to defuse the situation. “Can we… not do this first thing in the morning. Please?” Blu pleaded.

But neither girl was listening. “You’re in my English class, right? You always sit next to Miss Rebel over here. So, why not sit with me for a change, could help you loosen up~” Jewel teased.

Nicole stepped closer to Blu. “No thanks, he’s already far too trusting. And besides, he startles easily. Like a cat.”

“Aww, but that is what makes him so adorable.” Nicole wouldn’t admit it, especially out loud, but she does agree that teasing Blu is worth it especially seeing him blush and try not to combust.

Nicole then motioned to Blu. “Come on. We’re gonna be late for class.”

As Blu and Nicole left in a hurry, Jewel smiled to herself all while chuckling. “Let the games begin.”

The second bell rang just as Blu and Nicole settled into their seats near the window as a few of the students shuffled into Miss Tess’s English class.

The room smelled faintly of chalk and over circulated air from the air conditioning, with sunlight gleaming through the large glass windows, making a few students wince at the harsh light as they went for their seats.

Blu had already sat in his usual spot in the second row near the large window with Nicole on his left side, her trademark glare signifying she was not in a great mood.

“Ugh, why does school have to start at 8AM? I really need my beauty sleep.” Nicole groaned.

“Hey, routine is important as it helps people settle into a schedule.” Blu replied while adjusting his glasses.

“Dork.”

“You keep saying that like it’s an insult.” “And besides, you’re already beautiful. Like, very beautiful.”

Blu whispered, which made Nicole’s cheeks turn red from the compliment.

“W-whatever, nerd.” Nicole stuttered as she quickly looked away from Blu.

As the door to the classroom was about to close, Jewel strolled in just as the tardy bell rang.

She breezed past all of the students as she eyed the empty seat on Blu’s left side.

“Wow. Lucky me. An open seat.”

As Jewel slid into Blu’s left side, she moved the seat a little closer to Blu just enough for him to smell the lavender body wash she frequently uses.

“It’s cute how you always sit next to the window. In the right angle, you’re all I could look at.” Jewel said, tilting her head as she looks at Blu. Blu blinked.

“Um… thanks, I guess. The lighting’s great for taking notes.”

On Blu’s right, Nicole gripped her pen just a little too hard.

“Mmm. That’s not the only thing that looks great.” Jewel smiled.

“Huh?” “Your eyes, nerd. Ever think about wearing contacts or LASIK? Could get lost just staring at them all day.”

Nicole suddenly leaned into Blu’s side, gently prying him away from Jewel’s attention. “You know, most people would actually focus on the lesson and not flirt with their seatmate when they are clearly not interested.”

“Not yet.” Jewel smiled in a mockingly innocent way.

Miss Tess cleared her throat, snapping the rest of the class into attention.

“Alright people. The Great Gatsby. Chapter 10. Let’s get to it.”

As Blu’s pen shuffled and tapped a quiet rhythm while taking down notes as Nicole shot a sideways glare at Jewel every five minutes. And meanwhile Jewel is entirely focused on Blu.

"Hey… do you mind if I copy your notes later?” She whispered.

“Sure, I categorized and color coded them if that helps.” He replied.

“Idiot.” Nicole whispered.

“Did you say something, Nicole?” Blu asked.

“Nothing.”

“Aww, what’s wrong? Afraid I’m gonna steal short stack here away from you?” Jewel said to Nicole in a faux innocent tone.

“More afraid he’s going to catch something from you.” Nicole snarked back.

Ms. Tess cleared her throat as she looked up from her desk.

“Do we need to separate you two?” “Nah, I like sitting next to my nerd.” Jewel leaned back on her chair with a smug smile.

For the rest of the hour in class, Jewel would constantly set Nicole’s temper ablaze whenever she leans in a little too close to Blu, always playfully teasing him and flirting with him.

As the final bell rang and students began to clear their desks, Miss Tess stood at the center of the classroom, gathering her students’ attention.

“Before you all leave; I already have the groupings for your finals project.” Groans were heard throughout the room.

“Relax, I made sure that everyone will do their fair share in this project. No slackers.”

As she began to read aloud the groupings, Blu mentally prepared himself as he will most likely be stuck with the slackers who won’t help him or worse, the jocks who constantly tease him except for Roberto, the head jock and one of Blu’s male best friends in the school.

“Well, this is interesting. Gunderson, Jackson, and Sanchez.” Three heads immediately looked to the teacher as Blu nearly dropped his pen from shock.

“Wait, what?” Blu stuttered.

Chapter Text

“Wait, what?” Blu stuttered.

“You can’t be serious.” Nicole said, clearly unhappy with the group pairing.

“Well, isn’t that sweet; Fate decided to play matchmaker today.” Jewel swooned.

“Each group will write a short story of any chosen genre. It can even be a mix. Minimum amount of words is 10,000. Deadline of the project will be announced later.” Miss Kate said while adjusting the papers she is holding in her hands.

As the bell rang and the students left the room with the trio not far behind, Blu was clutching his bag like a lifeline while Nicole walked beside him, clearly not happy with the news with Jewel not far behind with her arms behind her head looking like she won the lottery.

“Ok. Ok. We got this. If we split the work, we can come up with something.” Blu muttered.

“I am not writing my part in this story while Pom Poms over there makes googly eyes at you for two weeks.” Nicole seethed.

“What, afraid I’m gonna steal him away from you?” Jewel teased.

“More like give him an STD.” Nicole muttered under her breath.

“So, we need 10,000 words. That is about ten pages and with formatting, could be more. So we each do-”

“At least 8-10 pages from each of us.” Nicole finished Blu’s sentence.

“Don’t worry. I’m good at romance and drama.” Jewel winked.

Nicole rolled her eyes.

“Ugh, of course you are.”

As the group settled into the library to gather inspiration and resources, they each sat beside each other to brainstorm possible genres.

“What if we do romance and fantasy?” Jewel suggested.

“Like we have three characters the boy, who is the main protagonist of the story, and two girls as the other main characters as they try and figure out how they can save the world all while the girls wrestle with their feelings on the boy?”

“Mmm… too corny. That type of trope has been written since time immemorial. Unless we can bring a fresh spin to it.” Nicole argued.

“I know, what about adding a touch of comedy to it?” Blu replied.

“What do you mean?”

“What if after they save the world, at the end of the story, we would have them be woken up in the modern world with all of their powers and experiences intact as if the universe gave that to them as a reward for their efforts? Which funny enough also includes the innumerable amount of wealth they gathered on their adventures.”

“Could work, we just need to re work it a bit to not make it seem like a cop-out or a bad ending.” Nicole mumbled.

“Ok, its settled. This is the theme we are going with. Wanna start writing the story at my house?” Blu stood up and stretched.

“Sure, its Friday anyway. Was planning to hang out at your place anyway.”

“Can I come too?” Jewel asked.

“Um…yeah. Of course. You’re a part of this group after all.”

“It would be nice to meet my future in laws.” Jewel teased as Blu stammered out incoherent words.

What neither of them noticed was Nicole glaring at the back of Jewel’s head as if she wants to burn a hole through it.

As they rounded the corner toward their lockers, a new poster caught Jewel’s eye.

“Oh, look what’s coming up.”

The prom poster shimmered under the bright hallway lights, looping letters akin to a wedding invite. A Night Beneath the Stars, it read. Below that, a smaller sentence indicating it is a masquerade ball. Jewel stopped mid-step, her eyes catching on the date. And as Blu followed her gaze, he immediately regretted it.

“You’re not seriously planning on taking him to prom are you?” Nicole coldly asked.

“Why not? He deserves to have some fun. And besides, aren’t you just his best friend?”

Nicole did not know why that sentence hurt like a barb to her heart. And she knows that it’s true.  To Blu, she is just a friend. A very close and complicated friend, but still a friend.

As Jewel walked out the door, Blu stayed behind.

“Hey, umm… I know she didn’t mean what she said. She’s just trying to get a reaction out of you.”

And besides, I don’t think prom is my thing right now. After…her” Blu paused.

Before he could finish that thought, Nicole grabbed his hand.

“Hey… don’t beat yourself up over her. She’s not worth it. And she couldn’t see your worth. Not like I do.” Nicole replied.

She gave a smile as Blu led the way back to his house.

The walk to Blu's home took them through quiet, cobble stoned streets. His suburban neighborhood seemed straight out of a family movie. Trimmed hedges, clean sidewalks, and the occasional sounds of children playing in the front and back yard. 

Blu's home sat at the end of a cul-de-sac, a modern two story house with just enough warmth to feel inviting and a small garden filled with all kinds of beautiful flowers watered and maintained by Linda, Blu's mother.

“Mom, I’m home! And I have company!” Blu yelled as he entered the living room.

As both Nicole and Jewel entered his home, they are immediately greeted with a smoky grilled aroma coming from the kitchen.

Blu’s mom, Linda, a Caucasian woman with bright red hair and turquoise eyes like Jewel, wearing large round rimmed glasses came out of the kitchen.

“Oh, hey sweetie! I was just cooking dinner with your Dad! Grilled steak with marbled potatoes, yours and Nicole’s favorite." Linda greeted her son.

“Oh, who’s your friend, Blu?” She asked.

But before Blu could introduce her, Jewel beat him to it.

“Hi, Mrs. Gunderson! I’m Jewel, your son’s future girlfriend.” Jewel replied as she stretched her hand in front of her for a handshake.

Blu tried to stutter a response and Nicole’s frown became more prominent as she held back a grimace.

Linda’s smile faltered for a second before she politely shook Jewel’s hand.

“Aah…. Umm… it’s nice to meet you!”

“She… she’s part of our group for our Finals project in Literature. We’re just gonna be in my room brainstorming and writing.” Blu finally uttered a response from the awkward moment.

“Oh sure, sweetie! Linda replied, her tone soft but distracted.

 “Umm, Nicole can I talk to you before you go upstairs?”

As both Blu and Jewel went upstairs, their voices fading in the background, Nicole sat on the sofa across from Linda, crossing one leg over the other.

“Please keep an eye on Jewel, will you?” Linda asked quietly.

 “I don’t want my son to get hurt again and she seems too… familiar to me.”

Nicole’s jaw tightened, forcing out a small reassuring smile as her knuckles whitened around the strap of her bag.

“Of course. Don’t worry, Mrs. Gunderson.  Blu’s my best friend.  I’m not going to let some bimbo take advantage of him. Not after what his last girlfriend did to him.”

“Thank you.”

With that, Nicole followed the duo upstairs.

Jewel was already sitting down on the floor, her jacket hanging over the chair, leaving her in just her cheer uniform as she is recounting a story that is making Blu smile.

“Okay, okay so get this. Last week, my parents dragged me to the beach for a “family bonding” weekend. I was wearing a brand new bikini, feeling good, and was just about to go get a smoothie right? Sounds simple.” Jewel starts as she leans back on the floor, her body close to the mattress of Blu’s bed.

“I already sense a disaster coming.” Blu grinned nervously.

“Mmhmm. Out of nowhere this guy steps in front of me, full-on blocking my path, and goes “Hey beautiful you here alone?”

“Oh boy…” Blu groaned.

“Yeah. Exactly.” Jewel giggled.

“I’m trying to be polite, but he’s persistent.

So, I start to say, “No thanks, I’ve got a boyfriend.”

“Smart move.”

“Right? Except he doesn’t buy it and was like, “Oh yeah, then prove it.”

Blu’s eyes widened.

“You didn’t….”

“Oh yes, I did. I blurted out your name. Loud, like really loud.

I yelled “Tyler, over here!”

“And then, some short lanky guy, halfway down the beach started waving at me. Turns out his name was Tyler too! What’s even worse was his girlfriend was right beside him and it looked like she wanted to throw hands right then and there.”

Blu was already doubling over from laughing, his glasses slipping down his nose.

Jewel’s laughter, joined his, filling the room.

Meanwhile, Nicole stood outside the door, watching them.

Blu’s infectious smile, the way Jewel’s eyes softened when she looked at him.

Nicole fully opened the door and stepped inside.

“Wow, glad to see our Literature project is taking shape.” She said sarcastically as she crossed her arms over her chest.

“Is this the part where you both slowly lean in and kiss, or should I leave the room?”

Blu suddenly stood up, anxiety creeping in.

"W-what? No! It’s not like that! We were just talking!"

Jewel grinned. “Really? Cause from where I’m standing, it sounds like you want me to kiss you.”

“T-that’s not….” He stuttered.

Jewel leaned in closer, her eyes playful, then she giggled.

"I’m kidding, Blu. Unless… you’d want me to be your first kiss."

Blu froze. His eyes instinctively darted to Nicole.

Their gazes locked just for a second. Her expression didn’t waver.  Then, with a tiny smirk, she puckered her lips and blew him a silent kiss.

Blu choked on air. And Jewel, too busy laughing at her own joke, didn’t notice.

“Oh, I’m sure Blu’s already had plenty of experience. “Nicole said casually, pretending to study her notes.

“Plenty of experience, huh? Then I’m sure he won’t mind giving me some private lessons.” Jewel teased.

“Ok, let’s all focus on our project now.” Blu said as he laid out his laptop on the floor alongside his notes.

“This project is getting interesting” Jewel muttered to herself…. and she wasn’t wrong.