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Nick ignored whatever they were talking about. He was still stuck on the fact that he and Seth were almosteyelevel now, which caused him a level of consternation he wasn’t prepared for. Not when Seth had always been pale and chubby with curly hair that should have been illegal for how perfectly messy it always looked. But he’d beenshorterthan Nick and—

“Are you wearing lifts?”

Seth shifted like he was nervous. “No, I’m not wearing lifts. Maybe you’re getting smaller.”

“I’m not gettingsmaller. That’s not a thing.”

Seth started to say something, but it was swallowed by his yawn.

Nick frowned. “Are you tired? Why are you tired? You look tired. Did you not get enough sleep last night?”

Seth reached out and squeezed his shoulder. “I’m okay, Nicky. Just a late night.”

“Doing what?”

“Tossing and turning. Anxious about today, I guess. First day back and all. You know how I get.”

Nick did. Sometimes, Seth worried too much about nothing at all, and it frustrated Nick to no end, because it meant there was something making Seth feel bad that Nick couldn’t tear apart with his bare hands.

Gibby stood, pulling Jazz up with her. “As fun as it is to watch you two do… whatever it is you’re doing, we’re going to be late.”

“I can’t be late,” Jazz said, putting her earbuds back into her bag. “Daddy said if I show up on time for the entire first month, he’ll buy me the Alexander McQueen skull-embellished pumps I need to continue to exist.”

“Sounds fake, but okay,” Nick muttered, as he followed his friends toward the subway stairs.

The streets of Nova City were crowded as they made their way toward Centennial High School, home of the Incredible Fighting Wombats. Traffic was backed up, yellow taxis honking their horns as if it would get the gridlock to move forward. Jazz and Gibby walked in front of them, hand in hand, Jazz talking animatedly while Gibby glared at everyone who bumped into them.

Seth and Nick walked side by side, shoulders brushing together. Nick was trying to surreptitiously see if Seth did, in fact, have lifts on, but they looked like the same terribly endearing loafers he always wore.

“What?” Nick asked, having missed what Seth was saying.

“I said, I’m sorry I didn’t have time to beta read the chapter before you posted it.” Seth tugged on one of the straps to his backpack.

“It’s fine. It was pretty much perfect already.”

Seth snorted. “I guess.”

That wasn’t the glowing praise Nick had expected. “You… guess?”

“It was fine, Nicky.”

Nick chose to believe him. “I saw your comment. You said stuff came up. What stuff?”

“Oh,” Seth said. “Just. You know. Stuff.”

“Uh-huh. That sounds believable.” Nick was struck with an absolutely horrendous thought, though he couldn’t figure outwhyit was absolutely horrendous. “Did you have a date or something?”

Seth started coughing explosively.

Nick patted his back like any good friend should.

“No,” Seth managed to say, wiping his mouth. “Why would—who would I—”

“I dunno, man. Maybe you’ve got a secret girlfriend. Or boyfriend.” That left a weird taste in his mouth.

Seth had come out to him first when they were fourteen, telling Nick he thought he was bisexual. Nick, in his attempt to be cool and accepting, had squeaked and fallen off the park bench where they’d been feeding kettle corn to birds. It’d taken longer for Nick to figure out his own queerness, but thenhe’dbeen the one with a boyfriend (ish) first. It wasn’t a queer race, but that had to count for something, right?

Seth had been scarce over the summer, much to Nick’s consternation. What if he’d met some Luxor Avenue debutante or a burly mechanic with oil stains on his fingers? Nick read alternate universe fanfiction. Stuff like that happened all the time.