Firebug: Chapter 5 - Jack of All Trades

"...and... done. Finally." Roman leaned back in his chair with a heavy sigh, pushing back from his editor's desk. He rolled his neck gingerly, rubbing the back of it with a wince to massage the ache from it. He'd ridden that deadline right down to the wire, but the next edition of the school paper was ready for print. Better late than never, right?

He sighed again and shut his eyes, tilting his face toward the ceiling. These long hours were killing him. If he kept burning the candle at both ends like this, he might wind up burning himself out in the end. That was a problem for Future Roman, though. Present Roman had too many obligations to worry about. Too many people looking up to him, depending on him to get things done. Present Roman wouldn't let them down. He couldn't.

Roman must've nodded off for a few seconds, because he didn't hear the footsteps marching up behind him until it was too late. By the time he was aware of them, a set of small, cool hands were covering his eyes. If he didn't recognize them by the Japanese Cherry Blossom lotion they were steeped in, the giggling voice by his ear left no doubt who they belonged to.

"Guess who, Hot Stuff."

Roman did his best to smile, playing along with the little game. "Um... gosh, I dunno... Marcy? No, wait: Sarah J."

The hands moved off his face in a heartbeat, kneading his shoulders playfully. The pretty blonde girl they belonged to pressed a swift kiss on his cheek, sticking her tongue out at him through her grinning lips afterwards.

"You are such a friggin' tease!" she jeered, her blue eyes sparkling with joy. "I don't know why I put up with you, Roman Durant, honestly."

"Ah, I knew it was you all the time, Luna," Roman winked. In a heartbeat, he yanked her onto his lap, earning a squeal of delight from his girlfriend. "To what do I owe this surprise? Don't tell me we scheduled a date and I forgot?"

Luna rolled her eyes, knitting her fingers together behind his neck. It was meant to be endearing, he knew, but it only agitated the crick in it. Roman could bear the mild pain just fine, though, so it wasn't worth telling her to let go.

"No," she said, a comical pout on her flawless, sun-kissed face, "I shouldn't need to pencil in time to see my boyfriend. Honestly, Babe: it's like you don't even want to see me at all anymore. I'm starting to think you don't really want to be together."

"C'mon, that's crazy talk," Roman insisted, hugging Luna's narrow waist, "Your happiness means more to me than anything, Lu. You know that. I've just been busy."

Luna's frown deepened, losing its playfulness. "That's what you always say," she sighed. "Why did I have to fall for Mr. Goody-Two-Shoes? You're lucky you're so hot. Otherwise I'd drop you in a second."

Her comment stung a little, but Roman took it in stride. Luna pecked him on the lips a second later, which helped soothe his bruised feelings. That's how it had always been with her. But, still, Roman was okay with it.

"I just wanted to stop by and say hi," she said, climbing off his lap, "oh, and to ask for help hanging my campaign ads for Homecoming Queen."

There it was.

"Gosh, Lu," Roman massaged his sore neck with an anxious frown, "I'd love to, really... but-"

"Fabulous!" Luna reached into her backpack that same second, dropping a ream of bright pink fliers and a matching roll of masking tape onto his desk. "Make sure you get them all up before first period, okay? I'll see you at lunch. Thanks, Babe; you're the best!"

"Yeah... sure," Roman sighed, sinking lower in his seat, "No problem."

As Luna sashayed out of the journalism club room, Roman just stared at that stack of fliers. He was hoping he'd have time to squeeze in a nap, or at the very least grab a bite to eat before the first bell. Luna was counting on him, though. With a heavy exhale, he logged out of his computer and gathered up the fliers and tape. There would be time for food and rest later. It was okay.

Everything was okay.

Roman was working on full autopilot getting those fliers up. He did all the right things, smiling and nodding at everyone who passed by him; returning every friendly greeting he got in kind. His mind wasn't on his task at all, until he heard a quiet, nervous cough behind him.

"Erm... R-Roman?"

He spun around with a jolt, surprised and delighted to see Theo standing there. For the first time all day, Roman felt alive, glowing with warmth inside and out at the sight of his friend.

"Hey, Man," he grinned, dapping the Brit up automatically. He kept the bro hug that followed brief, knowing how Theo felt about prolonged touching. Just like yesterday morning, though, Theo seemed reluctant to let go. Roman saw it as a good sign, glad that his friend was coming out of his shell a little. The shy smile Theo gave him afterward told him his instincts were on the right track.

"Hello yourself," Theo said, shuffling his feet awkwardly. "I just wanted to thank you again for yesterday. It was... nice... being able to talk so openly about... him."

The shorter boy's entire body tensed up and he dropped his gaze, retreating back into his shell. Roman couldn't blame him for it, though. Not after what Theo had been through. Roman didn't even know how Theo was able to function. If he saw Luna die right in front of him, Roman would be an absolute wreck. He still didn't have all the details, but frankly he didn't want them. Jason was dead, and Theo was clearly torn to shreds over it. That's all he needed to know.

"I'm just glad you trusted me enough to listen," Roman said, offering Theo a fist bump. "I'll always be here for you, too, in case you ever need or want to talk about Jason again."

For a second, he forgot he was holding onto Luna's fliers. The next thing he knew, they spilled out of his arms and scattered all over the floor. Swearing a little more loudly than he meant to, Roman dove after those fluttering pink papers immediately. Some of them had already been stepped on before he had the chance to pick them up, leaving them crinkled and littered with shoe prints. Luna would not be happy about that, for sure.

Theo hurried to lend him a hand, picking up the fliers closest to him. "What even are these?" he muttered, frowning at the headshot of Luna printed on it, "...'Vote Luna Corbin for Homecoming Queen'? You didn't tell me you were on the homecoming committee as well."

"I'm not," Roman sighed, taking the fliers from Theo. "I'm doing a favor for Luna. Anything to make my girl happy."

Theo scooped up a few more fliers, adding them to Roman's stack pensively. "It seems rather odd, doesn't it?" he mused, "I mean... why can't Luna put them up herself? Does she have some other pressing errand?"

Roman blinked, honestly caught off guard by the question. "Well... no," he admitted, "Not that I know of. She just asked me to do it for her. It's okay; not like I mind. She is my girlfriend after all."

"But you already do so much," Theo argued, "I'm starting to wonder, Mate, if you take any time for yourself at all." Not a second later, Theo took a frightened step back. "I'm sorry; I-I didn't mean to overstep."

"Theo, it's okay, really," Roman said, "You've got to stop apologizing so much, Dude. You didn't do anything wrong."

Theo's lips twitched in a small, appreciative grin. A second later, he took half the stack from Roman without warning.

"Theo, what-?"

"The job will go faster with two of us," the Brit said, "It's the least I can do, after all you've done for me."

"Yo, Durant! Whazzup, Dawg?!"

Roman turned toward the new voice, his autopilot switch flipping back on. It was Jake; the football team's star running back. His mahogany face was stretched wide in a mischievous grin, letting Roman know he was up to no good whatsoever. A quick dap later, and Jake's arm was suddenly around Roman's aching neck.

"You heard about the party going down this Friday night?" Jake asked, his brows waggling playfully. "Word around campus says it's gonna be lit!"

"A party? On campus?" Theo murmured, "I wasn't aware such things were allowed."

"They're not," Roman said flatly, trying to hide a wince as he shrugged Jake's heavy arm off, "Does the faculty know about this?"

"Cool your jets, Prez," Jake rolled his eyes, "I never said it was on campus. Chris's folks are out of town this weekend; it's gonna be at their place."

"Chris?" Roman's brow raised skeptically, "As in Chris Fletcher? I thought he was still locked up in Juvie?"

"Those charges were dropped... and I've got a damn good lawyer."

Roman's head snapped toward the third voice, shocked to see Chris Fletcher leaning against the lockers to his right. Just seeing that jackass made his skin crawl, especially when Chris flashed that greasy smile at him. Without warning, Chris' beady black eyes shifted to Theo and his smile widened. Roman couldn't explain it, but there was something in that look that just made him want to punch Chris in the face.

"Hell-o," Chris said, his dark eyes scanning Theo from head to toe. "Who do we have here? Haven't seen you around before. You must be the new guy I've heard so much about."

He moved closer to Theo then, making Theo flinch. Before Roman could stop him, Chris tucked one of Theo's shaggy curls behind the Brit's ear.

"I'm shook," Chris murmured, "nobody told me how cute you were."

Theo's freckle-strewn face turned red as a beet, his jaw flapping soundlessly. A wave of inexplicable anger broke over Roman then, driving him to move between them. The same anger he felt toward Jasper the day of the dodgeball game.

"Back off, Fletcher," Roman snarled, "He doesn't like to be touched. Don't ever do that again. You hear me?"

Chris backed away with his hands up, faking a shudder. "Just bein' friendly," he joked, "Guess I'll see you guys Friday night, eight p.m. sharp; BYOB." He looked past Roman's shoulder at Theo one last time, flipping his dyed blue hair out of his eyes like a boy band reject. "Later, Cutes."

Chris strutted off without another word, and Jake wasn't far behind him. The further away he got, the calmer Roman felt. By the time his head cooled, he realized Theo was gripping the back of his letterman jacket. Shocked that he could feel the heat from Theo's fingers... and that they were trembling.

"You alright?"

Theo slowly let go, nodding. "You didn't have to do that," he murmured, "...but thank you."

"What're friends for?" Roman smiled. "C'mon; these fliers aren't gonna hang themselves."