pupa is king.

"because you're the one filling me head with things! perhaps not but you can certainly goad her on, i guess... not that she really needs it."

"positive and factual things! i can handle it as long as things don't nose-dive into the negative... my girlfriend is better suited for that. she doesn't; i think at this point, it's fun for her. besides, strangely enough, they do plenty of things with each other on their own. i think they're in love."

"you promise everything will be okay? does that mean i get to blame you if it's not okay? i didn't realise you were going to be the voice of authority... i would've thought that was more bella's thing but i'm looking forward to seeing it in action!"

"hey wait a minute, why would you blame your biggest supporter?? not to say that i don't believe it'll work out, it just doesn't make any sense to me! ugh, bella will likely be the person to actually do the action, if i'm being honest with you. passing up a chance to bully caelum? unlikely."

"me! i said! still puppies for me? that just makes them kicked puppies which is so much worse. have you seen a kicked puppy, ari? it's just sad. so, so sad."

"well get it out of your head because i promise everything will be okay! and i haven't seen one; i think i'd cry if i did. which begs the question of how you know but that's not the point right now. they're big boys and they have to learn how to handle their feelings whether positive or negative. i will not let them rip this group apart!"

“ugh, i’m going to be stuck with alex and olivia and the two of them being bitches! what if neither caelum or isaac want to talk to me?”

"who said?! i thought i just finished reassuring you that everything's going to be okay! if olivia can sit right in the middle of bella and i then we can do the same! that's highly unlikely. those boys are still puppies for you, you know. as friends or otherwise. if it helps, neither of them have expressed anger towards any of this."

“oh, you two won’t be hiding away together? sure. maybe you’re right but i guess only time will tell, huh?”

"oh. we definitely will but that doesn't mean we can't come out of our hidey-hole if you need us... just know that you're not alone in it all."

“yeah — i guess a weekend with all of us is maybe the best start. even if it is a little being thrown into the deep end. i know, i know! i just don’t want it to be weird for them either, y’know?”

"mhmm! and the good news is, you won't be alone. if you really need me or bella or both or even the mad girlies, we can always interject. it'll be a lot easier than having to initiate anything with the boys individually on some random tuesday. if they're actually as good as they claim to be, it'll only be weird for the second and then they'll understand this is progress."

“you’ll still be able to sleep together at night though — hopefully… it’s not so much that i’m worried about hurting feelings now i just don’t really know what a friendship looks like going forward. i know how we work as a group but working out the one on one thing is going to be hard. it’s not like they were ever going to be besties even without all this but… ugh, i don’t know! i’m just rolling with whatever happens.”

"i guess so. and that might be true but why don't we start with baby steps? hang out with a group first and feel the temperature a little... and then you can sweat about the one-on-one stuff. maybe pick isaac on your first attempt so you start off on the easier foot? besides, it's not like you weren't friends with them prior! they just, uh, happened to have feelings for you on inside, that's all."

"you'll be living together soon enough, though. that'll make up some time, right? it was just tricky. seeing them both, trying not to step on any toes, the fact everyone knew what was going on but no one was talking about it."

"uh, maybe? it really depends on what other things we've got going on. besides, bella has taken to studying without me so... i feel like that'll extend into our living conditions as well. emi, i seriously mean this, but i really don't think you'll be hurting anyone's feelings anymore. or, at the very least, maybe you don't have to worry about isaac and you can start mending things with caelum? i realize that it's not up to you to do that but... well, you've met the guy. they were probably not talking about it out of respect for your privacy — however little you had of it."

“yeah let’s not poke the bear with that one, huh? i think you’re both doing really good now though — this will be a fun weekend for the two of you too! ugh no i know that’s not going to happen and i’m not sure i’d want it to. i could barely handle the both of them separately when i was juggling all of that.”

"i hope so. i feel like i went from seeing bella every day to once every two or three weeks now. i know we'll have classes and all together but they're not exactly one-on-one. oh really? were they just that insufferable or was it more, like, the guilt...? also, i'm so sorry if i'm prying. you totally don't have to answer if you don't want to but i figured if you wanted to vent about the stress, i could maybe lend an ear."

"yeah... definitely a safer bet the two of them sharing instead of... literally any other combination. no, i know it's not but the two of you are working out. of course i did. i didn't want things to end up a total shit show."

"i think you and isaac could've also swapped but the decision's been made and i think if we bring up the topic again, olivia's going to get a hernia. it's not guaranteed though, it never is. the likelihood of us falling out is just as equal as anything else. and i hate to break it to you but unless you three became a throuple or something, it was always going to end up a total shit show."

"i'm just going to be all by myself. do you think that? i figure isaac will be but he always is... especially since i think he's going to room with olivia. yeah, ari. rub your happiness in all of our faces. we'll see."

"that's not true, you wouldn't be going if it were! and yes, i think he'll be on his best behavior whether olivia is around or not, since he's never been one to upset people in general. i trust him more than i do caelum... hey, you know that's not what i meant. now you're sounding like you wanted one of them to work out. is that... true?"

“well, exactly! even if i’m rooming with alex while we’re away she’s going to be busy doing other stuff. i mean at least you and bella are still together. i really doubt that’ll be the case.”

"which means you'll have plenty of time to yourself but come on! it's been so long since all of us hung out properly, i think the boys will be on their best behavior! we're... it was rocky for a bit because i was being stupid but i am thankful every day that we are. just — promise me you won't just stay in your room."

"i guess so... though i'm not sure how long that's going to last for. it was just so messy and we're not exactly a big group, are we? it really complicates things. maybe so but working out how thing go forward from that is sort of difficult."

"of course, especially since you three make up half the group. there's not... really anywhere to hide. there are pros and cons to that, i guess, and now it feels like everyone's in the group has been involved with each other. the only way forward sounds like friendship, unless someone's feelings are still stuck in the past."

"i doubt bella would let him hear the end of it otherwise. it was all really confusing and i guess i'm sort of... glad it's over? though i don't know that it'll ever feel normal again. yeah? i think so."

"you might be right about that. i guess it's a good thing that she's able to keep him in line then, right? i was really concerned there for a bit, emi. it just... looked like it was too much. but i think, deep down, all three of you are gonna be fine. they're good guys, all things considered. their only mistake was liking you at the same time."

"can't say no to supporting alex i guess. and i'm rooming with her, so... am i over what? ending up in a weirdly messy love triangle with two of my friends? i mean, i guess so? i've been dating, right?"

"that's good of him, actually displaying his support out in the open. and yeah, i figured that was the case since it seemed like a lot from the outside looking in... i never really got the chance to ask how you were feeling before being overwhelmed by it all. is the guy legit then?"

"i mean it's awkward, right? there's no avoiding it so i can see why he wouldn't try to instigate those sorts of situations. maybe this is a sign that he's over it."

"well yeah, it makes sense, which is why i was surprised to find that he's going on trip. figured he'd make up an excuse to stay behind or something, especially since isaac is going too. are... are you over it?"

"then why didn't you ask about him, hm? it's going. i figured he would be. you know. since it's a group thing. it's not much like him to not come along."

"because i'm not really friends with him, certainly not close like you and i are. eh, the group has been... quieter since then. he hasn't hounded anyone to go out recently. that's why i figured something was wrong with him too."