𝚏𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚗 𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚎𝚕 ,

teddy was way past the state of being drunk. he was somewhere further, calmly floating in time and space. life was perfect: he had amazing friends, he was doing theatre, he had orson’s favor. those were the moments he’d look back on one day and remember as the moments in which he was truly happy. or maybe they won’t and the weed and the vodka were making him sappy.

as he looked around, teddy realized almost everyone was gone, and those still around were lazily lounging around, in the verge of falling asleep or hooking up right there for everyone to see. the scene was a mess, the quintessential college after party. but teddy wasn’t ready to call it a night just yet.

at his right, jonah was drinking who knows what. and as teddy turned to look at his friend, he smiled. his eyes gleamed as he watched the other happily talk to some other students and a fluttering feeling in his stomach demanded to be felt. as he leaned down to join in, wrapping his arms around jonah’s shoulders, teddy relished in the domesticity of the moment. he could almost feel they were something more.

“darling,” he whispered, close to jonah’s ear. “let’s get out of here, yeah? i wanna smoke a joint and i don’t feel like sharing.” that much was true. but drunk teddy was also getting greedy, he wanted jonah all to himself. if only for a little bit. “please?” he repeated, blue orbs gazing at the other.

lab partner: chandler. there’s something about these two that just screams “power team” when they are together. they could get straight A’s on perfect experiments or burn down the whole school. there’s no inbetween.

elevator: nate. do you know all of the things these two can be up to while locked in an elevator for hours?! one thing’s for sure, there won’t be a dull moment while they’re in there.

mcdonalds trainer: mathias. teddy would be too scared of him, probably. but he will listen and take in every word, write down every detail. lest the french fries aren’t crispy enough.

who: @teddynewell​  where: campsite when: party time :)

Maybe she shouldn’t be so close to the fire in her state, but her edible was kicking in and she was hungry. So it makes sense she was craving the best camping snack there was, and in her generosity she was inclined to share. Pulling the two marshmallows off her stick as they were sufficiently roasted from the fire (the perfect shade of brown), Mads placed them on top of the chocolate square that rested on the graham crackers. She kept it open faced in case Teddy had a preference, and made her way back over to him. “I like to introduce myself as Mads Le, s’more’s connoisseur.” She beams, a burst of giggles following suit. “Shit- sorry- that’s a funny word.”

teddy felt warm and content by the fire. his mushrooms were kicking in as he tried to find secret messages in the way the fire would move with the wind. when mad’s voice broke his inspection, his attention went straight to her. he broke out in laughter. “mads le, s’more’s connoisseur,” he repeated with reverence, and a hint of a smirk. “does this mean i get the honor of trying one of your s’mores?” he asked, pointing to the chocolate and cookie delicacies mads’ was holding. mushrooms were not supposed to give you munchies, but teddy was starving. “please feed me,” he pouted. “i’ll pay you in alcohol and love.” 

DATE & TIME: early morning LOCATION: The Woods AVAILABILITY: Taken @teddynewell​

How anyone could sleep, outside, in a tent, was absolutely beyond him. Jonah woke with the first signs of daylight, and, unable to fall back asleep, had pulled on a hoodie and ventured out into the woods to waste some time until the rest of his classmates arose as well. But as he was making his way towards the trail, he saw a sleep rumpled Teddy doing the same thing, his blonde hair almost white in the wintery dawn light. There was an awkwardness to it that made Jonah want to run the other way, but he swallowed down the impulse, instead offering a surprisingly pleasant smile. “Couldn’t sleep?” he asked, his voice rough with disuse, the first words he was speaking that day. And then, strange flutter in his stomach before he said, “I was going to go on a walk. If you want to join me… I wouldn’t mind. But,” he added hastily, “only if you want to.”

teddy loved the great outdoors. he loved camping, and hiking, and sleeping with the stars above his head. thanks, mom and mama. although, perhaps he had to admit that doing mushrooms in the woods was not the best idea. he could barely sleep for about an hour, the sounds from the wind and the insects keeping him awake and alert, reminding him of monsters and ghosts. getting out of his tent, teddy could still feel dizzy, coming down from his high. he rubbed his eyes when he heard jonah’s voice and gave him a small smile. “not really,” he spoke slowly. teddy was surprised by jonah’s invitation, but he didn’t hesitate in following him towards the woods. they were good now, weren’t they? “i want to,” he reassured the other. “it’ll do me good.” which meant, teddy hoped the fresh morning air would helping sober up completely. “you? did you have a good night?”

there was a time when she might’ve found teddy an annoying presence– and harry doesn’t think that’s totally faded– but a certain fondness developed regardless, making her glad for the company as the two of them make their way into the kitchen. she grabs the empty tea kettle from the corner by the stove and fills it up, before setting it down and igniting the flame beneath. she doesn’t fight teddy on the suggestion to steal cookies from someone; god knows she’s done the same plenty of times in this kitchen. “i think i saw some shortbreads in the cabinet by the fridge. you know, the really good chessmen ones.” she remarks. “so, what’s keeping you awake then?”

.

“oh, fancy.” teddy squeals and then he makes his way over to the cabinet by the fridge. this wouldn’t be the first, and certainly not the last time he steals food from his peers. but teddy likes to think that he makes up for it in other ways. for starters, he always brings alcohol and “treats” for everyone whenever they have parties. taking the small white package, teddy takes a seat by the small kitchen table. he stiffens slightly at harry’s question. he really doesn’t want to lie to her but it’s not like he can tell her the truth either. so he goes for a middle ground instead. “i had a nightmare. and it was horrid, so please don’t make fun of me,” he replies with a pout. “what about you?”

hudson didn’t blame teddy for any of this. maybe he should, but he didn’t. because he knew the truth: teddy hadn’t meant to do it. when he followed orson and hudson into the woods that night, he hadn’t known what would happen. how could hudson blame teddy for a drunken accident? especially because hudson could have stopped it, if he’d just been faster. and now they were wrapped up in keeping it hidden, which was hudson’s fault too. teddy had been ready to turn himself in that night, but hudson couldn’t let him. even now, he wouldn’t let him. 

he leaned in to teddy, allowing himself this comfort. hudson was distressed; he needed someone to calm him down. maybe he shouldn’t have run to teddy for that, but he couldn’t help it. this was the only place he felt safe right now. 

hudson listened, allowing teddy’s words to sink in. if it were anyone else…well, hudson might agree. he didn’t want anyone to go down for this, but he also really, really did not want to go to jail. but it was teddy. the only person hudson knew for a fact that he’d cover up a murder for. the only person hudson would do anything to protect. he shook his head, barely letting teddy finish before he sat up and looked at him. 

“no.” he said, his eyes searching teddy’s. “that’s not going to happen.” the last thing he wanted was for teddy to have to flee the country and go into hiding. the idea of teddy just disappearing without a trace hurt, and hudson knew he couldn’t handle it. “look, we don’t even know what they know. you aren’t going to turn yourself in.” hudson said seriously. “i’m not going to let you do that.”

the police might know everything, or they might know nothing. they had no clue who had ratted hudson out. maybe they should figure out who told on him and what they knew before they acted rashly. “we’ll figure it out.”

.

teddy’s arms wrapped tightly around hudson and he closed his eyes, breathing in the warm familiar scent of the person he loved. teddy couldn’t help the guilt seeping through him. he was the one that caused this mess. but it was also a relief to know that no matter what, they were together in this. they had each other’s backs. teddy knew he couldn’t do this all by himself. if it was just orson and him that night, he would’ve turned himself in right then and problem solved. but with hudson involved, the picture changed. and teddy would do anything in his power to protect him.

“you’re right, we are getting ahead of ourselves,” he said nodding, turning his head to take a better look at his best friend. turning himself in would be the worst case scenario, but even then, they had a way out. “i just need you to know that whatever happens, even if worst comes to worst, we will be alright.” teddy took hudson’s hand in his, slowly intertwining his fingers. he raised their hands, bringing his lips to hudson’s knuckles. then, teddy placed a gentle kiss against soft skin. “i promise,” he whispered. i love you, he thought while looking at the other with bright blue eyes.

“i guess we gotta figure out who gave your name to the police first,” teddy sighed after a pause. his head was in a more rational state now. “do you have any idea who could it be? what could they know?” teddy had gone over the whole fourth year cohort in his head, trying to look for a culprit. but still, he couldn’t imagine how someone could actually have something on them. his chest hurt and a knot formed in his throat as he asked: “jonah, maybe?”

rehearsals were finally interesting for saffi, something she could actively participate in, rather than just watching her boyfriend, friends, and enemies all practice and seething with righteous anger and jealousy. when she steps in she stands behind teddy, waiting for her scenes to be called. “ooh!” she steps back just a bit when teddy nearly smashes into her while he turns around. “careful,” she winks at him. “it’s good to see you too. i’m doing… surprisingly well. you?”

.

“sorry, sorry,” teddy repeats again. when he looks up, he gives her a small smile. there’s a hint of blushing on his cheeks, it’s childish even. the people around teddy either loathed saffi or they absolutely adored her, there was no in-between. and for teddy, he couldn’t help but feel a little nervous whenever they were face to face. was he intimidated? maybe. “oh, great. i’m very glad to hear that,” he tells her earnestly. “i’ve been great too, if it wasn’t for... you know...” he pauses. no one can deny the police investigation is taking a toll on the fourth years. “if it wasn’t for that one tiny detail, i think it would be the perfect last semester.”

[ text : teddy ] beats me!!! [ text : teddy ] fuckin chandler is rlly gunning on the idea that we went missing thru out the party but we all kno she’s trying to throw the scent off of herself smh [ text : teddy ] what did u say to the police !!!

Mads was never the type to wear her heart on her sleeve, she was good at keeping things bottled inside. Even before sophomore year, she projected the image she thought everyone else would want to see from her to make friends. Now, it’s no secret she’s guarded, and that her secrets were becoming closer to her than any lover could be. Still, she had to be the one to feel the deep ache in her heart, it’s why she was sitting in the common area, taking up the entire sofa by the window. Vacant eyes gazed out at the snow falling, and for a moment she can only think one thing: decay at Alderidge was beautiful.

Her face brightens at Teddy, turning her head to face him with a slow, yet genuine smile. If there was one person who’d know that she didn’t have any real involvement with the murder, it would be him. Though, Mads has yet to realize why exactly. “Hey, king.” She scoots over to make rom for him, though she can tell something was up with him as well. She assumes why. “Ah, you know. Classes, Macbeth, et cetera.” She gives him a wry smile as she shrugs. “The director and I agreed once finals are wrapped, we can work on the summer play together. How’ve you been, love? I missed you too.”

.

teddy doesn’t hesitate to plop down on the couch besides mads. it’s freezing outside and there’s no better place to be than in the castle’s common area. the coziest place in all of alderidge, if you ask teddy. as expected, he doesn’t want to talk about the ongoing police investigation. specially when there’s a lingering feeling of guilt in his chest. not because of what he did, but because of the consequences his actions are having on his cohort.

“oh,” he mouths and then he smiles, more genuine this time. “that’s cool,” he adds, nodding his head and extending his hand for mads. “i’m alright. life’s basically the same, pretend to pay attention in class then off to rehearsals. and volunteering at the theatre on saturdays, i’ve been doing workshops for the kids,” he comments proudly. even if he is completely hungover or didn’t sleep at all on friday nights, teddy would be at birnam’s local theatre at 9:00am sharp every saturday morning. who knew teaching theatre, much like orson before him, would bring him so much joy? it’s a little detail teddy doesn’t like to think about.

“you can come with me one day if you’d like, it’s nice to get away from this mess, even if only for a little bit.” and then he adds, more to himself than to mads, “it makes it easier to breathe.”

harry wasn’t expecting to run into anyone this late, but she supposes everyone has their demons that come out at night. for her, right now, it’s dreams of saffi telling someone about the paint, or going to the police themselves, followed by a far-fetched version of a courtroom that finds her and jonah guilty in connection to a murder they didn’t commit. she wakes up sweaty and shaken, and is just on her way down to the kitchen to get something to relax herself when she bumps into teddy– or rather, he bumps into her. “yeah, grace is a snorer,” she covers with a nonchalant shrug. “i was just headed downstairs to make some tea. you want some too?”

.

.

the fact that not one, but two of the bartenders at the anchor recognize her is probably not a good sign, for her reputation or her liver. she cringed inside as the guy working tonight asked her if she’d have the usual, and then promptly poured her a whiskey, neat, which was, unfortunately, her usual. she finished her first drink in record time and was contemplating getting a second when she saw teddy. a smile, genuine for once, grew on her face as she saw her friend for the first time in what felt like years. she let out a laugh at his entrance, “thank you, thank you,” she smiled, bowing her head from her seat as though she were on stage, “and congratulations on malcolm. it’s a great role.” there was a refreshing absence of anger in his voice, something she was worried about when she went off on josie and mathias in the groupchat. regardless, she was glad he didn’t hate her - who else would she talk about cicero with? “sure, i’ll have another of these,” she said, awkwardly handling her glass as she motioned for the bartender to get her another. “so, what brings you here tonight? are you also finding the castle and its inhabitants as unbearable as i am?”

.

“thank you, thank you,” he replied, smiling. “king of scotland suits me well, don’t you think?” teddy took a seat beside chandler, making a sign to the bartender. “i’ll have what she is having,” he shouted to the guy, hopping he’d get his order. teddy was not in the mood to talk about murder and conspiracy theories. the audacity. when he was the one that turned their lives into a true crime series in the first place. deep down, he had to admit that, out of everyone else, the only person he felt guilt towards, was chandler. who knew what she saw in their fucked up teacher?! but he never meant to break her heart by killing him. “i thought i was meeting nate,” he replied, shrugging his shoulder. “but it’s probably best he couldn’t make it. at least i won’t be hungover tomorrow.” don’t speak too soon, teddy darling. “what about you?” he asked, turning to get a better look at chandler. “i assume you are escaping our sweet classmates,” he smirked. “i wouldn’t blame you. sometimes i feel like i can’t breathe when i’m in the castle.”

.

attending classes felt so futile in the grand scheme of how josephine’s life was currently going. it almost felt like a joke - naming four students as ‘people of interest’ in a murder case and then allowing them to continue leading their lives as if nothing had happened, to continue interacting with their friends and classmates who now had to live with the knowledge that the police suspected them of something deadly. like the police wanted them even more isolated than they already were.

but she still showed up. she put in effort all the same as if the murder had never happened. she only wished to spend as little time talking to her classmates as possible. but when she heard teddy’s voice, it felt wrong to ignore him - he was one of the few people she didn’t utterly hate, anyway, right? no harm in talking with him. “yeah, thanks, ted,” she replied, fighting the strong urge to roll her eyes. sorry. what for? “come on, we know how they got there - someone dropped my name, like they did matty’s, and mads, and hudson and even chandler.” well… josie, you were the one to mention chandler. “but whatever. i know i didn’t do it, so i have nothing to worry about, i guess. and i mean…” josie’s eyes fell for a moment before she looked back at teddy and shrugged with a small roll of her eyes, lowering her voice. “if the police happen to find out you, me and matty knew orson a little better than the others, then that can’t be all bad, right? i mean… why would we kill him, let alone know who did? why would we want to jeopardise our solid position in the program by hurting him? i figure that can send them off mine and matty’s track, and then you get the added benefit. ‘cause i mean, it wasn’t us, you know?”

.

one would think that pretending to be an unsuspecting, innocent student would be a much harder role to play for orson’s actual murderer. but teddy surprised even himself with how easily he rolls with josie’s conversation. with how calmly he nodded and listened to her words. she did have a point, though. someone gave the police their names. and teddy really, really, needs to find out who suspected hudson. was it some sort of sick strategy to play with ted’s head? or were they just as clueless and rather stupid when they dropped his best friend’s name?

not knowing what the police actually had on them was sickening. teddy can’t remember the last time he had some proper sleep. nightmares of orson, of a jail cell, an orange suit, followed him everywhere.

“right,” he agreed, nodding his head. “it’s so fucked up, how someone would just drop your names to the police like that.” truth be told, the whole situation is all sorts of fucked up. “and how stupid could the police be to believe them?” teddy scoffed. and this one was genuine. except for hudson, who could eventually lead them to teddy, the investigators were looking in all the wrong places. at least to ted’s knowledge.

“if you need me to go talk to the police myself, i’ll do it.” oh, the audacity. “i know you have nothing to worry about, but i imagine it must be annoying,” he added. was teddy willing to do it? maybe. lately, he had been feeling rather fearless. “i’d be annoyed as fuck if the police suddenly called me a person of interest.” and then, for good measure, “they’re just doing an awful job.”

.

numb was the best way to describe hudson right now. it felt like none of this were real; this was some sort of twisted nightmare he was having from guilt. finding out that he was one of the persons of interest in orson’s death was so surreal - because it was true. he just didn’t know how much the police knew. had someone see him leave with orson? or maybe they were suspicious because up until now, he’d always been the understudy? objectively, it was weird timing that now that orson was out of the picture, hudson was the lead. he could see why the police might think he was involved or something.

but it was the not knowing that made it worse. how close were the police to finding out the truth? was hudson going to jail for this? he couldn’t say he loved that idea, but if it meant keeping teddy safe, then…well, he would figure it out. hudson had gotten them into this mess, and he would get them out of it. 

opening their door, hudson quickly shut it behind him. once the lock was in place, his walls began to fall down. he was safe here, for now. inside their shared room, the police weren’t waiting with handcuffs, and their classmates weren’t pointing fingers. it was just hudson and teddy and the horrible unspoken truth of what they’d done that night. he shuddered, his chest feeling tight as he allowed himself to slump down onto his bed. 

a watery laugh escaped his chest at teddy’s greeting, and hudson briefly looked at the other boy for the first time. “hi.” he answered back, worry disfiguring the small smile he sent teddy. “uh…not good.” hudson answered honestly, holding his head in his hands. 

.

teddy nodded. and he slowly made his way to hudson’s side, sitting on the bed beside him, wrapping an arm around his best friend’s shoulders. he understood exactly how hudson was feeling right now. kind of. because he was the one police should be going after. not hudson. or mads or chandler. they were all victims of teddy’s mess. one second that changed it all. who knew fighting orson that night would lead to this? teddy just pushed him to the ground with all the pent up anger inside of him. he didn’t want to kill him. he was hurt, he was angry. but teddy is not a murderer. 

“i won’t let anything happen to you,” he muttered. it’s more than a promise. it’s a fact. teddy would move mountains and oceans to keep hudson safe. and things could be solved so easily. if teddy turned himself in to the police... “worst come to worst, i can, you know,” he started, struggling with the idea. he was scared. teddy was terrified. “i can tell the truth. i will keep you out of it. i am the one who killed him.” it’s the first time in months that teddy said those words out loud. his heart is beating so fast and so loud that he can feel it ring in his ears.

“it won’t be that bad,” he muttered then, trying to convince himself, and then hudson. “my moms have money, they can get me out of it. they’ll pay bail and i’ll have to go hide abroad, probably. but it won’t be that bad.” then, teddy looked up, his eyes were watery, but still, he tried to give hudson an honest, hopeful smile. “it will be okay, i promise. you will be okay.”

[ text : teddy ] pls tell me how josie and i both become person of interest [ text : teddy ] people of interest? [ text : teddy ] persons of interest? [ text : teddy ] anyways!!! but u don’t ? i smell a conspiracy theory!!!!!!

it’s another day of rehearsals at the fab. not that teddy has many lines to practice, but he likes to be where all the action is happening. besides, watching hudson practice his macbeth makes teddy’s heart swell with admiration. lover boy is so busy gazing towards the stage that he doesn’t realize there’s someone behind him when he turns around to leave. “i’m so sorry,” he says, looking up at saffi. “i wasn’t really looking.” teddy brings his hand to the back of his neck, giving them a small smile. it’s no secret he had a big crush on them sometime on their first year. it might be a secret to mathias, though. and maybe teddy prefers it stays that way. “it’s good to see you,” he adds, almost shyly. “with everything going on, i hope you’re doing  good.”

when teddy bumps into chandler at the anchor, he figures it’s better to talk about her getting lady macbeth than to talk about the last police report. the guilt fills him up every time he thinks about the mess he had caused. about the pain he had provoked. teddy closes his eyes for a second, wishing his ill thoughts away. “all hail, lady macbeth!” he says, smiling, leaning back on the bar. “i’m probably the last one to say this, but congratulations on the leading role.” chandler and hudson as the leads was something unexpected, but also fresh and exciting. “now, can i get you a celebratory drink?”