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[color=darkgray][indent][indent]Contrary to popular belief, Astraia Astor and Santiago Fernandez had [i]not[/i] hooked up in the Salvador office. Instead, they finally put an end to the tension that had them hostage since Yessi’s return to Florida. On her end, the blonde had explained in detail why she had left so suddenly, why she hadn’t bothered to contact Diablo, and how the reason behind her and Aurelio’s return was to patch things up with those they’d left behind before returning to South Korea. On his end, Santiago told Yessi all about April, his feelings for her, and the news of his impending fatherhood. Worries had been soothed, advice had been exchanged, laughs had been shared and any remaining ill feelings had been put to rest. When all was said and done, the two young adults officially closed their chapter together with a long, emotional embrace.

Diablo and Yessi were exiting the office to go back to their friends when a familiar voice rumbled across every corner of the Salvador home.

[color=ec008c][i]“Good evening, King’s Academy! How’s everyone doing tonight?”[/i][/color]

Santiago’s blood turned to ice, gray eyes widening. He exchanged a look with the blonde before they both rushed to the stage just in time to hear April shout out to the whole school that she was pregnant with his baby.

He could feel the eyes of everyone in the room digging into him and the whirlwind of gossip start as he waited for April to leave the stage. She was about to walk out the door when he reached out and grabbed her arm to stop her. [color=D11717]What the fuck is [i]wrong[/i] with you?!”[/color] he hissed at her, the clown makeup making his furious face look menacing.

[color=ec008c]“What the fuck is wrong with me? I have trust issues apparently. And hmmm, why do we think that is?”[/color] April paused for a second, her once triumphant mood replaced by frustration. [color=ec008c]“No answer? Maybe it's because I can’t let you go to a party without you fucking anything that breathes. Or maybe its because that on top of the fact that you wanted to come alone, you still had the audacity to ask me to stop racing. As if you give a fuck!”[/color] April took in a breath and composed herself. She needed to be the bigger one here, not the irrational one. [color=ec008c]“Let's talk outside before we embarrass ourselves anymore.”[/color] she said, turning on her heel and heading towards the door.

[color=D11717]“[i]We[/i]?”[/color] Santiago called out to April, feet firmly planted on the ground and making no motion to follow her anywhere. [color=D11717]“I’m not embarrassed about a damn thing! I wasn’t the one jumping to wrong conclusions and making a fool of myself in front of the whole damn school! And don’t you fucking keep blaming me for your trust issues, April: I made it very clear to you from the very beginning that what we had wasn’t meant to be serious! How many times do I have to fucking remind you of that?!”[/color]

April stopped in her tracks, turning around to face him a few paces away. [color=ec008c]“So homecoming was a lie then huh? [i]Oh, Lils, I think I’ve fallen in love with you. Lils, I’m sorry I’ve been such a douchebag to you. Lils, I’ve really fucking missed you.[/i]”[/color] She said, faking a small dainty voice as she spoke. [color=ec008c]“It wasn’t meant to be god damn serious until it suddenly was, Santiago, and yet you come out here and the first thing you do is fuck god damn Yessi. Can I just say, predictable as usual.”[/color] April’s eyes shot daggers into the young man before her, further intensified by the yellow tinted contacts that hid her usual eye color.

[color=D11717]“And here we go again: jumping to the wrong conclusions! It’s turned into your new fucking sport, Lils!”[/color] Diablo sarcastically snapped, shaking his head and rolling his eyes at April. [color=D11717]“First off: I meant every single thing I said to you at Homecoming- that’s part of the conversation I had with Yes, believe it or not. But since you’re so fucking sure I was screwing Yessi, go ask your boyfriend Kavi to show you the footage from the security camera in the office. Because I swear on my grandmother’s grave that you won’t see me tongue-deep in Yessi’s mouth like you were with him less than ten minutes ago,”[/color] he added bitterly, his voice dripping with pain and hurt that only intensified when he saw the expression in April’s face. So it really [i]was[/i] her in that video with Kavi… Just like he’d feared. [color=D11717]“Or did you think that by taking your usual shots at me I wouldn’t find out?”[/color]

April felt the blood drain from her face and her hands get cold. His words hit her like bullets, every single one of them stinging more than the last. It wasn’t that she was shocked that he’d found about the kiss with Kavi, it was that she had lost the moral high ground. She was the cheating asshole now. She was the one that Santi needed to be mad at. April took in a shaky breath, swallowing hard. Her eyes never left Santi’s, but every moment of silence between the two she felt smaller and smaller.

[color=ec008c]“I…I am s-so...so so so so sorry…”[/color] April squeezed her hands into fists to hide how they shook, stammering over her words as she spoke. Anyone around them that was paying attention could see that April looked absolutely mortified, the same look one would have if they’d hit a kid on the street with their car. 

[color=ec008c]“Y-you…you don’t owe me anything...b-but can we talk outside [i]now[/i]?[/color] April asked, her voice still evidently shaky.

The young man nodded, and followed her lead as she brought him over to her car, far enough away that they wouldn’t be overheard. When they’d reached their destination, he turned to face April, his broad arms crossed in front of his chest. [color=D11717]“[i]Well[/i]?”[/color] he asked a bit more coldly than he’d meant to, raising a questioning eyebrow.

[color=ec008c]“I guess it’s my turn to be the cheating asshole who needs to apologize.[/color] The cool outdoor air on their silent walk outside had really helped to calm her down a bit. [color=ec008c]“I guess I have no reason not to trust you about what you did with Yessi. I’m sorry that I jumped to that conclusion Santi. Not that I’m trying to make excuses--because I’m not--but I guess I was just thinking the worst because you didn’t want me to come.”[/color] April shook her head. It sounded so stupid now that she had said it, but it was the truth. [color=ec008c] “It was a shitty thing to do, and I guess I really didn’t help it any when I...when I made the announcement.[/color] She looked down to the ground with these words, wishing she could take it all back.

Diablo was quiet for a moment, taking his time to organize the racing thoughts in his head before speaking up. [color=D11717]“The kiss itself isn’t what has me so upset. It’s [i]who[/i] you did it with, that it was meant to spite me for something I didn’t even do, and how you said that scum’s been there for you when I wasn’t,”[/color] he admitted, pinching the bridge of his nose to hold back the tears that were burning his eyes.

[color=D11717]“Look, Lils: I’m not perfect. I know I’m a piece of shit, and I know I haven’t given you any reason to trust me- I swear I’m fucking trying to fix that. But you’re making it so damn hard for me, you know? I haven’t so much as thought about being with someone else, yet you’re quick to assume I’m still fucking everything that moves. When I decide I need some time to clear my head and ask you for space, you don’t respect that. You keep hounding me and hounding me instead, and it makes me feel like I’m fucking [i]suffocating[/i]. The only way I know I can  get some peace is to disappear altogether. And I’m not saying this to play the victim or any of that stuff: I just want to be upfront with you. Just think about it: how are we supposed to make things better if the attempt is one-sided? I can’t be the only one making an effort here, Lils. You’ve got to give me a hand.”[/color]

[color=ec008c]“I really want to apologize for...for kissing Kavi. I made an assumption and decided that if you were allowed to do it, so was I. I’m really, really sorry for going behind your back and doing that.”[/color] April took a deep breath, taking in everything Santiago was telling her. [color=ec008c]“I didn’t realise that you felt I was suffocating you when you needed space… I’m just scared. I’m fucking terrified with this happening and got angry when you weren’t there. And the assumptions...there’s no excuse for that.[/color] She looked up to Santiago, tucking her hair behind her ear. [color=ec008c]“It was a shitty thing to do. I’m sorry.”[/color]

Santiago didn’t know what it was about April, but she always managed to hit that soft spot he never even realize he had in the first place. He reached forward and wrapped her in his arms, nuzzling his face in her hair and kissing the top of her head just like he’d done back at Homecoming. [color=D11717]“And I’m sorry for making you think I was running away from you. I love you, Lils: I really do. I said I’d be there for the both of you and I mean that. You’re having my fucking kid, for crying out loud. There’s no way I’d ever leave you like that.”[/color]

[color=ec008c]“I feel like we could’ve done better--and I’m not pointing fingers, neither of us are great at this evidently--had we talked about this kinda stuff. Maybe we just need to open up like this whenever something’s up.”[/color] She hugged him tightly, letting out a long sigh as she pressed her head into his chest.

[color=D11717]“I agree,”[/color] he admitted, stepping away from the embrace. His gray eyes stared at her beautiful face for a second, and he took a moment to wipe the tears off her cheeks.  [color=D11717]“From now on, we’ll start working on being better towards each other. We have to make things work before the baby comes, right?”[/color] he added with a laugh, taking a moment to place his hand on her stomach where he knew the beginnings of a bump were starting to show. The young man knew April was a really sweet girl, and he felt awful for being the reason she felt so insecure. He’d definitely try to fix that.

[color=ec008c]“Right.”[/color] April nodded, a smile returning to her face as Santiago’s hand pressed against her.

Diablo took a moment to give his girl a soft kiss before offering up an escape plan. [color=D11717]“What do you say we get out of here, grab some snacks and watch a movie back at your place? I didn’t even want to come here in the first place. I can’t wait to take this stupid makeup off…”[/color] he complained with a chuckle.


[color=ec008c]“Agreed. And that sounds like a good idea. I was never one for these big parties anyway.”[/color][/indent][/indent][/color]