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When Theodore had gotten to the Bonfamille Manor in town, it wasn’t quite yet sunrise but it was late. He didn’t know if Bas or if Mads had gotten home okay but he had all the confidence in the world the two could take care of themselves. Lord knows when he sat down on the couch and laid on his side, he wasn’t in any position to double-check.

He woke up close to dinner time the next day and still felt like shit. His head pounded like someone took a hammer to it, or a hammer-like fist and it physically hurt him when he brought his left hand to touch one of his cuts. 

Thinking it couldn’t get any worse than it was right now, Theo immediately was proven wrong as he reached for his phone on his nightstand and checked for any messages. There were a few but none appealed to him enough and made him open his eyes faster than he ever had done than when he saw a text message with an Instagram link. He tapped the link and it brought him to a video.

[color=4169e1]“Please don’t tell me..”[/color] Theo’s voice trailed off into silence, hating himself immediately. [color=4169e1]“They caught the entire thing,”[/color] he mused, seeing just how...aggressive he was. In the deepest part of his gut, he felt something twist as though he was disgusted with the red-haired boy he saw because that wasn’t a man he saw tackling Cass. That was someone less than.

Halfway through the video, which wasn’t at the part where Theo got kicked in the chest, a pain that was still fresh, his phone went off. He scowled when he saw who it was. 

Begrudgingly, he answered. [color=4169e1]“Can you save the lecture?”[/color] Theo said, eyes closed as he laid back on his bed. [color=4169e1]“I already know why you’re calling, mother. And I know why you’re about to give me the third degree. Just save it.”[/color]

Adelaide Bonfamille didn’t speak for nearly a minute. Theo knew she was considering her words. He knew her to be precise and not one to beat around the bush, not when it came to him, at least. Always the direct one. Even as much as he hates to admit it, that’s one of the few things they have in common. They are often direct in how they act. For better or worse, Theodore and Adelaide possess that same fire in their souls.

Finally, as he heard her cough, she said, [color=FF66CC]“I hope you’re proud of yourself, Theodore.”[/color]

[color=4169e1]“Oh, I’m just beaming with pride, mother! I sure love getting recorded and everyone seeing me lose a fight. Yeah, I couldn’t be happier!”[/color] He spoke with such sarcasm that how his mother sounded, the way she breathed, he knew she rolled her eyes.

[color=FF66CC]“Are you done?”[/color] She asked with restraint but clearly not in the mood for his sarcasm.

[color=4169e1]“Yeah, I suppose so.”[/color]

[color=FF66CC]“Good.”[/color] Adelaide cleared her throat. [color=FF66CC]“This is an absolute travesty, Theodore. What on Earth possessed you to think this was a good idea?”[/color] 

[color=4169e1]“Honestly?”[/color] His rhetorical tone was met with silence, so he continued. [color=4169e1]“I don’t know what you want me to say. Do I regret it? Well duh! This entire ordeal was recorded and I [i]know[/i] everyone knows it was me. Hell, you even recognized me and you’re hardly around to know if I still have my red hair anymore.”[/color]And there it was. Direct and finally getting to his point. 

[color=FF66CC]“What do you mean ‘I’m hardly around’?”[/color]

Theo went to open his mouth, thinking he was going to say it. And his voice half-cracked itself, but in the end, he betrayed himself by opting for silence instead of the truth. [color=4169e1]“Forget it. I’m tired, my head hurts, and I don’t have time for this right now. Besides,”[/color] Theo said, sighing, turning on his left side, settling into a comfortable position. As he yawned, he said,  [color=4169e1]“I know you have that big concert in an hour. I wouldn’t want to make you late for it.”[/color]

[color=FF66CC]“Theodore, wait--”[/color]

He cut her off as he hung up with her and shut off his phone. He knew she wasn’t going to be particularly happy with him and he knew it would reach him eventually, but Theo didn’t care. He didn’t have the mental energy to spare for the likes of Madame Adelaide Bonfamille. He didn’t even have it to spare for his siblings. He only wanted to sleep and sleep he did. 
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It had been five minutes since Theo left the assembly. He didn’t stick around for the aftershow. As soon as the showstopping bomb was dropped, though he wasn’t exactly thrilled, the young man shrugged, caring not to focus on it right now.

There was a lot on the oldest Bonfamille’s mind. A lot of bad (for the most part). His part in that video that went around, how he acted against Cassian, and how ugly he might’ve appeared to a lot. By now, he was certain everyone knew who was in that video. Even if the Headmistress and all of those who worked for her didn’t know, everyone else had to know — or maybe it was his own worst thoughts that wanted to think that.

As he walked through the courtyard, deep in his thoughts, Theo was late to the party when he came to a stop at one of the many tables spread throughout the spacious courtyard. As he sat and checked his phone, he saw a group text that was still getting replies. His initial reaction was curiosity. Once he figured out the original sender was, he laughed. 

Theo and Nate weren’t exactly close and given that some of the replies ranged from downright cruel to supportive, he couldn’t imagine he was having any fun. Even still, Theodore wasn’t close enough to really care about what Nate was going through, well, not enough to help the guy out. 

As he shifted his body halfway out, the right leg on the outside of the table and his left still in, this gave Theo a better view of who was around. He saw some familiar faces. He caught Joanna Hart and that Charlotte girl walk off west and he saw Jasper Delamar storm off somewhere as though she was ready to beat someone up. Everyone was going somewhere and then came someone Theodore knew but not really.

Dark hair swayed in front of him and she probably didn’t realize it, but she absent-mindedly took a seat opposite of him. If he recalled, her name started with an F or something like that.  The fact she didn’t acknowledge him prompted Theo to speak first. [color=4169e1]“Hey, you’re Fi--”[/color] He tried to remember her name, [color=4169e1]“--Finna?”[/color] No, that didn’t sound right. [color=4169e1]“Salvador, right?”[/color] At least he remembered her surname.
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