Symphony of Sound.

It’s the eighth of January when Zack arrives back at Shakespeare School, and to say he is thoroughly unprepared would be an understatement.

He’s drastically underdressed, having gotten used to the nice, warm, California sun, and when he’s met by bitter cold and freezing snow, he is almost tempted to run back onto the train and head back to California until summer.

He’s gotten tanned in the eighteen days he’s been away, and freckles pepper across his cheeks and the bridge of his nose.

His clothing choice, however, leaves a lot to be desired –as he’s wearing just a tee shirt, sneakers and what appear to be Hawaiian print blue and white board shorts.

He immediately shivers, wrapping his arms around himself in a pathetic attempt to keep warm. Jack watches him, amused, from the gates of the school, underneath the ironwork headpiece.

Zack snaps his head up and glares at him, silently willing the snow that rests between the lettering to fall on the head of the smug younger boy.

But, of course, it doesn’t, so he stands there shivering and glaring until Jack comes over to him, Rian, Kara and Evan appearing behind him.

“Hey, Zee! You’re back!” Rian says, running from behind the other three teens and embracing Zack in a tight hug.

Zack hugs him back, partly because of the warmth, but mainly because he’s missed the older boy more than he’d care to let on.

“So, how was your birthday?” Zack asks, still shaking from the cold as he collects his things and moves as quickly as possible towards the school buildings. Rian notices he’s struggling after a few minutes and reaches over, taking the most awkwardly shaped bag from his hands and carrying it himself.

Zack gives him a soft smile, because as far as he can see, Rian’s okay with everything and he’s not going to treat him weird.

They’re sitting comfortably in front of the fire an hour or so later, having dropped all of Zack’s luggage up in his room and having gotten changed into something far more suitable for the climate.

Alex and Jack have taken up residence on the other side of Zack and Rian, to their left and further away from the fire that Zack is all but sitting in.

“How was your Christmas?” Rian asks, leaning forwards a little and settling himself properly as he crosses his legs.

Zack doesn’t have time to respond before Rian’s leaning forward again, and for a moment Zack almost thinks he’s going to kiss him.

No such luck, however, as the older boy just pokes him gently on the end of the nose with his index finger and raises his eyebrows.

“You’re the only person I’ve ever met who can get freckles over Christmas. I hate that you live in a really warm state.”

“You’re just jealous, dude.” Zack laughs, leaning back from Rian. “You guys were ankle deep in snow, while I was basking in bright sunshine with my family, instead of a group of idiots, half of whom I don’t even like.”

“Quit rubbing it in, alright?” Rian laughs, elbowing the blonde boy before stopping to look at him properly.

He’s changed over Christmas, most definitely. The blonde in his hair has become even more prominent, if that was possible, and his skin is a gentle tan colour now, with darker freckles here and there.

Rian finds himself distressingly attracted to him at that moment, and he shakes his head to try and rid his brain of thoughts like that.

He’s your best friend, you idiot. You have a girlfriend. You are straight. You like girls. Not cute boys with blonde hair and freckles and a really sweet smile and –hey! Are you with me or against me?

Zack raises an eyebrow at his best friend, who is currently glaring at a particular spot on the wall in the space right between Paul and David’s legs.

“Uh, Rian? You okay there?” Alex asks, his eyebrows disappearing under his bangs as he takes in the younger boy’s wide eyed expression.

Rian blinks, shocked, for a few seconds, before ruffling his hair with his slim fingers and looking back and Zack and Alex.

“Uh, sorry. I’m a little distracted, I guess.”

Alex mumbles something along the lines of ‘Yeah, I’d never have guessed, loser’ and Zack just cocks his head at him and bites at his lip.

Whatever trance they’re both in at that point, staring at each other, is quickly broken when Nick comes over and tugs at Zack’s tee shirt sleeve.

“Dude, you got tan lines while you were away over Christmas? I hate you so much!”

Zack looks down at his arm then, laughing a little when he sees the envious expression on the red headed boy’s face.

“Uh, I guess I did, yeah.”

“Ugh!” He exclaims loudly. “I hate living in Connecticut! It’s never sunny!”

And with that, Nick storms off, jealousy radiating from him.

Zack’s eyes follow after him, and as soon as he’s out of earshot, almost everyone in the common room bursts out laughing.

“God, he’s so funny and he doesn’t even realize.” David giggles, wiping at his eyes overdramatically.

Everyone falls back into their own conversations soon enough, and the topic quickly returns to Christmas.

“You never called me or anything!” Zack says with an exaggerated pout, staring at Rian.

“Sorry, dude.” Rian replies apologetically, shrugging it off quickly. “I got kind of preoccupied with spending time with Cassadee. I swear I meant to, I really did, I just never had the chance.”

“By ‘spending time with Cassadee’, you mean snogging her face off in front of everyone, don’t you?” Alex interjects, pursing his lips as he air-quotes around Rian’s words.

Rian blushes an interesting shade of pink and Jack shoots Zack a sympathetic glance, and the older of the two returns a sad, resigned smile.

“I’m… I’m going to go start unpacking my stuff now. I’ll see you all at dinner later.” Zack says, suddenly quiet as he stands and makes his way upstairs.

Rian frowns after him, partly to stop himself from admiring his ass, because, really –that would be a terrible idea.

“You really shouldn’t have said that.” Jack hisses under his breath at Alex as Rian stands up and fumbles for his phone, probably to call Cassadee.

“And why is that?” Alex asks, slumping back so he’s resting on Jack’s chest, looking up at the younger boy and getting a somewhat bizarre view of his chin.

“I probably shouldn’t tell you this, but I kind of have to now, I guess. You have to promise not to tell anyone, and we can’t talk about this in public or anything. It’s Zack’s secret, not mine.”

“Okay, I promise.”

“He likes Rian. As in, really likes him.”

“You mean he, like, fancies him or something?”

“In your stupid British terms, yes. Zack fancies him. A lot, as far as I can tell, and from what he’s told me.”

Alex frowns, because now that Jack mentions it, it is really quite obvious how Zack feels.

“And Rian doesn’t know?”

“He has no idea. Zack left him a letter over Christmas explaining how he felt, but you and I both know that he never even bothered opening it.”

Alex frowns again, sitting up and looking at Jack properly.

“Shit, Zack must be-”

“I think he knows Rian didn’t read it, Alex. It’s kind of obvious he hasn’t. I can’t… I can’t even begin to imagine how Zack must be feeling right now.”

“I probably shouldn’t have made that comment about Rian and Cassadee, should I?” Alex says quietly, biting his lip softly.

Jack shakes his head.

“No, you probably shouldn’t have.”

“One of us should probably go and talk to him, shouldn’t we?” Alex suggests, starting to stand up.

Jack shakes his head, grabs Alex by the waist and tugs him back down, where he lands with a soft thud in the darker haired boy’s lap.

Alex frowns up at him, folding his arms and pouting.

“God, you’re such a kid.” Jack laughs, rolling his eyes and pushing at the other boy’s shoulder.

“I am not! I’m seventeen, which, in case you forgot, is older than you are!”

Jack rolls his eyes again and battles against the weight of the older boy as he fumbles to get his phone out of his pocket.

“What are you doing?” Alex asks as Jack pushes his hand into his pocket. “Get your hands away from my ass, dude! It’s weird.”

“You wish I’d put my hands near your ass.” Jack retorts, rolling his eyes at his own childishness.

“Right, whatever, dude. Who are you texting, anyway?” Alex presses, pushing his index finger against Jack’s chest.

“Kara. I figure a girl will probably be more sensitive to Zack’s situation than a guy, you know.”

“Does she know what’s going on, though?” Alex asks as Jack types a quick text and presses ‘send’.

“I don’t think so, but if Zack wants to tell her then he has the option of doing so. I don’t want to tell her anything I shouldn’t.”

A few minutes later, the door to the common room bursts open and a snowy, annoyed Kara appears, her eyes fixed in a glare as she scans the room.

“Where’s Dawson?” She asks Jack from where she stands. “I feel I might have to break some sense into him.”

Alex and Jack exchange a nervous glance, because an angry Kara (or, Hell, an angry girl) is not something they’re too keen on coming up against.

“Zack could really do with your company right now.” Jack suggests quietly. “You can kill Rian after you see him, maybe?”

Kara nods, almost reluctantly, stripping off her coat and hat and shaking her long, golden brown curls.

“Alright. I’ll let you know what goes on when I come back.”

Kara climbs the small set of stairs up to the boys’ corridor, even though, technically speaking, she shouldn’t be going in there.

She reaches Zack’s door and knocks quietly, expecting the quiet ‘Who is it?’ she receives a few moments later.

“It’s Kara. I’m worried about you, Zee.”

The door opens slowly then, and Kara inches her way inside before closing it gently behind her.