Titanium Chapter 11

Stacee continued through the doorway into Haxel's office, but not until after he watched Laila completely walk around the corner. She is so gorgeous; Stacee couldn’t actually believe he saw her… Once inside looked around the classroom, completely empty; so Haxel must be in his office then. The fifteen year old walked through the quiet class room and wound up the stairs to the Defense Against the Dark Arts office. Sure enough Haxel sat at his desk, face buried deep into his palms.  Stacee took two fingers and knocked on the office door with his knuckles.

"Professor? I-is it a bad time?"

Haxel looked up and forced a smile, "No! Stacee come on in, what's up?"

"Who was that girl who was just in here?" The boy asked without much thought, his mind still wondering about the sandy blonde Gryffondor girl.

"Is that really what you came to talk about?"

"Oh no it's just- uh- never mind..."

"Oh you fancy her?" Haxel asked with a sly smile on his face. Jesus who said stuff like that?

Stacee felt the blood rush into his cheeks, no doubt his hair changed into and even darker pink, "I... Uh... No!"

Haxel laughed kicked out the chair from the opposite side of his desk for Stacee to sit, "Alright so why are you here?"

Stacee sighed and took a seat, "I just wanted to escape Landon and my succubus sister…"

Haxel folded his arms across his chest, pursing his lips and leaning back in his chair. "Right… they’re together right? That must be weird for you. I know you don’t necessarily like your sister."

"Mostly nauseating..."

Haxel gave a light laugh, "I can understand that… It’s weird I never pegged Landon as the type to blatantly ignore something like that. Especially with a relationship like yours, I suppose you don’t want to talk about it. So to change the subject I actually have a question for you, I've been meaning to ask you for a bit, just haven't known how….."

Stacee furrowed his brow and nodded at his professor, "Uh shoot."

“I don’t know if you’re aware… but I’ve recently started to… uh, see you’re Aunt. So I- is that okay with you?”

"Uh......" Stacee gapped for a moment, that wasn’t at all what he was expecting. "Uh... Well I- that’s actually really awesome... you guys are like my favorite people in the whole world. And I love Kirsten, and god knows you’re the closest thing I have to a father figure… so I think it’s really awesome that you two are dating or whatever.” He nodded and gave his best smile.

Haxel nodded with a smile of his own and stood up from his desk, "Well thank you Stacee, I’m sorry to cut things short but I have to ask you to leave. But I will see you in class tomorrow."

"Right... See you tomorrow Professor.." Stacee nodded and got up from his own seat slightly disappointed that he didn’t get to talk to Haxel very long but he was a professor right? Haxel had more important things to do than sit around with a student all day. The boy walked back into the corridors to try to find his friend again. Hopefully this time without Mabel, but as of late that just seemed to be bloody improbable. Stacee let out a long sigh and weaved through the students, he should just head back to common room and study for the O.W.L.s. Stacee was still feeling like he’d probably murder Mable or Landon or even both of them if he had to witness another gruesome snogging session.

As he went to enter the common room a lanky, slightly awkward house mate was leaving. She pulled her long dark braid around her shoulder and brushed the dust from her skirt before running off in a hurry.  Stacee had seen her around, she was a house mate after all, her name was Elena or something like that? Wow, how was it even possible to live in the same house as someone for five years and not know their name?

Now feeling like a shitty person the metamorpmagus let out a long huff and crawled into the hufflepuff common room.  He walked into the boy’s rooms and pulled himself and a textbook or two onto his bed.  

He lay back in the bed and stared absently at the ceiling, he didn’t actually want to study at all.  In fact he just kicked the books off his bed and watched them spin across the floor. Someone would probably pick them up or at the very least they would step over them. Stacee just wanted an excuse for himself, so he could say his friends didn’t bail on him for girls that he bailed on them because he had important things to do too. But they did and he was alone and not because he wanted to be. It wasn’t that he wanted them to be unhappy or alone either… but- but it was pretty bloody lame that they just didn’t have time for him anymore. And that was the case with all of them, Jason and Charlie where too busy running around with the twins they were dating that the only way they thought of hanging out with Stacee was by setting him up with a girl on the team and Landon was too busy with Mable now. That sucked… A lot. Especially with Landon-- Haxel nailed it when he said he didn’t think Landon would do something like date Mable, that was like the lowest of the low on Stacee’s list. It was like he was doing it just to hurt Stacee, and Stacee knew that wasn’t it but it sure felt as hell that way.

The pink haired boy spent the rest of the afternoon mentally rambling to himself about the whole ordeal before he had tuckered himself out and finally fell asleep.

****  

A lot of the next month went by the same stupid way. Stacee would start out with his best friend and Mable until he couldn’t bare it any more and went off to be alone. Some times he actually studied for the approaching O.W.L.s or got a chance to hang out Charlie and Jason but most the time he just sat in his bed and spaced out.  But today was different, it was only two weeks before they all went home for thanksgiving break. Mable and Landon sat next to each other, but it wasn’t nauseatingly close like usual, Stacee sat across the Hufflepuff table from the two.  Nobody said anything all morning; the three of them just ate their breakfast in uncomfortable silence.

“I cannot believe you are inviting Stacee over for thanksgiving but you think It’s too weird for me to come.” Mable broke the silence by practically screaming at Landon who just looked at her with a freckled dopey look.  

“Uh…”

“Is that seriously all you have to say?”

“No I just-“

“You know what? Save it because I. Don’t. Care. Clearly, dating you was a mistake if you think I’m not important enough to invite to thanksgiving.” Mable announced and pushed away from the table, at this point her show had attracted the attention of most everyone in the Great Hall. For the love of all that is good and holy in this world please just turn around. “So yea we’re through.” The blonde Ravenclaw said triumphantly and stomped off.  

Landon sat there gaping. “Did I really just get broken up with?”

Stacee stared at him, he didn’t answer until most of the students went back to eating, “Uh yeah… I think that’s safe to say.”

“That really freaking sucks…” Landon breathed and left the table, “I’ll- uh catch up to you later….”

And just like that Stacee was alone. Again….