xp_logs | Sometime this evening...

Jake ran into the rec room, throwing himself at the couch and grabbing the tv-remote frantically. The West Wing was on. No matter how much thinking Jake had to do, he absolutely had to see the West Wing. He was so caught up in watching the show anxiously to see if he'd missed anything, than he didn't even notice that there were other people in the room until the opening credits started.

Angelo was curled up on a seat near the back of the room. Since Alex and Shiro had locked him out of the dorm, he'd been holed up there, trying to avoid thinking, speaking or moving any more than strictly necessary.

Jake spotted Angelo as he leaned back into the couch, looking around the room, relieved to have caught the absolute beginning of his favorite show. "Hey," he said, surprised. The teenager didn't look anywhere near as cheerful as he'd been when he ran into Jake the first time they met.

Angelo stirred, looking up to see who'd spoken. "Hey", he answered flatly, not trying to be rude but unable to muster much enthusiasm for... anything.

"The West Wing," Jake said by way of explaining his earlier behaviour.

"Yeah", Angelo answered. He hadn't really been aware of what was on, but had no objection to semi-watching it.

"It's a brilliant show, it really is," Jake said, blinking a little in surprise.

This time, Angelo managed more than one word in reply. "Yeah, so I hear."

They sat in silence through an amusing bit of the West Wing, and when the commercial was on, Jake glanced over at Angelo again.

Angelo had lapsed back into apparently not knowing that Jake was there, and was staring in the general direction of the TV.

"Hey man," Jake said finally. "Are you all right?"

Angelo glanced over at him. "Just fine. Thanks", he answered, very obviously lying.

"Right." Jake wasn't buying it. "Which is why you're sitting here by yourself, pretending to watch the most amazing show ever?"

Angelo sighed, giving up the pretence since he'd clearly been rumbled, and managing his longest speech since Jake had arrived. "I'm in here because they won't let me back in the dorm. And I'm sure the show's great, but..." He gestured helplessly.

Jake blinked slowly. "They won't let you back into your room?"

"No. They locked me out. Think I pissed them off..."

"What did you do?"

"Don't know", Angelo answered, not entirely truthfully.

"Uh-huh." Jake regareded Angelo skeptically for a moment, before his attention was again grabbed by Josh and Toby's shenanigans on the tv.

The two sat in silence for a while, Angelo seemingly unwilling to speak when he had nothing to respond to.

"Sooo." Jake turned to Angelo again. Angelo had helped him get food. Jake liked Angelo. "The... little incident I've been hearing about, had nothing to do with it?"

Angelo blinked, on the verge of denying all knowledge of any incident, then sighed in defeat. What was the point, since Jake obviously already knew? "Might have done."

"Want to tell me about it?"

"I don't know what I *could* tell you", Angelo admitted, completely honestly for the first time in the conversation. "Don't know what's going on."

"I bet you know more than I do." Jake pondered for a moment. "And, wow, I never thought I'd say those words..."

Angelo shrugged, curling further in on himself. "Probably. Doesn't mean I can explain, though..."

"Do you want to try?" Jake heard himself say. What am I saying? Have I lost my mind?

Another shrug. "Don't know." Angelo continued softly, "Maybe..."

"Yeah? 'Cause they say talking about it helps, you know."

"Yeah, I know." He sighed, trying to put things into comprehensible words.

Jake just sat back and waited, ignoring the voice in his head that told him not to get involved.

Angelo finally managed to put together a reasonable sentence. "I just... there's a girl... and..."

"A girl," Jake repeated helpfully.

"Yeah. It's... complicated. I'm... not the only one who... likes her." He trailed off again, unwilling to relive the "incident".

"Ahh. Not good." Jake nodded wisely.

Angelo looked at him wryly, figuring he might as well carry on now he was on a roll. "It gets worse. Things happened... and he kind of caught us."

Jake winced. "Ouch. And I mean that."

"Yeah. And then the incident."

"Double ouch."

Angelo glanced down, away from Jake and dropping back into his former monosyllabic tendencies. "Yeah."

"Which is why I haven't seen you in a while, I suppose, and why your roomates kicked you out?" Jake summed up.

"That's about right, yeah", Angelo answered.

"I suppose the professor would frown upon me getting students drunk," Jake said, more to himself than to Angelo.

Angelo glanced up at that. "Probably. But he doesn't have to know..." he suggested hopefully.

Jake shook his head. "No, no, I have to be responsible and teacher-like, otherwise I won't get my body back. Though getting you drunk and happy would be a good thing. No. I can't do that. However... Food."

"Food?" Angelo echoed, suddenly realising just how long it was since he'd last eaten.

"Yup." Jake nodded decisivly. "Do you want to come with me to the kitchen and scrounge some up, or would you rather stay here and I'll bring you some? Food is good for you."

"Can I stay here?" Angelo asked. "There might be people up there..."

"Yeah, sure. I might have to tell the Greenhaired Goddess you call your chef why I'm taking off with her delicious food, though."

That earned another half-grin. "Nah, Lorna never questions people who want her food."

"Okay then." Jake bounced to his feet. "You don't move a muscle, and I'll be right back. Okay?"

"Okay."

Jake gave the miserable teen one last look, and took off to make good on his promise of food.

Like Angelo had said, Lorna asked no questions, and Jake soon returned, balancing two plates filled with snacks. He'd widened his palms subtely to avoid spilling. He placed the food down on the table with a flourish. "Voila! Snacks. And..." He dug into the pocket of his jacket and pulled out two cans of coke. "Drinks."

Angelo looked up, having managed not to sink back into semi-catatonia while Jake was gone. "Drinks, too? Thanks."

"De nada." Jake motioned at the food. "Now. Eat, young padawan."

Not needing to be told twice, Angelo dug hungrily into the snacks.

Jake congratulated himself with managing to deal with what would probably be his student very soon, without resorting to alchohol. I'm so proud of me.