Four

                                    

                                          
          Tommy had been eyeing Ranboo all day. Ranboo usually ignored it, but today it was becoming very hard to ignore. Ever since the teacher announced he and Tommy would be partners for a project, Tommy kept making audible queues on how he wanted a new partner. Tubbo thought it'd be a good idea. "Maybe you guys could become friends, which would lead Tommy & I to start talking again then we could all be a trio." Ranboo wasn't opposed to this. He thought he could get Tommy to warm up to him. As soon as they started working together, though, he realized it wouldn't be so easy.
          "So uh...you and Tubbo used to be close friends huh" Ranboo commented, hoping Tommy would take this opportunity to talk about their friendship. He didn't. "Stick to the project. The faster we get it done the better." Tommy was working quickly. Whenever Ranboo tried to help, Tommy would say he was working on that and Ranboo would look for something else. "I don't wanna be in your personal life, I guess I'm just curious about you and Tubbos friendship. You seemed like such good friends" Tommy rolled his eyes. "Yea. We were." 
          Hesitantly, Ranboo asked "what happened?" Tommy stopped to look up at Ranboo for once. "What happened was he stopped coming to school without telling anyone. For all I knew he was dead. I thought my best friend died! I was scared to ask his family because I thought it'd make it worse. I grieved for him goddamnit! It wasn't until his family told me he went through something traumatic that I thought, hey, I shouldn't be so hard on him. Turns out he just has to wear a hearing aid! And he didn't care to tell me? he goes to some random kid and not his best friend of years! We went through some shit together too! Why couldnt he just tell me that!"
          There was a silence "Tommy," he spoke up after a while. "I assume going deaf is pretty traumatic. I couldn't imagine waking up one day and not being able to hear. He was probably embarrassed to tell you. He," Ranboo paused, not knowing how much he could share. "He took a few years to go back out. He was scared of being judged. You should talk to him. You guys enjoyed talking to each other last time." Tommy has a tendency to roll his eyes at everything. "If he wanted to talk to me now he would. I gave him time. It was useless. He doesn't give a shit" Ranboo opened his mouth to talk again, but Tommy raised his hand "May I go to the restroom please?"
          Tommy didn't come back until after the bell rang. Ranboo made eye contact with Tommy on his way out. He was debating waiting for him, but he didn't want to leave Tubbo alone for too long. When he got to the lunchroom, there was another boy sitting with Tubbo. Was he laughing at Tubbo? No, they were lying together. "Uh hey Tubbo, guy" they both looked up "Hey! Ranboo this is Jack, Jack this is Ranboo."

                          
I think next chapter is gonna be the last one in school, so enjoy ur wholesome school moments while they last
c: -P