Bad Luck: That Was A Bad Idea(Ollie)

[Deleted]

Backdated to Monday, Dec 16

It was a couple days after graduation and Zach was…well, he was well getting over what he thought was a stupid mistake on his part combined with a lot of alcohol. Really, what was he thinking?

Didn't matter. Nope. Zach had more important things to think about. Like what he was going to get his family for Christmas which was just right around the corner. And how he was going to be able to afford it all. He had a small chunk of change he saved up from his job at the newspaper, but it wasn't much really. And he didn't want to ask his parents for the money to buy their own Christmas gifts.

Zach didn't want to depend on his parent for anything anymore, really. He needed to think about getting a real job. Or going to graduate school if that's what he decided to do in the end. He'd already applied and been accepted a long time ago into some generic program he wasn't sure he wanted. The only reason to go was to get the financial aid, he could make it stretch for as long as he needed while he worked on his book. Though he hadn't been making much progress with it lately. Too many things to think about, like finals, Christmas, Noa, Kai….

He really needed to stop thinking about that guy, he's a jerk anyway. Not somebody Zach wanted to be involved with. Not even friends with, right? Right.

With all these things going through his head, Zach need some time to clear it, and what better way than to take a brisk walk on the trails through the woods just outside of Hammel. Then he could stop by the dorms and drop off those magazines for that kid Kodi and then hang out with Ollie. Maybe vent to his best friend about….about what? About how he didn't know where to take his life that was actually pretty stable and going in a good direction and oh, by the way, I got drunk the other night and slept with a guy I hardly knew, and that's not all, I got a girl I kind of like, In. Your. Face!

Oliver had his own shit to deal with.

But apparently the guy was still willing to help out his best friend. His best friend Zach, who was too dumb to know the difference between poison ivy and just regular joe ivy(he wasn't a botanist, how was he supposed to know). And that's why Zach was laying shirtless on Oliver's bed the day after his leisurely walk, covered in a rash that even went up to his face, and moaning about how stupid he was for not remembering the phrase "leaves of three, let it be."

He took a long breath and groaned out again, clenching his fists to keep himself from scratching the rash that was only getting worse. "Thanks, Ollie," he moaned. "Sorry for the trouble."

[Oliver Seabrooke]

Oliver... Well, his life wasn't nearly as interesting as Zach's was. Very dull and boring with occasional bouts of excitement, really. Apart from going to that concert the other night and meeting an interesting new girl, the only interesting things that really happened being a dorm monitor were when students did weird or amusing things. Most of the time they were just annoying. And now that his cousins were at Hammel too, well... Things were even shittier.

Zach was really the only person he enjoyed seeing all that much. Ollie was wondering if one of these days he might just explode, lock himself in his room, and never come out. His best friend was one of the few people keeping him sane.

So when Zach came to him in agony from a giant poison ivy rash, Oliver was relieved. Well, not relieved that his friend was in pain and discomfort, but relieved that he was around at all. And Zach had come to the right person - not only did Ollie have a natural affinity for nature because of his ability, but he was also just knowledgeable about herbal and home remedies in general. He knew just what to do.

He'd only needed to take a short trip to grab some ingredients in order to make his concoction - a mixture of cucumber mashed into a paste, apple cider vinegar, and baking soda. Together, they should help cool, calm, and help heal the rash, which Oliver had to admit was pretty nasty.

"Anytime," he told his friend, dipping his fingers into the mushy mixture and beginning to carefully apply it to the affected area. "No need to apologize. I'm glad for the company, honestly." He smiled faintly as he spread the stuff up around Zach's chest and neck. "Next time you go hiking, though, make sure you bring me with you, yeah?" He chuckled. "I know this isn't all that glamorous, but it should help. Does it feel alright?" The rash should start to feel cooler by now, at least.

"What's new with you, anyway?" he asked conversationally, trying to ignore the fact that Zach lying there shirtless was doing sort of weird things to his emotions. "Nearly graduated and all, right? That's exciting!" He tried to sound excited, though he was still obviously glum about his own lack of education.

[Deleted]

Zach would never say that his life was interesting like Oliver thought. Zach actually thought his life was generally pretty bland, but that was probably just because Zach lacked a great deal of self awareness. But even so, the only reason he'd done many of the things he'd done this semester was because he had pushy people to push him into it. Maybe that's what Oliver needed too? Zach tried, but Zach being pushy was about as foreign to him as a toaster was to an amish boy.

But Zach really did need to get Oliver out more somehow. The last time they tried had been around Halloween and that hadn't been a very long night.

Zach himself was relieved that he'd gone to Oliver for treatment of his poison ivy rash. If he'd gone home, there was no doubt he would have gotten grief from all of his siblings over it and not a moment of peace and quiet. Plus, Oliver's power made it easier for him to take care of it. "Yeah…" Zach said with some light amusement in his voice. He twitched as Oliver started spreading the stuff on his neck. "Cold…"

Zach sighed and looked up at Ollie with a smirk. "I wasn't planning on it, otherwise I would've." It'd been kind of a spur of the moment thing. "I was just trying to clear my head and got careless."

He nodded. "Feels cool." The ambient air drifting over it felt good.

Zach fell silent at the next question, however. Should he tell him? Ollie was his best friend, it was only expected. About what happened the other night. Then there was Noa… "Yeah…graduated and no idea what to do next." Zach wasn't very good at hiding the nervousness in his voice. "Wh…what about you? Any..anything interesting happen lately?"

[Oliver Seabrooke]

Oliver definitely needed a push... Or a sharp kick to the rear. It was his own self-pity that kept him cooped up all the time, unwilling to go out and about very often except on rare occasions. Zach was great, and Ollie loved having him as a friend, but he needed someone else that could give him the motivation he needed. Jade was helping, but... It was slow coming. He had grown more used to his disability over time, but his hermit-like behavior had become habit, which made it a difficult mindset to break out of.

He needed to go drinking again. At least that would get him loose enough to not worry about his problems, at least for a little while. Maybe it was time to start looking back into college again too...

"Sorry," he said lightly; at least the cold feeling should help the irritation die down. "It should get a little warmer the longer it's on." That way Zach wouldn't be freezing, at least, with the cold weather; Oliver kept his room pretty cool, too.

He continued to spread the stuff carefully up Zach's neck, making sure he covered all of the rash. "Mind if I do your face?" he asked, just in case it was too uncomfortable. He listened as Zach talked about why he'd gone out, and a curious frown touched his lips. "Clear your head? Has there been a lot going on?" he asked. Oh, he had no idea.

"Oh, shit, you already graduated?" Oliver grimaced. Man, he really needed to stay on top of this stuff; he didn't know when finals were over, he knew nothing about the University's schedule. His attention was quickly taken hearing the obvious edge that came into his friend's voice, and he gave Zach another curious look. "Not much going on with me," he sighed, sitting back for a moment. "Just keeping the little buggers in line. I need to go out and drink one of these nights." He leaned in again, dabbing a bit more of the mixture on a spot he missed on Zach's chest. He offered a weak smile. "If you can't figure out what you want to do, my offer of working here in the dorms with me is still very much valid," he joked.

[Deleted]

If Zach knew how much Oliver needed to get out, he would probably urge him to do it more. It was just unfortunate that Zach had been busy so much with school lately.

Though after the getting through that hellish time, followed by the fast few days that he wished he could forget, Zach was thinking maybe now would be a good time for Ollie and Zach to go out again. Oliver looked like he could use it.

"It's fine. It feels good." Anything, either hot or cold, would feel better than this darned inflammation on his skin. He nodded when Oliver asked to continue spreading the mask on his face. "Yeah, thanks." Zach closed his eyes, not sure where to begin. "Yeah…" He wasn't sure if he was ready to go into details though.

He still couldn't believe he did…that thing with Kai.

A chuckled burst from his lips at Ollie's surprise. "Yeah, on Saturday." He didn't blame Oliver for not knowing. It was hard to know those dates when you yourself weren't in school. Hardly anyone else had been there, anyway, and he didn't stick around to do much with family. Though if Oliver had been there, then Zach probably wouldn't have…

He managed another smile. "I…I think I'll pass." Zach couldn't imagine becoming a permanent babysitter for anyone outside of his own family. Another moment passed before he started again. "Hey, Ollie? Now that I'm done with school we should…I dunno, go out…sometimes."

[Oliver Seabrooke]

Oliver nodded as Zach assured him it felt alright, and started carefully dabbing some of it up and around his face where the skin was red and irritated. Man, he'd really gotten it bad. "What did you do, roll around in the stuff for a while?" he teased, hoping his friend wouldn't take offense. At the confirmation that he had a lot going on, though, Ollie sobered up, his brow creasing in concern as he finished putting the paste on and set the bowl aside, stepping away for a minute to wash his hands in his bathroom, listening with the door open.

Saturday? Really? "Oh, man, if I had known I would have come!" he groaned. He felt bad now - he would have wanted Zach to come to his graduation, if he'd actually gone to college. "I bet there were some crazy parties, huh?" Although, knowing Zach, he probably wouldn't have gone to them anyway...

.... If only he knew.

He came back into the room and sat on the edge of the bed, then ended up just laying down beside his friend, staring up at the ceiling. "Aw, you're no fun," he chuckled. He didn't blame Zach in the least - if he could find a good job where he could get out more and away from all the little shits that thought they ran this place, he'd take it. But he had yet to find anything else. "Hmm?" He looked over as Zach spoke, a faint smile touching his lips at the suggestion. "I'd... Really like that," he replied with a heavy sigh. In the back of his mind he tried to process how much Zach meant by go out, but he was sure it meant nothing more than just hanging out. It didn't matter. "I'd like to go and get wasted again sometime. Soon," he laughed. "And... I don't know, maybe hike around or something. I've felt..." He lifted his hands and curled in his fingers, before setting them against the bed again. "I don't know... I get really... Foggy, when I don't get outside in the wilderness for a while." He thought it was probably due to his ability - it felt stagnant in the dorms, there wasn't any nature for him to latch onto and feed off of. It wasn't as bad as being somewhere polluted, but it still sucked.

[Deleted]

Zach groaned, not really wanting to hear it. "I just wasn't paying attention…" and before he knew it, he was blistering up everywhere. Zach didn't even remember touching the stuff, but apparently he had and since then had touched pretty much everywhere, getting it all over his arms, some on his chest and across half his face.

Zach knew what poison ivy looked like. With Oliver and Maebelle as friends he would have to. That just goes to show how out of sorts Zach was on his little hike.

He shook his head slightly as he laid on Oliver's bed and looked up at him. "It's alright, nobody really came except my mom and a few other family members." It might have been nice to have Oliver there, though. To keep Zach from doing anything stupid.

Speaking of stupid. And crazy stories…

"Yeah, I kind of got hijacked to this one frat party…" Zach started before realizing that that was leading right into a story exactly about what was bothering the hell out of him and Zach really didn't want to go into the details behind it. "…and was stranded there for a few hours before I could get a ride back to my car." Ugh….he lied outright to his best friend. How terrible a person must he be to do that?

Zach scooted himself to allow room for Ollie to lay beside him. He returned the smile that his offer had put on Oliver's face…then even more when it became clear that Oliver didn't get what Zach was saying. "Ollie, Ollie, wait…" He started to sit up and looked at him, leaning on the one patch of his arm that wasn't covered in mystery goop. He gave a short sigh before repeating "I mean go out. Like….like a date…or something…" Zach last words were sort of mumbled as he averted his eyes to the bed-spread. He shook his head. "I don't know, it's weird isn't it?" he said quickly and flopped back onto the bed, glad that the goop and rash would cover up his embarrassment.

[Oliver Seabrooke]

Oliver gave a dry chuckle. "Well, next time just be more careful," he chided. "I don't mind doing this stuff, but I know how much that shit sucks." Itchy, dry, irritating rash... At least hopefully this would make it go away faster. He was surprised that his friend hadn't been paying better attention, though; it made him a little more concerned, how sort of... Off, Zach seemed to be.

But the fact that so few people had come to his graduation made Ollie feel even worse. He pouted. "Well, we'll have to go an do something to celebrate it soon," he promised. "Whatever you want, my treat." That was the good thing about Hammel - along with giving a place to live and dine, he got decent pay, too. It was just too bad the job sucked so much.

"Oh wow, really?" Oliver said, genuinely incredulous. He let out a short laugh, having no idea about what had happened. "Man, I bet that was... Awful," he grumped. He wasn't the partying type, and he knew Zach wasn't really, either. And hearing about what had 'happened' made it sound even worse. "That sucks. No more college parties for you, at least." He had no idea or reason to think Zach would lie to him. "You're going to be stuck doing boring things with me from now on." Oliver tried to make light of it by flashing a smile.

Well, weren't they just an awkward pair or what? Oliver's features became confused, and then a little flustered, his cheeks growing pink as he flushed with... Some sort of emotion. "Oh." He blinked, looking away from his friend for a moment before peering back at him. "You're like... Asking me... Out?" Why the hell did the details matter? "I mean, y-yeah, that'd be fun," he added quickly, not wanting Zach to think he was turned off by the idea. Far from it. "I... I'd really like that." He folded his arms up under his head, musing. A memory popped up in his head, and he bit his tongue before blurting out,"Do you ever think about that time when we...?" He hoped it was obvious enough what he was talking about, even if he didn't say it aloud. They'd had their first time together, after all - it was something that was hard to forget.

[Deleted]

"Yeah…" It really did suck. Zach normally wasn't so stupid, it was pretty embarrassing. And the skin irritation was annoying. It was making his already stressed mind even more so.

Zach nodded. "Yeah, that sounds good." Though considering Zach was going to ask him on a date in just a few moments, it was likely to be Zach's treat, despite the fact that he didn't make that much money. But still, getting to spend time with his best friend made him happy. He was going to need that kind of release.

"Yeah…I didn't really know anyone there," he half-lied. "Other than my classmates, and…well…they ditched me." Actually, thinking back on it, it was a little bit amusing. Enough to have Zach chuckling over the experience. If the rest of the night hadn't happened, Zach probably would have said it was an alright time…then again, if the rest of the night hadn't happened, who knows when he would have gotten home finally. "Don't worry, I don't plan on any more. Not after…that." Frat parties were dangerous.

Well…now it seemed like Oliver got it. Though now Zach was feeling a little sheepish. Why did it have to be a date? Why not just a night out with his best friend? But….you weren't romantic with your best friend, right? Dinner and a movie was something…that you did on dates. And then afterwards you….

"Yeah….sorry," he apologized instinctively, his cheeks feeling more flushed now. Zach expected Ollie to accept, there was little reason for him not to, though he wasn't aware of exactly how his friend was feeling. Maybe… Zach nodded. "Yeah…actually. I've been thinking about it a lot…lately. And…I don't know…" Maybe he should just come clean…about what, though? "I…I might've met someone." Who exactly though? "And…it made me think that…I really don't have a lot of experience in….that kind of thing." Did it make sense what he was asking?

[Oliver Seabrooke]

Oliver grunted. "Sounds like shitty classmates to me," he mumbled. If he'd been there, he would have made sure Zach had gotten home safe. Actually... He would have made sure Zach wouldn't have gone in the first place. Nope, he would have either brought Zach to Hammel after the graduation (because who didn't like visiting their old high school after college graduation?), or said that they should go back to Zach's place to hang out and do... Whatever. "Good," he nodded, reaching over and mussing up his friend's hair. "If I ever end up going to college, I'm going to avoid those frat houses as much as possible."

He wasn't sure why this felt like such a big deal. They'd been friends for how long? Certainly throwing the words 'going out' shouldn't mean anything other than just... Going out and having fun. But Zach seemed to be implying something else (unless Oliver was just imagining that), and it made his heart get all weird and fluttery despite himself.

"Don't apologize," Ollie said quickly, flashing Zach a crooked, slightly awkward grin. "You know the last time I've been asked out?" Well... Had he ever really been asked out? Hmph... He'd had enough fangirls that would have liked to do something with him, but there was only one time that Oliver had allowed that to happen. He peered over as Zach spoke up again, glad but a little embarrassed about the topic of conversation. But as soon as Zach mentioned meeting someone, Oliver's face fell, although he quickly tried to hide it. "O...Oh?" he asked with as much curiosity as he could muster. "Someone at school?" He blinked as realization dawned on him what Zach was suggesting, and he peeked up, feeling very.... Strange. "Are... Are you suggesting...?" Of course he was. Oliver would be an idiot if he didn't realize this. He swallowed. "Well, maybe after, you know, we go do something... If you want..." Oliver paused. "I don't think I have any more experience than you, though." Hell, Zach might have had more.

[Deleted]

Oliver didn't know the half of it. They were not just shitty classmates but…man were any of them even still there when he started getting….lapdanced by Kai? Ugh…that was not something Zach wanted to remember, he just needed to forget it! But if they were, then that means they saw the whole thing. It was just his good luck that Ollie likely didn't know any of them and so would never find out what really happened.

But keeping it from Oliver also made Zach feel horrible.

Zach nodded. "Yeah, good luck with that. It's harder than you think." Clearly since Zach hadn't been able to. He almost did though. It just had to be on graduation night, didn't it?

Zach looked over at Ollie. "No…" But now Zach was afraid to hear the answer. But at least Ollie had been asked out. Zach didn't even have that under his belt.

He….damn, Zach didn't know what he was asking, but honestly, Oliver was the only person he was comfortable enough going to for this in the first place. "Y-yeah…someone at school." Zach was…talking about Noa, right? He wasn't going to give Ollie any names though, so what did it matter? "Is that….not…?" If it wasn't okay…of course it wasn't okay. Who the heck asked their best friend out on a date just so they could get extra practice so they don't fuck up on a real one?

Zach did, apparently. And who would even accept such a suggestion? Oliver, it seemed. Zach lifted his eyes, their dark color seeming to brighten just a tad at Oliver's acceptance. He smiled and shook his head. "I doubt it," he said with a slight laugh. "I think..if you have more than….twice…then you got me beat." Wow, that was an embarrassing thing to admit. His face felt hot. But it was okay. Because it was Oliver.

[Oliver Seabrooke]

Oliver shrugged, a crease forming between his brows. "Well, it's not like I can really afford to attend University anyway, so I doubt I'll be going any time soon." If at all. His band had made decent money touring, but of course they had had to split it between them, and they were never huge enough to be overly rich. And much of Oliver's money had gone to medical bills.

He snickered dryly. "That.... Was a rhetorical question." He hadn't expected Zach to respond, and now felt embarrassed. He didn't want to tell Zach he'd never actually been asked out. Almost twenty-four and never dated... Meh, whatever. There were other things in life.

Ollie tried to keep a calm, neutral expression when Zach told him about whoever this person was, wanting to ask more questions but afraid of what the answers would be. "Uh... Guy or girl?" he asked anyway, curiosity getting the better of him. What Zach was suggesting was awfully strange, for any other friendship, but Oliver wasn't exactly a mainstream guy when it came to... Anything. "Yeah, I mean... Yeah, why not?" Not like this was going to ruin their relationship or anything. Why would it? "It'll... It'll be fun." He managed a small, reassuring smile, glancing over at Zach.

More than twice? Er.... "Zach..." Oliver gave a dry laugh. "Twice is my number." He tugged a hand through his pale blonde hair. "Just you, and this one time on tour..." He'd been drunk, so it had hardly even meant anything to him, he hated to say. "Man, we're kinda sad, aren't we?" he added, laughing a little louder, more incredulously. "Yeah, come on, let's do it. As soon as your rash is better, we're going out and... And getting it on." Oliver sat up slowly, letting his gaze wander around the room. "Uh... We'll have to go to your place after. I'll get the night off."

[Deleted]

Zach chuckled. "There is a thing called financial aid, you know? And scholarships." Those were the only reason Zach was able to go, he applied to those things enough to cover his tuition all the way up into graduation.

With a sigh, Zach thought over how much he wanted to tell Oliver. Zach wasn't even sure himself who he was talking about….wait, what who? Who what? There was no one else, that thing was just a fluke, and he probably wasn't ever going to see him again anyway. No if he did, then Zach was just going to head in the opposite direction, because that was a kind of person Zach just didn't want to know. "Girl…" he lied, clearing his throat. "She…uh, goes to the university with me…"

But asking this from Oliver, damn Zach felt like the worst friend ever. Who asks their best friend to go on a practice date with them!? One that would definitely end with them in the same bed. But…at least Ollie was being a good sport about it. "Yeah, I think so," he said with a smile.

Twice was his number. Zach had to laugh. Looks like they were matched in that department. Two awkward losers…… That was really depressing. "Yeah…" Zach agreed with a laugh matching his friends, it getting even louder at Oliver's ridiculous statement about "getting it on". He cleared his throat as he tried to calm down. "Yeah, sounds like a…like a plan." They couldn't very well come here. And Zach's roommate was pretty cool and easygoing, he'd probably just stay the evening in his room playing video games or something. "Thanks…" he had to say.

[Oliver Seabrooke]

Oliver let out a sigh. "Yeah but... Do they even give that stuff out to oldies like me?" he asked. He didn't really know how the process worked, and he likely wouldn't put in the effort to try. Considering he hardly had any effort for anything lately, college was unlikely.

He couldn't understand the small little trickle of jealousy that he felt over this unknown person. Ollie was just protective of his friend. That was all. And it was a girl, so even less reason to worry... Right? "Well... As long as she's pretty and doesn't play games with you," he managed with a crooked smile.

And... This was what best friends were for, right? For... Helping you with relationships with other people. Granted, this wasn't extremely common, as far as Oliver knew, but hey, if it helped...

His laughter lasted for a while as Zach laughed with him, but it died off eventually and the Brit sighed. "Don't mention it," he said as Zach thanked him, waving a hand. "It'll be nice to have a reason to get a night off." Not that that would be the reason he gave his seniors, but still. "Ah... I better go do the rounds," he sighed again, sitting up and slowly getting off the bed. "I need to make sure the little brats aren't causing any trouble while we're not looking." He shot Zach an apologetic look as he made his way over to the door. "I'll be back in a little bit... Hopefully. You can just hang out or... Whatever? Ella and Zeb should be around if you get bored. Or you can keep an eye on the kids in the common room." His smile widened. He'd get Zach to help him with his job yet.