Imaginary Notes part 9

"I'm serious, there is something going on with those two. I would know!" Lizzy insisted while James stood nearby, nodding his agreement.
"How would you know?" Grimsby whispered back, amusing himself by playing the skeptic. It really wasn't any of his business if Lizzy was right or not. "Did either of them say that anything is going on? They could just be close."
"I just know. Look at them. You're close to them but I don't see you hanging all over them at every free chance," Lizzy hissed peevishly and crossed his arms. "And plus, they broke the guideline by Senior Nicole, right?"
"Yes, they broke it. But hanging out together? That would be because I'm over here talking to you." Grimsby grinned.
"He's got a point," James agreed with Grimsby. He was clearly taking his amusement from the conversation by playing devil's advocate to both sides. "In fact, if I wasn't listening to the both of you, I'd go over there and get a hug--or not, since Vanz, Senior Vanz, was really strict to me lately."
"Sure she did, she hate informalities."
"Yeah, pretty much so."
"You guys, I'm being serious!"
"I'm being serious." Both Grimsby and James echoed in unison.
"What are you guys being serious about?" Timothy asked, drawn into the conversation out of the need to know what James might be plotting against him next; James was scary and he has a strange aura of rebellion and pranks.
"Lizzy's convinced Sebastian and Vanz are in love." The devil's advocate answered in singsong as he draped an arm over Timothy's shoulder to draw him into the gossiping huddle. "Grimsby's trying not to be convinced, and I'm on the fence."
"It's kind of obvious," Lizzy said. "I know these things. There are signs. That's how I know without a doubt that there is something going on between Senior Vanz and Sebas-"
"What?" Sebastian asked as he approached Lizzy, drawn in by the commotion and bewildered that his name was part of the conversation.
"Like I said there are signs." Lizzy continued, undaunted even with the person he was gossiping about had overheard and joined the conversation. "One, you stand too close. I mean, we all stand close to each other, but you two stand just a little too close, if you know what I mean."
"I don't know what you mean," Sebastian said, lying.
He knew that it was true--he was the one that stand very close to her, hanging around and never let her go anywhere alone. Was it that obvious that he liked Vanz?
"Listen to me, I know these things," Lizzy gave Sebastian a friendly pat on the arm. "Two, you stare at each other. I mean, what we're doing right now is normal. I look at you when I talk, then I look elsewhere because there is other stuff I want to see. When you two talk, you look at each other like there is nothing else around. That's special."
"So that's special?"
"Three! She didn't mind having you all around her without formalities! She almost like wanting to kill us once we forgot the word 'senior'..."
"O--kay?"
"Don't play coy, you," Lizzy giggled and winked at Sebastian before continuing. "And finally, when you're around, Senior Vanz laughs too loud, too hard. Even when it isn't even funny."
"That's a sign?" Sebastian asked incredulously--not knowing why this conversation was pointing that way but hoping of a miracle--gaping at Lizzy in disbelief.
"The biggest one! You know her, why does she usually laugh really loud?"
"Even when it isn't funny." Grimsby prompted helpfully.
"Because she's nervous, usually, but why would she be nervous around me?"
"Yeah, why would she?" Grimsby asked, abandoning the skeptic role to play devil's advocate since James was now too busy terrorizing Timothy with tackles and many more.
"And why haven't you noticed? You spend so much time with her."
"I don't know," Sebastian looked over in the direction of the piano where Vanz was practicing. As if the smaller one could sense she was being looked at, Vanz looked away from the sheet music to look directly at him. Sebastian smiled and gave a small wave. Vanz blushed and gave a bashful smile before she hid her gaze behind the pages of music.
"Aw, you two are so cute," Lizzy sighed and leaned against Sebastian's arm, while Grimsby hummed and nodded his agreement.
"You guys are weird."
Sebastian left the crowd and walked to the bathroom, while Lizzy and Grimsby turned their gaze at Vanz. She was no longer alone; Reo was playing bass beside her.
"But, Lizzy..." Grimsby paused for a while. "Don't you think both of Mezuella brothers fell for her?"

Sebastian was now sure that he was showing his love too much for Vanz. Everyone in the musical drama club, band, even the leaders and teachers were talking about it!
He was alone in the common room, sulking over the gossiping and semi-playful inquiries from the older boys, when Vanz silently approached and sat next to him. By that point all of their questions and ideas posed to him were taking root within his mind and sticking.
Sebastian was now very aware of how close Vanz sat next to him. He was no longer sure if the shy smile he was given was just a smile, but might be a smile with hidden meaning.
"Why are you sitting by yourself?" Vanz asked quietly, unquestionably concerned.
"Everyone's annoying me today," Sebastian answered honestly and amended the statement quickly when Vanz started to move away. "But not you, just everyone else."
"Oh. Yeah, they're all acting weird today," Vanz nodded twice but didn't elaborate further.
"Did anyone say anything weird to you?" Sebastian felt color warm his face, but realized that Vanz was too busy pointedly not looking at him to notice.
"About you?" Vanz smiled again and fidgeted with the sleeve of her shirt. "No."
"Then why aren't you looking at me?"
"Because Lizzy told me I stare," Vanz laughed and lifted her gaze a fraction. "I didn't notice. That's so rude."
Sebastian sighed inwardly, cursing at Lizzy for making their--his--situation harder. "If you stare at me, I won't mind. If it makes you feel any better, since you've sat down next to me I haven't looked anywhere else."
As embarrassing as admitting that sudden realization aloud was, it was worth it when he was rewarded with Vanz's wide-eyed expression as the smaller of the two looked up at him.
"Really?"
"Really," Sebastian laughed but couldn't make himself look away.
"That's weird," Vanz smiled so cutely, Sebastian decided.
"I know."
He agreed, there was no denying it.
"You're staring," Vanz said while she fidgeted self-consciously under Sebastian's unflinching gaze.
"So are you," Sebastian pointed out, recalling how many times they've held each other's gaze like they were at that moment.
Vanz rarely held her gaze with anyone for too long, but even when she was nervous around Sebastian, she didn't look away. That was unique to only him, and he never noticed. He turned his hand over and left it resting palm up in the small space between them, he wasn't surprised when Vanz's hand reached over and grasped it. It was something they always did.
"I love you." Sebastian said with a sweet smile, and it seemed that Vanz couldn't interpret anything hidden within the innocent statement she's heard from him so many times before. Perhaps that's all it was, Sebastian rationalized, that they loved each other as friends. It was silly to think that people can fall in love with each other and be in a romantic relationship without noticing.
"I love you, too," Sebastian grinned warmly at her answer, but still couldn't shake off the feeling of unease.