It takes a bit to figure out a deal with Alex, after what happened last time. He's still the best plug in the school, though, so it doesn't take that long.
And the thing that Nick is rapidly noticing more and more as they hang out is that Alex is cute. He has a nice smile and a better laugh and his eyes scrunch up when he smiles and he's hilarious and he flirts wildly and exercises in nothing but his boxers and Nick--already has a boyfriend but he also has eyes. And Karl would like Alex, he knows they would like each other, Alex would make fun of Karl's puns and Karl would laugh at Alex's dirty jokes.
(And maybe when they get out of here they could watch Karl's favorite cartoons together and Alex could make ridiculously spicy food and they could--shit, he doesn't know--play minigolf or something--and he and Clay and George and Karl and Luke and Sam have been like a family for so long and he can already see how Alex would fit into that, into their lives, and whenever Alex says if instead of when Nick wants so badly to offer a spot on the Tampa alliance and a spot in his home for when they get out and he doesn't know how he grew to care so much without noticing but--he did. He does.)
Anyway. All that can be--later. Alex and Karl have still barely met, and Karl's the one actually in Alex's year.
"Hey Karl," he says, and dramatically flops into Karl's lap to squint up at him.
