Welcome to Trainwrecks: Season 2 (2005-2006)! If you haven’t read Season 1, please start there! Trainwrecks is a free-to-read fiction serial that follows a group of six Seattle-adjacent friends from the year 2004 to the year 2015. Join Luna Cruz, Sebastian Velasquez, Dimitri and Victoria Hale, Duke Kingston, and Jasmine Nolan as they stumble their way from adolescence to adulthood, falling in love, making mistakes, overcoming their pasts, and staying together through it all.
For series introduction, character profiles, relationship charts, and general orientation, check out the Table of Contents!
Previous Episode | Table of Contents | Next Episode
Like most graduating seniors, Sebastian was past the point of taking school seriously. He sat in his physics class with eyes glazed over, trying to decide if he wanted to drive off campus for lunch or settle for cafeteria food. Unlike most of his classmates, however, he wasn’t mentally checked out because he’d already submitted his college applications, but rather because he’d decided not to go to college at all—at least, not for the first year. He wanted to work as much as possible, save up enough money for a new car, dabble in things until he figured out what to do with his life. He wanted to take a trip to Argentina and visit his mother’s grave.
Dimitri had approved of his decision. “Way to not get suckered into tens of thousands of dollars in student loan debt,” he’d said.
His parents, on the other hand, weren’t shy about voicing their many concerns. “The longer you wait to go to college, the harder it’ll be to go back to school,” Mr. Cruz warned.
“But what kinds of jobs will you work? You’ll make more money with a degree, mijo,” Mrs. Cruz said anxiously.
“I’m not the only person taking a gap year,” he’d told them, though most of the classmates he knew who were putting college on hiatus had booked flights to Europe for soul-searching backpacking trips across the continent. While they slept in hostels and visited museums, Sebastian would be… at home. Saving money. Living with his parents and taking care of his elderly dog. But hey, at least he had Jasmine to stand in solidarity with.
Something poked the back of the earring in his left ear. He turned around just as Jasmine slipped an envelope onto his shoulder. “What’s this?” he whispered, mindful of the fact that they were supposed to be taking notes.
“Just look,” she whispered back.
Sebastian flipped the envelope over. It was from Bellevue Community College, addressed to Jasmine. He withdrew the thin sheet of paper and scanned the opening lines. Ms. Nolan, We are pleased to inform you that… Sebastian’s eyes widened. He turned back to face her. “You traitor!”
“Sorry. I let Dimitri convince me to give community college a shot. Apparently, they’ll let just about anyone in, and registration for fall is already open,” she said with a meaningful raise of her eyebrows. “What do you say? I could really use a study buddy.”
“No!” Sebastian hissed. “I said I was going to take the year off!”
“And then what? You’ll try to get into a university with a mediocre GPA and a ‘finding yourself’ gap in your résumé?”
He narrowed his eyes. “That’s hilarious coming from you.”
Jasmine stuck her tongue out at him. “Fine, give me my envelope back.”
He slipped it over his shoulder and frowned at the diagram on the overhead projector. Damn it. Damn it! How could she betray him like this? He’d felt totally solid in his decision not to go to school, and now he only felt itchy and nervous, like everyone was facing their fears of the future except him. And how had Jasmine allowed Dimitri of all people to talk her into anything?
Oh hell, he was being completely petty, wasn’t he? Jasmine had been more terrified of her uncertain future than anyone he knew, but at some point, she’d made a decision, researched her options, and gone for it. He should have been happy for her. Whether it was the right direction or not, she was taking a step towards something. And she was still scared to do it on her own because she was asking him to do it with her.
Sebastian sighed and turned back around. “You said they’ll let anyone in?”
Jasmine was stuffing the envelope into her backpack. “Forget it. You’ve got your own plan.”
“Doesn’t mean it’s a good one,” he said, to which she snorted. He reached out and grabbed the sleeve of her puffy jacket with his index finger and thumb. “I’m sorry, I was a jerk. Congrats on getting in. I’m glad you’re not giving up on school yet.”
Her gaze flickered up to his, then away again. She had some kind of sparkly gold makeup in the corners of her eyes near her tear ducts, and it glittered in the light from the overhead projector. “You seemed more excited about the university stuff than I did,” she said. “A few classes will give you a foot in the door.”
Sebastian smiled. “You’re right as usual. I’ll think about it. But if you’re looking for a study buddy, you should probably find someone who actually knows what they’re doing.”
She made a face. “Dimitri says it’s easier, taking only a few classes at a time. Better to focus on one or two subjects than eight of them. I’m kind of banking on that.”
“You have a major in mind?”
“No.” She picked up her mechanical pencil and tapped it against her notebook. “I like what I do now,” she said. “Singing at church on Fridays. Working at the dance studio. Hanging out with you guys. I don’t really know why I have to aspire to more than that, but… bills won’t pay themselves.”
Sebastian nodded. That was the trouble, wasn’t it? He couldn’t rely on his parents for food and shelter forever. At some point, he’d have to strike out on his own, and someday he’d have a wife and kids to take care of. A part-time job alone wasn’t going to keep them sheltered in their increasingly expensive surroundings.
The bell rang, signaling the end of the period and the beginning of lunch. Sebastian gathered up his things and waited for Jasmine before heading out of the classroom. “Hey Seb,” she said as they followed the stream of students towards the cafeteria, “why didn’t you tell us what really happened during your date with Autumn?”
His heart skipped a beat. “How do you know about it?”
“Destiny heard her talking crap after the fact.” Jasmine gave him a look. “A bad date is nothing to be ashamed of.”
“Oh please, I’d have been roasted and you know it.”
“Maybe,” she agreed. There was an unspoken question in her silence that screamed at Sebastian for an answer. He stared at his checkered shoelaces, and since he didn’t know how much she’d heard, he decided to come clean.
“She said some not-nice things about you.”
“I’m used to it.” Her voice was flat, distant.
Sebastian’s brows lowered. “That doesn’t make it okay.” They turned into the cafeteria and joined the rapidly growing line. “I wasn’t about to date someone who didn’t like you.”
“News flash, Seb: No girl you date is ever going to like me,” Jasmine said. “If I was your girlfriend, I wouldn’t like me either. And yes, a lot of that has to do with my reputation, but what it really boils down to is our friendship.” She looked him in the eye, her gaze steady though he could see the hurt just beneath the surface. “One of these days, you’re going to have to choose between me and the girl who makes you happy. And I really hope you’re not stupid enough to choose me.”
Sebastian leaned back against the cafeteria wall. “It depresses me when you say things like that.”
“You’re a chronic dreamer. Someone has to bring you back to Earth every now and then.” Jasmine passed him a warm and slightly damp lunch tray.
“What about you?” he asked. “You going to ditch me when you find a guy you can’t say no to?”
“It’s nice of you to think I’ll find such a person.”
“You don’t know what God has up His sleeve.”
“True.” She grabbed a portion of curly fries, slid it onto her tray, and gave Sebastian a wicked grin. “I’ll drop you so fast you’ll still be asking yourself what happened after you hit the ground.”
Sebastian bumped her with his arm. “Rude! And here I was thinking of asking you to prom.”
Jasmine groaned. “Again? I already told Luna I wasn’t going.”
“It’s our last one. And you’ve got other friends besides me now,” he pointed out. “If you get tired of being my dance partner, you can go hang out with them, seeing as you’re so willing to drop me.”
She nudged him back. “I swear, Dimitri has rubbed off on you in the worst ways.”
“There’s no finer instructor in the School of Petty.” He reached behind her to grab the last chicken sandwich before the person ahead of her could decide they wanted it after all, and for one brief moment she was in his arms, her back against his chest, her hair tickling his chin, the sweet and fruity scent of her perfume stirring up something hungry in the pit of his stomach. Something possessive. Something he’d been trying to tell himself he wasn’t feeling, but was finding it increasingly difficult to deny.
Truthfully, he wasn’t sure he’d have to choose between Jasmine and some other girl. In fact, he was almost certain that if she tried to drop him for some guy who made her head spin, he’d climb his way back up, yank her out of the stranger’s arms, and show her how dizzy he could make her himself.
Then she was walking away from him, and Sebastian was left standing there, arms empty, burning with desire.
Author’s Note: SEBASTIAN VELASQUEZ IS AWAKE, MY DUDES. His romantic arc starts now.
i'll be honest i somehow did not see this ship until like 3 episodes ago but now its so obvious it has always been so obvious omg!!! how did I not see that!!!
YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS