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Since Frank had moved to Form K, everyone had gradually grown to like him. Rem Dogg still had his reservations about Frank, but Mitchell often took to smoking with him behind the maths block. They discussed a lot of things, mostly Stephen. Well, Frank discussed Stephen; Mitchell listened, nodding in the appropriate places as he literally burned through half a pack of cigarettes. Then, one grey-skied lunchtime...
“So what about you, eh?” Frank asked, after a lengthy, one-sided conversation about the wonders of Stephen’s flexibility.
“What?” Mitchell asked; smoke pluming from his nostrils.
“Who you interested in? It’s probably a bird, so I can’t give ya much advice.” Frank said, shrugging.
“Well um... Well you might be able to give me advice actually.” Mitchell mumbled, taking a deep drag, before dropping his cigarette to the ground, still wet from the rain earlier. Frank glanced at him out of the corner of his eye.
“Alright then, so it’s a guy.” Frank nodded, passing his lighter to Mitchell as he pulled out a fresh cigarette. Mitchell paused, and then nodded, cupping one hand by his face as he lit his cigarette. “Okay. So, what are you going to do about it?” Frank challenged, taking the lighter back and putting it in the inside pocket of his blazer.
“What is there to do? Fuck all, that’s what. No one would be interested in me anyway, male or female.” Mitchell said bitterly.
“I’m sure the guy you’re interested in has low standards.” Frank joked, chipping the ash off his cigarette, watching it break apart midair before scattering across the rotting grass.
“Thanks mate, means a lot.” Mitchell sighed, his breath mingling with the smoke, creating a cloud as he exhaled into the cold air.
“So who is this guy with low standards, anyway?” Frank asked.
“If I tell you, you’ll tell Stephen. And he’ll tell fucking everyone.” Mitchell pointed out.
“Come on man, I could help.” Frank reasoned, cigarette dangling from the corner of his mouth.
Mitchell sighed again, scuffing the ground with the toe of his boot. “... It’s Remmie.” He admitted after a long pause.
“Fucking called it.” Frank slapped his hand against the wall behind him, a smile on his face.
“Good to know.” Mitchell said wryly.
“Well, you’ve got to do something. I mean, I thought the same as you this time last year. Who, much less Stephen, would be interested in me? Well, now look at us. You can do it man. Right, I’ve gotta go. I told Stephen I would meet him in the supply cupboard. See ya.” Frank waved, before heading off, just as more rain clouds were starting to gather.
Mitchell leant back against the wall, thinking about what Frank had said for a few minutes. The rain slowly began to fall above him, splashing on his face and dampening his hair. Despite the rain, Mitchell stayed outside for a while, thinking things through in his head, going through a thousand and one possible outcomes to what he was about to do. Deciding that, ultimately, he didn’t give a shit, he dropped his already dead cigarette and walked inside the school building feeling both determined and nervous. The reason he was determined may be due to the bottle of cider that Frank had shared with him earlier but Mitchell wasn’t questioning it.
He got to the Form K classroom, where all but two (guess who.) of the students were sat watching Alfie trying to teach. He walked in just as he gave up and went to put on a video about Elizabeth the 1st. He sat in his seat as Alfie turned off the lights, pulling out his phone automatically. He opened Remmie’s contact to text him, before changing his mind and putting it back into his pocket. He decided to wait until the lesson ended before talking to him.
... ... ...
Frank and Stephen appeared just as the lesson finished, faces flushed and shirts untucked. Alfie grimaced, and just told them to go home. Before he walked off, Frank looked towards Mitchell, who nodded back at him as he dumped his bag on Remmie, as per usual. Remmie mock frowned at him, hitting the back of his leg, before grinning. Mitchell smiled back, somewhat distracted, moving behind Remmie to push his wheelchair out of the classroom.
“Hey Rem?” Mitchell said, as they made their way down the corridor.
“Yeah?”
“I need to talk to you about something.” Mitchell said, deciding to go straight, as possible, into it.
“If it’s what I think you’re about to say, Stephen already told me.” Remmie said, smiling.
“Wait, what?”
“You told Frank that you liked me, he told Stephen, and he told me.” Rem Dogg said, counting the various ports of information off his fingers.
“Oh. Shit.”
“Don’t be like that. I’m surprised Stephen didn’t tell you that I like you. Must have been busy with Frank.” Remmie said with a sly grin on his face.
“Wait...”
“Fuck sake Mitchell, get your act together and kiss me you prick.” Remmie chuckled.
“You’re such a romantic.” Mitchell said breathlessly, quickly walking around his chair to kiss him.