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“Hi.” Kylian said to Trent at the door. “Welcome.”
“Woah.” Trent gasped, looking upwards.
“Excuse me?” Kylian asked.
“Sorry,” Trent continued, “It’s just…your house is huge.”
All of the houses of UEFA students were big - I mean, they were all the kids of rich diplomats - but Kylian’s was on a different level. Not only was it big, it was lavish, and expensive. It was clear Kylian’s parents had a lot of money - and also knew how to spend it.
“Um…thank you?” Kylian said politely. “You can uh, come in.” With that, Kylian stepped to the side to let Trent enter. Once Trent stepped in, Kylian shut the door behind him.
“You can put your shoes in the shoe-bin there, they’ll get cleaned. I told my brother not to disturb us. Oh, you can let him keep that, Nasser.” The last part of what Kylian said was directed to a tall man in a tailored suit, who had tried to take Trent’s schoolbag.
“Of course sir.” the man, Nasser, replied, and bowed himself out of the hallway.
“Holy shit, you have a butler? ” Trent said, his mouth agape, as the two headed for the stairs. How was this dude so cool?
“Um, yes?” Kylian said. “But I don’t see him as my…butler. He’s my friend. He just…happens to work for my parents.”
“Okay…”
“Um, history. That’s why you’re here. Let’s go upstairs and learn.”
“Sure,” Trent said, giving Kylian what he hoped was his winning smile. “Lead the way.”
“And that’s about all you need to know about the American Revolution.” Kylian finished, almost out of breath.
“Is it?” Trent quipped. “I thought there’d be more. I mean, it’s not like you spoke for a full hour-”
“Oh, buzz off.” Kylian said, swatting the air between him and Trent, making Trent laugh, which made him laugh. Trent and Kylian were sitting cross-legged on the floor of Kylian’s giant room, enjoying the lush carpet. They sat facing each other. Whilst Kylian’s eyes rarely left his study notebook (which was complete with sticky notes, highlighting and drawings of that final year who transferred, Cristiano Ronaldo, in the margins), Trent’s eyes busied themselves taking in Kylian’s bedroom and all its personal effects - from his row of stuffed animals on a shelf, to pictures of him and his parents framed on another shelf, to the stacks of books on yet another shelf. By far the most interesting bit was the mess of photos glued on the wall, above the head of Kylian’s bed.
The pictures were of him with who seemed to be his friends. Trent recognized his brother Ethan, the butler from before Nasser, and Achraf, the handsome Moroccan kid that followed Kylian around like a bodyguard while they were in school. There were mainly pictures of Kylian and Achraf.
Trent didn’t pretend to not feel jealous of him.
“Hey Kylian,” Trent said, as Kylian looked over some notes he’d taken on the Battle of Gettysburg, “Is Achraf…your boyfriend?”
“What? No.” Kylian said quickly. “I don’t…have a boyfriend.”
Fireworks went off in Trent’s head. That was one obstacle out of the way, at least.
“Don’t feel bad about that, I don’t either!”
“I thought, um, that white boy was your boyfriend.” Kylian said, “Robert, I think.”
“Robertson. ” Trent said loudly, so Kylian could hear he had missed his best friend’s name, making Kylian flinch. “And no, he’s not my boyfriend! He’s my best friend.”
“Achraf said he heard you two talking about going to Homecoming together.” Kylian said conspiratorially.
“We were just joking, and how did he even hear that?” Trent said, getting a little freaked out. Achraf could be so quiet, you’d forget he was even there. “Did you tell him to spy on me? ”
“What? No!” Kylian said, snapping his gigantic study book shut. “He just happened to overhear, and we like to, er, gossip. ” He said that last bit with a twinge of embarrassment.
“No way! So do me and Robbo!” Trent saw confusion flutter on Kylian’s face. “Robertson. I call him Robbo.”
“Oh, okay.” Kylian said, looking like something was bothering him. “Trent, why’d you ask if Achraf was my boyfriend?”
“Just curious.” Trent said, as truthfully as he could. What, was he supposed to tell Kylian that he was jealous of Achraf and had to make sure he wasn’t a threat? “‘Cause I saw the pictures over yer bed.”
“Oh, those…” Kylian said, waving a hand towards them. “Well, it’s all the people I’m closest to in my life.”
“Your parents aren’t there.” Trent said, but as he said it, he realized how stupid it was. “Sorry, ignore I ever said that.”
“Nah, it’s cool.” Kylian said, sounding a little empty.
There was an awkward silence.
“Um,” Trent coughed, “Can I use the bathroom?”
“Yeah…I’ll get Nasser to take you there. NASSER! ” Kylian called out.
Moments later, Nasser materialized at the bedroom door. “Yes, master Kylian?”
“Can you um, please take Trent to the bathroom?” Kylian asked. “He wants to uh, use it.”
“Of course,” Nasser said curtly, and then extended a hand to Trent, beckoning him to follow. “Follow me, master Trent.”
Trent got up.
“Sure.” Trent replied, then followed Nasser to the bathroom.
Once they got there, Nasser stepped aside and motioned to the door.
“Here you are.” Nasser said politely.
“Um, thank you.” Trent said. “I…I like your suit.”
“Why thank you.” Nasser said, his face lighting up in a special way, giving Trent a smile. Then his phone lit up. Nasser took a glance at it, then a glance at Trent, then back at the phone. “Sorry, but I have to leave you now. I’m sure you can find your way back?”
“Oh, sure.” Trent said, but internally, he thought, not a chance.
“Good. Master Kylian doesn’t really have friends over, outside of Master Hakimi.” Nasser remarked, as he turned to leave. “I hope you come back again.” With that, Nasser trooped down the endless hallways.
Trent chuckled to himself then slid into the bathroom. And once he was done, he found Nasser waiting outside, as if Nasser had known, Trent would get lost trying to find his way back to Kylian's room.
“It is very important you remember when and where the Declaration of Independence was signed.” Kylian instructed.
“Yes sir.” Trent replied, giving Kylian a mock salute.
“Okay, let’s do some question-and-answer.” Kylian suggested.
“Sure, just keep ‘em simple.” Trent said, even though he would have no problem answering history questions…but he needed Kylian to think he was dumb.
“Alright, how many colonies were present when the Declaration was signed?”
“Thirteen.”
“Who was the first president-”
“George Washington.”
“Who was the second-”
“John Adams.”
“Okay, who was the fifteenth vice president of the United States? ”
Trent pretended to think.
“Um…John…Breckinridge.”
“Spell it.”
“What?”
“Klopp marks down for wrong spellings,” Kylian continued, “So, spell his surname.”
He doesn’t mark me down for wrong spellings, Trent thought, but he decided to indulge Kylian anyways. “Um, okay.”
“B-R-E-C-K-E-N-R-I-D-G-E.” Trent spelt aloud. He could tell he had gotten something wrong by the amused look on Kylian’s face.
“It’s K-I-N, not K-E-N.” Kylian corrected, feeling very smug about it. Trent didn’t even try to get offended by how smug Kylian looked - Trent didn’t see how Kylian could ever offend him. “But you’re still good. I don’t see why you needed my help…”
“Woah woah woah, I’m only like this ‘cause you taught me.” Trent said quickly. “I’d be shit without you… to teach me. ” Trent added that last part when he saw a weird look flash on Kylian’s face.
“You know, normally, I charge people for a service like this.” Kylian said, his tone growing wry. “I mean, this is hard work and I like to be compensated.”
“Kylian, you didn’t tell me shit about there being a fee,” Trent said warily, “so don’t even try to extort me.”
“Nah nah, I won’t expect any payment…this one is on the house.” Kylian said, his mouth curved in a sly smile.
“Why?” Trent asked, intending the question to be rhetorical.
“Oh, no reason.” Kylian waved away Trent’s question, then glanced at his fancy ( how was everything this dude had fancy???) wall-clock. “Shit, it’s getting late. You better get going.”
“Aww…I thought you’d let me stay the night.” Trent said, feigning hurt.
“Haha… no.” Kylian said firmly. “Really you need to go. Nasser!”
Once more, moments after being called, Nasser materialized. “Yes, master Kylian?”
“It’s getting late and…don’t want my parents to see I brought Trent over.” Kylian said warily. “So, he’s gonna leave, please um, take him out?”
“As you wish.” Nasser replied curtly. Then he bent down and began to arrange Trent’s things.
“No no no, I’ll do that.” Trent and Kylian both said at the same time. Trent’s face darkened and Kylian shot him a small smile, which made Trent melt like butter. Nasser got up, looked from Trent to Kylian, then shot Kylian an eyebrow.
So Trent and Kylian began to gather Trent’s things. As they did, Trent stole glances at Kylian, taking advantage of the fact Kylian’s gaze was focused downwards. He was so pretty. They both reached for the same pencil, making their hands touch. Trent felt his brain short-circuit at the contact.
“Uh, you can get the pencil.” Kylian said, stuttering a little as he retracted his hand from Trent’s touch, reaching for a pen instead.
“O-okay.” Trent stuttered in return.
Soon after, Trent was fully packed, and the two, along with Nasser, headed downstairs for the door. Nasser and Kylian whispered sharply to each other, and Trent took pains to not eavesdrop.
Then, Trent was at the door.
“Thanks a lot for the help, Kylian.” Trent said finally. “You’re…really smart.” What Trent really wanted to say wouldn’t exactly be fully appropriate.
“Of course, anytime.” Kylian said, then it seemed like Nasser smacked him about the head. “And, um, feel free to come back if you need more lessons, they’re…all free.”
“Can I invite my-”
“No.”
“Okay.” Trent said, laughing at the immediacy of Kylian’s refusal.
“Not for free, at least.” Kylian said, giving Trent a wink that Trent would probably think about for the rest of the week. “Well, bye! Oh, and good luck on the test!”
“You too! Although you won’t need it, will you?” Trent asked, throwing out his hand for Kylian to shake it.
“I won’t…but I’m sure you will.” Kylian replied in turn, shaking Trent’s hand and making Trent’s brain short-circuit again.
Trent didn’t let go of Kylian’s hand and Kylian didn’t let go of his. They stared at each other for a few too many moments.
Nasser coughed, startling the pair, and Kylian let go of Trent’s hand.
“Sorry…” Nasser said, a mischievous glint in his beetle-black eyes, “Something in my throat.”
“Yeah, I gotta go. Milner’s waiting to pick me up down the street. He said he couldn’t park in front of yours, because he was ‘scared of your wealth’.” Trent said, shrugging.
“What?’ Kylian asked.
“Yeah, I don’t know either.” Trent said. “Bye, Kylian. See you in school tomorrow.”
With that, Trent turned on his heel and left the house, not looking back. Once he heard the door shut, and footsteps recede, he burst into a run and ran down the street to Milner's car.
“I see someone had fun.” Robbo remarked as Trent slid into the backseat with him. “You’re even panting, wow, you and Kylian must’ve gone hard-”
“Quiet!” Milner called from the driver’s seat, giving Robbo a death glare through the rearview mirror. “Now, Trentski, tell us all about your study date!!!” Milner said the last two words in a sing-songy voice, full of genuine excitement.
Trent simply stared down at his hand. The one Kylian shook.
“...Trent?” Robbo asked, shaking him on the shoulder. “Earth to Trent Alexander-Arnold???”
“Oh!” Trent jumped, Robbo shaking him back to reality. “It was...great.”
“Now Trentski…” Milner said, wagging a finger, “You know I’m not moving this car if I don’t get details… ”
“Ugh, okay!” Trent said with feigned annoyance. “Alright, so first…”