Chapter Text
The sun is setting and as the birds finish the last of their songs there are two people laying in uncut grass. His hands are caressing her soft hair. Their eyes meet. They are face to face; so close they feel each others breathing. It’s romantic, isn’t it? He could scoot over to close that teeny tiny gap between their lips but he can’t move, or maybe he doesn’t want to. It doesn’t matter because suddenly the girl does it for him. Their lips meet; her reddish-pink, glossy lips – she always puts that ‘pretty in pink’ Essence lip gloss on. It must be her favorite - on his chapped, bitten on ones. It’s just a momentary touch with no friction, therefore his unaltered heartbeat and no bubbly feelings are justified, he tells himself.
As sudden as it started it also ended. She pulls away with scoff. “Do you even like me?”, annoyance in her voice.
Although there’s some other noise too. It persistently continues and sounds like, like his alarm clock!
Tyler blinks his eyes open, rapidly, before literally jumping out of his cozy and warm and so comfortable bed since he has school, almost everyday like almost every other seventeen year old.
The clock says it’s 7:30, thus he’ll have to make it to class in under 15 minutes, so that he avoids being late and he cannot at all afford to be. ‘If you don’t show up on time, you have already missed it.’ , is his biology teacher’s – Mr. Williams – moto, which will most definitely be inscribed on his grave. This oh so poor, old man is SIXTY and STILL clinging on to the traditional ways (where children are being hit; he doesn’t hit but you can tell it takes that man EVERYTHING not to) as if his life depends on it – and maybe, just maybe it does!
With a doughnut in his mouth - which was leftover from the day before, bought by his mother because she couldn’t care any less to actually give her son a decent meal - he throws on some random combination of clothes laying on his chair and runs out the door and continues running as as previously stated he needs to make it in time.
And he does! Ups, wait, no he doesn’t. He enters the biology classroom with one minute to spare and is then caught off guard. The classroom is empty. … THE FUCKING CLASSROOM IS EMPTY?
What am I gonna do? Where is everybody? His mind reels. He does not want to get suspended nor go to detention. And then he vaguely remembers Mr. Williams telling his class that on Friday it will take place in the physics laboratory so that he could do some kind of bio-experiment. But that’s tomorrow, right? Today’s Wednesday, right- Suddenly he feels somebody pack his shoulder.
He shrieks away giving a not-so-quiet scream. He quickly turns around, and instead of seeing Brendon, who bullies him for being ‘weird’ , it’s-
“Oh my god. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
-this guy. Now, Tyler isn’t gay, but he won’t deny that this guy does look good.
“Do you know where Mr. Willaims biology class is supposed to be at? This girl I asked just now said this would be it – or at least that’s how I understood it.” , the guy seems kind of nervous. “Man I don’t wanna be late the first day here…” Oh, that must be why. “So,… do you know..?”
“Ah, yes! It’s here!”, Tyler finally replies. Then an awkward silence followes, filled with Tyler’s small awkward smile and even more awkward thoughts. Why’s he starring at me? Do I have something on my face? I’d like to know what his name is. Am I making too much eye contact? Too little? That checkered shirt looks good on him.
It seams like he wants to say something. Why is he looking around? Tyler copies him. Shit! The classroom is still empty. How could he have been such an idiot to just stupidly say it’s here and then not explain?
His thoughts get interrupted as he remembers he’s also still late. By a whole ten minutes!
“Well, it’s normally here but, eh, not- not today. I can show you.” , Tyler offered to what the guy gladly agreed to.
~~~
When they arrive at the door Tyler hesitates. He can not have his school call his parents. If they find out he’s having trouble at school, he will most definitely get punished, but before he can continue his train of thought the guy knocks on the door and enters. Tyler reluctantly follows. He can already hear his teacher’s moto.
“Look who we have here. It’s nice of you to finally show up, Mr. Joseph.” , Mr. Williams mocks. Tyler feels his face getting red. Everybody is looking at him. They’re whispering about him. Snickering. ”Aren’t you ever going to learn? If you don’t show up on time for class, you have already missed it.” Please, God, make this stop. “Go to the teachers’ office, you are no longer welcome-“
His angry speech gets interrupted by the stranger ,“Sir, it’s my fault” But it’s not, Tyler thinks. “I’m new and I didn’t know where to find the biology classroom and he helped find it. I’m really sorry, this won’t happen again.”
“And you are?”, Mr. Williams says but his tone lets one believe he’s suggesting something different, like, ‘Who are you to interrupt me?’
“I’m the new student, Joshua Dun.” , Joshua explains which triggers some kind of emotion on the professor’s face and his whole demeanor changes in seconds.
“Mr. Dun!”, he shouts with a polite smile. “Well, if what you said is true, then I shall continue to teach this class. Please do not disturb further and sit down.”, he lowers his voice as he mumbles to Tyler, “We are not done here, Mr. Joseph.”
Tyler barely nods as he rushes to his seat next to Jenna who is his best friend.
He makes a mental note on where Joshua sits.