How Bad Can High School Be? (Onceler x Reader)

Chapter 15

     As (Name) walked to school, her phone call with the Onceler was all she could think about.

     Should I say something? Or do something? What could I do to help him?

     Arriving at school, (Name) noticed the familiar sprawling form of her friend, the very person running laps through her brain, sitting against their tree. Even though she had been really anxious all morning worrying about him, the sight of the Onceler pushed those thoughts down. Her worry melted away to something warmer as she felt a small flutter in her chest.

     "Hey, Once..." Her voice trailed off as she approached the boy. His head was hanging down, hat tilted forward pushing more of his hair directly into his face. His eyes were closed and their bags stood out among his features.

     He's asleep. How late did he stay up last night?

     (Name) sat down beside Onceler, being careful not to startle him. There were papers in his lap, his unfinished homework from the night before, most likely due to the fact that he got stuck doing his brothers' homework all night rather than his own. Suddenly the worry came back. The least that she could do now to help her friend was to let him sleep. At least then he might make it through the day.

     Despite her hatred for logarithms, (Name) figured she'd finishing filling out his packet so he wouldn't have to worry about it. After all, the Onceler was a little bit of a teacher favorite. They expect his homework to be done and that he got all the answers right. They never look at his work much longer than to make sure it's all done.

     Maybe it was due to her movement, or maybe the school becoming steadily louder as it came closer to the bell, but it was that moment the Onceler woke up.

     "(Name)?" He asked with a yawn, blinking a little. The boy glanced away from her as he wiped some drool from his chin. "What are you doing?"

     "Well, I noticed you were asleep and your homework wasn't finished..I wanted to help you out so you wouldn't have to worry about it."

     (Name) wasn't sure how she had expected him to react. Maybe with his signature grin. Maybe with a thank you. Maybe grateful that she recognized his needs and wanted to help him. But she wasn't expecting what he had actually said.

     "You should have just woke me up. This is my responsibility, not yours." Onceler took his homework back from (Name), and the look he gave her left her stunned. It's not that it was harsh, but his eyes were off. They lacked their normal glimmer, their normal gleam that was so signature to the Onceler and his generally excitable nature. They were apathetic.
    
     (Name) wanted to say something, to argue with him, to take his papers back and force him to rest. But she couldn't think of anything. The two sat under their tree, only the sound of the Onceler's scribbling pencil between the both of them.

~~~~~

     Things felt off between the Onceler and (Name) the next couple of days. (Name) had all sorts of questions for the boy, but anytime she tried go bring it up, he would change the subject and become distanced. Eventually she stopped bringing it up, and he went back to normal.

     The field trip was just a couple days away now.

     "OK, so we both know what we have to bring, right?" The Onceler asked, his voice filled with so much excitement. (Name) had missed it more than she realized. It sent a small ache through her chest.

     "I bring the chocolate and the graham crackers, you bring the marshmellows?" She rose a brow.

     "Perfect, we're all set."

     There is was. There was that familiar grin (Name) had missed so much. Maybe he wouldn't let her help him with his family, but she was still his friend. She would anything and everything she could to keep that dorky smile on his face.

     "Do you really think they'll let us sit around the fire and make s'mores all night?" She asked, worried the teachers on the trip would refuse them and disappoint the Onceler.

     "I don't see why they wouldn't. It's a camping trip, s'mores are a must," the boy responded with a shrug. "If they don't, we'll just have to sneak out after curfew."

     Sneak out? Meet the Onceler in private, in the dark, while everyone else was asleep? Images formed in (Name)'s head, images that weren't roasting marshmellows and making s'mores. She was all too aware of the blush that creeped across her face.

     Stop it, stupid crush. I can't deal with these feelings right now.

     "Hey, are you ok?" The Onceler's smile dropped as he studied her face. "You're face is kinda red. Do you need to go to the nurse's office?"

     Oh, kill me.

     "Huh? No no, I'm fine. No need to worry, I'm not sick or anything," (Name) said weakly, absolutely mortified but a small part of her absolutely ecstatic that he would notice that sort of thing. He paid attention to her.

     "Alright, if you say so," the boy conceded with a shrug. "You better not get sick before we're supposed to leave. I have big plans for this trip, and I need my best friend there with me!"

     (Name) smiled up at him. Normally she'd try to respond, but she couldn't think of anything other than the tidal wave of emotions hitting her. The Onceler was her best friend too, and even though she was pretty sure she was his only friend, it still meant the world to (Name) to hear him call her his best friend.

     "Yeah, it's going to be great."