As The World Falls Down

Bad News?

The afternoon bell rang, most people were half-way out of class before it finished echoing through the walls. Robbe ran his hand over his face, rubbing his eyes, trying to shake away his drowsiness. He hadn't been sleeping much for two days for reason or reasons he couldn't really pinpoint. Gathering his books, he walked out toward the school yard, a square field surrounded by row of classes on three sides, and a long wall at one side with an exit somewhere at the centre of it. Robbe took out his headphones, played a music randomly and walked slowly, glancing around in a nonchalant way, spotting the boys some distance away, he walked casually to the other side as far as possible from them. He had been avoiding them, the assholes, and they didn't even bother to try talking to him at all. Whatever, it's not like he would die without them or something. He sat on a bench, checking his phone, there was a new band he wanted to check out.

There were muffled voices getting closer. Robbe looked up to find Jana, Zoe, Luca, Yasmina and Amber taking seats around him. Luca grinned to him and sat across from him, continue listening and throwing jokes with the others. The girls had been doing this for days, since he came out, just acting like he was a part of their group, always including him in their conversations, asking him to hang out with them after school. It's funny how with girls, if you were a boy who came out as a gay, it's like they were so excited for you and suddenly you were this cute boy who they would feel so at ease to be around, and they could talk about all kind of stuff without feeling awkward. It's not like they were not friends with him before, but now it was like they were bestfriends. Part of it probably because they noticed he was always alone now, and took pity on him like a homeless puppy they found in an alley, half starved, looking pathetic, and so decided to adopt him, which was embarassing but also touching in a way. He was sure that almost everyone in the school knew about him, this kind of thing spread so fast like a virus, even though he basically only came out to his flatmates, which were Zoe and Milan, and the boys. The ones reacted supportive, especially because Milan was also gay. The other ones though, man, the awkward silence, the looks, that split second like they were looking at a stranger. And then Jens. He didn't even want to think about that.

Taking off his headphones, he half-listened to their conversations; usual stuff, boys, clothes, sex, party. Jens, Moyo and Aaron also talked about the same things, except it was girls, and jerking off, weed and stupid stuff, ridiculous ideas for their Broerrs vlog. If he was really honest, he did miss them, skateboarding, laughing while making videos in which he mostly the cameraman and sometimes featuring as the person who was duct taped to a wall, breathing fire, or awkward dance challenge. It was mostly random, spontaneous, and stupid, but it was fun. From the corner of his eyes, he got a glimpse of black clothes and lean, tall figure passing.

"Girls, look at that!" Jana apparently had caught the same sight.

Everyone was turning their heads toward the boy with platinum bleached hair who was walking like he wasn't aware of the stares and whispers following his steps. A new student after the term started was rare enough, but someone like him was probably never happened. The boy walked to an empty space of a wall, with earphones in his ears, he stood leaning, with one foot on the wall. He didn't look like he was hiding, he threw a cursory glance around the yard, but he also didn't seem like he look at anyone at all. Wearing combat black boots, a printed black t-shirt, faded black jeans, his bearing was as casual as though he was at his home with no one else around.

"That is one hell of a hot ass," Jana was saying.

"Just his ass?" Luca said, staring at the boy also.

"Who is he? Does anyone know?" Amber asked.

"I don't think he is in our year, he looks older," that was from Zoe. She and Yasmina were the only ones who didn't look that interested.