NO Love Club (Boy × Boy) ✔

11) GIVE ME ONE GOOD DAY.

Cole Walker's POV 

I had a good morning. For once I woke up before the alarm and could get up without my usual habit of snoozing until I had like twenty minutes left to get ready and go to school. I even had time for a shower, which I couldn't normally do now that my hair was longer. It took ages to dry and I was starting to contemplate if I should just cut it already. 

After shower I made myself a bowl of Shredded Wheat with almond milk, a combination which tasted like cardboard, but was good for your health. Unfortunately they had the side effect of stealing the joy of life, but mom wasn't paying that theory. Then I played Triangle Strategy with my Nintendo Switch until Chloe was ready to get going.

We live in an old detached house by a lake, which is idyllic but inconveniently far from school. That's why I need to rely on Chloe to give me a ride, since I still haven't saved enough money for my own car. As I couldn't be bothered to find a job and used all my pocket money to buy fast food, sweets and games, getting a car anytime soon didn't seem likely. At least Declan had a car, so I wasn't completely at the mercy of Chloe. 

On our way to school, while I was trying to find a channel from Chloe's ancient car radio and just minding my own business, she decided to point out: "Someone's having a good day."

"Yeah, it happens." I shrugged.

"To others, maybe, but to you? Never." Chloe said. I could tell she was pleased to see the hint of a smile, or maybe it was just the absence of the scowl, on my face. Chloe glanced at me with a knowing grin. "Is there a reason for this? A girl maybe? Or a boy?"

"Nah, nothing like that." I shook my head and finally found a channel that didn't play classical, country or, even worse, religious classical country music. I'm sure that's a thing, or at least that's what most of the songs on the radio sounded like.

"Okay, if you say so." Chloe gave in, although I could hear from her voice she didn't buy a word of it. Then she smiled and told me: "Whatever the reason, I'm glad to see you like this."

Chloe wasn't the only one to spot my good mood. I think it had to be written all over my face, since the first thing Declan asked me was if I had won the lottery. Even X seemed to notice the change in me, since the moment his eyes landed on me, a smile spread on his lips. You know, the genuinely surprised kind of smile.

And for some flipping reason that only made my day better. 

X came to find me after lunch when Declan was in the toilet. Declan had asked me to come with him, but there was no way I'd willingly wait inside that foul foul-smelling hellhole. Instead I leaned against the hallway wall near the toilets, reading an article about some dubious new series of a notorious serial killer. 

"I was wondering.." X voiced, while walking past me. Instead of continuing to make his way to the next class with Wilder and Noah, he made this strangely graceful spin and leaned on the wall next to me. "What will be my reward when I win the bet?"

"I don't know, eternal glory?" I suggested, giving him a fed-up glare to point out, yet again, that the joke was getting old. 

"That does sound pretty nice." X pondered and brought his thumb and forefinger to his chin, while letting out a thoughtful 'huh'. "What would you get if by any chance you were to win?"

"A favor." I pointed out, matter-of-factly, and put out my phone to give him my full attention. And why on Earth was I giving him my full attention? When X just stared at me blankly, I shrugged and explained: "You never know when you'll find yourself in need of a favor."

"Okay, I hear you." X said and gave me an approving nod. Then he smirked, telling me: "That's smart."

"Well, of course it is. I am smart, dumbass." I noted, smirking right back at him. I didn't want to admit it, but I was pleased by the compliment. 

"Heyy, no need to —" X began, laughter in his voice, and nudged my shoulder. He let the smile and his hand drop, when the door to the toilets opened and Declan locked eyes with him. 

"What are you waiting for? Let's go or we'll be late." I couldn't interpret the look in Declan's eyes when he turned his gaze to me and said those words. I felt a twinge of guilt in my chest, but it wasn't just that. I was annoyed, because Declan had no right to decide who I talked to or not.

As a protest to show that annoyment, I glanced at X over my shoulder and made a face. Was I trying to signal him: can you believe this guy? Or stop getting me into trouble? I'm really not sure, but X answered the look with a sheepish smile.

Declan didn't say anything about any of that, he even ignored the looks X and I kept giving each other during the rest of the day. I could tell he saw all of it, of course, but I had this dangerous fuck it feeling and I didn't really care if Declan or anyone else got hurt. 

I should have, of course.

Because, apparently, I'm not allowed to have even one good day. I'm certainly not allowed to make jokes with the only person, along with Declan, who could make my school days slightly more interesting. 

Despite Declan's tendency to be dramatic and exaggerate things, it's not all with no foundation. Even though he's a magnet to drama, it's not always his fault. He doesn't always go and make things worse, sometimes trouble comes to find him. 

I've noticed it, even though Declan doesn't speak about it; that strange tension between him and Wilder. The way they seem to avoid mentioning each other's name, and how they sometimes look at each other. It is far from loving, I can say that much. 

I can't say I haven't wondered if it is because of Wilder or if it were other way around. But seriously, would Declan be.. what? Someone who can't stand people with freckles and bushy eyebrows? Someone who doesn't like people who talk too much? The latter would also mean he hated himself, so that didn't make much sense. 

Whatever the reason, those two had to pick the only good day I have had since forever to have an argument. It had been going so well for a while now, so I didn't understand why they had to get into trouble again. Let alone choose that exact day for it.

"Say that one more time and I swear to God.." Declan's lowered voice drew my attention and I hurried towards the scuffle to find out what was going on. 

"What? What exactly are you going to do?" Wilder snapped and shoved Declan, telling him: "You're all talk. You keep telling people your versions of the truth and for what? To make people pity you?"

Seeing Wilder steaming with anger caught me off guard. He might have been an extroverted chatterbox, who wasn't afraid to show his feelings, but none of those included such anger. Wilder was such a laid-back person.

"When have I ever lied?" Declan snarled and shoved Wilder in turn. Then they were on each other's throats, and it took all of us, X, Noah and I to pull them apart.

"What the hell is going on?" I cried out, partly at Wilder, but also to Declan. I was used to interposing arguments and even fights, but nothing like this.

****

Question of the day:
Thoughts about the story so far?

Or the characters?

Cole

X

Declan

Wilder

Noah