To Have Loved [BxB] Book I ✓

Chapter 43

a/n: Hey guys, so it's been a little while again, and it's super late, but I just finished the chapter so I figured I'd go ahead and publish it. Also, for anyone who does not know what Aristotle and Dante is, I'll leave a brief explanation in the comments at the bottom so you understand the ending. Otherwise, have a great day or night and the next chapter will be out soon. I love you guys, keep it real, hydrate thoroughly, and take your meds.  

By the time Monday came, Kayden felt like a shell of a person. He'd managed to get all of his work done with Elias' help, but he'd used energy he didn't even have to do it. He spent Sunday night packing and on Monday morning, all he wanted to do was stay in bed and sleep. Still, he dragged himself out when Theo shook his shoulder and pulled on a hoodie and a pair of black jeans. They were told they'd have to wear their uniforms when touring the different locations, though they had a seven-hour bus ride to get there, so they were allowed to dress casually on the first day as long as their clothes didn't have any rips or tears.

It was a rainy morning, dark clouds looming overhead as all four grades were loaded onto the travel buses. Kayden picked a seat and put his earbuds in, turning the sound up until he could no longer hear the shuffling of feet and the rumble of the bus. Ezra sat down next to him and Kayden glanced over to see Elias sitting next to Grant. He looked good in a cable knit sweater, though he tried to push that out of his thoughts as he looked back out the window. He briefly wondered why Ezra wasn't sitting with Grant, though he didn't think he should ask about it. He wasn't sure what'd happened between them, but they seemed to be more distant in the last few weeks.

He was sure Mr. Heimann was saying something important over the loudspeakers after everyone was seated, though he'd looked over the itinerary and the week's schedule. First, they were going to an aquarium in Baltimore, then they'd go back to Massachusetts for a few days and spend the rest of the trip walking around Plymouth and Boston talking about the history of the US or something like that. The trip was meant to be for both History and Marine Biology, though they promised at least one major trip for all classes on the school pamphlet, so they brought all the grades along. 

Kayden glanced over to see a few boys closer to the back playing some kind of card game while others set up pillows to go back to sleep for another few hours. He could imagine himself being perfectly content listening to music and watching water droplets race down the window for the next seven hours. That is until Ezra tapped his shoulder and Kayden took out an earbud with some amount of annoyance on his face that he tried to hide.

"Hey, I saw you turned in your piece for the newspaper really late Saturday night," Ezra said. It was the last thing in the world Kayden wanted to talk about. 

"I know the due date was Friday, I've just been really busy and-"

"I wanted to ask if you've been alright," Ezra said, and Kayden looked at him, not having expected that. He was so used to Ezra and Elias pushing him to get things in on time because the newspaper had to come out on time and everyone was counting on him. 

"What?"

"You just seem kind of tired lately, I wanted to ask if you need a break from the newspaper club. With the last month coming up and everything-"

"I wouldn't leave you guys hanging like that," Kayden said, offering a small smile. "I committed to being a part of it and all." 

"Yeah, but if you need to take some time off, let me know. I'm sure everyone would understand," Ezra said. 

"Thanks, I'll let you know," Kayden said, though he knew he couldn't ask for time off. Everyone else was working just as hard as he was and he didn't want to be lagging behind just because he was tired. Everyone was tired, it was the end of the year. He couldn't use that as an excuse.