NO Love Club (Boy × Boy) ✔

22) I'LL TAKE YOU HOME.

Cole Walker's POV 

My eyes darted open when I felt someone yanking off my blanket. The air current, caused by the movement, was chilly against my sleep warmed skin and shivered. I sat up, pulling my knees to my chest and sending daggers at mom's way.

"You need to get to school." She said, fisting the blanket and crumbling it into her arms. Her eyes were dark, a storm brewing behind them. "It's bad enough you skipped all your classes yesterday, so don't think for a second I'm not making you go today."

"I was planning on going, even before you stormed in and stole my blanket." I snapped, got up and stomped to my wardrobe. I yanked the door open and picked up the first shirt I saw. "Now, if you'd just let me get dressed and get lost from my room."

There was no need for such an attitude, of course, but it was too damn early for me to act like an actual person. I was so pissed by her way of waking me up that I had to grit my teeth together to not start yelling at her. Mom let out a deep sigh and sat on my gaming chair, still holding my blanket in her lap.

"Sometimes I don't know what I'm supposed to do with you." She whispered and shook her head.

"I know, I'm nothing but a big problem for everyone to fix." I grumbled.

"No, that's not.." Mom's voice trailed off as she met my burning gaze. I felt bad for her. But more than that, I still thought it was all her fault Cody was bullied for so long. She stood up, facing me. I was already a head taller than her, but somehow she always remained this big and scary thing to me. "Cole, this has to end. You can't just keep fooling around and thinking there won't be any consequences. You're almost an adult now, so —"

"Act like it?" I finished for her, feeling sucked dry from all my previous anger. Instead, I found myself swallowing back a lump in my throat, because I already felt like shit about the way I was behaving. I turned my back to her when I told her, coolly: "Maybe I'll start acting like it once you stop acting like we aren't such a fucked up family."

With that, I left mom in my room and locked myself into the bathroom. At least there I could get a moment of peace. I showered and hastily dried my hair before joining her in the kitchen. Mom didn't turn from the stove to look at me, but just continued making the pancakes in silence.

When she stacked a pancake after pancake on my plate, I knew it was her way of apologizing. We were both incapable of saying those words out loud. Like mom like son, or how did the saying go? We were more alike than I ever cared to admit, and maybe that's why it was so difficult for me to get along with her.

"Cole, honey.." Mom began as she sat at the table opposite of me. She took a pancake for herself and drowned it in maple syrup. "I know it was hard for us all and that I haven't always been the best mom for you, but we're all trying. At some point you'll have to learn to give us another chance."

"Mmh." I mumbled and started stuffing pancakes into my mouth to get away from the conversation as soon as possible. Mom was right, but somehow it and her all so much better behavior just made me more mad. Where was that understanding and calm when Cody needed her?

"Chloe can't take you to school today. I can give you a lift there, but you'll need to ask someone to bring you back." Mom chatted, sensing our previous topic wasn't going anywhere. 

"I'll ask Declan." I muttered. Chloe had mentioned taking her car to a routine checkup a week or so ago, so I had had plenty of time to find myself a lift home. Which I, not so surprisingly, hadn't bothered to do.

The drive was my very definition of awkward: we rarely talked and the silence hung heavily in the small space, to which the music did nothing. Mom even opened her mouth a few times, clearly having something on her mind, but eventually opted to prolong the silence. I wasn't sure if I was more relieved or disappointed by it.

"Bye, honey, stay safe." She called after me when I was already half-way across the parking lot. I just lifted my hand to show her I had heard her, but didn't stop walking or even glance back at her. That ignorance was something I came to regret later, but at that moment I just wanted to make sure mom wouldn't embarrass me in front of the other students. 

Despite its unpleasant beginning, the day turned out to be better than I had dared to hope for. The classes went by in blur, as I paid little attention to the teaching. It was about fundamental art techniques, I knew that much at least. Declan was in a good mood. He was visibly relieved that I had made it to school, but didn't give me any lectures about skipping this time.

Maddie and a bunch of her friends came to talk to me during lunch time, wanting to know why I wasn't in the boy's football team. I didn't even know our school had one, which was exactly what I told them. They giggled, thinking I was making a joke, and I laughed along to not spoil the fun.

Both Brandon and Declan seemed to find my group of "fangirls" amusing, the idiots they were. But as I wasn't in a murderous frenzy, I just grinned along and told them how those 14-year-olds were more mature and funny than they were.

"Why does he keep staring at me like that?" I grumbled, angling away so that I could block the continuous stare X was giving me. The entire day his eyes had been on me. When I finally stole a glimpse at him, he had this peculiar expression on his face. Not angry, not fed-up, but curious and pensive. It was like..

"Don't be mad, but I talked to him." Declan whispered, grimacing as he turned to face me.

"You what? Why?" I hissed under my breath, my eyes widening with shock. Declan had promised not to, and to me promises actually meant something. 

"I talked to him yesterday, because you weren't at school and I was worried." Declan explained, knitting his eyebrows and drawing his chapped lower lip between his teeth.

The way X looked at me was like he knew something, and there were about a zillion things I did not want him to find out about. So, you bet I was pissed off at Declan for speaking to him behind my back. I clenched my fists and gritted my teeth, looking away from Declan's stupid face. 

"Come on, I didn't even tell him anything, I just asked if he —" Declan began to explain in a hushed tone, which was still sharp enough to catch the teacher's attention.

"Moore, Walker, is there something you'd like to share with the class?" The teacher snapped, looking at us expectantly with hands on the sides of her plump waist.

"No, sorry, we'll be quiet." Declan rushed to promise, giving the teacher an apologetic smile, which was as forced as his attempt to act like a good student. The teacher nodded, gave us one more narrow eyed peer and turned back to the white board. 

"I'm getting another ride home." I whispered to Declan, enjoying the slight wince I got from him as a reward. I was being childish and it was only going to cause more inconvenience to me, but I would have rather walked home than spent any more time with him.

We didn't talk during the remainder of the school day and as soon as the class was over, I all but dashed to the parking lot. Only to stand there and look around like a lost puppy, because I still didn't have that ride.

Then X handed me a motorcycle helmet. I hadn't noticed him sneaking up on me, so it's safe to say all I could do was gape the round object in my hands like an idiot.

"I'll take you home and then we'll talk things through." X explained, and his tone made it clear he wasn't asking. 

"I don't.." I started to oppose, only to realize I didn't have a clue what I was about to say.

"Come on, not just anyone gets to ride this beauty." X nudged me towards his bike, his hand on my lower back sending shivers up my spine. It was like a goddamn electroshock, making my skin go goosebumps.

Oh no, you don't get to do this to me now, I warned my traitorous body.

"Fine, but I can walk on my own." I hissed, stepping away from him. I needed a ride anyway, so what harm could getting on X's bike actually do to me? That didn't mean I needed to talk to him or listen to him talking to me, it was just a ride home.

****

Question of the day:
Pet peeves?

(Me: Leaving cabinets or drawers open is the absolute worst for me. I also don't like people who come to breath down your neck in a queue and don't keep the safe distance.)