From Death Unto Life

Ch. 26 Helio

I watched him say something to Adelaide and they both laughed. We shared one measly kiss, and I thought that meant something. I thought he...Adelaide leaned in close and I looked away. Curiosity broke through my hurt and I saw she had a hand on his thigh. Without much warning, I stood, scooting my chair back.

Ricky followed my movements and we left the classroom. I then proceeded to walk off the school property. Us older boys were allowed to leave if we were back in reasonable time. I planned to drown myself in my unrequited misery and perhaps forget his face.

The pub was open and I ordered Ricky and I drinks. And more drinks. And another round. Enough that I was solidly drunk and Ricky was still sober. I spilled my guts to him, mourning my broken heart. It was getting harder and harder to think and act, but I thought I saw Ricky's face darken.

A rather rude man came up to us and a fight broke out because I hurled the contents of my stomach on his shoes. We were thrown out and Ricky left to get someone as I was busy hurling once again. The large vulgar man had pinned me to the wall, clearly intending to do me in, when a voice demanded he stop. The voice made my legs weak and my heart hurt. I was unceremoniously dropped to the ground where I looked up in a haze to see Athos.

"Bloody 'ell." I muttered. Ricky peered out from behind Athos.

"Ossy, you've bloodied your nose!"

I blinked and gingerly touched my nose. I missed the first time nearly poking my eye. I shrugged.

"Can't find my nose. I think I lost it."

Ricky sighed and hurried over to my side. He tilted my head.

"You've had too much to drink. I ought to have stopped you."

I tried to scoff and push him away.

"It's that bloody 'ool's 'ault. If 'e 'adn't made me -"

"Helio?" Athos' voice sounded curiously strained. I waved a hand nearly smacking Ricky.

"It's 'Elio, you pretentious, dastardly prick. I, after a few hurls, believe I'm ill."

Ricky his eyes. "Not ill, just drunk. Ossy, we better get you back. Come on." It was after I had recovered that Ricky told me about the fight I had missed. I hadn't noticed. I was leaning against Ricky, halfway back, when I hurled on Athos. I smiled in a self satisfied manner and said I felt great. I promptly blacked out and woke up late in the afternoon with a pounding headache."

•••

Athos

Adelaide leaned closer to me, ineffectively trying to flirt. She made a crass joke about one of her friends and I forced a laugh. She leaned in and brushed something off of my face.

"Dirt," she explained, though I hardly believed her.

"Thank...you," I muttered. She tried to off-handedly set a hand on my thigh, though it burned into me, and I wanted to pull away, but I didn't want to be rude to her.

From across the room, I heard a loud scratching noise, and Helio dashed out of the class, Ricky close behind him. I took this disturbance as a scapegoat to lean away from Adelaide. She noticed that I did not want her attention at the moment, and returned to spinning her quill.

The professor entered the room, hands behind his back.

"Good morning, students. Please open your books to p-" he stopped, took off his glasses, and sighed. "Neptune and Walker. Not here again? I swear, if they are gone one more time, I will get them expelled." He walked behind his desk, murmuring "detentions, detentions, I just hand out detentions. Just like that."