Then He Smiled [BoyxBoy]

Chapter Eleven

...It's a cute picture. That's all I'm going to say.

My chemistry teacher was handing out our test results. A test I took a few days earlier but didn't prepare for because I was too busy.

Busy worrying about my nightmares (or its nonexistence ). Busy thinking of Fin, just Fin, everything about Fin. Him, whatever it is that we had, what went on during most lunches, and his acceptance towards the whole thing.

The teacher dropped my paper on my desk and paused to say, "You still have an entire semester to make up for that grade."

I glanced at the red inked letter on the top corner of my paper, and flushed before shoving it in my notebook.

The bell rang a moment later and I stood up, almost running to the door.

A few of the guys stood right outside of the door, blocking the way as they discussed something that apparently was too important to allow me access through the doorway.

"What's going on?" I asked no one in particular.

"They're planning a prank," one said beside me.

I recognized him as the boy who sat a few seats in front of me.

I tuned into the conversation.

"Okay, so we'll need to pick a class."

"Latin, she's such a clean freak it'll be hilarious," one said.

"Plus, she's a pussy, she probably won't even report us."

I frowned.

"Now, who's going to get the stuff?"

I felt a hand on my wrist and was quickly tugged to the side, away from the boys.

"You looked like you needed to get out of there," Fin said, letting go of my wrist.

"You're right," I said.

Things were weird between me and Fin. Sometimes he'd turn away the moment he saw me and other times he'd smile. I was never sure if he liked me, even if he told me he did almost every night before bed.

I liked to believe he was just as confused as I was, but at the same time it was hard to imagine Fin being confused over anything at all.

"You're an outcast, huh?"

I shrugged. "I just don't fit in."

"I understand."

I glanced at him. "Yeah."

"Do you want to ditch?"

"Ditch?"

He chuckled. "Skip class. What? You're a goody two shoes now?"

I shrugged. "I've never done it before. I can't afford it with my grades."

He raised his eyebrows. "I could help you with that."

"How?"

"It's this thing called having a study buddy. When's your next free period?"

I hesitated before I said, "After lunch."

He didn't react the way I thought he would.

I thought he would flinch, or wince, or do anything to indicate that neither of us liked what went on during lunch.

He didn't, he just nodded. "I'll see you at the library."

He walked ahead of me, towards his next class, but I hurried after him, gripping his arm between my fingers. "Wait."