lonely || sidemen || completed

/mistaken/

/tobi/

'What the...?' I murmured under my breath as the sound of a screaming alarm pulled my concentration from the text book on my knee.

I stood up, tucking the book into my bag, and started to walk towards the source of the noise. There was a huge crowd in front of the dorm, and a stream of people hurrying out. I spotted Ethan on the edge, by a slightly smaller boy.

'What's going on?' I asked, standing beside him.

'Hey, Tobi. Fire drill.'

'I didn't know you lived here.' I replied, gazing up at dusty bricks.

'I don't- me and Vik were revising chemistry. He has a dorm here.' Ethan looked over at the boy, who I could now place as Vikram Barn, a kid who seemed so... friendless? I nodded, and then looked down at my bag. Ethan followed my gaze down to the book that was still poking out the top: A-Level Chemistry.

'Hey, you take Chem too?'

I nodded, looking nervously at Vik, who hadn't looked at me once. He probably hates you, murmured the snake behind my eyes. Probably.

'Yeah- I haven't been in any lessons, yet.'

Ethan just looked at me, without asking any questions, and then nodded. He seemed to be sizing me up, so I looked down to my shoes. My pride, they were clean, tied tightly, gleaming out from beneath slightly scruffy joggers.

'You're an oddball.' Ethan said with a chuckle. I snapped my eyes back up to look at his beaming face, catching a glimpse of Vik's slight smile as I did. 'You're one of us.'

I frowned, and Ethan pulled Vik closer to his side.

'Me, Vik and Harry- we aren't... we're on the outside. So we made our own inside.'

I smiled briefly. It seemed like their group only shut me out more than the rest. Flaunting friendship in my face, all I wanted was to get home.

'It's exclusive. Cool kids only. The real cool kids, though, not the ones who just have nice phones and nice hair.' Ethan seemed proud of his little group. I was so, so jealous.

'We would like you to be a part of us. The ones on the side- the inside.'

I felt my heart drop to my toes as I realised what he was asking, and then lift with silk wings back out my head and into the sky as I smiled.

I nodded my head, and Ethan beamed once more. Light seemed to shine from every pore.

'Come on then.' Vik said, his voice low and shy but still there, as the officials declared that people could return to the dorms, and Vik turned on his heel, beckoning me to follow.

'Friends only.'

~~
long awaited? hello
sorry for going, how have you all been?