lonely || sidemen || completed

/hermit/

/harry/

Soon enough, lunch became something of a routine for me and our little group. Ethan would always be there first, and then joined by Tobi, and then me and Vik. I always waited for Vik outside his classroom, or he waited outside mine- he liked the company. He told me how he hated to walk into that big room alone. Finally, Josh would rock up about ten minutes later, with no reason, and join in the conversation. Beneath the ice, and the stone, and then the fire, he was incredible- funny, kind, enthusiastic. Shockingly so.

We started eating in our small corner of the library, the five of use cramped round one table, sharing jokes and stories.

Suffice to say, the outcasts were happy- or the inSide, as Ethan insisted on calling us.

'Hey, Josh.' I said, looking up at the boy who had somehow managed to push out a little bit more beard than anyone else in college.

'Alright.' he replied, smiling round us, his eyes guarded but still friendly.

I looked over at Tobi who was watching him with a grin that distorted his mouth wide.

'What?' Josh asked.

'Did you see Simon...?' Tobi asked with a wink. Josh frowned in response, obviously confused.

'...No?' I saw Tobi deflate slightly.

'Oh. He was looking for you.'

Josh sat up a little straighter in his chair. 'He was? When?'

'Second period. I told him to check the music block, or here, and then he left.'

'Fuck.' Josh hissed under his breath. 'I was at a doctor's appointment.'

I bit into my cucumber sandwich as we all shot each other knowing glances. Josh blushed through dark beard, his smile twisting up deeper at the corners.

'Sorry.' he mumbled. 'He just seems pretty cool.'

I laughed out loud.

'Cute.' I commented through a mouth of bread and cucumber.

'Harry.' Vik chided. 'Swallow your food before you talk.'

I snorted, opening my mouth just a little wider. 'Sorry, dad.'

Josh choked slightly on the drink he was tipping into his mouth.

'Did you just call him dad?' Ethan asked, his face already starting to burn red with laughter.

'Yeah! He's, like, my dad. Always looking after me, and telling me off and stuff.' I protested as Ethan and Josh laughed around me. Suddenly, they stopped, and looked up at each other.

'Daddy.' They said in sync, before bursting again into a fit of giggles.

'Inside banter!' Vik cried, standing up suddenly. 'They're having inside banter!'

We all stopped, looking up at him with curious looks. Vik was staring at us all, his face lit up. He locked his eyes onto mine before he spoke.

'That's how we know- we're really friends. Like, a proper group.'

We all looked around at our small gathering of weirdos, smiles growing as we realised that he was right.

'The inSide!' Ethan yelled. 'I told you it was real!'

~~