The Monster Under the Bed || Kickthestickz

Eavesdropper

My bare feet hit the ground as I walk slowly from my bed to the common room. I left my geography book there earlier in the day and I have to get it back. As I approach the base of the stairs voices drift their through the entrance to the staircase. I halt, waiting silently, trying to catch sections of the conversation.

"You know, you don't date, right, Pj?" Lincoln spoke out into the room. Peeking one eye round the corner I see Pj sitting on the sofas situated directly in the center of the floor.

"I know, but there is something about him. He just makes my insides squish." A smile forces itself onto my face as the words Pj said slowly sink into my sleepy brain. 

Was I hearing correctly? Did Pj Liguori just tell his homophobic friends that he had a crush on a boy? The kid not only has looks, he has a hell of a lot of guts.

"I know, Link" Pj replied. I sit myself down on the final step of the stairs and dig my nails deep into the flesh of my legs. "But what if, what if I do date. Just this once. I mean have you seen him?." Pj wheels his eyes around his friends and then flicks them over to my corner of the room. I yank my head back behind the wall before anyone can notice me, heart beating wildly at the near discovery of my eavesdropping.

"Think about this, Peej. You have every girl you could ever want. Just give them a glance and they'll fling themselves at you."

"Don't be ridiculous." Pj retaliates, although, I know its kind true. Ever since we started this school Pj somehow managed to just 'fit in' and somehow, that also made him, let's say, not have a lack of attention.

"C'mon dude! What happened with Angela? You were all over her at bowling the other day. Talk about tonsil tennis, jeez!" Jonah laughed loudly throughout almost empty room. He was the one I would've least expect to be understanding out of any of Pj's group.

"Yeah, about Angela," Pj started. "She wasn't that great a kisser and-"

"You knew you could find someone else. I totally agree. Three months back when me and her had a 'thing' she wasn't too good. I've plenty better girls than her." Trust Jonah to reply with that.

"What do you even like about the Freak? Oops, sorry. Well, what do you find attractive about Chris?"

"I have no idea," I hear Pj begin. "He just intrigues me. This is going to sound really big-headed but I've always had some kind of reaction on everyone I've met before. Whether they blush, stutter, trip over their own feet or whatever. But with him, there's nothing!"

"And you like that!?" Lincoln exclaimed. I laugh quietly to myself and rub my eyes with the backs of my hands.

"Well don't you find it interesting?" Pj continues, tucking his feet up and sitting cross-legged on the chair. I see the material of his blue pyjama bottoms stretch over his knees and tighten over his groin. "Everything he does, every tiny little movement is just so delicate. The way he holds his pencil, to the way his fingers sweep through his hair when he's fixing it from the wind. I- I-" He stops. Looking down into his lap, the eyes of Jonah, Oakley and Link burn through his head. I sit deadly still; terrified any movement will bring attention to my presence. 

After a few seconds, Oakley breaks the silence. "Aww, the baby's got it bad," he wines, jutting out his lip and resting an arm around Pj's shoulder.

"But we still haven't got over the whole entire problem here, Pj. You. Don't. Date. It'll ruin your whole entire reputation!"

"What reputation? The man-whore who gets with a different girl every weekend? No thanks. Not anymore. That was the old me. Why can't I change?"

"Peej, think about it," Jonah whispers. "If you really wanna go for this your gunna have to be prepared. And if you really, really like this boy then we'll help you. We will help you get your man."

Pj lets out a breath in shock, and lifts his head to look at the boys. I narrow my eyes in suspicion, everything seems too false. Their grinning faces smiling back at Pj as he glares at them, filled with utter bewilderment. "You're kidding, right?" the boy stutters.

"Dude! You're looking all miserable and we want you to be happy!" Oakley laughs before leaping on top of Pj, pushing him to the bottom of the a doggy-pile. 

I take my chance at this distraction, geography book forgotten, and run back up the stairs. My toes slap against the wooden floor as I sprint into my bed before Pj can return. No more that two minutes later I hear the doorknob turn and the door shut nearly silently behind. The duvet of the other bed rustles as Pj slides himself in between the sheets as quietly as possible. Little does he know I have never been more awake.

*

Sliding out of bed, the chill of the air smacks against my skin, leaving a layer of goose bumps forming on the smooth, peachy surface. I quietly fumble around the room, searching for the clothes I threw off last night. A couple of minutes later I find them all, kicked under the bed and coated in a layer of thin dust from the ground. Nothing that won't brush off. Next, I run to my chest of drawers grabbing the first pair of boxers and do a risky change in the corner of the room, praying Pj really is actually asleep. Finally my feet pad along the floor to find some fresh socks and I pull my tie tight around my neck, I shove my feet into my smooth black shoes and bound down the stairs to actually get my geography book.

By the time I make my way into the dinner hall one of the only remaining spaces is on Pj, who finally dragged himself from bed, and his friend's bench.

"Jonah, you're splashing me with milk!" Oakley says, playfully slapping the brunette round the ear.

"Well, at least I don't eat my cereal dry!" Jonah retaliates, in full-sass mode. Well at least they're in good moods.

"How ya doin' this morning, Lover-Boy?" Lincoln says falsely as Pj slurps the last milk from his cereal bowl. I sit myself down far enough away not to draw attention to myself but close enough to still hear every word that passes between the group.

"Shut-up," I hear Peej mumble as I reach over to pull two slices of toast from the middle of the table. Coating them in butter and Marmite I lick my lips and take a huge bite.

"We've got a plan," announces Oakley in the most formal voice he can muster. "When Kendall walks in, sit next to him. Ask him how he slept. Listen for a few minutes then go in for a move." I inhale some of the toast crumbs.

"Um, you do realise he is sitting just along the bench?" Pj says, searching for something more to eat. Suddenly my toast turns extraordinarily interesting as I pretend not to be listening in to one of their conversations for the second time.

"Go and like grab his hand or something. Just a little gesture. Come on, it'll be easy. Just like you're chatting up a girl!"

"Well here's the problem mate, I've never needed to chat up a girl. They've always sorta just thrown themselves at me. Oh, and also Chris is a BOY!" But before Pj can say anything else, Jonah grabs him up from the seat setting him on his feet.

"Here your chance. DON'T stuff it up." I glance over the table to the boys sitting a metre or so away. Pj looks at me just as I glance back down at the table. He stands for a couple of seconds more before sitting himself back down and shaking his head.