Oakleaf Academy For Boys

five

"I'm not saying like...I love you or anything, I'm just saying that like, you know...you're not totally disgusting to look at and sometimes you do sweet things which make me smile and I really like the way you-"

"Oh, shut up, Alex, we both know you love me."

Alex nudged him jokingly and rolled onto his back, staring up at the ceiling in contemplation. Little plastic stars were glued above him, glowing a faint green colour in the daylight. He'd had them since he was a kid, twinkling away brightly as he tried to sleep. He still remembered the day he balanced on the top of the step ladder while his Father held his tiny waist, sticking them onto the ceiling before hopping downstairs to watch Ben 10.

"But you love me too." He whispered. "Right, Sebastian?"

Sebastian let out a dramatic sigh before twisting onto his back too, smiling faintly to himself, "Of course, you dork."

Alex chuckled, nuzzling into his side affectionately, "Mr I'm-straighter-than-a-ruler."

"Hey, I said a flexible ruler!"

"Right." Alex giggled. "I gotta go, Papito."

"Stop calling me that, you're not even Spanish."

"I'm like...a third Spanish-"

"How can you possibly be a third of anything-?"

"Sebby, I really need to go." He laughed, leaning forward to give him a short, sloppy kiss on the cheek.

"What time's the appointment?"

"In like...ten minutes."

Sebastian scoffed, "Fuck, Al, the hospital's like a half hours drive away."

"Actually, I was gonna get the bus-"

"What?" Sebastian snapped, sitting bolt upright in bed as Alex started frantically getting ready.

"My parents are working-"

"Why didn't you tell me? I'll give you a lift-"

"It's okay, I don't mind getting the bus-"

"Well, I do." Sebastian assured him firmly, dragging him from the room quickly. "The oncologist said it's best to get driven home after a session of chemo."

Alex was ready to argue a little further, but found himself already seated in his boyfriend's cramped car, pulling out onto the road. He merely sighed and leant forward to squeeze Sebastian's hand, offering a friendly smile, "Thank you."

Sebastian was staring up from his bed blankly. There were lines of thin planks of wood above him, used for holding the mattress of the top bunk in place. However, this bed had no mattress. He was glad Lucky had been sleeping in the bathroom. Whenever people slept above him, the bed would creak at any hint of movement.

His mind was fogged over and fuzzy, images of forest green eyes and curly dark hair plaguing his entire being. He squeezed his eyes shut in an attempt to wash Alex's face out, but that only strengthened the image. When he opened his eyes again, they were wet.

"Shit." He cursed, wiping at his cheeks. He'd resisted long enough and finally, lost complete control of himself and leant under his bed. He retrieved the photo wedged under the mattress and stared at it with tears clinging to his lashes.

It was before Alex got sick. Before his skin paled, his body weakened and his contract to death had been signed. It was a photo of him smiling brightly, his dimples on full display, his pretty eyes screwed tightly shut from his large grin. The boy was sat crosslegged on the floor, wearing his boxers and a tight Blondie shirt, riding up to reveal his glinting belly button piercing.