Oakleaf Academy For Boys

fourteen

Diesel was stood in front of the grotty, cracked mirror, examining his features halfheartedly. It had smashed a week after his arrival at Oakleaf, due to his short tempter and a flying book. But it still worked - to some degree. His cold eyes stared back, one bright blue and the other forest green. He didn't bother rearranging his scruffy black hair or wonky scarlet tie. His gaze drifted over his shoulder, where he spotted Quinn in the reflection of the mirror.

He was changing clumsily, a toothbrush hanging from his mouth, his shirt unbuttoned, revealing his slim figure. He was in a pair of boxers, stumbling as he tried to yank his trousers up, toothpaste dribbling down his chin. "You're the worst multitasker I've ever seen." Diesel rolled his eyes.

Quinn shot him the finger and retreated back into the bathroom. A moment or two later, he returned, wiping his chin clean of any remaining toothpaste. Once he was finished getting changed, he grabbed his tie from the top drawer and handed it to his roommate. Diesel scooter closer and looped it around Quinn's neck, proceeding to tighten it into a secure knot. Diesel had been tying his friend's tie since day one. Despite Quinn spending half his childhood in suits and Diesel never wearing his tie properly, it was just a thing that they did. Because for some reason, Quinn couldn't work out how ties worked.

"You don't do your hair anymore." Diesel commented absentmindedly, his eyes flicking from his fingers up to Quinn's pale eyes.

"Oh. Yeah, I just...I can't be bothered."

Diesel nodded, pulling on the tie a little too tightly, making Quinn yelp in pain. "Haven't seen you much recently. Is something going on?"

Quinn flushed and looked away, "No." He shook his head.

Diesel finished tying his knot and dropped the fabric, stepping back to look at his lying friend, "But you'd tell me if there was, right?"

"'Course."

Diesel nodded and turned on his heels, "I'm heading down. See you at breakfast." He left without another word, letting the door slam shut behind him as he tucked his key into his back pocket. But he hadn't walked three metres before he froze again, his brows twitching into a frown.

"Shit!"

Normally, he'd ignore the distressed curse and continue on his way. But he recognised the voice, and grinned. It came from the showers down the hall, where the door was ajar. He strolled over and pushed the door open, smirking as he spotted the Pup.

He was dressed in his usual oversized uniform, his blazer loose and slipping from his shoulders, fiddling with a little box in his hands. A pair of glasses rested on the ledge beside the sink, ones Diesel had never seen before. "You wear contacts?" He questioned dryly.

Benji jumped, dropping the little lens and letting it slip down the drain, "Fuck!" He hissed, gripping the rim of the sink, his shoulders slumping in defeat. He looked exhausted; mentally, physically, emotionally. His caramel hair dipped into his icy eyes, obscuring his face from view, his back raising and falling with heavy breaths. "What do you want?" He muttered.

"You should just wear your glasses. It's less effort."

Benji tilted his head to glance at Diesel, watching with frustrated disbelief. But he said nothing.

"Why do you bother with contacts anyway?"

Benji had intended to put in his lenses and leave, nice and easy. But now he was experiencing yet another encounter with Diesel, and it pissed him off. The only reason he was even in there was because the light in his dorm was too dim to see anything, but if he could turn back time, he would rather remain blind for the day than spend time with Diesel. "So I don't look like such a dork." He whispered. "So my glasses don't get broken if someone decides to break my nose."

Diesel glided over and picked up the pair of glasses, grabbed Benji's face and forced the boy to look at him. He brushed his hair from his eyes and slid the glasses onto Benji's face. And he would be lying if he said they didn't make Benji look ten times dorkier - but maybe he liked that. It was almost endearing, seeing the big square frames take up half his face and magnify his baby blue eyes.

Benji gulped, his eyes drifting up to lock with Diesel's. They were close, their breath practically mingling, their hearts pounding, their blood running with electricity.

"I'm sorry." Diesel murmured, stepping away to give Benji some space. It felt like the moment had collapsed the second the distance was created. "About..." He trailed off, but they both knew what Diesel was referring to. And as pathetic as his apology was, Benji felt it was the most sincere apology he had ever received.

"C-Can I ask you something?"

"It's Elias." He sighed. "Elias Black."

Benji's eyes widened, snapping up to stare at Diesel in disbelief, "E-Elias?"

"That's what you were gonna ask, right? My real name?"

Benji nodded hesitantly.

Elias Black.

Diesel grinned to himself, admiring Benji's reaction for a moment, before rolling his eyes and heading for the door, "See you round, Pup."

Meanwhile, Lucky was trotting to try and keep up with Steel's quick strides. "Hey, d'you think cinemas still show the movie if no one buys a ticket?" He asked abruptly as they walked through the corridor, heading for the canteen. Steel had intended to go alone, but once again, Lucky had followed like a stubborn child.

"I don't know." Steel sighed heavily, "Probably."

"Really? I would have thought they wouldn't bother."

"Then why did you ask?"

"I don't know." He shrugged. "It's always good to explore different opinions. Right?" He asked, though received no answer. "D'you know any jokes?"

"What?"

"I'm just saying, y'know, it's pretty miserable here. Maybe a few jokes would lighten the mood a little. D'you know any?"

Steel rolled his eyes and complied reluctantly, "What did Batman say to Robin before he got in the car?"

"What?" Lucky grinned excitedly.

"Get in the car." Steel deadpanned, hoping to shake Lucky off sooner or later.

But his rubbish joke only resulted in Lucky bursting out in a fit of laughter, just as they neared the canteen. But before they could reach the door, Lucky frantically grabbed Steel's hand and yanked him round the corner, into the shadows.

"What the fuck, Blue!"

"You just...you have something on your face." Lucky murmured shyly, licking his thumb before rubbing a smear of toothpaste from Steel's cheek.

Neither stepped away, they just stood there, staring into each other's eyes; into each other's souls.

And all either of them wanted to do was kiss the other.

So that's what they did.