Oakleaf Academy For Boys

seventeen

"You're sure you're alright to get home?"

"Yeah, I'm taking the coach down to the station and getting the train up to Scotland from there." Diesel rolled his eyes, "Stop worrying about me and worry about your snobby parents instead."

Quinn snorted and spared one last sweeping glance around the room. Things were still messy and disorganised, considering they would be returning to their dorm straight after half term, but a few of his belongings and most of his clothes were missing, packed up haphazardly in his bag. "Well, I better get going. My parents are meant to be arriving at one."

The idea of parents bothering to drive up and collect their kids was foreign at Oakleaf. Most of the students came from deprived homes and were expected to find their own way back for the holidays. The coach would take them to the train station, and it was the kids' job from there. Quinn was just lucky, and people were resentful of that.

Diesel nodded in acknowledgement and tugged him forward, enveloping him in a brief, tight hug. "I'll see in a week, Quinn. Call me, yeah?"

Quinn nodded, suddenly remembering the fact that they would be exposed to the real world at any moment. A world where phones existed.

He flung his bag over his shoulder, tucked his key into his back pocket and left the room. But he only walked a couple of metres before stopping again, right in front of room 113. And after knocking twice, he received an answer.

"You're early." Kit stated, a toothbrush hanging out his mouth.

"No, I'm not." Quinn rolled his eyes.

"Yes, you are."

Quinn didn't bother to answer as Kit hurried back into the ensuite before returning a few seconds later and grabbing the last of his stuff. Before leaving, he turned to Benji who was hastily stuffing things into his bag, a hint of sadness ghosting his features. He was the only student who looked disappointed at the prospect of leaving hell. "You gonna be okay, kid?"

Benji glanced up and forced on a smile, "Yeah." He promised. "Yeah, I'll be alright. Have a good half term."

Kit ruffled his hair one last time, "I left my number on the windowsill. Call me if you need to, alright?"

Benji hopped up from where he was sitting perched on the end of his bed and gave Kit a tight hug. They weren't extremely close, but Kit had looked out for him during his first term, and he was forever grateful for that. "Bye, Kit." He smiled softly, glancing over his shoulder to face the other boy, "Bye, Quinn."

The two gave one last small wave before departing, walking side by side, their bags bouncing heavily behind them. Once Benji was alone, he folded up the piece of paper with Kit's number scrawled across it and slipped it into his pocket. Just in case, he thought.

Lucky was watching Sebastian from the other side of the room, packing up the last of his things. "You're such a prick." He groaned loudly. "Why can't we exchange numbers?"

"We don't need to talk over half term, Blue. I'll see you in a week."

"But what if I see like a really interesting bird or something? I'll want to tell you about it."

"Then tell me when we get back to school." Sebastian snorted.

"What if I forget by then?"

"Then it clearly wasn't that interesting in the first place." Sebastian deadpanned. "Hurry up, aren't your parents coming in like half an hour? You haven't even started packing."

"So, you just don't want to talk to me unless it's face to face?" Lucky remained where he was standing, folding his arms over his chest stubbornly.

Sebastian rolled his eyes incredulously and dropped what he was doing. He glided over to Lucky's side and held his warm face in his hands, "I don't want to text you kisses when I can just do this when we get back." He whispered, leaning down to plant his lips over Lucky's.