Oakleaf Academy For Boys

twenty five

Quinn was sprawled out across his bed, his eyes scanning the words in a book his class was meant to read for English. He was almost certain he would be the only one to make such an effort as to even skim the blurb. He sighed heavily when he heard a knock on the door. It was either Diesel after forgetting his key again, his boyfriend feeling horny again, or a stranger asking for a lighter again.

However, what he wasn't expecting was the boy who had sucked his best friend's face off right in front of him the night before. "He's not here." He told Benji simply, ready to slam the door in his face.

"Wait!" Benji protested, wedging his foot in the door so it wouldn't shut, wincing in pain shortly after. "Can you help me with something?"

Quinn rose his brows in surprise, "What's up?"

"The pills Eli-Diesel-keeps in his pillowcase." He said quietly.

"Yeah, what about them?"

"I've fractured or...or broken a rib or something. It happened a while back. He said I could take some, so could I just-?"

Quinn blocked his path before he could enter the room. "Diesel doesn't just hand those things out."

"He told me I could-"

"And I think you're lying."

"Please, Starr." Benji begged.

"If you're just using him to get drugs, then-"

"I'm not." Benji quickly defended. "I swear. I-I'm sorry you saw me kiss him last night, I wasn't thinking." He hastily apologised. "I promise I'm not using him for anything."

Quinn sighed, glanced over his shoulder at Diesel's bed, and then back at Benji. "He'll kill me if you're lying."

"I'm not lying." Benji said firmly, wishing he could believe it himself.

"So, if I ask him when he comes back, he'll be totally fine with it?" Quinn challenged.

Benji faltered slightly, his eyes falling to the floor, "Y-Yeah."

Quinn rolled his eyes. "Well, I'm feeling nice today, so if you leave now before Diesel gets back, I won't tell him you were here trying to steal his drugs. Yeah?"

Benji sighed heavily, "Okay."

"Just head to the library or something. Distract yourself from the pain, you'll be fine."

"We have a library?" He asked in surprise.

Quinn snorted, "Yeah. Next floor up. Never been to it myself but I've heard it exists." He shrugged.

"Th-There's another floor?"

"Fucking hell, Pup, you've been here a whole term now."

Benji blushed and shot Quinn one last smile before taking off. He strolled to the end of the corridor, past the showers and another hall of dorms he didn't know existed. He eventually reached a small shadowed staircase, looking disused for years. The steps creaked beneath his weight as he climbed them until he came face to face with a locked door.