Blind Date!!!

13

Monday.

The dreaded day.

Students across the world hate Monday. The detest it. But not as much as Jaemin did. 

Jaemin couldn't stand to get up that morning. There was no way he would be able to face a school full of faces that had watched him have sex. But alas he must return after his suspension to submit his essays. He had made sure the leave out the partying part of the week in his assignment. 

The blind boy ran his hand through his hair and sighed, his breath making tiny clouds in the chilly December air. He was waiting outside the building for Chenle, who was still in fact annoyed with him. Hopefully the blonde was only late and not ignoring Jaemin. 

But the minute came. The bell rang and Jaemin had to be off, without his best friend, to face the judgmental brats that roamed the hallways of his hell. The young boy inhaled deeply and pushed open the doors to the school.

The sounds of kids hooting and hollering filled the hallways, as well as the slamming of lockers and the chatter of gossiping girls. That noise in particular made it to Jaemin's ears. 

"Did you see? He slept with the basketball player?" 

"The blind boy? Him?"

"Yes! He's gay...."

"Or just thirsty." 

Jaemin flinched, the words slowly breaking down the carefully constructed wall he had formed around his heart years ago to keep himself from getting hurt. It crumbled now. He picked up the pace, practically running to his science class. He felt his footsteps echoed across the entire hall, as everyone turned to stare at him. Jaemin wasn't used to being the center of attention so this made him feel very uncomfortable on multiple levels.

"Gay boy."

"Hoe."

"Slut."

The insults forced the walls down, tears threatening to run down Jaemin's face if he didn't do something soon. He finally made it to safety (or so he thought) in the science classroom. 

Ms. Han was no where to be found as Jaemin couldn't hear her soft footsteps or wheezing breath that made the compassionate students concerned for her health. Jaemin felt his face burn as he continued the walk of shame to his desk. With lack of adult presence, no one felt any regret in pointing and whispering, especially since Jaemin was blind.

"So it's true?" Jaemin looked up from his hands so that Jisung knew he was listening. "You slept with that basketball player Lee?" 

"His full name is Lee Jeno actually. And yes, I did sleep with him." Jaemin answered haughtily,  tucking his pencil behind his ear. "What's it to you?"

Jisung scoffed, as if it was indeed his business. "He must be embarrassed beyond belief to have fucked you. I would rung my own neck." Jaemin wanted to spit back with a sharp jeer but Ms. Han had peeked out from behind the classroom door. Jisung gave him one last disgusted look and hissed under his breath; "Your boyfriend didn't even bother to show up today." 

As Jisung returned to his desk Jaemin became quite taut. Jeno hadn't shown up at school today! Why not? Worries flew through Jaemin's mind at the speed of light, contradicting each other and making Jaemin feel awful. What if I'm not good enough? No, he must just be scared of everyone's reactions, like me. Or he hates me. What if he hates me?

Jaemin snapped out of it, catching himself as the lesson began. He turned to whisper something to Chenle but remembered. Oh yeah, the one person I can depend on is ignoring me too! Jaemin put his head in his hands, still overcome with confusion of the whole Jeno situation.

Since when did I care so much for this stupid basketball star? He's just like the rest of them, a jerk. I don't love him. Jaemin told himself, as if disciplining himself. He's a pervert who just used you for your body and for show. He wanted to parade you around to prove he's manly enough to get a boyfriend to his stupid friends. 

Jaemin felt his walls crumbling. He sucked in a breath and kept on writing. He had begun scratching his thoughts into his notebook messily, his handwriting hideous due to his disability. Mark, Donghyuck, Shotaro, Renjun. None of them cared to be your friend. You were just Jeno's date. Nothing more. You never mattered to them. They probably are saying nasty things about you as you write this. 

Jaemin imagined Shotaro whispering in Renjun's ear, hands clutched around it as the two spread rumors of him to every student at the school. Jaemin clenched his fist, the first tears he had felt in a long time prickled in his eyes.

He begged himself not to cry but it was too late. All the past months came rushing back to him as he let out the monster in the back of his science class.

☁️☁️☁️

"Thank you so much Zhong Chenle for volunteering to show our new student around." The principal thanked the boy as she looked over his essays. "Your writing is fantastic, I am very impressed with you."

"I didn't have much to do so I just used my suspension to find what I did wrong." Chenle laughed nervously, pushing blonde hair out of his sparkly eyes. 

The principal smiled, her pencil thin lips stretching out to the sides of her face. Chenle crossed his ankles, praying Jaemin wasn't too worried about where he was.

Chenle couldn't walk with Jaemin to class that day for he was showing around a new student. Chenle always wanted to be a student ambassador but their school wasn't the greatest and not many people wanted to transfer there. Finally though, another boy was enrolling, giving Chenle at least one student ambassador duty. 

Chenle was bursting at the seams with excitement wondering if he would become friends with the new student. Images of him, Jaemin, and the new kid hanging out together, at the park and at a coffee shop played through his mind, making him giddy with joy.

"Okay then. I'll call in our new student." The principal stuck Chenle's essays in a file box and grabbed the microphone connected to the loud speaker.

"Liu Yangyang please come to the office. Liu Yangyang please come to the office. Thank you."

Chenle felt his heart drop to his feet and smash into a million pieces. The office door creaked open moments later as the familiar Chinese boy made his way into the room, swagger in his step, necklace jangling as he walked.

Yangyang must have been surprised too. His eyes widened when he saw Chenle and he clenched his fist, vein pooping out in his neck. Neither of the two were that pleased to see each other. It had been a long time, just not long enough.

The principal unaware of the two boys' past squabbles continued on. "Zhong Chenle this is Liu Yangyang. He transferred to our school today. Yangyang, our student ambassador has been assigned to show you around the next couple days, I hope you enjoy it."

Yangyang smiled fakely and nodded. "I'm soooooo pleased that I get to hang out with, um what did she say your name was?"

"Chenle." The boy said back, knowing Yangyang had asked to get on his nerves. 

"Oh yes. To hang out with Chenle for the week." Yangyang clasped his hands together undoubtedly hating the situation, possibly more than Chenle was.

"Okay than students. Please return to class and have fun with each other. But not too much fun." The principal laughed at her own joke and motioned for the two to leave her office. The boys turned to go, Chenle accidentally bumping into Yangyang and grimacing.

As soon as the two were on the other side of the office door they turned to face each other. 

"After today, never ever talk to me again, got that Chenle? You son of a bitch!" Yangyang jabbed a finger at Chenle's chest.

"It's not my fucking fault that Hendery and Xiaojun hate you."

"You know very well that it is bitch. I don't need help getting to class thanks. I never did back then either." 

With that Yangyang rushed away to science, not looking back to Chenle who glanced up at the ceiling in despair.

"I didn't think it was possible for my life to get any worse."