Loverboy

Oliver’s hand was still connected with mine. I should be feeling weird since I literally just met the kid not even five minutes ago. “Do you even know where the cafeteria is?” he asked. My feet stopped moving the second after he said that. The only room I even knew the location was our dorm room. Jesus, this campus is big I’ll never find it. “I mean, I can show you the way if you want.”

“Please?” I asked. He smiled and made a left turn down the staircase. Wait, we were still on the top floor? Oh for Christ’s sake, I’m going to get lost when I officially go here.

“So have you gotten your schedule yet?” he asked as we headed out the dorm building. Come to think of it, they only gave me my room key and that’s pretty much it.

“No, for some reason. Maybe I’ll ask them on Monday so I won’t spend the whole day crying in the bathroom.” Why. Why did I say that. Out of all the things that my tongue could have said, it was me crying in the bathroom. “Do I get to pick my own schedule out?”

“Since you’re new and school started around a month ago, the principal will be picking out your schedule so it won’t be all messy.” Great, just great! If I’m stuck with a bunch of twats in any of my classes, I’m bailing out without a warning. “We’re here.” My eyes looked up to see a rather large building in front of me. All of this was just a lunchroom? How many people go here?! I was too busy focusing on the details of the building that I didn’t even see Oliver holding the door open for me. “Uh, Josh?” My head snapped out of it’s little fantasy world and he was just standing there. “You coming in?”

“Yeah, sorry.” I apologized to him and headed inside. Okay, the outside of the lunchroom made it look huge, but inside? Hell, this place was small. Don’t get me wrong, a lot of students were in here but comparing the outside to inside, I’m a little surprised. “Where’s Alex?” I asked to myself. Before I even knew it, a figure legit just tackled into me without a simple warning. “Dude, what the hell?!” A familiar face met with my eyes. “Alex?”

“Hello there, sunshine, you seem to be in a happy mood!” he teased, helping me gain my balance again. “How’s your day been?” Oh, you mean I just got attacked by a kid I hardly know and I’m hanging out with Lord of the Shy? Great! How ‘bout you?

“My day has been......fantastic!” Okay, so, lying is harder than I thought but it’ll do. “Still don’t have my schedule nor locker number so I am screwed on Monday!” I snapped my fingers at him. Alex and I were pretty much having our own conversation and there was Oliver just standing there awkwardly. Third wheel much?

“No need to worry,” he said, “The school does that to new kids if they start two weeks after school begins. It’s stupid, I know.” Stupid? Just like how I feel about this place? I need to stop being so negative, oh my god. “Do you guys have a place to sit? My other friends are already sitting at a table so you can just follow me.” Alex started walking to a large table that was packed with different people. No, I hate sitting with groups of more than six people. Back in London, my lunch table had twelve people sitting at it. We weren't even popular, just a lot of people sat there for some reason.

Slowly making my way, I walked towards the group of people where Alex was. I turned around and saw Oliver just standing there, looking at me. “Uhm, Oliver?” he snapped out of his mind. Perhaps he was just dozing off or whatever you call it. “Are you, are you coming?”

“I’m good. You can sit with them.” he said to me and made his way to the doors. What? Did he have social anxiety? I can’t just stand here and expect to get answers from him. I made my way out the double doors and saw Oliver walking slowly to a willow tree and sitting down under it.

“Hey, is everything alright?” I questioned him as I sat beside him. An answer didn't come from his mouth, he just held his knees to his chest with his arms wrapped around them. “Oliver?”

“Just call me Oli.” geez, his voice sounded a little too serious. I’m not going to be rude and ask him why he’s not answering me so I let him be. “I’m sorry that I’m acting this way. It’s rare for me to snap at someone.” First day of school and my own flatmate hates me! This is going to be a fantastic year!

“I don’t mind, I’m pretty rude to my old friends back in London. To be honest, I’m surprised they were able to put up with me for so long. When I left today, they didn't even come down to say a goodbye or hug me. All I got was a pathetic text and that’s it. Kind of sad, if you ask me.” I said, pulling out my phone and handing him the “goodbye” text from Matt. Oli scoffed and handed me back my phone after he finished reading it. Holy god, let me say, that was an adorable scoff.

What.

“That’s a pretty pathetic excuse of a goodbye text,” he giggled. STOP. “So, why did your mum send you ‘ere?”

“Failing a lot of classes and being a bother in class. My principals said how much they loved me but deep down inside, they hated me and wanted me to just get hit by a car or something.” I joked. Being away from that school was quite a stress relief. I've been going there since I was twelve and I literally bullshitted my way to now. I deserve a reward if you ask me. “So, why are you here?”

“Eh, a lot of family problems. Dad kicked me out of the house and I've been going here since I was fifteen. You’re my first flatmate, actually. They didn't have enough kids here so I was always alone at night. No need to worry, I enjoyed it a lot and never really cared.”

“Aw.” I said. Did that-Did that really just happen? Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Oli giving me a look. Does anyone have a paper bag?

--

The day was coming to an end at last, Oli and I were back in our dorms just hanging around. He was taking a shower while I was playing around on my laptop on my bed. First day of school for me tomorrow and I still don’t have my locker, my schedule, nor do I even know the layout of the school! They’ll probably give me tour and send me off to class when it ends. Watch me have a really shitty schedule and my locker be next to a set of doors. That happened to me one year back in London. I always came up to my locker seeing dents in it from careless students just flinging the doors open and not even thinking twice about my locker. Thanks, guys!

Oli came out of the bathroom after he finished showering and drying himself off, however he still had the towel hanging over his shoulders. At least he had loose boxers on or else I’d be crying myself to sleep tonight.

“You’re in for a lot of hell tomorrow.” he said, lying down on his bed. “The teachers don’t care for the students in anyway. A lot of them are strict, they just don’t teach. I once complained to the principal that we needed a new science teacher because everyone in the class was failing. His answer? Absolutely nothing. Trust me, you’re going to hate the teachers more than the students, Josh.”

“I’m not even sure about that, Oli. There’s always that one student who just completely ruins my entire school experience. Watch that person be in all my classes, just watch it happen.” I explained, closing my laptop and getting under my covers. Tomorrow is the word I didn't want to come true.