Chapter 7: Oh

The next few days were nothing short of torture. Every day Gregory would get up, shower and escape before Pip had time to even roll over and groan at him. Next he would pelt down from the dorms to the school library and taking out the biggest volumes he could find. The books were an essential part of the plan; not only something prefect to hide behind, or hug when you wanted to give off back-the-hell-away vibes, but, if push came to shove, a way to whack anyone who approached you from here to next week.

No prizes for guessing who.

His grades went up (wherever that was actually possible) and the amount he spoke went down. Between classes he hung around with Kyle, not because they had any special sort of friendship, but because, (as Kyle had a dictionary's worth of words to say. About everything.) he didn't need to worry about not talking.

But, of course, he couldn't hide forever.

Kenny found him the following Wednesday, in the canteen, sharing lunch with the famous redhead and his group of nerds. Gregory had been peering into his plate like it was some kind of oracle, and jumped like a live wire when Kenny tapped him on the shoulder, telling him they needed to talk.

Alone.

Token, the beefiest of Kyle's group, half-rose and gave McCormick a warning glare, but Gregory shushed him. If Kenny wanted to talk, then there was nothing he could do about it.

He was already tired of hiding.

Kenny didn't say anything, just waited patiently until Gregory'd grabbed his kit, then turned and led him out into one of the school's smaller courtyards.

It was hot that day, and both boys wore the thinnest white shirts that school uniform would allow. As they walked, Gregory watched the lean lines of Kenny's back, the muscles underneath warm golden skin. They were attractive, in a beach-boy sort of way, but they only made him miss skin of a rougher texture, skin that smelt of tobacco, not white linen.

ooo0ooo

"So you like Christophe, eh?" Kenny didn't waste time with pleasantries. The moment they reached the band of shade at the edge of the courtyard he fired the question over his shoulder, half-turned so that Gregory couldn't read his face.

"W-what makes you think that?!" Gregory blurted, his face on fire.

"Aw, c'mon, Britney," Kenny was glaring at him properly this time "You know better than to fuck with me by now."

"On the contrary, I thought fucking around with people was one of your main hobbies." Gregory's words were light, joking, but he rocked his weight backwards all the same, ready to run. He wasn't completely sure why Kenny had called him here, or how much he knew, so he needed to tread as carefully as possible. But when Kenny's scowl vanished to be replaced by a dazzling grin, even he was thrown off his guard.

"Heh, you're funny, I'll give you that." Kenny said, his voice starting light and conversational but dropping almost immediately to a deadly serious tone "But listen. Chris has been my best mate since our first year in this shithole, I know him inside and out and I know he has the hots for you just as much as you have for him. Even if you did nearly fuck up the whole thing yesterday-"

"He does?!" Gregory clamped his mouth shut as the almost girlish squeak escaped him. Biting down hard on his tongue, the boy struggled in vain to keep his face neutral whilst his heart did joyful back flips somewhere in the back of his throat. Christophe liked him? Christophe Delorne genuinely GENUINELY liked HIM!!

His outburst in the tunnel, which seemed so random at the time, had made perfect sense the moment he'd escaped (and his heart rate had dropped below 1000bpm!). There were too many flaws in…in whatever he had with Christophe. The boy's reputation (not to mention the fact that he was a boy), his ability to change personality in seconds, the presence of Kenny, always too close for comfort…

What if Christophe was only playing with him? The doubt was always there, like the first sparks of a fire before the flames take hold. What if he had just been stringing him along, just to set him up for another round of teasing the next day?

He could hear the voices already.

"Oooh look at Britney now, nerdy, posh AND gay, whatever next?"

But now, standing in the courtyard, with Kenny grinning at him, all the doubts fell away like water, sizzling into nothing beneath the sun.

"N-no. I-I-I mean, t-tha-at's ridiculous, I-" His arms tightened around his latest library book. How could he be persuaded this easily? He was a former MI6 Agent! He could manipulate entire global corporations with a single smile! Why could two schoolboys toy with him so easily?

"It's alright, Brit-boy, seriously," Kenny raised an eyebrow, a quirk of amusement wavering in the corner of his mouth. "All I came to ask you was…well…take care of him alright? It's about time somebody got what they wanted in this world and, believe me, with Chris it's long overdue. I hear he's going to tell you everything Friday night after the football game, and you'd better say yes or you'll have me to deal with, got that?"

Gregory's mouth spluttered open and shut, words he knew he should be saying tumbling over and over on his tongue. Kenny's eyes softened and, suddenly, without warning, he reached out and pulled Gregory into a bone crushing hug, burying his face into Gregory's shoulder before murmuring his farewell.

"You're a good kid. I…I hope it all works out for you two." With that, he pressed his lips to Gregory's cheek and stepped back, not missing the opportunity to run a hand affectionately through the other blonde's curly locks. With a last, sparklingly devious smile he turned to go, shoulders swaying in his usual arrogant swagger.

"See you 'round, Britney."

Gregory laughed and waved clumsily at the boy's retreating back.

"See you… Kenny."

o0o

Gregory waited a few more minutes before heading inside, guessing instinctively that Kenny wouldn't want to be associated with him any more if it could be helped. The boy kept his eyes on his shoes as he walked, trying to conceal the secret smile spreading across his face.

Christophe.

The Match.

Friday.

Saying yes…

...He could hardly wait!

o0o

Nobody heard the muffled gasp when another pair of eyes spied Kenny and Gregory's little liaison.

Nobody saw the flash of surprise in those eyes as Kenny pulled Gregory into a hug, and nobody watched that surprise turn to shock, to hurt and then dark, smoldering hatred.

The third blonde head peeked around the corner then ducked out of sight once more.

"Traitor." Phillip Pirrip muttered venomously as he turned away, revenge churning over and over beneath his ridiculous purple cap.

After everything he'd done to help the bastard, the new British arsehole was trying to take Kenny away from him?

His Kenny?!

'Watch out Gregory Carmichael' he thought with as much malice as he could muster 'cos there's going to be hell to pay'

oooooooooo0ooooooooo

I WILL EXPLAIN ABOUT GREGORY AND KENNY LATER I PROMISE!!!

(so no flames for the random slightly-masochist!Pip everybody, kthx)

So, I got another 4 reviews for this - loverly ones, thanks guys! So I fished another chapter out. Okay, so it's shorter, but I am in the middle of the most important set of exams of my LIFE…and…yes. At least I wrote something…?

So what do you think? What do you want to happen next? Tell me and I'll make it happen *grins*

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*click*?