Hello Internet,
Oh look at that…another chapter! Heehee. :)
"Bloody hell!" Dean exclaimed in frustration, throwing the controller onto the bed "This game is fixed," Jack smirked triumphantly, throwing his fists into the air and speaking as if a sport commentator.
"And here we have it, unbeaten for the twenty second time, the one….the only…..Jack Howard," Dean let out an exasperated sigh before whacking him with a pillow, sending him backwards into the bed.
"Don't blame me because your rubbish," Jack laughed in mock annoyance, heaving himself upwards. Dean punched him playfully in the arm which Jack quickly reciprocated.
"Now, now children play nicely," Louise said maternally, clearing away their empty mugs "It's only Mario Kart," They both laughed, Dean sticking his tongue out in the process. She promptly turned to Dan, who was sat on Kat's bed, her slim form snuggled against his.
"Hey what's the time?" Dan groaned, removing himself from the duvet and reaching over to grab his phone.
"'bout 7:00pm," he said, running a hand through his hair. Louise hummed softly.
"We best get to the canteen, it closes in an hour," she said "Anyone hungry?" In unison they all jumped up, as if desperate for sustenance.
"Come on then," They then up and left, Louise leading the way. When they finally arrived the crowd had thinned significantly with only a few of the tables occupied. Gesturing to them kindly she sat down at one near the back of the canteen while the others went to get their food.
"I'll get yours for you Lou'" Jack said kindly "What would you like?" Louise shrugged.
"Meh, not fussed," she said. Once everyone had received adequate nourishment they sat down, all idly chatting as they ate.
"Hey, what d'you get?" Dean mumbled through a mouth of shepherd's pie. Jack frowned, disliking of his friends lack of manners. He cleared his throat in annoyance.
"Chicken salad…..no prize as to guess your preference," Dean glared at him.
"What d'you get Dan?" Grinning in pleasure he lifted up a large bag, the brightly coloured packaging greeting his eyes immediately.
"Popcorn?" he said, smiling back. He'd never quite understood his friend's obsession with this particular treat, well each to his own.
"So we all ready for tomorrow then?" Kat said, wiping her mouth with a napkin "Y'know I'd forgotten what it felt like to be a student," They nodded in agreement, all except Dan who was staring at something in the distance…..was that….with…..them? He busied himself with his popcorn, hoping this sweet treat will distract him and dull the strange sensation in his stomach. In all honesty it did nothing. He felt sick, but it was unlike any illness he'd felt before. Staring at the floor he avoided them, unable to take their appearance much longer….never have I felt this way before…..what the heck is wrong with me…..Sensing his discomfort Kat placed a reassuring hand on his forearm, flashing him a quick smile. He weakly reciprocated. They all continued to talk for at least another half an hour until only a few scraps of food remained. Leaning back into his chair Dean sighed deeply, flicking his hair from his eyes.
"I could never tire of this," Louise raised an eyebrow, nudging him slightly.
"Well, I doubt they do either," she said, gesturing to the kitchen staff "You're probably putting their kids through education," He grinned at her cheekily, revealing pearly white teeth.
"I'm not complaining,"
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The three of them remained in the bathroom together for hours; chatting and getting to know each other. Surprisingly, Phil found himself enjoying himself, relishing in the art of making friends. Like a delicate flower bud he was opening up to them revealing the bright, colourful personality within. He sighed gratefully. Soon the sun began to set outside the tiny stained-glass window; an eerie glow left in its wake.
"Shit look at the time," Chris exclaimed suddenly, glancing at his phone "We've been in here for seven hours," Both Phil and PJ laughed at his statement; smiles cracking the surface of their faces.
"Well who'd have thought eh?" PJ said, almost in accomplishment, discarding the blood stained tissues that had accumulated beside the sink "Best be making a move then," Phil chuckled softly suddenly aware of a low grumbling emitting from the pit of his stomach…..God that's embarrassing…..He gulped nervously shooting a look at them; a mixture of shock and amusement. PJ smiled warmly.
"Come on, the canteen shouldn't be too busy," Gathering their few belongings they headed back into the corridor, Chris still limping slightly in the process. Venturing deeper into the school they came to a pair of white double doors. PJ stopped.
"Hang on…..just a sec," He stuffed his hand into his pocket before bringing out a piece of laminated yellow paper.
"Here," he said handing it to Phil "You have to have a pass to show your year group, it reduces congestion" Phil looked at him questioningly before taking it.
"Don't you need one?" PJ shook his head.
"Nah I have a spare," Pulling out a second yellow card the three of them bundled through the double doors, flashing their cards to an elderly woman stood nearby.
"Gosh Kendall you look rough," she commented in a bored tone. Chris shrugged.
"Meh, I've looked worse," The woman hummed and they sat down at a nearby table. Phil took in the surroundings around him, a large grin plastered on his face. The canteen was large with many tables scattered here and there, each shining in the artificial light. Wafts of many delicacies engulfed his nostrils causing his stomach to growl more persistently…..Mmm that smells good…..Much like the rest of the school the canteen was vastly decorated, on every wall were multiple menus and photographs of various cuisines….well I do like my food….PJ noticed him staring and clicked his fingers suddenly.
"Phil?"
"Hmm?" Phil mumbled.
"What would you like?" Shuffling uncomfortably Phil placed his book on the table and stuffed his hands in his pockets.
"I've left my wallet in my room," he said finally. Grinning slightly Chris extracted a five pound note from his own wallet and slid it across the table.
"Here you go mate," he said, removing another for his own use "Can't see you go hungry," Phil smiled warmly, the appreciation welling in his chest.
"You sure?" he said "You don't have too," Chris let out a small laugh.
"It's what friends do," Phil's heart twinged, the word penetrating his eardrums. Friend. It had been years since he had been addressed as such bringing with it connotations of both sadness and relief. PJ cleared his throat, removing him from his reverie.
"Come on you two, I'm hungry," Hanging their coats on their chairs, like lions marking their territory; they made their way towards the counter. A few students soon followed forming a queue gradually. Phil scanned the many items of food both hot and cold before settling on just a bag of popcorn.
"You sure that's enough?" PJ asked as they paid. Phil nodded and the three of them sat back down at their table. He glanced at the food they both had purchased as they began to eat. PJ had bought a simple chicken salad whereas Chris, ever the extravagant, had bought a rather large portion of shepherd's pie.
"Hungry?" PJ asked sarcastically, playfully tapping Chris' arm. He nodded eagerly.
"Let's just say my parents aren't the best cooks in the world," With great anticipation Phil tore open his popcorn, its sweet scent causing his mouth to water. Smiling to himself he removed a few pieces and popped them into his mouth. A taste sensation greeted him. The once white, fluffy kernels melting into sweet nectar, caressing his taste buds…this is the best popcorn I've had in a long time…PJ smirked.
"Enjoying that?" Phil mumbled a simple 'Mmhmm', his mouth still occupied. Chris laughed. Suddenly, the air became heavy and the smiles that once coated their faces disappeared. PJ wrung his hands nervously and Chris was staring at something behind him.
"What is it?" Phil asked. They both remained silent. He huffed in frustration. Discretely, Chris pointed behind him, a look of pure hatred plastered on his face. Phil hesitated. Although they hadn't known each other for very long he could tell conflict was inevitable. With great hesitation Phil turned, glimpsing those familiar brown locks…..not him again….why must he do this to me…..
"Who is it?" Phil asked, his own desire to leave growing. Chris placed his hand in PJ's, squeezing lightly.
"Maybe we should go?" PJ shook his head.
"No," He squeezed back "I have to face them sooner or later," Phil continued to stare until his cerulean orbs met chocolate. The boy before him shifted uncomfortably and their connection was broken, a strange sense of longing shredding Phil's insides.
"Face who?" he muttered softly, his gaze unmoved. PJ put his head in his hands earning a saddened sigh from Chris.
"Maybe it's better if it's later,"
"What is?" Phil asked, his attention lying elsewhere. Chris cleared his throat, freeing Phil from his trance. Silence filled the canteen. They were the only two occupied tables left.
"Come on Peej let's just go," Chris said quietly, but with a definite sense of urgency. PJ nodded solemnly. An awkward silence followed, interrupted briefly by the scraping of metal against lino. Rising slowly Chris gestured for them to follow.
"Come on, we can hang out in my room for a bit," Together they subtly made their way out of the canteen, Phil only looking back for a moment, unable to reconnect with those cinnamon spheres.
So there we have it. Sorry I know I promised this chapter would be longer but this was mainly a filler chapter (plus I'm not entirely happy with it). Please bear with me the next chapter is where things start to get interesting. After all good things come to those who wait. Anyway, please do review as that is the only way I'll improve.
Well I guess for now that's everything,
Bye Guys! :)