Mysterious Boy - McLennon

17.

The next morning, John walked into school with a smile on his face. Sure, he hadn't actually fallen asleep until 2am for thinking about how amazing the night before was with Mike and Paul, but he didn't care. He'd began sketching a picture of Paul at around 9pm when he got home, and just hadn't been able to stop until he began to doze off at his desk. By that point he knew it was time to sleep, and so he did. 

Nevertheless, he walked the corridors with a wide smile on his face, on his way to the same area as yesterday to meet George, Ringo and Paul. 

George was there, Ringo too, the two on their phones showing each other pictures and videos, John ruffled his hair a little before heading closer, clearing his throat.

"Hey." The boys both looked up, Ringo switching his phone off as he glanced up at John.

"Hi John." The older boy smiled.

"You look shattered." George nodded at him, sliding his own phone into the pocket of his grey blazer. "What time did you go to sleep?"

"2am." John spoke, a wide grin on his face.

"Christ. That's rough." George laughed, and John didn't think he'd ever seen that from the boy before.

George had always been slightly weary around John. It made John wonder if George only tolerated John because of Paul, as he knew that the two now spent a lot of time together, and a part of him still thought that. George was the type of person who had to warm up to you before he began a proper friendship with you, John had figured that out almost upon his first glance of the boy.

"Aye."

"Don't go passin' out on us, Paul will have a nervous breakdown if he saw that." Ringo and George both chuckled, John letting out a small smile.

"What do you mean?" The auburn haired boy still asked.

"Well... You've really grown on him, you're becoming one of his... Good friends very fast. If he saw that, it'd probably freak him out." George explained.

Note to self: Don't stay up late anymore.

"But don't think into it too much." The younger boy continued, and John just nodded.

"Alright."

Around 5 seconds later, a voice was heard from down the corridor, it was a small voice, but one John recognised anyway. He always did recognise it. The boy's head whipped around, and there approached Paul.

"Hey..." Paul had spoke, his voice at almost a whisper.

His fringe was pulled over his right eye, looking like Paul had styled it that way. Usually Paul just let his hair lie wherever, he hadn't styled it before...

"You alright, Paul?" Ringo asked, his tone uneasy.

"Mhm." Was all he spoke, giving a weak smile. 

He was probably just tired, stayed up late like John. But why would he have stayed up late? If he did stay up, what was he thinking about? Was it John?

"You comin' to PE today, mister?" The youngest asked.

"Aye Geo... Gonna have to now. Miss' watching me closely to make sure I attend lessons now." 

It probably didn't help that Paul skipped lesson with John yesterday too, but the boy felt it was best not to mention that as George and Ringo probably didn't know. He didn't wanna freak him out, he already looked... Well, tired.

"Oh yeah, after the smoking incident." Ringo stated.

"Mhm." But Paul's face didn't really change or show any further emotion, especially not happiness. He hadn't really smiled at all in the last few seconds.

John tried not to think too much as to why.

The bell called out, and the four boys began to make their way to their first lesson, PE. Paul didn't smile once on the way there. They took registration with the teacher before being sent to the changing rooms.

Except Paul didn't follow them inside, he took the teacher to one side, telling the man something with a sad face. The teacher then nodded at him, and patted Pauls shoulder, to which he winced.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Paul..." The teacher quickly apologised.

"It's okay..." Paul frowned, looking down.

"Look, sit out this lesson, yeah? You don't look well enough for this lesson anyway, son." The man reassured him, a worried look on his face.

"Thank you..." 

With that, the teacher sent Paul inside, where John waited in the corridor by him. Of course Paul was feeling sick, that'd make sense as to why he looked to pale and rather down this morning.

"Macca?" John asked the boy as he met up with John. "You feel sick, hm?"

"Yeah..." Paul frowned, his eyes fixed on the floor tiles beneath him. "I woke up like this, is all..."

"Okay... Come in the changing rooms, we can get changed and you sit this one out?"

"Mhm." 

John would usually have touched his shoulder and lead him into the changing rooms holding onto it, but as he'd witnessed Paul winced badly at that touch before, he just beckoned the boy to follow him, which he did.

Stuart, Pete, Len and a couple other of their friends were in the changing room, making a big deal when John finally walked in. The room smelt like Lynx Africa deodorant and most of the boys had their shirts off, which John tried his best to ignore. Paul was his main concern. Though he still interacted with Stuart, giving the boy and his other friend's high fives and such.

The class played basket ball in the massive sports hall, the teacher mostly sitting to the side and watching the game rather than teaching them new moves. He let the boys get on with it, picking their own teams and who went in which position.

But even though John loved basket ball, and had fun playing it, his attention was hardly in the game most of the time, but rather at the sad-looking boy sat on the bench at the side. Paul was staring at the ground with an upset expression almost the entire lesson, and John wasn't sure why. 

Paul didn't look poorly... Just sad, and tired. But the boy being sick would make sense.

John wasn't sure, it was all so confusing. He'd tried to come up with different things that could be up with Paul, he'd been hit with the ball at least 5 times when somebody had tried to pass it to him (mainly Len) and he wasn't paying attention.

But how could he pay attention whilst Paul was sat there like that? Looking so lonely and vunerable?

He couldn't.

So many things went through his mind as to why Paul was sad. He felt like he had a duty to find out why so that he could cheer the boy up. He loved Paul's smile, it was so pretty, yet so rare.

But even though so many scenarios travelled through John's head, not one of them would be the correct answer as to why Paul was depressed that morning.

He definitely did not think that Paul's own father was the cause.