He's Just a Skater Boy (boyxboyxboy)

Chapter 74: In the Infirmary Bed

When I woke up I was in the infirmary bed. The nurses office in the school was very traditional, and by this I mean it looked like a hospital ward from the 1960s if there had only been two beds and one dividing curtain. They came with big fluffy pillows and duvet covers and the school nurse attending wore a uniform.

All in all it should have been the most comfortable place in the school and it was designed that way. The school expected the students to only use it when they were ill or exceptionally tired and had permission from the teacher to rest up a bit.

I had never received this permission, no amount of asking did any good. At some point it was worth recognising that teachers gave this permission out not based on who was the most in need of rest but who was the most likeable.

It was so nice in the bed, I didn't want the get up, I wasn't even sure I could.

I glanced sideways lazily and saw them sitting together on the next bed. Even before my vision cleared up a bit Jacob and Atlas were so recognisable, from their silhouette, shoes or hair it felt like I could pick them out of everyone else.

The way they sat there, two arms widths apart, it looked like they hated each other, but when I continued to watch them there was something oddly comfortable between the two that I couldn't place for a moment.

"You think I sent you that?"

"I would have no way of knowing."

"I know brains aren't your strong point but I'd take another look at that angle. Unless I'm taking a photo of a clone I can't be in two places at once."

"Shut up..." He grumbled. "Fine. But stop acting like you don't care I can see it on your posh fucking face how much you care."

Jacob stayed silent.

"Scared your father will start treating you like your brother?"

"Shut up." He said, so suddenly and viciously that even I, from my bed, jolted slightly. "My father won't find out about this."

"What if he does?"

"I'll deal with that." Jacob replied monotonously.

Atlas looked pissed, he hunched forwards and inhaled. 

I saw Atlas when he was hanging out with his friends, and Jacob when he was attending to the other students, tense and cold, the both of them. So I wondered why, despite having some kind of argument, they seemed sort of relaxed.

I wasn't watching them or anything, just observing them when they entered a room because it was hard not to find them in a crowd, my eyes just sort of drifted towards them. I figured that was the case with a lot of students here.

Atlas and Jacob drew attention, not only were they ridiculously handsome in a way that made actors on TV pale in comparison, but they were charismatic in an unintentional way, a cold enigmatic way that had people drifting towards them without them showing any real recognition or appreciation for it.

I was one of those people, I supposed, my hand was throbbing under the covers.

They hated each other and that was comfortable, they didn't have to pretend to be perfect like that. I supposed that was kind of the relationship I had with them, only instead of being drained by pretending to be perfect I was being drained by pretending to be...

I sighed.

Jacob narrowed his eyes at me. "You're awake."

I shrugged.

Atlas then stood up and marched over and within a second or two he was in front of me, blocking out one side of my vision as he loomed over me, looking so pissed I thought he might hit me. I moved back a bit, looking up at him warily. "What..."