The Boy With The Firefly Crown

Chapter two

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He was in a trance. That's what it was. Once they glanced at each other, their stare wasn't anywhere else. The young man seemed to recognize him because he looked at him like he knew. He knew it was me.

Shiloh's breath hitched. He recognized this young man.

Everyone was looking at Lucius. Lucius was looking at him. Somehow, Shiloh wasn't scared of him. But he was still a bit frightened. Did he really kill that man? Was he a murderer?

He was amazed at the effect those narrowed eyes had on him. It was a mix of honey and gold.

"Lucius, you've been late to class ten times this month already. I'll be sure to get you a detention slip next time."

"I got held back." He said still not breaking eye contact with Shiloh. His face was stoic. Emotionless. Professor Duncan rolled his eyes and typed something in his computer to put it in the projector.

Lucius. Shiloh thought. "Lucius," Shiloh whispered his name to see how it rolled off his tongue.

They kept looking at each other intensely and he noticed that Lucius was approaching his table. Once he was close enough that Shiloh had to look up, he lowered his head and blushed for some reason.

Shiloh did not blush.

He did not blush.

He was just cold.

Lucius diverted his eyes and looked at the girl sitting next to him. Lucius cocked his head to the side in a way to tell the girl to move. She blushed and was quick to gather up her materials.

Lucius sat next to him. He was wearing the school uniform but somehow made it look better than any other person here in this whole school.

"That was rude," Shiloh spoke up and glanced at the boy next to him. Lucius kept his stoic facade and stared at Shiloh for a few seconds. There was silence for a while until Lucius decided to speak up again.

"It was rude of you to pretend nothing happened this morning between us."

Shiloh held his breath and the corner of the honey-eyed boy's mouth went up. Us? He fought the urge to lower his head submissively. He wasn't going to let him intimidate him. He refused to show any signs that might let Lucius think of him as inferior. Shiloh took a glimpse at Lucius' hands. They looked very...masculine. Strong. But the flesh was irritated and had scratches. Shiloh also noticed the dried blood under his fingernails and around his cuticles. He touched his own hands and started fiddling and adjusting the watch on his left hand that he himself had fixed.

Shiloh closed his eyes and took a deep breath to calm down and avoid shivering next to him. He still couldn't believe he was sitting next to a murderer. He should've felt sick.

What was a boy his age doing around those kinds of things anyway? Lucius was most probably his age. No kid his age should be affiliated with such dreadful practices.

Maybe he was in a gang? But clearly not just any gang. Those men he was with. It must be something different.

"Nothing happened between us."

Lucius' face remained stoic. He expected him to be at least a bit angered by his remark. To be ticked off. The fact that he didn't show any emotion somehow made him uneasy. He wasn't sure whether to shut his mouth or keep talking to not get himself killed.

He decided to shut up. Lucius didn't say anything else.

Exactly an hour and seven minutes later, mathematics class had ended. Shiloh heard the screeching noises of the chairs and the students picking up their bags.