Floating Face Down (boyxboy)

Chapter Six

It rained all the way to school and stopped just as I got inside, a chunk of the students weren't there yet, I was about half an hour early. Sometimes that was a good thing, sometimes bad, it depended when the other boys arrived.

As it was the classroom was mostly empty, Sophie in the corner next to Debbie, Olivia just next to my table by the window, constantly picking something from her braces and curling her already curly hair.

She looked up at me as I sat down. "No one wrote anything this time." She informed me, propping her head down on her hand.

I nodded. "Yeah."

I still wiped away some of the pencil smudges on the table, as I was doing so I realised there was something in the drawer below. There was no actual drawer in it but there was a space to put books if there were too many on your table, students weren't actually allowed to keep things in these desks because loads of different people used these desks.

"What..." I pulled out a packet of crisps, initially thinking it was trash, I'd found trash there before, gum on the sides of the table and my seat, but it was a full unopened bag of crisps.

"Snacks?" Olivia remarked.

"I guess..." 

"Can I have some?"

"I don't... They aren't mine..." I turned the crisp packet over, half worried they'd been filled with crap and resealed or something.

There was a post-it-note attached. 

Heading home now, probably not coming in tomorrow. Don't let the others get you down, and don't forget to eat something at lunch time.

Victor

These? Multiple? I looked further down the drawer and realised there was a can of coke, I pulled it out and stared at them.

And my face turned red and I put them back in the drawer, my heart racing in my chest. It was a kind gesture, but it always felt like something more. Like I was in one of those old romantic movies my grandma liked to watch. The popular kid interested in the unpopular kid. 

But it wasn't like that. It meant nothing, just a guy who had a girlfriend doing something nice for the pathetic kid that was being bullied. He wasn't even my friend.

It didn't stop me from feeling happy though. Patrick seemed to notice the expression on my face as he entered, eying me down.

I glanced at him, but put my head in my arms and tried to sleep instead of letting him get to me.

He sat down behind me, in the empty seat, and kicked my chair legs from behind.

I ignored him, in high spirits, I didn't care. I was going to daydream with my eyes closed.

"You look happy huh?" He said to me, I could hear his chair creaking as he leaned forward to say it.

I shrugged barely and said nothing.

He whistled. "Your boyfriend isn't in today I guess..."

I bristled a little at that, worried it was a sign they'd start harassing Victor and then I wouldn't even be able to hang out with him. 

I hated that expression they gave me, reluctantly sitting by me, glancing around, pity, but also embarrassment to be around me, fear of me dragging them down with me. I really fucking hated it.

"Elliot," He addressed me after Miss Sharma was done taking names, "Ellie." He corrected himself.

I pretended to sleep.