My Lion. || BXB

chapter twenty-one.

cormac and i were currently sitting in maths class friday morning, learning about the quadratic theorem and i  couldn't be more bored. when the teacher focused on different students, we both took the time gratefully and spoke about fun things but we had to stop as soon as the teacher came back around.

like everyday, the thought of seeing lionel at lunch was lingering in the back of my mind unapologetically. i was with him at lunch wednesday, went back to my group yesterday and now i'm gonna go see him today. when my friends ask where i've been, i plan to say i was with marianna again which'll hopefully satisfy them.

i know freddie said should tell the group, at least about my recent sexuality discovery, but i couldn't. i know that if i do tell them, i might accidentally let it slip about lionel too and i have no idea how they'll react. i can't risk losing my friends, they mean a lot to me for gods sake.

"anyway, so hunts, harvey armstrong is having another at his house today since it's friday. are you coming?" cormac asked me after mr taylor disappeared to go talk to some other students.
"oh! yeah sure. i know harvey he's in my pe class." i nodded with a smile on my face. this was what i came back to highschool for, not only for good grades but fun. i liked having invitations to parties and a good friendship group. i liked being liked and having a boyfriend was obviously a plus.

well, not a boyfriend. lionel isn't my boyfriend. i don't really know what we are, i never asked because i didn't know how he'd respond. and, i like how things are between him and i. we text for hours everyday and most days i even get to see him. i don't want to ruin that...

"yeah he's a chill lad. party's at 10 but we're all meeting at mickey's at half past okay?"
i grinned at cormac's invitation, "i'll be there." i responded without hesitation.

"is this really the time and place to be talking about parties, mr thompson and mr murphy?" mr taylor said after catching us in the act. my cheeks went red with embarrassment as i looked down to my worksheet.

"sorry sir." cormac said, and then kicked my leg under the table to follow his lead.
"uh- yeah, sorry sir." i repeated awkwardly, but mr taylor had already made his mind up.
"sorry won't cut it, but a detention will. 30 minutes after school today, see you then boys." and just like that he walked away back to his desk at the front of the classroom.

"fuck." cormac cursed in annoyance.
"my first detention of this school." i said without emotion, "oops." but cormac seemed to find it funny how little i cared. i just grinned back at his chuckles.

"well, we've already got detention so we may aswell continue ta—"
"do you want a 60 minute detention, mr murphy?" mr taylor yelled loudly from his desk. the whole class went silent and i could feel all eyes on myself and cormac.

"um.. no sir..." my friend muttered sheepishly, his face also going red due to the humiliation.
"then i suggest you keep your conversation on the quadratic theorem."
"yes sir." what a boring lesson.

i had just survived another english class and was now walking with archie to the cafeteria. i somehow had to slip away since i told lionel i was going to go to the forest again but i didn't know how. archie had offered to drop me off at my friend's signature table and now i was seriously regretting agreeing.

"alright, there's your friends." archie said pointing ahead and i glanced over to the table. all five of them were laughing about something on freddie's phone, and my heart sunk because of how much i wanted to be with them. i hated this. i wanted to be with them and lionel at the same time, why did they have to be enemies? this sucks.
"okay, see you later arch." i waved as the blue haired boy smiled and walked over to his table.

now what? my eyes scanned the cafeteria and saw marianna looking at me from a distance, then i had an idea. i strolled over to her table, and waved as i approached her little friend group.

"hey, mari can i talk to you?" i saw the other girls exchange giggy looks but i just ignored them and walked off with marianna.
she brushed a piece of hair out of her face using her fingers and glanced up at me. her face was pink, and i knew she was blushing. she probably assumed i had taken her away from her friends to ask her out or something, but she couldn't have been more wrong. "so, what did you want to talk about?"

"i need a favour." i said simply, and she nodded for me to continue. "i need you to go to cormac's table and tell then i have lunch time detention."
"what? why don't you you tell them?" she asked, her face puzzled but also disappointed.
"i just can't. please mari?" i spoke again and i knew marianna would do it.
"okay, fine." she shrugged.
"thank you!" a grin formed on my lips as i pulled her in for a quick hug. "i have to go, bye mari!" and then i shot off down the hallway.

i sped walked across the field and towards the forest, knowing i was already late to meeting lionel. once i explain what an absolute mission that was to sort out i know he wouldn't kind. i swerved through the trees until i saw the tall boy sitting down on the usual tree trunk.

when i entered the tree clearing lionel's eyes shot up at me and a smile appeared on his face. "hey, sorry i'm late." i said, and he stood up and walked towards me.
"it's alright, huntley." he grinned down at me, diving to my level and capturing me for a kiss. i breathed in, the smell of his cologne captivating me into a trance. "i missed you." he said after leading me to sit down besides him.
"you're such a softie, its quite ironic—"

the noise of a tree branch being stepped on alerted both of us instantly.
"who's there?!" lionel stood up, his eyes glancing all around us as i sheepishly stood up besides him. although i was shocked when i saw the familiar black haired girl entering the clearing.

"mari? what are you— did you follow me?" i asked, my thoughts clouded with reasons why she'd do that. lionel's eyes bounced between me and the girl, he clearly recognised her name from when i mentioned her before.

"you said you had lunch time detention, but i'm not an idiot hunter. i knew you were lying, otherwise why couldn't you just tell cormac yourself? you're a liar, you lied to me. and for what, him?" she said, clenching her fists with anger and envy. i glanced down at my shoes momentarily before looking back at the girl.
"i'm sorry mari i—..." what else could i say? she's right, i'm a liar. i'm a horrible person.

"i'm telling mickey." she said bluntly, and lionel squinted his eyes in rage.
"like hell you are." and he was about to pounce at her before i grabbed his arm, pulling him back.
"stop, you're not helping." i scolded him, and then moved towards mari.

"please mari, understand that i couldn't tell them the truth they'd never be okay with this..."
"and you think i am?" she scoffed, "he's a fucking bully, hunter! you're new to this school so i'm sure you don't know but he is a horrible person." my eyes flickered between mari and lionel's pale face. he looked nervous, which made me nervous too.

"you should shut your mouth." lionel growled, his fists clenching with rage.
"no! you don't deserve him!"
lionel's face changed at that. for a moment, he looked upset. maybe even remorseful. "maybe that's true, but i don't see how its any of your business."
"okay stop!" i finally shouted. "stop talking about me like i'm not even here!" and then both lionel and mari went quiet.

"mari just, come with me we need to talk."
"hunter just let me sort this." lionel said, coming up behind me and placing a hand on my back. i flinched away, "i dread to know what that means, lionel."

he gave me a look of despair, and i couldn't bare it. i turned from him, walking towards mari and grabbing her hand — leading her away from the boy she hated most. i heard lionel calling after me, but i didn't respond. i couldn't. maybe i did underestimate how bad lionel treating my friends. maybe i am a liar, maybe i deserve to be outed to my friends. maybe...