i like you but i cant say it

CHAPTER 5: no choice (page 21)

Kenji was left alone, he turned back down and stared at his food emptily, loosing his appetite.

"Claleb..." The boy's name ran through his mind.

[...]

The bell rang, lunch was over and now everyone's returning to their classes.

Kenji walked silently through the halls, still worried about Caleb.

Meanwhile Caleb was doing the same but he was internally fighting himself, the phone in his pocket vibrated with a ping but he ignored it.

His eyes had bags under them and the dark circles had become even more prominent. He hasn't gotten any more than 4 hours of sleep in the last 2 days, if only they had made the benches more comfortable and spring would just come faster.

"Shut up!" He told himself.

He knew he shouldn't but he was seriously considering Kenji's words now.

"He's lying to you!" He continued to internally yell at himself, but the genuine expression on Kenji's face earlier gave him all the reasons he should trust him.

Even though his whole being was telling him not to, what other choice did he really have at this point? Stay on the streets with no money and starve or freeze to death -not to mention getting attacked again- or let his guard down and admit that he needed help.

Honestly that might've been something he should've done a lot sooner, but it's too late now. He was just a kid.

Disowned and with no place to stay, he's just about as good as roadkill.

[...]

Hours went by with Caleb stuck in his own head trying to make up a decision.

He rested his head on his hand for so long his arm might've fallen asleep.

Kenji could feel a pair of eyes staring at him from behind as he quickly wrote down notes.

The class was quiet, the only sounds there were were the sounds of pens and pencils writting and jotting on paper.

Kenji could feel a drop of sweat sliding down the side of his face, he wasn't sure if it was the warm sweater he wore that day or the anxiety he was getting for no reason. The teacher's words just seemed to fly by so fast, that combined with the concern he had made him feel like there was a nervous pit in his stomach.

He jotted quickly, his eyebrows furrowed tensely and he wasn't even breathing.

With the last energy in his burning hand he wrote the last letter into his notebook before the bell rang loudly. School was over.

Kenji looked up, letting go of the breath he had been unconsciously holding.

He huffed and puffed for air in his seat while everyone else got up promptly.

"Eh?" His mind was everywhere yet nowhere at the same time.

"Wait, Caleb still haven't answered." He realized. He turned around to look at the blonde boy, who seemed just as spaced out and surprised at the bell as he was. He quickly turned back to his books to reframe from staring too long.

When his mind finally adjusted to the situation, he held out his hesitant arms and started packing, slowly.

Caleb watched, his chest growing slowly and fearfully.

As Kenji took the last book from his desk, he suddenly heard a voice say his name.

"Kenji." Caleb said, his voice almost shook and quivered but he manadged to hide it.

The black haired boy looked up.

Caleb pressed his lips together as if he wasn't sure if he should say his next words.

"...Can you help me?"

End?