Friends with "that Niccals kid" | Gorillaz High school AU

My Confession

"How do I feel?
What do I say?
In the end it all goes away"
Sugar - SOAD

We go home and life keeps going forwards, I open my notes app and start planning date ideas. I suddenly remember a place I found half an hour from here that is nothing but fields, rivers, trees, nature shit. I used to go there, sometimes even brought Ace along in a stroller. There was a specific place, a riverside that had a little dirt shore. It was the most beautiful place I've ever seen.

I eventually settle on going there, but then a couple of concerns arise: first off, sure, my leg is healed enough for me to walk from, say, the courthouse to back home, but in like 10 minutes in I had to use Stu as a crutch. Second off, this one might be my paranoia, but I am not sure if I remember that place and it's directions crystal clearly, and Stu is not exactly the best at directions.

I eventually switch my phone off as Stu brings the two of us a butter and jam sandwich each. We make small talk and eventually get ready for school tomorrow.

FRIDAY

We go to school as usual, during these past few days everything went its boring, usual route. The lunch bell eventually rings as we take our usual place. We talk for a bit as I feel something hit the back of my head. I pick it up and see it's a scrunched up piece of paper. I open it as read what it says.

"Watch your back"

I turn my head and look around the cafeteria. Some 12th graders start snickering and running.

After lunch I ask Mrs Kent to excuse me from her class to go to the nurse's office for a routine check up. At break period I approach Stuart with a big smile, but it fades as I see him with an extremely worried face he only makes when he doesn't know if he should be happy or not.

"Hey, guess what, my leg might be strong enough to walk again, and I thought, maybe-"

"I'm leaving" he says, staring blankly at the floor "I got invited to an audition in London, it's for a musical. Some company saw my artistic abilities and grades n shit so they want me as a lead"

"For- For real, man? That's- I'm proud of you... but isn't that an 18 hour drive?"

"Yes, we depart this Sunday, get there on Monday, spend a few days visiting relatives since my mum insists on it, audition is on Friday, we arrive home the Sunday after that"

"But why? Can't you go later than that?"

"Mum insists on visiting relatives, she doesn't want to go there for just one reason" Stu says "But hey, house is yours, Mum will leave money at home, you can finance it, can't you?"

"Well, yeah, I- I guess..." I sigh "and what about school?"

"Mum says you can keep filling me in and I'll bring my notebooks with me, she planned everything out already" he goes dull "Sorry for not telling you in advance"

"Well..." I sigh "I suppose we must make the most of tomorrow"

"Yeah..."

The bell rings, we silently go to class, the distance between us growing bigger with each step.

SATURDAY

Stuart's POV

"Murdoc, 'ave you seen my hairbrush?!" I yell from my bathroom

"Up your ass" he laughs back

"Checked already, not there" I simply reply

After packing my luggage I go up to Murdoc.

"Don't worry, only one week, you can manage, right?"

"Right" he replies, after a bit of silence he speaks once more "Listen, I have something to tell you"

"What is it?" I sit next to him

"I want- Will you- Erm, I mean, would you like it if- ugh, fuck it, it's whatever"

"No, what is it? Tell me" I nag him

"Nothing important, nevermind I said anything"

"Well it sure sounded important at first"

Silence. I just start tidying up the room until Murdoc speaks again.

"Be my fucking boyfriend, there, I said it, happy now?"

I stare at him, my mind going everywhere and nowhere at once.

"Why would you tell me that now? In the midst of all this chaos?"

"Well, erm, I wanted to wait for the right moment! But now I can't arrange what I wanted and obviously it's my fault!"

"I never said it was your fault! If you wanted to wait, then you could've waited until we are back, now that's another weight on my shoulders" I start crying

He hugs me, he hates hugs.

"I'm sorry... I tell ya what, don't even worry about all this, I never said anything, m'kay?"

"Well, you did"

"...Alright, I did, but still, think of this as clearing your head, you go, enjoy visiting London, then we discuss this, alright?"

"...Alright"

His words echo through my brain as I spend the rest of the day on my phone.

SUNDAY

I and Murdoc spend my last day here in the park, we share a last pack of cigs and I try my best not to make eye contact, I don't want to make this worse than it already is.

At night we hop on the train, Murdoc couldn't stop waving until we eventually left his sight. I felt horrible, I already missed home.

We got lucky because the train has charging spots, I have mobile data, and we are all alone, meaning I could have the window seat, lay down on one side, or even make a bridge between the two seats.

I try to binge Metal Family again, but fall asleep after three episodes due to the train gently shaking, rocking me to sleep.

MONDAY

By the time I wake we're already in London. We get off the train and I see my Uncle Rick and his grandson whom I never really got along with in Uncle Rick's weird car. We hop in as mum makes small talk about how things are back in Sussex.

(A/N: I didn't know where to place them so they live in Sussex now bc it's funny)

"Hey Mort" I greet my great nephew that is only a year younger than me.

"Hey! Don't call me that!"

"Sorry Morty, now shut up" I say, putting my headphones on.