Killing Time [radiohead fanfiction]

Six: Lucky

     Jonny and I scampered back to the dining hall, receiving several weird looks from our friends.
"There's no way it took that long to get to the bathroom, it's so close to here," Thom mentioned the second we were within eyeshot.
"We used the one further away, by the gym." Jonny shrugs, wanting to drop the subject.
"Why?" Ed cuts in, his arms crossed against his chest.
"Because it's right by the boy's bathrooms and Jonny had to go too. Plus, those guys were nearby and I didn't want them to see me." I lie, Jonny nodding along beside me. Everyone seems to look us up and down, searching for a reason to call our bluffs. After a few uncomfortable seconds, Thom groans out a quick,
"Whatever." Before handing Jonny and me our schedules. My eyes flutter through it quickly, I'm thankfully not unhappy with the classes I have.
"We've already compared schedules since you took forever," Ed starts, tapping his finger against his chin as he tries to remember something.

"You have maths with me, language arts with me and Colin, photography with Thom and Jonny, music theory with Jonny, science with Thom and Phil, and history with Colin. Oh, and we all have gym together, but there's no need to worry about that yet." He finishes, seemingly impressed with all that he's memorized.
"Wait? So I have someone in every class?" I question, scanning my schedule for any classes that Ed didn't mention.
"Yep, you're stuck with us all year." He responds, much to my relief.
"Thank god!" I cry out, a night's worth of anxiety finally lifting from my chest.
"You were that worried?" Colin asks while quirking a brow.
"Yes! How could I not be? You're the only people who've treated me decently here." I sigh, still relishing in my sheer luck. Jonny smiles at me, giving me a pat on the shoulder.

"Should we celebrate or something?" Phil asks awkwardly. All eyes turn towards him, eyebrows furrowed in utter confusion.
"Hm, okay. I can think of something, but we'd need to discuss it first." Colin suggests, glancing around at everyone in a way that indicates it's very secretive. As he raises his brows gingerly, Thom finally understands Colin's innuendo.
"No, that's not happening. That's ridiculous." He crosses his arms, further proclaiming his disapproval.
"Come on man. What good would it be doing if we didn't?" Colin responds, much to the agreement of his other peers.
"Let's just discuss it, okay?" Ed adds.
"Fine," Thom mutters, turning to exit the dining hall. I wait awkwardly, not sure as to if I should join them again since they didn't directly invite my company. Jonny seems to notice my uncertainty and gestures for me to follow, which I oblige happily.

      The walk back to the boys' dorms is still tense, and I feel incredibly out of place. When Jonny and I arrive, Thom seems upset at my presence.
"How are we supposed to discuss if she's here?"
"Calm down, mate. I've got it handled." Jonny says, bending over to a CD player which sits perched upon a dresser. His hands flutter through a pile of CDs, glancing back at me before pulling one out. Everyone watches with interest as he presses play before turning to grab a pair of headphones. These headphones are handed to me immediately, and I slide them on awkwardly. They slip down on my head, seemingly far too large. Jonny notices and pulls them off for me, beginning to fidget with the size. He places them back on my head, adjusting them slightly until they feel snug against my ears.
"Good?" He questions, his voice hard to hear underneath the bulky headphones.
"Yeah," I answer, trying to make out the song that plays quietly in my ear. Jonny turns the volume up increasingly loud, it's easy to tell now that it's a Talking Heads song. I watch Jonny's lips move, he looks like he's asking me a question. Leaning forward, I attempt to make out the other's words behind the blaring sound of David Byrne's voice.
"What?" I ask, unsure as to the volume of my question. He responds with a thumbs up and a nod, turning to address the other boys in the room. They all shrug and begin to discuss whatever they came here for. By the look of things, this discussion won't be quick, so I flop down on Colin's bed and enjoy the unnecessarily loud album.

I turn my head to watch, it's incredibly apparent that Thom's upset from the way he carries himself. Thom paces around the room, deflecting any kind of suggestion from one of the others. I look back up at the ceiling, arms folded across my stomach as a form of comfort. It's clear that it's my presence that makes Thom upset, I don't remember being impolite towards him, other than when I defended Ed. Was that really what set him off? Or is it just me? That specific thought seems to resonate in my head, it's what I settle on. Thom just doesn't like me. My head falls to the side again and I watch Thom slowly settle down, finally taking part in a civil conversation. I chew on the side of my cheek, focusing on trying to read their lips. Suddenly, all heads turn towards me and Jonny sits up, removing the headphones from my ears.
"Did you know which album it was?" He questions, taking the CD out of the player.
"Talking Heads, Remain in Light."
"Mhm!" Jonny exclaims, holding up the CD's case with a grin.
"I'm a huge fan of Tina Weymouth, her bass lines are brilliant," I add, pushing myself off the bed and standing up, now facing everyone else in the room.

"Mary Jane. Just so you know, we have a bit of a reputation around here." Colin starts, shifting awkwardly under my gaze.
"What? Do you like wreak havoc or something?" Ed laughs at my assumption but is quickly silenced by Phil who elbows him harshly.
"No. We just, we aren't very well-liked. Easy to make fun of, you know?"
"I thought Ed and Phil were popular, cause they're all sporty."
"That's the thing, they weren't always popular. They're just lucky to have the ability to fight back, physically, that is." The sincerity in Colin's voice is undeniable, it seems to be a touchy subject. I swallow thickly, waiting for him to continue.
"A few years ago, we made a pact to keep as a group, so we'd have a better chance at making it through high school."
"Did it work?"
"Perfectly. We're closer now than we've ever been, and far safer too." He opens his mouth as if to speak again, but quickly closes it and reassesses whatever he's about to say. As per my habit, I puff out my cheeks with air, an indication that I feel incredibly awkward. Colin glances over at the others, who encourage him with an eyebrow raise.
"We... I... I thought it'd be nice to ask whether you'd be interested in becoming part of the pact." He finally asks, rocking back and forth on his heels impatiently.
"I wouldn't want to impose. It seems important." I respond awkwardly, wrapping my arms around my stomach.
"You wouldn't be." Ed starts from across the room, "We want you to join." He finishes, looking at Phil for approval. Phil nods along, eyes glued on me.
"It seems personal. I'm fine on my own, really." I start to say, but am quickly cut off by Thom who finally approaches,
"I saw what happened at breakfast. We don't want you to feel unsafe, or live in fear of it happening again." Thom states, completely proving my previous theories wrong. While I do appreciate everything these boys have done, I couldn't bring it upon them to find it necessary to protect me. But then again, they really seem to want me in.
"Okay. I'll join." I say finally, nodding along as if to reassure myself of my own choice.
"Brilliant. There's just one thing you need to do first."