Finding Shadows

Chapter 7

Noah face-planted into the desk. "I fucking hate this class," he muttered. Michael rolled his eyes. "Yeah, because you're shit at it."
Noah picked his head up and turned to his best friend. "Hey, you know science isn't my strong suit!" He said with fake offense.
"And yet, somehow, you have a 90," Michael pointed out. "True, but how many times have I had to cheat off your work?" He laughed.
"Both of you, office. Now."
Noah turned to look at his teacher, Ms. Peetle. He gave a sideways glance at Michael, his stomach dropping as he saw him open his mouth to talk.
"And why should we? We haven't done shit worth sending us to the office for," He retorted.
"Because I have to talk to you boys constantly and I'm sick of it."
"Wah wah. Can't even control your own students?" Michael shot back, his face wore the smuggest smirk.
"Office. NOW!"
Michael opened his mouth to give another retort, but Noah elbowed him in the side. "Don't. It's not worth it," He muttered. Michael sniffed indignantly before standing up and marching out of the classroom, his nose turned up with scorn. Noah sighed, standing up and quickly following.

"Jesus you two.." Principal Jents sighed as the two boys walked into her office looking irritated. "What did you two do this time?" She muttered as they sat down.
"Fucking Ms. Pussy-"
"Peetle," Noah said under his breath, rolling his eyes.
Michael shot him a glare. "As I was saying, Ms. Pussy sent us here because we were talking, and she doesn't know how to deal with her fucking students," he snorted.
"Watch it, Underwood," Jents warned Michael.
He simply rolled his eyes. "Whatever."
"This is the fourth time this week," she said sternly. Noah looked away. It's not my fault he's a fucking idiot that doesn't know when to shut up. He thought indignantly.
"You two are spending the rest of the school day in here," she ordered. Noah sighed and leaned backwards, while Michael looked pissed. Mrs. Jents stood up and left the room. Noah face-planted into the desk. "You gotta be kidding me.." He groaned.
Michael rolled his eyes. "You'll live," he snorted. "You're the one who got us stuck in here for the next 5 fucking hours!" Noah retorted. Michael huffed and leaned back his chair, looking away. Noah frowned. "Why are you only like this around me? Around your other friends you don't do stupid shit like that."
"Oh I- I um..." He stammered. Noah rolled his eyes. "It's like you're always trying to fucking impress me, but you just look stupid."
Michael looked down. "Shut up."
Noah realized Michael looked like Noah had hit a nerve, so curiously, he decided to push further. "It's almost like you like me or something!"
"Maybe I do," Michael muttered under his breath.
Noah froze in shock. "Wait what?" He barely believed what Michael just said. "You heard me. I'm leaving," He snapped, standing up and left, slamming the door behind him.
Noah stared after him in shock. He was testing the waters. He hadn't expected anything like that. Not at all.
A few moments later, the door opened. In the doorway stood Mr. Adams, the vice principal, and he was holding an absolutely pissed Michael by the arm. He was a little taller than Noah, so he was a lot bigger than Michael was.
Michael struggled to get his arm free as he was dragged back into the room.
"LET ME GO YOU FUCKING COCK SUCKING FAGGOT ASS LOOKING BITCH!" Michael was screeching. Mr. Adams rolled his eyes and tossed Michael onto the floor, landing on his butt.
Michael glared at him before flipping him off. "Go fuck yourself buddy."
"You already got yourself a week in suspension for that. Don't test it," Mr. Adams warned him, closing the door and leaving. This time he locked it from the outside so the door could only be opened from outside the room.
"Good job idiot."
"Go fucking finger yourself in the highway. Maybe if you're lucky you'll get hit by a car," Michael snapped. Noah blinked at him, taken aback. First Michael says that he likes him, now he wants him to get hit by a car?
"What's your issue? You always get in trouble, but you've never done something like that," Noah asked quietly.
"Can you shut up? For once in your fucking life? Like do you not know how to not be annoying as fuck?" Michael spat, though despite him seething with rage, Noah noticed how embarrassed he looked.
He frowned. "You just said you liked me. Now you want me to get hit by a car?"
"Well I- No- I just.." Michael seemed to struggle for words, before he gave up and simply looked away, his face bright red. "You don't get it."
Noah looked around to room, trying to find words of his own. Suddenly it felt very awkward.
He shook his head. "So..let me get this straight. You have a crush on me?"
Michael nodded awkwardly.
Noah nodded slowly. "Okay, and I have a crush on you, so uh.."
Michael quickly looked up with wide eyes. "I'm sorry, what did you just say?!" He sounded completely stunned. Noah smiled awkwardly. "You heard me."
"I-" He looked like either a deer in headlights, or a stunned possum. Noah couldn't figure out which was closer.
Michael looked down, his eyes still wide with shock. He stood up and went to open the door, forgetting it was locked from the outside. "DUDE I HAVE TO PEE. WHAT THE FUCK BRO."
Noah stifled a laugh, but failed as he burst out with laughter. Michael spun around to face him, looking cross.
"Bro I will piss on this floor if they don't open that fucking door," He muttered, slumping back down on the floor.
Noah raised an eyebrow. "Do you actually have to use the bathroom, or do you just want to get out of this very awkward situation?"
"Both," He mumbled.
Noah nodded slowly. "I have a question."
Michael looked up. "Yeah?"
"How long?"
"What do you mean?"
"How long have you liked me?"
Michael looked away. "I don't know, since I met you?" He muttered. Noah's eyes widened. "Wait, really?"
"Yeah, i guess."
"I never-" He hesitated as he thought back to when he was around Michael. Now that he thought about it, it had actually been pretty obvious. Michael had always acted differently around Noah. Always got into more trouble, talked more, overall just more chaotic. But in a nice way. A fun way.
"Because you're blind," Michael interrupted his thoughts. Noah had to give him that. It was true after all.
"Anyways, does that mean.."
"Mike..you dated my sister. I don't know how much my mother would exactly appreciate that," Noah cut him off.
Michael blinked and looked up, leaning his head against the wall. "So..?"
"Plus aren't your parents..you know."
"Uh huh. I don't really care though."
Noah hated that he couldn't just say what he wanted and instead had to say a bunch of reasons why they shouldn't get together, even thought that was what he and clearly Michael, wanted.
But deep down he knew it was because he knew how Michael was when it came to relationships. He was 15 and had already had so many girlfriends that Noah stopped counting. That was the problem. Michael for some reason, just couldn't hold a relationship. He didn't want that to ruin their friendship.
"Look, I know i've had too many relationships for only being 15. But like..I don't know. This is different. It feels different. Girls never really...did anything to me. But you.." Michael began as if he could read what Noah was thinking.
Michael looked at the floor, clearly trying to look anywhere other than at Noah. Noah's heart twisted.
"That's love."
This time Michael looked up at Noah. "Yeah..I guess it is."