Kevin and Clark were friends. Or rather, part of a friend group. The group of three lived near each other and so would always go home together. James, the very core of the trio was the glue that if ceased to attend, the two also wouldn't. They were James' friends and never each other's. When they walked in the hallway, both remained on either side while James was in the center.
There were little things they had in common. One is James and two is the fact that they pulled a decent number of girls, effortlessly. Kevin with his red jacket and chinito eyes, which we called "BBJ" meaning; balik balik jacket, wore a mask most times and had at least two girls fighting over him. He wasn't handsome per se, but he could pass off as cute and pair that with his apparently great personality, count me in. He did fairly well in academics and was respected by the teachers and students around him. For a popular high school boy, that was way more than enough for him. Clark on the other hand, was contented on simply complying. If you call passing a notebook filled with highly detailed dick drawings for the written works complying. He was almost always late and the teachers hated him for it. Many girls liked him, but only one dared to date the handsome trouble maker. But unlike BBJ, you could tell that he was good-looking from afar. He had a chiseled face, acne-scarred, but chiseled enough that I fell for him at first sight. Tall and slender, he had toned arms but had fluffy hair and wore his signature Ben 10 bag, and that made him look not as tough. He rarely smiled because when he did, it was deadly enough to kill a family of five. I always thought they both had a thing for James and yes, I realized I was far off too late.
Class started at noon so the dismissal was scheduled on or before 6 pm. During that time, the two would be stationed outside our Gr 10 Simplicity classroom, waiting for their beloved James, making small talk with each other. That was the only time we would see them outside this classroom, but on that day, when the class Simplicity was learning in the ICT room in the building across, Kevin who had just been scolded by the math teacher, decided to see James, not knowing he wouldn't see a single James.
His eyes tired, he made his way to the green and yellow room, the only different color being the windows, but the jealousy reflected also green and yellow. Public school things. He twisted the knob painted with rust, opening the beaten-down door. It creaked, loud enough that you could tell the buildings were old. Expecting a full classroom, all he saw were the wooden desks, the chalkboard, chalk dust, and Clark.
He was in the far-left corner, leaning into one of the desks. When he noticed Kevin, his flushed face gave off a smile. Kevin saw that. He winced. Damning and deadly.
"Welcome to my lair." He spread his arms, gesturing at the whole classroom.
Kevin was smart. He could tell if someone was drunk, at the very least. A blue flask was placed beside Clark's foot, so Kevin looked around once more, and only did he close the door behind him. He was hesitant and wanted to clarify, "Are you drunk?"
Clark picked the flask up, twisted the cover open, and peeked inside, "I didn't leave anything for you though." His mesmerizing voice was cooped up in the bottle.
Everybody knows it's a bad idea to drink on school grounds or at all in our age. Kevin rolled up the sleeves of his red unwashed jacket and made his way toward the tipsy Clark. "Are you crazy!" He took the container away from Clark's hands and lowered his voice, "What are you gonna do if the teachers find out?" Good student things.
Clark tried to get it back, but his weak liquor-induced body didn't stand a chance against the sober Kevin, "That's not fair." He wailed.
Kevin positioned it near his chest, far enough to get it out of Clark's possession, "No, you can't"
Clark frowned and crossed his arms. He leaned to the cabinet more to show his displeasure, "I hate you."
Kevin relaxed his shoulders and sighed, "Well, I hate you too." He set the flask beside him. "I hate you so much more."
Clark smiled again. Again, deadly. "I hate you more. You wear that jacket every day, it smells."
Kevin chuckled, "I wash it every weekend, you know. If it smells, then it smells good. Unlike you, you reek of alcohol."
Clark rested his eyes, not quite closing them, "I don't."
As if trying to prove it to him, Kevin tilted towards the fluffy haired boy, his head close to his chest, alcohol and sweat mixed in a bundle of sweetness. He looked up, meeting Clark's face, their noses almost touching, but never moving away, "You do."
Clark moved closer, "You can't prove it."
There was a moment of quiet. Kevin swallowed a lump in his throat as Clark stared deep into his eyes, unlocking secret after secret, his piercing eyes penetrating his soul, intense and anticipating. His eyes radiated a fierce want and longing. Something a boy wasn't meant to feel for another and Kevin knew this.
He shuffled backwards, standing up, legs away from the cold cement floor. Away from Clark. He was trying to find something to say, until he did, "We should leave before they get back. I don't want to get in trouble again." he forced out a nervous laugh. But before he could take a step closer to the door, he felt a hand hold on to his wrist. He didn't dare look back.
"Let's stay here for a little longer."
It wasn't the first time he felt the callouses on his hand or heard that phrase, but for some reason he couldn't still accept, he froze. Heart thumping, his knees grew weak. He could've shook his hand off, ran towards the door and away, but he didn't. He stayed there for a little longer.
Kevin wasn't weak. He wasn't strong either, but a simple pull was something he could physically resist. He had average arm muscle strength and it was enough to withstand a slight tug from Clark. Only this time, he didn't use it and willingly turned back to Clark, to whom he met with a short kiss that marked his lips and heart for a lifetime.
