Bubblegum and Rockyroad

The Art Room

***Nathaniel's POV***

Was that the right thing to do? I ask myself as I run up the steps of Françoise Dupont High School. Marinette is standing at the top of the stairs waving at me, beaconing me toward the door. Marinette is a kind girl, she supported me through everything. She looked me up and down.

"Hey Nath. You okay? You look a little... flustered?!" Marinette looked shocked. I blushed with embarrassment.

"Mari! Don't say that too loudly!" I hid my face in my jacket, bringing it up over my face. Marinette leaned in, wiggling her eyebrows at me.

"So, who is it? Who's the lucky girl?" Marinette looked at me, curiosity filling her blue eyes making them look fuller and more twinkly. I cleared my throat, slightly annoyed.

"HIS name is Marc, Marc Anciel." Marinette's eyes got wider, her skin going pale. I felt slightly guilty, Mari was my best friend and I had made her feel bad.

"Mari, listen I-"My words got caught in my mouth.

"No, I'm sorry, what was his name again?"I laughed.

"His name is Marc." I confirmed once more. Marinette's eyes widened further, her hand clapping over her mouth in shock.

"MARC!" Mari shouted. I looked around, no one seemed to have noticed, which wasn't all too strange. I gave Marinette a harsh look as if to say quiet down or else. She nodded and turned around, searching through the thick crowds. She turned back around grinning like a maniac.

"Wha-" I didn't get a chance to finish before she grabbed my hand and dragged me into the school grounds. She was surprisingly fast considering her small stature, I tripped multiple times. Marinette dragged me to the opposite side of the school and up the steep concrete stairs. She turned a corner, ran a few more metres and let go of my hand. I looked around, still tired from the run, we were at the art room. Colourful spray paint covered the walls and from the doorway, I could hear someone inside humming a sad tune. Marinette stood there wiggling her eyebrows at me, which honestly, was really weird and slightly creepy.

"Marinette, what is it? You're creeping me out." I stood there waiting for her answer and heaving for breath. She glanced inside and then excitedly at me.

"You said his name was Marc Anciel right?" She gave me no time to answer. Marinette pointed into the art room. "You mean that Marc." I frowned and looked through the doorway. My heart nearly stopped, sitting there on a chair, facing away from us was the boy I had met on the bridge. His coal black hair fell gently over his emerald green eyes. He looked like something I had made up in my head, so perfect. I stumbled as I stared at him, kicking my toe on the doorway. Marc glanced over to the doorway, his eyes focusing. I dove behind the wall, though I'm not sure why. The sad humming stopped, I heard a clatter, the sound of a chair moving and then footsteps. Marinette looked at me, her expression told me everything, Marc was coming to the door. I needed a place to hide quickly. I ran around the nearest corner, almost running into Alya, Marinette's best friend. I dove at the ground, Alya diving with me. She looked at me with a raised eyebrow, then around the corner at Marc and Marinette talking at the art room door. Alya looked back at me, my face flushing and most likely an embarrassing shade of red. She mouthed the letters slowly, M-A-R-C, and gave me a puzzled look. This was more embarrassing than when I lost a tooth in gym class when I was six. That's a different story.

Around the corner Marinette was talking to Marc, his voice sounded more cheerful now, a stark difference from the sad tone he had been humming. The sound of his voice was enough to put a smile on my face. Alya nudged me and held up her phone, on the screen she had typed up a note.

Why are you hiding?

I considered this and then pulled out my phone and quickly typed out a response.

IDK.

I peeked around the corner. Marinette was still talking to Marc, I had been so focused on Alya's question, that I had forgotten. That was until I heard my name, as clear as day. Marc was talking about me. My face flushed. I began listening in.

"Marc, you seem different this morning..." Mari paused. "Did something happen?" Silence. He took a deep breath and leaned against the doorway. His hair glistened in this lighting, his eyes captured the light and made him look otherworldly. Alya was standing next to me, leaning around the corner and listening in.

"I met someone before I came to school, he said his name was..." He stopped and wrinkled his nose. "His name is Nathaniel." He said my name like it was the last thing he'd ever say. Like it was a treasure that he didn't want to give away. Mari giggled and glanced over to me, luckily Marc hadn't noticed and carried on.

"What was he like?" Marc paused and considered her question, swaying from side to side as he thought.

"He was-" He paused and began swaying again. "He was really sweet, we met by accident, he didn't even know me but he brought me ice-cream and talked to me like he did know me. It was really comforting considering everything I've been dealing with recently." I froze, my eyes narrowed, I turned around and slid against the wall. It was cold and rough against my back but I didn't feel it. Alya looked at me and spoke but I didn't hear anything. All I heard were the words that Marc had said. They echoed in my mind, replaying over and over.

'Considering everything I've been dealing with recently.' I gazed into the distance, what had been going on with Marc? And how will I be able to help?