Echoing Back (BxB)

※ 𝔼𝕡𝕚𝕤𝕠𝕕𝕖 𝕍𝕀𝕀 ※

(15.05.24)

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

The B block bathrooms. They were all the way across the other side of the school, and over the years I had spent at this high school, that was the safest place I knew of. All the smokers steered clear of these bathrooms because there was no ventilation other than a 6 by 6 inch window so high up that not even the tall kids could reach it. Which was pretty much why nobody used them. The lights didn't work, casting the entire room in an eerie glow from the frosted glass of the window.

When I got there, it was deserted, like always. I remembered all the times I had run in here, the first time being after the pink leotard incident. I had run out of that classroom the moment that stupid thing was off, and I skipped at least two or three classes that day. Somebody had taken a video, and it had circulated around the school. And by the school, I mean practically everybody in my year group. That was the day I swore to never step foot in the drama room again, and true to my word, I never did.

My mom let me change classes when I came home with tears running down my face, and I switched to art, where I met Zain. Zain was my first friend after Kagan. He had been quiet and reserved when I met him. I didn't know whether he knew about the video, but for the entire week that that video had been trending, he never once mentioned it, nor did he acknowledge the names the other kids called me.

He'd changed a lot since then, not in a bad way, but I wouldn't say it's exactly good either. Zain had been so shy, you could barely hear when he was talking, and now he was the leader of the student council, the person who would give speeches at almost every assembly, talent show, and event. Although he had given up his art to do that, Zain could've easily been the best artist back in freshman year; he'd even made mini comics that he posted online, and now he rarely even had time to relax, let alone enough time to draw.

I carefully lowered the lid of one toilet in a stall, making sure there weren't any shit stains or suspicious looking puddles anywhere before sitting down.

Kagan had changed too. Like Zain. Even I did, in some ways. Neither of us were the same people we were 4 years ago, so why was it that the same problems were still bothering me? Kagan might have been a dickhead, but he was right. All I ever did was run away from my problems. I had run away right after I got that leotard off; I had run away when mom told me about the Campbells; I had run away when I saw Kagan at the supermarket; and I had run away when they came over for dinner. And now I had run away again. Like the coward I was.

'Why are you like this?' Kagan's words replayed in my head. "Shut up." I hissed, clamping my hands over my ears like they'd do anything to help.

"Louis?" A set of footsteps echoed in the bathroom as he approached. I'd recognize that voice anywhere.

"What the hell are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in class?" I asked Isaiah.

"Too cool for school," he shrugged.

"Get back to class," I mumbled. This day just had to get worse, didn't it? "Or I'll tell mom."

"But you'd have to out yourself first."

"I have a valid reason."

He snorted, "Which is?"

"I'm touring the new kid."

"I don't know what you're touring about the dingey B block bathrooms, but—wait a minute, isn't Kagan starting today?" His voice grew high pitched as he made this new revelation. "Oh, my god. Something happened. What happened? Some juicy drama? Love confessions, perhaps?" He said, adopting a sickly sweet voice that sent shivers of disgust up my spine.