DUSTED MELODY [BL]

chapter 8 : its okay

The walk back to class felt heavy. Enzo's heart ached for Mateo. He saw him flinch when they brushed shoulders, and it made Enzo feel awful. He wanted to help, but he didn't know how.

He reached out and put a hand on Mateo's shoulder, but it was a bad idea. Mateo jumped back, like Enzo had scared him. "Don't touch me!" he yelled.

Enzo froze. "Whoa, hey, I'm sorry! I just—"

But Mateo wasn't listening. Tears streamed down his face, and his voice cracked. "Why are you acting fucking nice to me now? You made fun of me too! Am I a joke a fucking to everyone? Tell me! Where are the cameras? Are you recording this to laugh at me later? answer me!"

Enzo felt terrible. Shame burned on his face. Here he was trying to be a friend, and he just made things worse.

Then, the coach blew his whistle, signaling the end of gym class. "Alright, that's it! Next class starts soon, get moving!"

Both boys stood there, stuck in an awkward moment. Mateo shoved Enzo aside, his voice low and scary. "Don't you dare tell anyone about this," he whispered. "Or you'll regret it."

Enzo swallowed hard, fear mixing with his shame. He nodded slowly. "Okay, I won't."

The crowd rushed past them, and Mateo disappeared into the hallway. Enzo felt lost. Next period was extra languages, where they could learn something new besides English and French. Unfortunately, both he and Mateo were stuck in boring Japanese class.

Enzo walked in feeling down. The teacher, Ms. Tanaka, was super energetic and happy. When Enzo and Mateo arrived, she greeted them with a big smile and a loud "Hello!" in Japanese.

The class was a blur of weird words and confusing symbols. Enzo, who was good at languages, learned things quickly. He finished the pop quiz easily and showed off a little. His score, displayed on the screen, was the highest.

Mateo, on the other hand, struggled. He looked pale and confused. When the grades showed up, his score was a big, fat zero.

Ms. Tanaka, not knowing about the fight, clapped her hands. "Alright class, next stop – the library! Enzo, since you're such a fast learner, how about you help Mateo with his Japanese?" She winked at Enzo. "You, the strong guy with the Japanese brain!"

Enzo chuckled nervously. He looked at Mateo, who seemed to shrink into his chair.

"Let's go, study buddy," Enzo said, trying to sound happy. He gathered his things and walked towards the door, expecting Mateo to follow.

Instead, Mateo stopped. "Actually," he mumbled, barely audible. "I think I'll... I'll go home."

Enzo frowned. "But Ms. Tanaka wants us to—"

His words were cut short by a phone ringing. Mateo pulled out his phone, his face changing emotions quickly as he answered the call. After a short, quiet conversation, he hung up and stared at the phone screen with a blank expression.

Then, to Enzo's surprise, Mateo nodded. "Alright, let's go to the library."

They walked to the library in silence, both with a lot on their minds. As they reached the doors, Enzo felt a knot in his stomach tighten. This wasn't just about learning Japanese anymore. There was a secret about Mateo, a hidden story that Enzo wanted to know.

But how could he find out? And was Enzo ready to hear the truth, whatever it might be? The music of his life had taken a strange turn, and he didn't know what the next notes would be.