Highschool AU!!

Misunderstood (5)

The next morning, Red woke up with a mixture of excitement and nervousness. The image of Second was still vivid in his mind, like a dream he didn't want to wake up from. Apparently after many attempts to convince the nurse to let him go home early and pretending to be very ill and miserable, he succeeded in the end, knowing very well that the nurse was fully aware that he was just lying. But she saw how his face had turned a shade of red, eyes puffed up from crying like an owl, so she decided to let him go for fear that his condition might suddenly worsen, and Red was more than happy.

The entire day Red spent it in bed, his mind was running through his memories of Second. The way he'd been so caring and attentive to him felt surreal. Red remembered the unexpected warmth of Second's hand on his body, calming him down like a cool breeze in the middle of a storm. The way Second had stayed by his side, making sure he was alright, was something Red could never forget. But something else also lingered in his thoughts; the way Second's laugh had echoed through the empty bathroom sounding just like sweet, calming music. Remembering this, Red felt his cheeks heating up. It was as if the memory of their encounter was a candy in his mouth he didn't want to swallow.

But those moments had to come to an end as Red knew that he had to return to school after taking a whole day to be absent, of course after he convinced his mom to do so.

When Red arrived at school the next day, he noticed that everyone was suspiciously looking at him a bit longer than usual. These glances, filled with unspoken questions, confused Red. They were making him question whether he made an unintentional spectacle of himself in some way. As he made his way through the hallways, feeling self-conscious under the prying eyes, his name pierced through the chatter. Turning around, he saw one of his friends, Purple, coming towards him, out of breath.

"Purple! What's up with you? Are you alright?". Without giving Red a chance to finish, Purple interrupted him.

"I just wanted to know what the hell is happening between you and Second. I mean, you both were seen walking together, hand in hand, and laughing loudly! People think you two are dating or something!". He said in one breath. Red blinked in confusion but burst into laughter at the absurdity of the rumor.

"That's ridiculous! I had a breakdown at school that day and Second happened to be there. He offered to help". He exclaimed, seeing Purple's baffled expression, Red added,

"I was just planning to find him so I could thank him, that's all!".

"A breakdown? L- like a panic attack?". Purple repeated in disbelief. "Are you okay, man?".

"Yeah, better than before. So, wanna tell me why you look so stressed out?".

"You know Victim gets violent, right? If he figures out about the rumor he might just see you as his new target, and if he does, you better come straight to Green. He'll put Victim in his place". Red sighed thanking him for the concern but he was too quick of a judge.

"I don't think Victim is as sinister as you think. The last time Second spoke highly of him".

As Purple was about to say something, the bell interrupted their conversation, signaling for the students to make their way to their classes. Red hugged Purple goodbye and reminded him to meet up at lunch. Then, with a spring in his step, Red strode into the classroom, his heart thumping against his chest like a tightly strung drum under the spotlight of everyone's gaze.

He scanned the room, his eyes navigating through the students to find Second's familiar face. The anxiety of meeting Victim clutched at his gut, fuelled by Purple's ominous warnings echoing in his mind. Second's uplifting words about Victim's misunderstood nature resurfaced, giving him the courage to shake off the initial fear. As he was about to duck his head and slip into his usual solitary corner, Second's exuberant voice ricocheted through the silent classroom.