https://youtu.be/aXTAoxoxa6c?si=faRFQqM5YGWIZ0-V
~Simon POV~
I've never been to out there, but that's a given fact. I've just felt scared to say something, but recently everything changed.
I've gone to St. Ives Prep, an all boys catholic school for 2 years, since was 14. Normally I wouldn't be able to go, but my mom worked for the school and I was on scholarship, so needless to say my tuition was definitely cheaper. I major in botanical studies, plants are my passion. They can't judge me, no matter what I think or say they can't talk therefore can't share their judgement. I'm also a part of the choir, I'm not the leader by any means, but I definitely excel.
Recently we've had a new student in our class, when I say he was handsome, I mean handsome. He was tall, fair, 16 (my age), and had some odd sense of charisma, when I fell for him it was instantaneous and it was hard. First day, our leader, Jack Merridew, introduced himself. Automatically they seemed to clash, can't say I'm upset though. Jack is a bit of an ass, it might be nice to see someone challenge his authority. Sadly this new boy was a baritone, which meant he couldn't be with the tenors.
Our practice goes well and we have lunch, as we eat I think about him, I almost didn't hear him talking.
"Hello? Can you hear me"
I snap out of it, there he is, looking at me, devastatingly handsome.
"Sorry! I was just spacing out!"
"No worries, can I sit with you?"
The boy said, smiling.
"Of course, I'm Simon, it's nice to meet you."
"I'm Ralph, great meeting you too."
Ralph seems confident, he doesn't seem to mind just sitting with some random kid he's never met. He sits next to me, smiling.
"So what brings you to Ives?"
"My dad recently got deported."
"Oh I'm sorry."
"Don't be."
I felt a pang of guilt, I probably shouldn't have brought that up, it doesn't seem like he wants to talk very much, I think he just didn't want to seem alone. I keep eating my food next to him, his presence made me feel safe. I receive a text at the same time as him, with find out that we are bunking. He turned to me, just smiling. "Huh, so the two of us will be bunking?" He says in a friendly tone. I nod happily and get ready to head out with him to our room.
We see my room, with just my stuff, I've been in this room for every single year of my time here, so my side is pretty unchanged, Ralph's side was completely blank, so he could do whatever. I helped him unpack, nothing newsworthy. I gave him a tour of campus, it's December so it's pretty cold, by that I mean it was fucking freezing, we're in England, what did you expect? We were heavily dressed as I dragged him around.
As I took him to the library, I slip on the dastardly ice, luckily he catches me as I fall, my head on his chest and his arms around my torso. We quickly fix ourselves. My Ego: Bruised, My Blush: Through the roof.
As we walk in the library, we look at the shockingly modern posters and bulletin boards and its contrast to the very traditional library. As I show him the bulletin's, one post catches our eye. A Christmas tree contest, winners get a free pass in one subject, you must run with your roommate only, luckily Ralph seemed quite excited, so we instantly ran out of the library to the bus stop to go to a tree shop.
We wait at the bus stop, luckily, it's pretty empty, we sit by the front, despite our, what feels like, million lairs, we were still freezing, despite every ounce of common sense in my body, I grabbed his arm and cuddled up to him, my head again his upper arm. He turned a bit red but didn't shift. We get there and I let go, I feel upset to let go, but I pretend it was nothing (it wasn't).
~Ralph POV~
We get off the bus. So much in one day, it's my first day of school, I meet a cute boy, and he's my roommate. He has an interesting accent with a tan body and dark features. He reminded me of a chocolate chip cookie on a cold day. As we shopped for a tree, nothing caught either of our eyes, except for one, it was a very small tree, a bit pathetic, but it was charming. Its small branches protruded out awkwardly, despite all this, we will take it. Simon speaks up and talks to a worker, "Hello sir, sorry to be a bother but how much is this tree?" He points to the tree, practically bouncing from excitement. The clerk was shocked. "It's free. Are you sure you want THAT one? You fine gentlemen could use something better-" I interrupt him. "You heard him. We'll take it."
We get back to our room and get to work setting up, before we went back we got a tree stand and some very nice lights + an Angel topper. I look at Simon, I speak to the almost Angelic boy. "How about you untangle lights, and I work on the tree." He looks at me, "Who said I would willing be stuck with lights?" I see a new side of him, can't say I don't think it's fun though. "Come on you just seem like you'd be able to untangle lights." He pretended to be offended as we laughed and worked.
I got caught up in working on the tree, about an hour later I finish. I go to tell Simon, and I look over. He is covered head to toe in lights, I can't help but laugh. I just hear a faint voice say, "I need help..." I smile as I help him take them off, eventually I'm in the same predicament, with him. We were uncomfortably close, just chest to chest. We both turn beet red. We begin working our way out, finally after many trial and error, we have untangled lights.
We hang said lights on the tree as we decide to put on some nice music, we put on "The First Noel" by Pentatonix. I hum as I work, he eventually joins in, as the song finishes, our work completes. We put the Angel on the tree, we look on with pride. I look at my new friend, he looks at me, we sit on the floor and decide to just look on. It's probably too soon, but I feel bold. I put my arm around him. I feel a love brewing inside me, indescribable.
