Don't make me go

Two

"Introduce yourself to the class, Mr. Walsh." Said the Wood Shop teacher, Mr. Nate. Oliver found an empty table in the back of the room and sat down, Connor's eyes following him. Connor's toes tingled and he could feel the nervousness in his stomach. He took a silent, deep breath.
"I'm Connor Walsh, I like holding hands, watching the sunset, and your mom." A few people laughed and he got a couple stares but he looked at Oliver, who was smiling.
"Very funny, Mr. Walsh, now go take a seat." Connor walked around to the back of the classroom where Oliver sat and he felt eyes follow him. He heard muffled whispers as he sat down and ran a hand through his hair.
"I wouldn't normally ask this but you're afraid of public speaking, aren't you?" Oliver whispered, pulling his sweater sleeves farther down onto his hands.
"I wouldn't normally answer that so I'm not going to." Connor leaned with his elbows on the table and carried himself in a way that seemingly protected him from everyone. Oliver could tell that he clearly wasn't going to be answering any questions now if ever so they both stayed quiet as Mr. Nate droned on about Wood Shop safety and what they'd be doing that year. After class, Connor grabbed his book bag and pulled a folded schedule from his back pocket. He started off to class and Oliver caught up with him. During the 45 minutes that they'd been in class Connor decided that it would be best not to make friends.
"Where to next?" Oliver asked, pushing his glasses farther onto his nose.
"English." Connor replied, staring at his shoes.
"Are you alright?" Oliver asked, putting his hand on Connor's shoulder as they walked.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Connor rubbed the back of his neck and pushed through the crowd. Connor's chest tightened as the crowd got even closer. He tried to breathe but something stopped him. He tried to smirk, he tried to smile, he tried to breathe.. People
pushed around him, shoved him but he didn't react because the room was closing in on him. It was going to crush him. Connor could hear Oliver saying his name, looking him in the face.. He couldn't respond.
"Connor?" Oliver asked, concerned. Connor felt a big shove from behind him and he crumbled to the floor, the articles of his bag spilling onto the tile. Oliver fell to his knees to pick up Connor's things but he looked up, he was afraid.
"Look who's helping who now!" Said a tall boy, he was the bully who'd stolen Oliver's money earlier that morning. The boy grabbed Oliver by his shirt and pushed him into the lockers with a slam. Connor felt the people around him, the space he needed and the space there wasn't. His vision was blurry and his stomach was filled with fear, he wanted to stay on the floor but something pulled him up, made him become another standing pinpoint in the non-navigational hallway that they were now in. He stood on unsteady legs with shaking feet.
"Leave him alone." Connor said in a voice that was breathless.
"What did you just say?" The bully asked.
"I said, leave him alone." Connor's voice was low and serious, protective in a way he didn't recognize. The bully stared.
Connor helped Oliver from the floor and looked at him, making sure that he was okay.
There was something in the bully's  eyes that Connor didn't understand, something other than resentment. It was a strange look, undeniably predatory. People that had formed around them faded into the crowd that, too, was fading. The bully held out a hand to Connor, as if he wanted him to shake it. The look the boy gave Connor calmed but instead he looked at Oliver.
"Welcome to PHS. I'd get to class, it's not lucky to be late on your first day." The boy said as he shook Connor's hand. He walked away and quickly Oliver grabbed their things and started walking.
"What the hell was that?" Connor asked as they started down the corridor. Don't ask questions. He looked at the floor.
"His name is Charlie, just stay out of his way and you'll be fine."
"But who is he? Why does he hate you so much?" Don't. Ask. Questions.
"He's no one.. Just a stupid bully. Now if we could forget about it that would be great."
The second bell rang, they were both late.
"Crap!" It was almost funny, Oliver seemed more upset about being late than he did having someone push him to the ground and steal his money. That bothered Connor in a way that he felt it shouldn't have. It was none of his business. None of it was his business. Something in him stayed concerned, kept asking questions. He knew better than to go around poking in people's lives and trying to help them, he knew better than to ever let anyone do the same for him. There was just one thing, if he knew all of this so well... Why didn't it seem to matter now as much as it should've?