Healing Gabriel (BoyxBoy)

✖ Chapter Twenty-One ✖

Healing Gabriel: Chapter Twenty-One

                                                      ※(*)※Gabriel's POV※(*)※

      I left my last class of the morning and went downstairs to my locker. While I was walking there, the previous sea of students dissolved around me. The hallway only had a few students now. While I continued down another staircase, I saw Jurnee running past the bottom of the stairs. Curious, I looked after her. She seemed to be going to the principal's office.

        Hmm.

      Continuing on my way, I was only a few paces away from my locker now when I stopped. A familiar figure was resting still against my locker, their forehead pressed against it. The person was asleep, I noticed. Sleeping standing . . . up?

        Was that even possible?

        Evan was acting rather zombielike today, it seemed. And no, I don't mean he was attacking everyone in order to chew on brains he didn't have. I meant he was really, really tired. I found out the extent of his sleeping issue when I was only arms-length away from him now.

       "Evan?" I asked, pursing my lips and raising my eyebrows. I nudged him the slightest bit. He jerked his head up, suddenly wide awake.

      "Huh? Oh, hey, good morning, sunshine. The earth says hello."

      "Stop quoting Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and come on. It's time for lunch."

      He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck before pushing off my locker. "Alright, alright. Sorry. I meant the 'hey' though."

      I gave him a sideways glance as we made our way to the lunchroom. "Why're you so sleepy today?"

      He looked down at his feet. "I got a B on my art project. Ms. Richardson gave me bonus points for being witty, just like you said."

      "Evan."

      "Yeah?"

      "You didn't answer my question."

      He started whistling a quiet tune in the emptying hallway. I glared at him.

      "Did you go to another party?"

      "What? No! Why would you think that? I promised you I wouldn't do it again."

      "Then why are you so sleepy?"

      He hesitated for a moment, slowing his pace down a little. "I didn't sleep much last night, that's all."

      "Why?"

      He shrugged his shoulders, looking up from his feet. "Just 'cause."

      "Just 'cause why?" I pressed on.

      He sighed, stopping completely. I stopped with him, turning to face him. "Promise me you won't tell anyone?" he asked.

      I nodded my head, starting to worry a bit. What was he going to tell me? Was he in trouble? Did he have a problem? Did he decide that I was too much of a burden to handle and wanted to leave me?

      Please, God, let it be one of the first two . . .

      "What's wrong?" I asked, taking hold of his hand as my eyebrows creased a little in worry. The hallway was empty now, so I didn't mind the physical contact of us in school that much.