I See Emeralds

Chapter Fourteen (Tino's POV)

I stir the blue paint around on my plate. I haven't exactly painted anything yet, but I like seeing the color all over the place. I notice that Mathias is suspiciously absent from art class today. He was definitely here in science 6th period. So what happened? Did he get dismissed, or is he skipping? That's not like him. Despite his forgetfulness, he has perfect attendance.

I decide I might as well try asking. I make sure there's no paint on my hands and take out my phone.

T: Where are you? We're already 10 minutes into art class...
M: O
M: Busy
M: Yea I'm busy
T: What are you doing? Where are you?
M: Important stuff
M: I'll tell you later maybe
M: Wait, have you met you soulmate yet?
T: No :(
M: Then nvm
T: What does that have to do with anything!!
M: Sorry
M: I'm going to be busy for a while
M: I'm marked present on Miss Gallows' sheet right?
T: Well yeah
T: She never does attendance
M: Good
M: Cuz I'll be skipping her class for a while
T: Mathias!!
T: This isn't like you, what's going on?
M: Um, you may need to find some more friends for the moment
M: Looks like I may be absent from school altogether for a few days
T: :(
T: Don't do anything bad or dangerous, Mathias...
M: Too late :p
T: What did you do??!!
M: Gtg ttyl

I put my phone down with shaking hands. What's wrong with him? Is he trying to worry me? That jerk. I might drop by his house later and see what's up. I swear, he better not be worrying his poor mom by not going home. She's such a sweet lady.

The boy sitting next to me notices my apparently anxious expression and pokes me. "Are you okay? You look upset." It's my casual acquaintance Feliciano. We're not exactly friends but we're not exactly strangers either.

"Uh, yeah. It's nothing." I don't want to make him nervous about me. He already has to deal with his older brother Lovino. This class is mixed grades, so even though Feli is ninth and Lovino is tenth, they ended up in the same period.

I'm thankful that Feli is so gullible. He goes right back to humming and painting as he always does. I don't do the assignments very often. My other classes all give so much work that it's nice to have something like an extra free period. Sure fifth period is an actual free period for everybody, but it's awesome to have another one.

I put in my ear buds and try to distract myself from the stress Mathias has just given me. But my phone vibrates with a new text again a few minutes later.

M: Btw don't tell my mom, she thinks I'm going to be at your place tonight
T: I'm going to find you and give you a very stern lecture later
M: I'm busy
T: -_- With what
M: Umm...it's not okay to tell you yet
M: I'm doing a good thing though
M: Everyone will like it
M: Especially you :)
T: Why do I doubt you right now? -_-
M: Just trust me
M: Gotta do some work now
M: Oh and if you hear of a missing freshman too, that's no big deal if his name is Leon
M: He's with me
T: Since when have you been friendly with the freshman?
M: Since today
M: We're fine, just helping some people with some stuff
T: Who? What?
M: Their names are Lukas and Emil, but that's all I can tell you about them
M: Lukas is a tenth grader and Emil is a ninth grader
T: :|
M: Bye bye Tino! Take care of yourself. :)

I didn't realize that would be the last I would hear from Mathias for a while.