Silence

0.

I felt my hands getting sweatier as I walked hand-in-hand with my girlfriend in the huge building I'll call my school for four years.

"Are you okay, Liam?" she asks me. "Would you prefer if I didn't hold your hand?"

"It's too sweaty, isn't it?" I saw her nodding from the corner of my eye and I let go of her hand. "Sorry..."

"It's okay..." She locked arms with me. "I'm nervous too. It's a whole new school, a whole new life!"

I smiled, already used to her over exaggerations. We followed the rest of the class into the empty hall, with some lockers here and there.

"Kelly, please let go of Liam." Our middle school teacher called. "You can walk by yourself."

Kelly let go of my arm and we kept on visiting the classrooms. Our class was visiting the high school nearest to our school so we could be familiarized with the building. We visited the art department, the students' hall... All the normal boring school stuff.

"I'm going to the bathroom, okay?" I said to Karen, making a gesture to warn our teacher.

I went back to the bathroom I had seen down the hallway. I walked in and did my service. Washed my hands and left it. I totally forgot that they wouldn't wait for me and I didn't ask where they would go next. Fudge. I didn't know the school and couldn't ask anyone where was what. Every student was in class. I was alone in the hallway of an unknown school. Fudge, fudge, fudge! I stood alone there, waiting. I didn't know for what but something.

"Hey!" a voice behind me said, making me shiver. I didn't move. He was the one contouring me. It was definitely a senior. Fudge... "Can you hear me?"

I tried not to move, like he was a wild animal. Maybe that could prevent me to being eaten alive.

"Oi!" He said, louder, waving his little but probably destructive paw in front of my eyes. "I'm talking to you!"

He stared deep into my eyes. His eyes were of a deep blue, it reminded me of the ocean. He was wearing a sweatshirt with the school's big logo. Was that a wolf or just a normal dog? He grinned. My eyes were probably screaming of fear. My mouth was shut.

"Do you believe in love at first sight or do I have to make up a different pick up line?" He whispered, inches away from my face. I could feel his warm breath on my nose. It smelt like mint.

"No, thanks." I said, quickly.

"Calm down... I was joking." He took a step back and raised his hands in surrender.

"No, thanks."

"What the fuck is wrong with you?"

"I'm lost..." What are you doing?, my brain screamed. Don't ask him!

"What?"

"I got lost from my class and I don't know the school." Don't. Don't do it, Liam. "Can you help me find them?" WHYYYYYY????

"Oh..." He scratched the back of his head and loosely smiled. "Sure, come..."

I followed him through the halls. Silence.

"I'm Louis, by the way." He said, still looking forward. I didn't answer. "And you are...?" He faced me.

"Liam..." I whispered, hoping he wouldn't listen.

"Liam?" He almost screamed and I shivered, feeling like everyone could hear it, even though there was no one there. "That's a beautiful name."

"So..." He shoved his hands on his skinny jeans' pocket. "Are you visiting the school because you are going to attend it?"

"I don't know..." I mumbled, kicking an invisible rock. "I'm still trying to decide..."

"Isn't it closer to your house?" He sounded interested, but I was sure he wasn't. "Where do you live?"

"Hum... Stalker Alert."

"Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to..." He looked down, embarrassed. Is he really that blushed or is that just the natural color of his cheeks? "It's just that we usually come here because it's already set to. If it's on our house area, we come here then."

"Well, my house is on the border..." I looked forward as we went out. The slight wind blew my fringe right into my eyes. I needed to cut it a little. "So I have to choose between this school and Richards."

"Richards?" He laughed, mocking. "Do you really want to go to a school that has a cockroach as a mascot?"

"What do you have here then?" I teased, as he lead me back in.

"Hum... Wildcats!"

"Good try, Troy Bolton..."

"Nah, I always thought of me as Chad..."

"Why?" I mocked, apparently with a sudden newly discovered confidence. "You are nowhere near Chad."

"Maybe not on basketball, but I'm the Chad of football."

"No offense, but you don't seem the kind of guy who can tackle someone."

"No!" He screamed, waving his hands around like he was honestly angry. "Football! The real kind!"

"You have a footie team?"

"Yeah, why?" He raised an eyebrow. "Wanna be in it?"

"I don't know if i could play, but I really do like watching it."

"Cool, cool." He nodded, smiling. "I'm on the team, you know..."

I laughed. Silence. Bzz. My phone was buzzing.

"Hello?"

"Liam, where are you?"

"Kelly?"

"Of course! Come meet us, babe. We are in the library. Hurry."

Silence.

"Is everything okay?" He asked, after I shoved my phone back into my pocket.

"Yeah, yeah... Can you take me to the library?"

"Sure, c'mon." He smiled, puling my arm to lead me.

It was not very far and we walked in a soothing silence. I didn't notice that I was smiling so hard, until we got to the door of the library. He smiled back at me.

"So have you decided yet?"

"Are you part of the welcoming pack, or something?" I asked, chuckling.

"I'm not part..." He smirked. "I'm the whole thing."