Secrets are my Sanity

Chapter 4

And in a burst of light that blinded every angel

As if the sky had blown the heavens into stars

you felt the gravity of tempered grace. –Iridescent.

Chapter 4

Shane woke up first that morning, he sat up and rubbed his eyes. It wasn’t until he saw Nick asleep across the room that he remembered inviting him to stay.

Nick laid on his back with his arm tucked under the pillow, his face was turned this way enough for Shane to make out his profile.

He carefully got out of bed and walked toward the door to leave but stopped halfway. Nick’s shirt was risen just enough to show his lower back and the large bruise he had going across the whole lower area. His chest tightened as he stared at the painful broken skin.

“Nick?” he nudged his shoulder after deciding he couldn’t go on with the day as if he didn’t see that bruise on his back.

“Hmm?”

“It’s eight, when’s your first class?” Their structural design class was at eleven.

Nick shot up. “Eight-thirty.” He hoped out of the cot and grabbed his clothes. “Mrs. Martinson is a royal bitch about being on time.” He pulled of his shirt without hesitation of being seen like last night. He kept forward and probably didn’t think Shane would never know about the marks on his back.

Except he did and didn’t know how to address it with him rushing to leave. Shane stood there dumbfounded and watching as Nick put on his shirt and jeans from yesterday. He caught glimpses of his body during the haste movements and what he saw was rather very nice. He shook his head and remembered he wasn’t supposed to be looking at him like that.

Nick was dressed with his shoes on and half out the door when he stopped. “Thanks for your help.” he said quickly while trying to adjust his hair then kept going.

Shane walked over to the window and continued to watch Nick as he hoped in his car and drove away. He should make it to class on time since it only took him five minute to get up and go.

Shane sat back on his bed and sighed. In less then a day’s time Nick was getting under his skin. He wanted to help him but didn’t know how, he wanted so much more that wasn’t possible. Was it possible to develop a crush this fast? He frowned and laid back down for a moment.

He got up sometime later and left for school, he was halfway out the door when his mother stopped him.

“What, no goodbye? Come here, I know my boys and I know you like the back of my hand, what’s wrong?”

That was the problem with living at home, Shane thought, nothing could go unnoticed. “I’m just tired.” He couldn’t put a label on what he felt. “Bye mom, I’ll see you later.” He left before she could stop him again. What he felt was a depressing lack of control. Nick’s problems weren’t his but he still cared, he still wanted to somehow fix it.

He was walking through the campus when he heard a voice call his name, it was one of his friends named Joanna. “Running late?” she asked.

“No my first class was cancelled.”

“Oh, Scott’s looking for you.” Scott was her brother and his ex. He and Joanna became friends and remained friends even when he and Scott broke up last year.

“Why?” he didn’t want to think of Scott, their relationship had been great and then ended just as bad.

“Don’t know.” Joanna answered.

He glanced at her as they walked and didn’t believe her one bit. “I’m busy, if he wants to talk to me I just don’t have the time.” He got out of there before she tried to change his mind. His bad mood worsened as he thought of Scott, who Shane affectionately named the biggest mistake of his life.

On his way to architecture 101 he spotted Nick making his way inside. Shane’s steps quickened to catch up.  The first thing he noticed as Nick looked pissed and taking one look at his hair it was easy to see why. Instead of his hair all gathered and spiked at the center of his hair, it was flat and combed back away from his eyes.

“Hair tragedy?” Shane tried to keep his laughter inside.

Nick groaned and sank into his seat. “The price you pay for over sleeping. I haven’t overslept since I was about nine.” He said with a tone that expressed the situation confused him.

Shane smiled and liked the fact Nick probably slept well because he was comfortable in his house. “It could’ve been my mom’s food, it could knock you out for a week.” He tried to offer as some excuse Nick could use and forget about his error. “Did you make it to class on time?”

“Just barely but still late enough to gain extra homework. That woman is the devil in disguise.”

As Nick complained about his classes Shane watched him, the flare of anger across his eyes and then his excitement about his next class. It was interesting to see all his different expressions and feelings so visible. He was quickly learning Nick was a very expressive person from his appearance to his thoughts.

Mr. Tyler walked in and that meant class was going to start within the next minute.

“Hey,” Shane said softly. “I need to talk to you, come with me to lunch after this.”

Nick noticeably looked away to give that some thought, he probably was trying to figure out if he had somewhere else to be. “Ok, sure.” He whispered a moment later as class began.