Used to be Friends

Chapter 1 - The Plan

 Chapter 1

The Plan

The loud shrill of the bell woke everyone up from their latest daydreams, especially Lawrence Thompson, who, just like the rest of the class, had already been brought to a trance the minute the lesson started. Wiping his lips with the back of his hand, trying to see if there were unintentional drool on his mouth, Lawrence picked up his shoulder bag from his chair and brought it to his right shoulder, ready to walk off like the rest of the class.

He halted from his tracks though, when he heard his last name being called by a hoarse, raspy voice which only belonged to his teacher. Brows furrowing in deep confusion, he started walking to the teacher’s desk, thinking if the man had finally took notice that he wasn’t really paying attention at his class and was going to scold him for it. But it wasn’t like he was worried. He was the very well-known teacher’s pet in his school, Lawrence Thompson, and he knows that the teachers are willing to get past his offense and wouldn’t give him detention. The world would end first before he gets his very first detention.

His thoughts clouded his mind, and when he was nearing the teacher’s desk did he notice the fact that he wasn’t going there alone. As a shade of familiar blonde hair and a pair of piercing green eyes caught his attention, his head also started filling with a familiar emotion of hatred and repulsion. The words the man had told him 2 years before coming back to him. And the whole school had heard of it, even the teachers did. So why was he getting called with him? His brows further furrowing when he couldn’t find reasons why he was possibly called with the man he thought was his best friend, he started to think that hopefully it was just a coincidence and that they were both called for different reasons.

But did it really have to be at the same time?!

“Worried about your very first detention, Thompson?” the voice almost made Lawrence halt in his steps for the second time, Goosebumps appearing at the back of his neck, and a chill run down on his spine.

 Unable to say anything because they were already in front of the desk, Lawrence just gave the other boy a nasty glare.

The teacher in front of them noticed the heated tension between the two boys he called, the smaller of the two giving the other one a glare while the other one seemed to be uninterested. Clearing his throat as a failed attempt to lighten up the tension in front of him, Mr. Collins asked the two boys if they knew why they were called.

Shrugging, the two boys replied in unison. “No we don’t.”

Sighing quietly, Mr. Collins first turned his attention at the taller one between the two. “Mr. Tillford, I called you here today in regards of your grades. They are all dropping at a rate I am starting to get worried. Some of your teachers had told me that you had also started skipping classes, an out-of-character behavior from you, Mr. Tillford. And I have to say, it’s starting to reflect badly at your class participation and at your academics.”

His planned speech hung suspended in the air as silence greeted the three people in the empty classroom. Obviously expecting the reaction, the eldest between the three couldn’t help but sigh again when he looked at the boy’s uninterested demeanor. Trying to get the boy’s full attention, he gathered all the strictness he could get in a tone that didn’t sound like his at all. “Mr. Tillford.”

Silence.

“Adrian.”

Smirking at the fact that he was indeed starting to irritate one of Reynold High’s most laid back teachers, not even giving notice to the part where he was called by his hated middle name, Adrian looked back at his teacher with an innocent look. “Yes, sir?” he asked.

“I said your grades are getting lower by every heartbeat. If you want to pass this school year, Adrian, you need to get your priorities straight and study hard,” the teacher smirked despite his earlier irritation, catching the frown on his student’s face when he called him by his middle name. Two can play at a game, he thought to himself.

Rolling his eyes in annoyance at the smirk his teacher was wearing, Adrian decided it was best to just answer him instead of giving in to the sudden urge to punch the older man’s face. He didn’t need a reason to get suspended after all. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll pass your subject.”

“But Mr. Tillford—“

“If you really won’t mind,” Lawrence joined the conversation, rolling his eyes. “Mr. Collins, before you try and lecture Mr. Smartass here about his obviously dying brain cells, will you just tell me what I’m doing here? I don’t think I can stand being almost alone in the same room with this egotistical idiot for two more minutes,” he said, looking at the annoyed boy beside him with distaste.

“Why? Because being in the same room with me turns you on?” Adrian shot back, looking at Lawrence with a sneer. Insult flashing in his face for a second, Lawrence’s look of distaste turned to a glare; stepping slightly forward as his face was inches against Adrian’s.

“You need to stop flattering yourself, Tillford. Or do I need to call you Adrian just to give you a sense on how big your head is starting to get compared two years—“

“You better shut your mouth, fa—“

“Mr. Tillford,” surprising both of his students at the ferocity of his voice, Mr. Collins looked at Adrian with sternness. “I will not tolerate that word, Mr. Tillford. Even if they’re coming from you,” he said in a voice that equally matched his expression. Taking a very deep breath, he worked on his usual “laid back” face and turned to look at Lawrence, who was still looking at him in surprise.

“I’m sorry to say Mr. Thompson, but I think you need to work on your patience with Mr. Tillford because I have plans for his low grades over here and I need you to help me with it,” Mr. Collins replied to the boy’s earlier question before their bantering started, his lips twitching upward forming an unusual smirk when he remembered his plan.

The two boys in front of him noticed the slight mischief dancing in the eyes of their teacher. The word “Danger” spelling in the air as the man’s smirk widened when he looked at both of them, his smirk saying as if the plan of world domination was in his hands.

Lawrence took a small and careful step backward. “Erm…you know what, guys? I still have to report to work today, so if you’ll excuse me—“

“Not so fast, Mr. Thompson,” Mr. Collins said, still smirking.

Lawrence stopped and looked at his teacher weirdly. “Okay…so…what exactly do you need me for?” he asked.

Mr. Collins’s smirk widened, if that was possible, and looked at both of them. Adrian felt himself pale a little at what idea could possibly be in the older man’s head, the ideas in his head ranging from bad to worst. But whatever the horror he was thinking, he sure was hoping it wasn’t showing in his face, since he had a feeling that Thompson was staring at him.

The guy put on one hell of a poker face, Lawrence thought to himself, looking at Tillford who was wearing a blank expression, not doing nor showing anything that might help him figure out what the other boy was thinking. Sighing quietly, he looked at his teacher with a raised eyebrow, as if silently trying to tell him that he needs to tell them what he has in his head.

Mr. Collins quickly got the message his student was trying to tell him and took a deep breath, his unusual smirk faltering, and looked at both of his students before speaking.

“Mr. Thompson, I want you to tutor Mr. Tillford for the whole month.”