Between Love and Fire: The Sound of Madness

Tell me More, Tell me More

Keith was laughing at something Casey said at lunch and it wasn't the pretty kind of laugh either. He was nearly doubled over; face bright red from exertion, clutching his sides tightly with the threat of milk coming out of his nose because he was laughing so hard. Whatever it was that had been so funny, was forgotten as the two tried to not die of laughter, Casey more laughing at Keith's snort in the beginning of his laugh than the actual vulgar joke he'd just told. Another snort caused another round of laughter and the milk actually did come out of Keith's nose this time.

"Fucking hell," he groaned as the sting from the milk worsened and pinched his nose to help with the pain. "Ugh. It burns... Make it stop, Case." He whined and blindly started reaching for a napkin, which was handed to him by Casey and a chuckle.

"That's your own fault, man. Shouldn't drink milk." He did, at least, pat his back sympathetically as Keith blew his nose in an attempt to help with the stinging.

He kept his eyes shut as he tried to recover and recompose himself when handed him a bottle. "Here man, drink some." He said, the tone alone making it obvious that Keith would be a fool to do so. More milk...

Keith shook his head and waved him off. "No way, Case. I'm not drinking anything." He choked out and then opened his eyes. "Yeah, that was stupid. I'd say never make me laugh like that again, but... I'd be lying." He shook his head again as he tried to shake the annoying sensation stuck in his sinuses now.

"Hey, Keith. There's someone checking you out. Stop picking your nose." Casey said, slapping his back while saying so.

Keith sat upright and dropped the napkin he'd been blowing his nose with. "Yeah, right. Stop fucking with me." He said, but he was still scanning the cafeteria in the hopes that for once Casey wasn't kidding with him.

"Trash cans, lover boy."

"Oh. Ha. Ha." He groaned, slouched, and resumed back at his tray without giving a glance to where people tossed their uneaten lunches. He was kidding.

"No seriously. Look. She's walking towards you. Sit up straight and get that look off your face!" His best friend told him, physically putting his hands on Keith's back pushing to force him to sit up straight again.

"What face?!" He protested as his eyes landed on the girl now walking in his direction, but looking back at her apparent friends and giggling.

"The one you're doing right now! You look like you've got sour milk up your nose and a girl is coming to talk to you for the first time! Terrified and disgusted..."

Keith pushed him with an eye roll, almost enough to push him off the bench, but he did make sure to smile as the girl got closer and fix his facial expression to a more pleasant one than he had supposedly been doing. It only sunk in then who it was gazing at him.

That's Amelia... - "Case!" He gulped as he watched her near him. "That's Amy Everard." Keith's definition of an attractive girl. Only she wasn't just attractive... She was hot. 'Well put, Hazard. Well put.' Casey had told him when she came up into conversation.

Silence only came from Casey as she was now literally two steps away from Keith. He started to say hello and smile at her, only what came out wasn't the deep, mature voice he had been hoping for. What came out was a cross between a squeak and an inaudible word.

A blush appeared on his face as he cleared his throat and tried again. "Uh... Hello." His voice cracked at the end, but it wasn't as bad as the first try.

Amy must have thought it was cute or something because she giggled. "Hey, Keith. How are you?" She asked, locking eyes with him and only him and making him believe that there was maybe a chance that she actually was interested in him, though part of him was sure this was a dare or something.