Troubled // Phan

Chapter 5

"What class do you have first?" PJ asked as we walked down a stony path to get back to the school. After ditching my stuff in my room we quickly bolted from the dorm to make sure we didn't run into Charlie again. Not because he scared me or intimidated me or whatever, but because I was already having quite a stressful day on top of quite a stressful week and so I didn't completely trust myself not to punch him out. I just didn't understand why he was such a prick? We only just met surely I couldn't have pissed him off that quickly, after all his roommate (boyfriend? I'm still not entirely sure what their situation is) Phil seemed nice, normal, and friendly, so why wasn't he?

"History, kill me PJ, please." He laughed beside me. 

"What? History isn't your favourite subject?" 

"The only ancient people I care about are my grandparents. I honestly can't think of a more boring way to spend an hour than to sit in an uncomfortable plastic chair that will probably give me herpes and learn about people that died a hundred years ago."

"Well, isn't that an optimistic way to look at it!" We both glanced at each other and broke out into loud laughter. After we got over our little laughing fit he opened the school door and held it out for me. 

"Well, well, aren't you something. Wonder student and gentleman!" 

"Ha. Ha. How hilarious." He said in the most solemn voice he could muster. "I am a gentleman but I don't know about wonder student." I gasped in feign shock.

"What? Are you trying to say that Mr. Grimshaw lied about you? You aren't some kind of GPA raising God that was sent to this school by the heavens?" He laughed at my exaggeration but it came out a tad awkward. 

"I had  a lot of free time in Elementary school to study, that's all. It's not like I'm some kind of genius, not everything makes sense to me, it's just in my family getting good grades was pretty high priority. It came before anything else. Doesn't mean I enjoy studying or anything though." He shrugged. A sympathetic look made it's way onto my face. It sounds weird to say but I already like PJ a lot. He's nothing like my first impression of him made him out to be, he's actually a really cool guy, so I definitely didn't mean to make fun of him or anything like that.

"Hey, I was just joking around. It's not like there's anything wrong with getting good grades. Hell, I should probably take a few notes from your book, I almost failed grade nine." PJ gasped in over-exaggerated shock.

"What? You? No way!" Laughter bubbled up from my throat as his happy persona came back.

"Shut up!" I said through giggles.

"Whatever, I gotta get to geography. Wanna meet up at lunch? I'm pretty sure Phil's in your class so he cans how you the way to our usual table." I nodded, but then a rather unwelcome thought wormed its way into my head.

"Are you sure that I'm like... welcome?" His eyebrows seemed to crinkle slightly in confusion before he seemed to realize what I was referring too.

"Are you talking about Charlie?" 

"Yeah... It's not like he we got along super great and I don't wanna make it awkward or anything."

"Don't worry about it. I'm sure you guys will get along better eventually. Charlie can just get rather possessive of certain things that's all." I was still a bit unsure, but I guess that made enough sense. "And besides, it's your first day! There's no way we are going to let you sit alone! You haven't met Felix or Chris yet either. You'll love them." A wide grin managed to find it's way back onto my face at how friendly and encouraging he was being. 

"Alright, fine! You've talked me into it. I guess I'll sit with you and your nerd friends." A playful punch was shot at my arm as soon as the sarcastic words left my mouth.