calm down // josh dun

f o u r

KEEP YOUR DISTANCE BUT BE CAREFUL HOW FAR YOU STRAY

The bell rang signaling the end of french class and I breathed a sigh of relief. I somehow managed to escape the presentation I was supposed to do, but I knew I would be the first one to present it tomorrow.

"You are extremely lucky, Josh," Ezgi told me as I slung my backpack over my shoulder. "You were the only one that didn't have to present today."

I chuckled, shaking my head. "I have English next and I have to read my essay to the class, so I still have to present something today. It's just not in french."

Ezgi shrugged. "It's still better, Josh."

I followed her out of the classroom and into the obnoxiously loud hallway, my head beginning to throb slightly. Ezgi and I began to push our way through the crowd and I felt bad every time I bumped into someone, but I knew I had to do it if I wanted to make it to my locker and get to English on time.

"Hey, Josh, I don't have to go to my locker, so I'll see you at lunch, alright?" The Turkish girl explained as we arrived at my locker.

"Okay," I mumbled, putting in my combination.

She grinned at me. "Knock them dead with your essay. You will do great, I promise."

I honestly hoped that Ezgi was right.

•••

"Alright, ladies and gentlemen, today you will present your essays that you wrote. The assignment was to write an essay about if you could go back in time, what would you change about yourself." Mrs. Teller smiled at us. "We seem to be missing Mr. Gray and Mr. Axton, but we shall start without them."

A girl with short brown hair that I couldn't remember the name of stepped up to go first. I toned out her voice almost the entire time. My hands were beginning to shake as I realized that my last name started with a D which meant I was almost up next to present. I wasn't prepared to do this. I couldn't do this.

Before I knew what I was doing, my hand was up in the air.

"Yes, Josh?" Mrs. Teller asked kindly.

"May I use the restroom?"

She told me yes and I was out the door in an instant. The bathroom was only right down the hallway and my boots clumped against the tile floors as I hurried in that direction. However, I stopped dead in my tracks as I watched Parker Axton exit the men's bathroom.

His shoulder knocked into mine as he walked passed me, but he didn't say a word. I was thankful for that.

I sighed, but decided to not think twice about the hockey captain's actions. He wanted me to have a reaction.

I pushed open the bathroom door and I was greeted by the sound of sobbing.

The boy in the red and black varsity jacket flipped around, tears in his eyes. "I'm lost, I swear!"

I raised my eyebrows at Declan Gray, the bathroom door shutting behind me. "Um, Declan, are you okay?"

His eyes widened as he realized who he was actually taking to. The tears threatening to spill over quickly vanished like they were never there. He cleared his throat before speaking. "Yeah, I'm fine. I thought you were someone else."

I hadn't spoken to the hockey player since our altercation in the cafeteria little over two weeks ago and even then, it was just for a brief moment that he had spoken. Now, we were actually having a conversation. I was surprised on how high his voice was compared to all his teammates and it seemed to crack at random times. However, he was only sixteen.

"I don't even know who you are," Declan mumbled. "How do you know my name?"

I couldn't help but chuckle at his question. Who didn't know his name? He was introduced at every hockey game and showed up every other player on the ice. "Everybody in this entire school knows who you are." His head perked up at that remark. "I'm Josh, but you know me as the redheaded freak."

Recognition dawned in Declan's eyes, but didn't say anything as he ran his hand through his hair.

"Are you sure you are okay?" I asked once again.

"I'm fine," he replied, his voice becoming defensive. "Thanks." He shoved passed me, heading towards the door as my eyes landed on a black object lying on the ground.

I reached down to pick it up. "Declan, I think you forgot something."

The short boy stopped before slowly turning around. He snatched the black backpack out of my hands without so much as a thank you.

He and I made eye contact one more time before he stormed off.

•••

When I arrived back in English, Parker, who had apparently raced to class after he left the bathroom, was reading everyone his essay and he was almost finished when I sat down at my desk.

Just by hearing him read his last paragraph I could tell that he could care less about the assignment.

"Thank you, Mr. Axton," Mrs. Teller said, "You may take your seat and actually try to be on time to class tomorrow."

The class snickered and Parker seemed pretty proud of himself for being late. As he walked passed Declan's desk, I watched him shove the boy's head forward.

Declan didn't react.

"Alright, after miss Carly goes, Josh will go since he was in the bathroom when it was his turn," Mrs. Teller explained.

I took a deep breath at the mention of my name. Presentations were something that I couldn't handle to save my life. I always got extremely shaky and could barely speak. In my head, I always had the presentation planned out perfectly, but it was like all the words left my head the moment I stood up.

A voice startled me out of my thoughts. "Ma'am, you seemed to have skipped Declan."

Declan's body automatically stiffened at the sound of his name, but he didn't move.

Mrs. Teller turned her head towards a girl with blonde hair. "Declan has my permission to not present his paper to the class. I have already graded and returned it to him."

"But why does he get a choice on whether he wants to present it or not? We didn't get a choice."

I instantly disliked the girl even though I didn't necessarily know her. Why did she care why Declan wasn't presenting his paper? Why did she find it necessary to ask about it in front of the entire class?

Mrs. Teller cleared her throat, a soft smile on her face. "That is enough, miss Ashley. Now, let's resume, shall we?"

Ashley sighed, heavily as Mrs. Teller began to thank everyone once again for sharing their reports. My eyes stayed glued on Declan's back. He refused to move. Like he did at the first hockey game I witnessed, he kept his eyes straight forward.

Declan was confusing. There was something different about him, but it was strange that no one here knew why he acted the way he did. I figured at least Jenna would have some information on him. Of course, she didn't.

It was none of my business anyway. Declan didn't even like talking to me. Why should I care about what he was going through?

I lifted my head as the girl named Carly sat back down at her desk.

"Now, Josh, it's your turn."

A/N: I am literally planning so many stories at once and I really should stop.

-L.A