settle down // josh dun {2}

o n e

DON'T BE AFRAID. I'VE TAKEN MY BEATING.

--Declan's P.O.V--

"Are you sure that you're feeling alright, Declan? You haven't eaten any of your breakfast."

I sighed, rolling over on the couch, my back facing my mom and the table where my breakfast sat. "I'm fine. I'm just not hungry the morning."

The couch sank over my mom's weight as she sat down by my feet. "Do you feel sick to your stomach? Remember the doctor said that once you started taking your testosterone that you might have some side-effects. Is that why you aren't hungry?"

I loved my mother and I considered her my best friend in the entire world. She cared and worried for me and I understood why, but sometimes it seemed to be over the top. I just wasn't hungry. That was all. There no other reason.

I rolled onto my back to give my mom a small smile. "I'm just not hungry, mom. The only side effects I've gotten from taking my medication is really bad acne and mood swings, I promise. If anything else happens, I'll tell you immediately."

She sighed. "I just worry about you, okay? You're my son and I love you."

I sat up, throwing my legs over the edge of the couch, a yawn escaping my lips. "And I love you too, mother, but I'm fine. Quit worrying."

My mom rolled her eyes, climbing to her feet. She bent down to grab my full breakfast plate off of the table. "You better run upstairs and get your shoes on. You got ten minutes to make it to school before the first bell rings."

As she entered the kitchen, I stood up, slipping my varsity jacket onto my shoulders before stuffing my feet into a pair of blue Nike shoes that were under the table, not even bothering to run upstairs to get my normal converse.

I took a deep breath, running my fingers through my hair.

It's alright. It's okay. It's going to be a good day, Declan.

•••

"Ready for the game tonight, Declan?" My girlfriend, Hayley, asked as she bounded down the school steps towards me. She linked her arm through mine before planting a kiss on my cheek.

I shrugged, making my backpack almost fall off my shoulder. "I'm ready as I ever get for games. I'm nervous, but that's nothing usual."

"Is Parker making you guys practice right after school today?" The blue-haired girl asked me as we sat down on the concrete steps and waited for the first bell to ring.

"Probably," I scoffed. "He always does even though we really don't need to."

Hayley grabbed a hold of my hand and held it in her lap. "Parker overworks you guys too much. Hardly any of the team is excited for the game tonight because they know that they are going to have to practice their butts off."

Parker Axton was a good team captain to be completely truthful; however, he did tend to push us really hard in practice, especially me. I was the all-star player. I was the person who scored most of the points, which gave Parker a free pass to treat me like shit during practice. It paid off during the games though.

"Once we get out onto the ice, we'll be fine. Practice is something that we have to deal with," I replied, not bothering to even look at the girl next to me as I talked.

"Yeah, but it's the fact that Parker can't-"

Suddenly, something caught my attention. Hayley's voice became background noise as I watched a red-haired boy make his way across the courtyard with a blonde girl that I never talked to named Jenna. He was obviously new because he seemed scared. He kept twiddling his thumbs in front of him and students kept sending looks his way, which had to make him even more anxious about starting at a new school.

I knew that he was different from everyone else in Oakville High School. His hair was prime example of that. I hoped that he enjoyed it here.

"Declan Gray, are you even listening to me?" Hayley asked, snapping her fingers in front of my face.

I opened my mouth to respond, but the first bell rang cutting me off.

"I'll see you later, okay?" Hayley said, kissing my cheek. I had the urge to wipe it off as we entered the building.

"Okay," I mumbled. "Bye."

The blue-haired girl hurried off towards her locker and I carefully navigated the crowded hallways before reaching my own. It took me ten seconds to enter my combination and the locker swung open.

I bent down to grab one of my textbooks when a hand clamped down on my shoulder, causing me to almost yelp in pain. I held it in by biting down on my lip.

"What's up, Gray?" Parker Axton asked as I sat the textbook I needed onto the floor beside me. "Are you in top shape for the game tonight? Did you eat a good breakfast?"

"Yep," I responded, not even looking up. I even pretended to not see that Parker kicked my textbook away from my reach.

"I gotta get to class, dude, but I'll see you at lunch, okay? And you will need to eat a lot of protein."

"Yeah, yeah, sure," I muttered, stuffing all the supplies I needed to my black backpack.

Parker clamped his hand onto my shoulder for a second time and I winced.

"And that is the reason why you're my all-star player."

•••

"I bet I can hit that Nick kid from all the way over here," Derek remarked, snatching one of the tinfoil balls from the middle of our lunch table.

I elbowed him. "Why do you want to hit him? He hasn't done anything problematic or hurtful towards you."

"Quit being a party pooper, Declan," Parker told me, a chuckle escaping his mouth as a boy named Jeremy threw a tinfoil ball at his head.

"Yeah, that nerd is a prime target!" Derek exclaimed.

The blonde boy stood up slightly, pulling his hand back and letting go of the tinfoil ball. It was pretty decent throw and at first I thought he was actually going to get Nickolai, but the ball soon began to lose momentum and ended up hitting the kid I saw the morning with bright red hair in the back of the head.

My entire table snickered as the boy turned around to look at us. I had to stop my mouth from dropping open due to how good-looking he was. The red-haired boy couldn't see me from his table and I was glad. I didn't want to make eye contact with him.

"Sorry, dude," Parker yelled. "That wasn't meant for you."

The boy didn't respond. He just rolled his eyes and turned back around.

Jeremy scoffed. "Freak. Who dyes their hair that color? It looks terrible."

I wanted to open my mouth and offer the irritating boy a retort, but I knew if I did so, I would regret it instantly.

No wonder everybody thought the hockey team was just made up of dicks.

It was.

I was one of them.

A/N: hello! this is the first part to the sequel of calm down and it will be told from declan gray's point of view. i just wanted you guys to see into his mind more.

-oliver