A Hint of Color (boyxboy)

Chapter 7

I eventually tell Taylor that Jake's in my Physics class, which he isn't happy about, but there's nothing I can do about it.

I just continue to avoid eye contact with Jake each day and try to tune out his voice when he answers the teacher's questions.

I'll be okay as long as we don't end up being lab partners at some point.

Besides that, senior year seems to be off to a good start. Jude gets along with my friends and our group project goes smoothly. He hasn't really opened up much but it seems like he's trying, even if he only gets a few words out.

Today, though, he's not at lunch with us.

"Jude's not coming today?" asks Evynne.

I shrug. "I don't know. Was he in art this morning, Taylor?" I came in late, so I haven't seen him yet.

Taylor nods, so I decide to text him.

Where are you?

Library. Are you at school?

Yeah, I came in late. Are you coming to lunch?

He doesn't answer me after that, so once I'm done eating I get up and head to the library.

I find him in the back playing a game on his phone. "Here you are. I thought I'd see what you were up to."

Jude shrugs and puts his phone away, then starts to gather up his things. "I was... studying."

I snicker. "I didn't know you had a test on Tetris coming up."

Pausing, he looks down.

"I'm joking with you," I say, nudging his arm gently. "But why didn't you come to lunch? You're just sitting here all by yourself."

Jude glances at me. "I just... like to be alone sometimes."

I can tell he feels kind of awkward. Obviously he wasn't studying. I don't know why he really didn't come to lunch, but I don't ask him about it. "Ah, I see. You're the independent type." I nod. "Wanna walk back with me?"

Jude nods and follows me through the library, trailing behind me. Suddenly, he hurries past me, pushes through the library doors, and walks quickly down the hallway.

"Whoa, wait up!" I catch up with him and put a hand on his shoulder. "What's the hurry?"

I lower my hand from his shoulder and he shrugs.

What the hell just happened?

After a long silence, during which I have no idea what to say, Jude turns and looks behind him with panic in his eyes.

He seems afraid of something as he crosses his arms and holds himself.

"Jude, are you okay?" I ask, looking around for the source of whatever's bothering him. Why is he suddenly panicking like this? His eyes widen and he looks down at the floor. "Jude..."

He begins walking again and I follow him until he stops at his locker and tries to do his combination. His fingers tremble and he keeps messing it up.

I touch his arm to get his attention but he shrinks away from me.

"What's wrong?" I ask calmly. Jude stares at his locker, distracted by something he's thinking about, and I lean against the one next to it. "Wanna talk about it?"

After a moment he shakes his head, and then unlocks his locker and gets some books out.

I don't know what happened to him when we were leaving the library, but I have to do something. I can't just let him go to his next class all shaken up like this.