Boarding School Boyfriends

Chapter Four

"New Blood, tell me, please: What is it like not cutting your hair for the last three years? I'm intrigued!" Someone calls after Dan as he walks into the diner for breakfast the following morning, still half asleep.

"Didn't I tell you to shut the fuck up about his hair?" The same boy shouts back from the front of the line, making Dan's eyes widen, suddenly alert. "His hair is way better than yours, you dozy prick, so shut your damn mouth." 

"Oi!" Dan shouts at him, finally, finally making the boy turn around. Honestly, he is nothing like Dan expected.

He is a lanky teenager, perhaps the same age as Dan, with brown hair and matching brown eyes. He has a bit of stubble that's growing, but not quite acceptable as a beard. He towers above everyone, a look of annoyance on his face.

But that annoyance softens to a warm sort of comfort on his face when he sees Dan.

"What?" The pair aren't that far away from each other, but for some reason, the boy still shouts back at him. This makes Dan smile- the other boy, whatever his name is, acts like a child.

Dan strides out of the line, dropping his place so that they can talk in privacy- even though that means in hushed voices. "Why are you sticking up for me all the time?" 

The other boy just frowns as they stand there, "Well... Do you not want me to?" He balances his tray on one hand as he runs his hand through his hair with the other. "I mean, if you don't want me to-" 

Dan's face shows a picture of confusion as he watches the other boy, who also has a look of confusion on his face. "It's not that I don't want you to- I can do it myself. But... But why? You don't even know me." 

"Because... Because you're new. That's why." He says before he is interrupted when someone shouts from his table.

"Oi! Kyle, sit down and stop talking to New Blood, won't you?" 

"Shut the fuck up." Kyle growls at them, glaring at the person.

"What does being new have to do with anything?" Dan asks, watching Kyle. 

But Kyle just walks off.

"So... We know who it is, then..." Will mumbles as they sit by the football pitch again. This time, they are sat with Charlie and Woody, who exchange confused glances.

"Who? Who's doing what?" Charlie asks with curiosity in his voice. 

"Somebody has been sticking up for Dan anonymously, and we were trying to work out who it was. And this morning, Danny here had a little run in with him, didn't you?" Will tells the two other, and Woody gives a nod of understanding. 

"So who was it, then?" The footballer asks, watching Dan, who just shrugs.

"His name is Kyle. That's all I know." Will scoffs at the other boy's answer, rolling his eyes.

"Bullshit if I've ever heard it. You know what he looks like." He tells him, shaking his head.  "Spill the beans." 

"He was tall. Brown hair, brown eyes. What more can I say? That's all I know." The picture of the boy is clear in the other boy's mind- the brown eyes that almost seemed to stun Dan, the entire presence of him that distracted him from the fact that he was hungry and didn't get breakfast. Everything about him was glorious.

"Oh fuck- Kyle Simmons?!" Woody demands. "You're kidding me. Have you got any lessons with him or anything?" 

"What's up with him? And no, I don't think so. But I haven't had music or photography yet, so I could have..." Kyle had seemed nice up to now- well, besides from his abrupt ending to their conversation this morning, and their short meeting.

"He's a dick. Like, honestly. A huge dick. He plays football sometimes, but mostly he does basketball. He is literally controlled by his little clique- he only ever stands up for himself if he truly believes he's in the right. It's almost like they bully him to be exactly like them and it's fucking sad." 

Dan knows exactly how that feels, what it's like to be doing something you don't want to do. 

"Bit of a pussy then." Charlie grumbles, shaking his head.

"I think he's alright." Dan says quietly, earning a glare from Woody. The boy has been on his mind all day. "I mean, I don't get what the big deal is. It's easy to fall into that situation." 

"You don't get it, Dan. He will do anything to make sure his friends are happy with him. He's probably afraid that they'll turn on him, or something. It's an endless cycle that he's not gonna get out of until we leave." 

Will sits on Dan's bed as opposed to the other way round, listening to him play his keyboard on its lowest possible setting. Dan has always thought that maybe he should be a little concerned about playing the keyboard in front of him- but he's not. He never has been. In fact, he's felt quite confident with it. 

"Do you believe what Woody says?" Dan asks Will, glancing over to the boy, then back to his keys. He's not sure why, but something about Will just screams wisdom and respect. It seems that everyone has picked up on this because, for the few days Dan has been here, nobody has been at all horrible to him. "About Kyle, I mean." 

But, in turn, the other boy shrugs. "I'm not sure. I don't know the kid, so who am I to judge?" But Dan just nods in understanding. "But... Just be cautious, yeah? People take their cliques very seriously. Around here, your friends are your family."