a/n: tw - bullying/rumours over attempt (i got heated while writing this ffff)
Jacob's pov
School. The world's best form of cruelty to the youth.
The only time I really enjoyed attending school at the academy is when I had a little curly haired boy next to me encouraging me to keep going. Without him, everything is slow; everything is boring. 'Shut up, Jacob, he's been away two days,' I tell myself. It doesn't help, it just makes me mad at myself. I feel misplaced without him and that makes me mad. Being lost without someone makes me mad. I've gone all my life without feeling that way, how did one boy change that? One sheltered, cute little boy. He changed everything in a certain spectrum.
Dragging my feet through the halls of the academy, I beg for a fire to start so we are all sent home for the day. I don't know how I'm surviving going to this hellish school. I try to keep in mind that I'm graduating soon. But everyone is in everyone's business. Everyone knows everything. So it wasn't a surprise when I started hearing the muffled whispers about my boyfriend.
"Did you hear Troye Mellet tried to kill himself?"
"Tyler Oakley's friend tried to kill himself, how lame."
"I bet it was for attention."
It got harder and harder and harder to bite my tongue and not say anything, kicking their dumb arse's right there. It was when they really did get worse that I knew in my gut I couldn't keep quiet any longer.
"So what do you think he did? Overdose on Ibuprofen or hang himself with a coat hanger? Ha."
"No, Josh, it was definitely just a scratch to the wrist and Mummy and Dadda had to lock him away in a nut house."
"Ugh, Luther, you're so bad."
Clenching my fist in my hand and jaw until my teeth grind together, I keep my eyes on the floor and trudge past.
"Shut the fuck up," I mutter.
"Huh?" The arrogant little twat of a kid asks, placing a hand on my shoulder and attempting to turn me around.
I jerk around and slam him into a locker, holding him up by the collar.
"Shut. The. Fuck. Up. If you don't know what happened... Don't. Make. Assumptions." I utter, shooting daggers at him through my glare.
The kid probably still a sophomore flinches and cries out, trying to break away from my hold.
"Okay, I'm sorry! Let me go!" He exclaims.
I roll my eyes, "You should be sorry."
"Jacob," Joe Sugg runs up to us and places a hand on my arm flexed out.
"Come on, let him go."
"Jacob."
"Please!" The kid cries.
"What would Troye want?"
I give up and let him go, pushing him to the floor and turning away, walking down the hallway to the exit. Fuck this stupid ass school and it's fake ass students.
Joe follows behind, "Jacob, please talk to me mate."
"What do you want? Wanna talk shit about my boyfriend too? Talk about how he attempted and was baker acted? Or about how-"
"Jacob, calm down. You're being ridiculous!" Joe exclaims, putting his hands up in surrender.
"I'm not one of them. I don't care about what they say and you shouldn't either." He mutters, walking with me out of the building.
I take a turn to the direction of the flat, hoping he will get lost already. He could be lying.
"Troye cares. I care."
"Jacob." He sighs, "Trust me mate, I've got no one to gossip to about you and your boyfriend's life. I'm just concerned for your well-being. You look awful."
"How can I be sure? How do I know you're not like everyone else?" I question, looking at him with unintentionally teary eyes. Fuck, I'm a wreck.
"Jacob, I was your neighbour for seven years. I know things, I've never peeped a word. Wanna know why? Because it's not my fucking place to, I couldn't care less about rumours." He admits.
"I-... I guess you're right..."
He nods and pats my back, "So, do you want to fucking talk and get this stuff off your chest?"
...
Two hours sat on the front porch of the flat and many words and secrets passed by later, Joe eventually went home, not without exchanging numbers of course. He even gave me his boyfriend's number if Troye or I ever needed anything. By the time he left, I decided I could trust Joe Sugg.
I did eventually go inside and clean up the flat a bit, listening to Troye's favourite playlist instead of mine. I miss him.
I was able to call him and wish him a good night's sleep around eight pm though, murmuring sweet nothings through the phone while he hummed contently on the other line. He told me about how he couldn't wait to get home and snuggle into bed with me, telling me about how frigid cold the place is. A staff member cutting out conversation short, he had to go far too soon and was sent to bed. I whispered that it was alright and I'd see him when he was released, wishing him one more time to sleep well then letting him go.
Once he hung up I held the mobile to my ear for just a little longer, staring at the blank screened telly in the living room.
"You okay kiddo?" Shaun asks, sitting down next to me and patting my knee.
I set the phone down and nod, "Wh- Yeah, I'm fine."
"Was that Troye?" He inquires.
"Mhm, he had to go to bed."
He hums, "Oh, and who were you talking to out front earlier?"
"Joe Sugg, I think he might be... a new friend?" I mutter in more of a question than intended, curving my lips up into a smile.
"Ah, that's nice. Is he a friend of Troye's?" Shaun speculates, switching on the telly and turning down the volume Troye always has too far up. The news plays out and my small smile grows further to my cheeks. If Troye were here right now he'd surely be jumping about and throwing a fit over some ridiculous shit in politics today. I adore that about him.
"I'm not sure, he's my old neighbour. He's not a part of Troye's old friend group though if that's what you're asking." I inform, scooting up the couch until my feet are touching the wood flooring.
"Well, I wish you two a great friendship buddy."
I cringe a bit, standing up and smirking at him.
"That was far too forced, please don't try to buddy-buddy me just because I'm dating your son. You're still my bitch of a friend." I chuckle and walk into the kitchen to make a cuppa.
"Pfft, that wasn't forced! I don't know what you're talking about." He snickers back.
I roll my eyes and make the both of us two cups of chamomile tea, walking back in the living room in no time and setting our cups down on the table in front of the sofa. Shaun thanks me and the two of us chill for a bit, drinking tea and talking about our days. We watch a bit of the telly and I manage to get him to crack a bit about Trump, making him finally admit he hates the bloke. After our fun we both head off in our separate directions and go to bed, cuddling into our blankets that remind us of our love and go to sleep thinking of our love.
