Boarding School Boyfriends

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Today is the day of the boys' first exam, English, and only two of them feel mildly prepared for it. As a matter of fact, they could hardly eat breakfast over their nerves.

"You'll be fine, guys," their teacher had said as they stood at the front of exam hall, waiting to go in. "You know all the stuff you need to, okay? You'll do brilliantly! I have faith in all of you." 

But... The boys thought otherwise during the exam. Kyle was busy thinking about all the things he wasn't taught that they should have known that he almost forgot to write his name on the exam.

Woody finished the exam with fifteen minutes to spare, so, after going through his exam a couple of times to make sure it's okay, and then puts his head on his desk, silently praying to God for a good enough grade to get into uni with.

Charlie bombed through the paper, writing down all the bullshit he could think of, and hoping for the best. After that, he just doodles on an extra sheet of paper. 

Dan took his time with the paper, writing pretty much the same thing he wrote in the lesson so he can achieve the same grade as he does in the classroom. He really hopes he can get at least an A in this, so he can do it at Uni.

Will, much alike Dan, took his time with the paper, thinking hard about his answers. As much as he knows he won't need it, he'll have a better chance at getting a job if he has higher grades.

Their hands ache and their faces are pale as they walk out of the exam, collecting their bags on the way out.

"I've failed!" Woody announces to his friends and fellow students, who all laugh at the comment. "U grade crew stick your hand up!" 

To that, a lot of people raise their hands, including Kyle, Will, Charlie, and Dan, but Kyle just shakes his head at Dan, slipping his hand into his. 

"You've definitely not failed," he says to him, walking with him as they follow their friends, "You're the brightest kid in that lesson." 

"Well yeah, but what if the examiner is tired or something so they mismark it?" 

"That won't happen, Dan. If you come out with an E when you're supposed to get an A, they'll send it to be remarked." They walk towards the school gates and towards the fish and chip shop, deciding that the best after-exam food is the English traditional. Dan just shakes his head.

"Jesus... It's only like, what, another three weeks or so until we leave?" Woody whistles, his eyebrows raising. He's not quite sure how he feels about leaving. Part of him is excited, yes, but he's leaving such a big part of his life behind. He doesn't think he's comfortable with that. "That's crazy..." 

Charlie, as the drummer is not looking, leans over and steals a chip or two from his tray, only watching the boy who looks thoughtfully in the distance. "I know. I tell ya! Absolutely mental!" 

The drummer finally looks back to his friends but doesn't notice the missing food. "I'm not going to have my two gay best friends!" 

Kyle and Dan laugh with him, "Don't be stupid," Dan giggles, shaking his head. "Of course you'll still have us. We'll never be far away." 

"Yeah, the gayness is very difficult to escape." Kyle snickers, a grin plastered on his face, "Welcome to the Darkside!" 

"We have rainbows!" 

Dan leans into Kyle's shoulder, the others laughing at them. Dan knows he's going to miss all of this, all of the inside jokes they have together, and all of the general laughs they have. It's a strange feeling, considering he hated his mum and step dad for sending him here in the first place. 

Questions fill his mind at what would have happened if he had never been sent here. He would never have met Kyle, Kyle would still be with his old friends, and Will- well God knows what would have happened if they weren't there for him.

"Oi, Simmons. Where's your bum buddy boyfriend, huh?" One of Kyle's old friends teases, raising his eyebrows at the boy, who rolls his eyes.

"Depends who the fuck thinks they're asking." Kyle replies, his voice as cold as stone. The others just smirk.

"Well, put it this way: what we were going to do to him we'll do to you if you don't tell us." They threaten, thinking Kyle will cough up. Hell, if they looked for him, it wouldn't be hard to find him.

The other boy pauses, biting his lip. He doesn't want to endanger Dan...

"And you won't do it to him?" Kyle questions, frowning at them. They nod. "Go on, then." 

"Kyle, what the fuck-" Wood says as he finds Kyle later that night as he and Charlie walk across the school with a bunch of cling film in their hands so they could prank Kyle's dorm- but all of that has changed now.

Kyle lies on the floor, a few hundred feet from his dorm. His skin, from under the amber lamp above him, is bruised black and purple, blood running from his nose and lip, which are clearly split.

"What happened?" Charlie asks, kneeling down to Kyle and inspecting his face.

"D-don't let Dan find me," Kyle mumbles, his body groaning in pain. He didn't think it would be this that would happen. Still, he would rather have this happen to him as opposed to Dan. "Please don't let him find me." 

"We won't," Woody says, taking his jumper off and tucking it under Kyle's head. His tall frame looks so small lying there. "Charlie, go and get Will. Will always knows what to do." 

"No!" Kyle yelps then lowers his voice. "We don't need Will,"

"Tell us what happened," Charlie insists, "Please." 

"They said they were going to do something to Dan, and if I didn't tell them where he was, they would do it to me." Kyle mumbles, feeling Woody press a tissue against his lip timidly. 

"Oh my God, man..." The drummer sighs, "Come on, sleep in our dorm." 

They help Kyle stand up, in an absolute state, and lead him back to their dorm, ducking between prefects so they won't get caught. Woody feels horrible that people can be this sick.

"Don't tell Dan," Kyle mumbles as he feels his heavy, sore eyelids droop closed. "Don't...Don't tell Dan."