Poisonous Petals | BOYF RIENDS

1

Michael deeply inhaled and exhaled, trying to clear the black spots from his vision. He didn't want to pass out, especially in the school bathroom. He flushed the toilet in which he coughed out those dreaded colorful petals and walked out of the stall. He ran the faucet and washed his face, remembering to lift his glasses. He glanced at himself in the mirror and chuckled. 

'I look like shit.'

He gave a weak smile to himself and wiped his face dry with his sweater sleeve. His throat burned and his eyes were red and watery. He adjusted his glasses and, hesitantly, walked back to class. 

~~~

"Michael!"

Michael wheeled up (on his hecking cool heelies) next to Jeremy with a signature wink.

"Jeremy, my buddy! How's it hanging? Lunch in banging, got my sushi and my slushie and more! The roll is negimaki and I'm feelin' kinda cocky cuz the girl at Sev-Elev gave me a generous pour!", Michael dragged out the "r" to match the song playing in his head phones.

"You're listening to Bob Marley again, aren't you?-"

"OHHH, I'm listenin' to Marley and the groove is hella gnarly and we're almost at the end of the song!"

Michael shimmied a bit to the few ending notes.

"And that was the end, so tell me, friend. How was class? You look like ass. What's wrong?"

Jeremy frowned and slid off his backpack, "BOYF" written in bold marker.

"BOYF? What does that even mean?", Jeremy raised a brow. Michael remembered being shoved into a locker and someone, Jake probably, writing something on his backpack. Michael slides off his own, "RIENDS" also written in bold. Michael chuckled.

"BOYFRIENDS?", Michael almost laughed.

"I hate this school."

Michael chuckled at his remark and adjusted his headphone volume so he could hear what Jeremy was saying better.

"So, what else?"

"I wrote a letter to Christine telling her how I feel..."

Michael's heart broke a bit.

"That's progress!"

"I tore it up and flushed it!"

Michael groaned.

"It's.. still progress..."

Michael smiled and nodded.

"It's all good. Hey, I saw, on Discovery, that humanity has stopped evolving!"

"That's... good?"

"Evolution's survival of the fittest, right? But now, because of technology, you don't have to be strong to survive. Which means there's never been a better time in history to be a loser! So own it! Why try to be cool when you can be-"

"Signing up for the play!"

"I was going to say getting stoned in my basement but-"

"No, I mean: Look who's signing up for the school play! Christiiiine~"

Michael looked over and sure enough, there was Christine. She was much more desirable than Michael, it's only common sense that Jeremy would love her, and not him.

"Christiiiine~"

Michael sang optimistically. If it's one thing that Michael's learned, is hiding his own feelings.

This is just another skill to help him pass this level.

Hnnn its so bad