All the Beautiful Things

VI

A/N: I truly hope this chapter is better than the last one, I am ashamed of that one.

Enjoy!

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THE HALLWAYS in Jefferson High School were empty.

Not a single living organism graced the area with their presence. The silence was deafening. If one were to pause for a moment and take in the sight, sound, and feel of the area, they would see a clean, well kept space and hear only the distant buzzing of the electrical wires that wrapped around the building through the walls.

It was a peaceful kind of quiet, but an unsettling one as well. It could be seen as enjoyable to a person who preferred their time alone over time spent in a crowded room, and even to a more social person who simply needed a getaway from the drama that life dragged behind it like a lazy dog attached to a leash.

But like all good things, the since of the hallways had to end.

At the sound of a soft bell, streaming into every classroom through a brand new speaker, the doors of the rooms inhabiting those hallways were roughly flung open. People streamed out of them like water did in a cracked container. Shouts were heard, shoes squeaked against the floors, and smiling and frowning faces alike were seen.

And with that, the silence disappeared like a whisper in the wind.

The end of the school day brought cheer and looks of relief, for the thought of one more hour inside of a hot classroom with the same faces you saw every single say would slowly drive even the most reserved person insane. Inside one particular French classroom, Everest Tanner quietly gathered his books into his backpack, arranging everything in a specific order and not bothering to see of anyone would wait up for him. They never did.

When everything was placed correctly, the blonde's eyes flickered over the black and white room before him, taking in the decorations that he had never looked at before. His gaze picked up hints of gold, and when they did, he could not bring himself to look away. The color was indescribable, a lovely comparison to the three colors Everest had seen for all seventeen years of his life.

But he did have to leave eventually. He couldn't stay in the French room for more than a few moments, for the boy had an energetic companion to find and a mystery location to arrive at.

When the clean, white toe of the converse shoe on his left foot touched one of the hallway's lighter gray tiles, a loud shriek was heard from down the hall. The tall boy immediately recognized the inhuman sound as Calum, and he glanced upward to see the smaller boy running towards him. He wore a massive sweater that took over his entire body, the sleeves so long they ate the boy's fingertips and the bottom of the clothing article went far over his black skinny jeans. What really caught Everest's eye though, was the color of the sweater.

"You are wearing gold," he said when Calum wrapped his arms around his tall friend's waste tightly, as if it had been weeks since he last saw Everest instead of a mere hour. While the two embraced, Everest noticed the way the smaller boy's golden streaked waves smelled like watermelons, and he chuckled lightly.

"I wore the gold because I know you can see it and I'm proud of myself for showing it to you, and you for learning to see it! I think this sweater is a trophy, in a sense, because it signifies an accomplishment, you know? And I've never won a trophy for anything before. In case you didn't know, I am not athletically inclined and I don't really have any talents. Could talking be considered a talent? In don't think so, considering most of the human race acquires the ability to speak at some point during their life. Do you have any talents? I'm sure you do, I mean, you're Everest Tanner," Calum said quickly, his words jumbling into a mostly indecipherable mess that the average ear could not hear properly.