broken | shyland ✓

chapter seven

s h a n e

'and then, he literally walked up to luke and tipped the milkshake over that bitch's head!' i exclaimed excitedly to my mom, earning a small smirk as she shook her head, warning me on my language.

the two of us were sat on the barstools of the kitchen, a smile spread across my lips as i retold the story of what had happened at lunch today. despite luke calling him a "fucking dick" and storming into the bathrooms, james in tow behind him, ryland had seemed to have gotten off scot-free.

he had stood still for a few seconds, his empty milkshake cup still clenched between his fist. daniel broke the silence, saying how awesome that was, and the rest of the comments followed. joey and garrett were still slightly in shock, and i just stared at ryland in admiration. oh, what i would do to have the courage he had and stand up to someone like luke.

'you seem very taken by this boy, shane.' my mom mentioned, taking my empty plate of cookies and sliding it into the dishwasher.

i waited a few seconds before replying, considering how to phrase it. 'i- well, he just seems very nice and genuine, mom. like, a good soul, you know?'

she smiled knowingly, as if she did know, maybe she even knew more than i did. i shrugged the thought away, thanking her for the biscuits and heading up the stairs. i passed jerrid, who gave me a toothy grin.

happiness hit me as i flopped down on my bed, the spongy mattress cushioning my fall. i brought my phone out the pocket of my black skinny jeans, scrolling through my notifications. nothing special, really. selecting the contacts, i smiled in content at my latest addition.

ryland had given me his number just before school finished for the day. i'd offered to walk home with him, but he'd declined due to a "pathetic" meeting with the principle about how he settled in on his first day. it was five pm now, a whole hour and a half since school finished, maybe he would be home now. fuck it, i thought, what harm is texting going to do?

i didn't end up texting him until ten pm, when i'd procrastinated messaging him by doing homework, reading a book, watching the breakfast club and eating dinner with my mom and jerrid.

shane: hey ryland, hope your first day has been okay.

i cringed as soon as i hit send, instantly regretting ever messaging him. however, to my relief, he responded.

ryland: hey, how are you?

butterflies formed in my stomach at the four simple words as i quickly clicked a reply. i noticed how he ignored my question, but shrugged it off as the quickening thump of my heart increased.

shane: pretty great since you arrived. how are you, neighbour?

i bit my lip as i waited for a response. this time it was slow, and i tapped my fingers against the headboard of my bed as i waited for his text. since our houses were side by side, so close to each other, it almost felt like we were in the same room.

ryland: my parents are driving me up the wall

he didn't answer my question, again. maybe he was upset or didn't want to talk. i looked out the side window of my room and noticed how close our two bedrooms are, assuming he has the second largest room since our houses mirror each other. the walls were less than a metre apart, a small gap between our two houses.

every day, his curtains had been shut for the full twenty four hours, despite me frequently checking. however today was different. the curtains were pulled back and i could kind of see inside. not only this, but his window (identical and opposite to mine) was wide open, and i could hear the chatter, muffled by walls.