Spooky

Chapter 48

-Shadow's POV-

It's two days before Valentine's Day, and I'm sitting and pretending to pay attention in Chemistry class, as per usual, when my phone buzzes quietly from the pocket of my hoodie. I glance down, then at the back of Mr. Augold, and then around at my classmates. Absolutely no one is paying attention to me, not even Rouge—she's probably on YouTube again—so I whip it out of my pocket, quickly hiding it in my binder, propping it up on the desk such that it rests on my stomach. I unlock my phone, knowing who the message is from before even looking properly. I subtly adjust myself to be able to respond to it without calling too much attention to my hands, then fix my eyes to it, a little impulsive smile slipping across my face.

Scourge 💚:
hey hey skip chem, come meet me by the water fountains on the first floor of the main building

Me:
i mean ok but why

Scourge 💚:
I wanna talk to ya love
Come onnnnnn

Me:
Okay ok chill im on my way lmao

Scourge 💚:
Yayyyyyyy love youuuujuuu
...ignore the j

With that I lock my phone, sliding it back into the pocket, then slithering out of my seat and plucking my bag from the floor. Once again, I find myself grateful for sitting so close to the door as I quietly skitter out. Mr. Augold is absolutely not paying attention, still writing on the board, and so I duck out the door, shutting it silently behind me. God, this is so easy, I grin, power-walking to the main building as I shrug my bag onto my back, excitement building with every step. If I'd known being a delinquent was this easy, and I could still get by (with straight B's), I would've done this my whole life. It's quite nice outside, oddly enough, but I don't have much time to appreciate it before ducking into the main building. The halls are oddly clear, almost completely devoid of life, and I make my merry way through the corridors to the water fountains. I round the corner before the fountains, and see Scourge leaning against the wall, looking at his phone. Impulsively I yank my phone out of my pocket and text him, "Look to your right, handsome."

And then I watch him lift his head and turn it to his left, and I nearly burst out laughing. He hears me snort, and whips his head around.

"Other right, dumbass," I wheeze, stepping up to him, and he turns bright red.

"Shut up," he grins, laughing almost nervously. I snicker, glancing around quickly (no one is here) before giving him a little kiss. "I wasn't thinking—"

"Do you ever?" I smirk at him, and he huffs; nuzzling him, I add, "You're my favorite dumbass."

"Same to you," Scourge bites back, nuzzling me in kind, and I feel a little rush of adoration. "C'mon, let's go sit outside—I wanna talk to you." He takes hold of my hand gently, tugging me down the hall, and I follow without question. His grip is loose, almost in a comforting way—like he trusts and expects me to just keep holding his hand. And his faith isn't misplaced; I keep my hand in his, though I find myself glancing around to make sure nobody else is in the halls, more for his sake than mine. At least, that's what I keep telling myself.

We head outside, still holding hands, and he only lets go once we're in the little outer courtyard area. He heads for the one big tree on campus, the only big one they didn't have to tear down to build the damn place, and I follow along, realizing he doesn't have his bag for whatever reason. "Where'd you put your stuff?"

"Stashed it under the stairs." Scourge sits down, leaning against the tree and opening his arms. I toss my bag to the ground and turn, flopping into him backwards and earning a little oof from him for it; he wraps his arms around me as I rest my head on his chest, and he folds his hands together on my chest, buried in the fluff. It's oddly warm today, especially considering it's February, but I'm certainly not complaining; I nestle into his grasp, purring, and he pets me gently. "I wanted t'ask ya..." Scourge starts, and my ears prick. I crane my neck to look up at him curiously, and he continues, "What d'you wanna do for Valentine's Day?"