CHAD

Chapter 1

I bounded down the stairs, my moderately sized brown eyes as bright as the day I was born. I wasn't sure why I was this excited to go to school, but something about the peaceful way I was awakened told me today was going to be a good day. I couldn't have been more wrong.

"mmOOOOOOOMMMM" I screamed, my voice increasing in volume as I neared the bottom floor, "I'm leaving for school!"

"Come on Richie, at least have some breakfast," she replies. I subconsciously roll my eyes at the use of that disgusting nickname.

"No thanks mother. Bye." I rush out the door before she can persuade me again. There's no way I can have breakfast right now, I'm on a diet. I'm sticking to only GMO tomatoes, because I read they were good for you on Buzzfeed. As I make my way to the bus stop, I calmly pull one out of my backpack and begin to chomp down silently.

A lone figure stands brooding at the spot where the yellow vehicle picks us up every day. His name is Arnold, I think. His slender figure is hunched over slightly, but he still looks perfect. His blue eyes are endless pools, and his mousy brown hair is styled to perfection. He's hot, in a feminine kind of way. My heart leaps when I see a pair of airpods planted firmly in his ears. I subconsciously reach up and touch my own. Suddenly, he twists his body to stare at me. I blush and look away.

"Hey you're in the wrong place," he says with a devilish smirk. My tomato drops to the ground, and my face turns even more red.

"Uhh no I'm not. I live here," I respond lamely, "We've been at the same bus stop for the past 5 years."

"Sure, whatever your say, Ronaldo," he irritatingly stated.

Just as I was about to mutter something about my name being Richard, the goliath school bus screeches to a halt at our feet. Arnold leaps up the steps and into the sea of students without a glance back at me. I roll my eyes in annoyance, but I can't help but feel a little proud of the hot flirting session we just shared.

"Good morning Joe." I say as I stumble into the vehicle because yes, I am on first- name terms with my bus driver. Joe doesn't give me a response so much as a nod, before his eyes flicker down to my shirt and widen slightly. Jeez, I knew it wasn't the Gucciest thing I own but that was a little extreme.

To my surprise, it's not just Joe who's being extra judgemental today. Practically every kid on the bus throws dirty looks at my shirt. What twitters! I cross my arms across my chest to try to cover myself from their critical eyes. When the kid I plop down next to gets up and sits on the floor instead, it's just too much. I have to look down and see what's wrong.

Over my t shirt is a stain.

A big, red, tomato- shaped stain.

That asshole! Is the first thought that comes to my mind, referring to the greek god Arnold. He saw the stain and couldn't just tell me? He could've easily saved me from my embarrassment!

I angrily grabbed the spare shirt I always keep in my backpack, slipping off the spoiled one I was currently wearing. Just as I was about to slide the replacement down my bare chest, I felt a pair of eyes on me. I turned to see Arnold, shamelessly eying my six- pack! My heart fluttered intensely as I finished my deed as sexily as I could, making sure to give my new admirer a lovely view.

Arnold's face was now as red as the tomato stain on my ruined shirt. Good. I loved how it felt making him uncomfortable with my smokin' bod.

Before I knew it, I was through half of my soul- depriving school routine, and was sitting alone in the lunch hall. I only had one friend, Katarina, with whom I shared dry conversations and occasionally a grunt or two. Yeah, it was time I found some real friends. My mind immediately conjured the image of Arnold, laughing at a joke I just made while resting his hand over mine. My body churned from the fantasy alone. Imagine the real thing!

"Richard, you're drooling." my sole companion Katarina says, whipping me away from my day dream. I hastily wiped my mouth with a napkin as she took a seat across from me. I waited for her to say more, but she just pulled a sandwich from her lunchbox and started eating. This is how it always is with us. We eat in silence, and when the bell rings, we part ways without even a goodbye. Its comfortable, but frankly, very boring. Today, however, I had something to occupy myself with. I watched Arnold like a hawk, taking in his every move. The way he snorts when he laughs, how he separates his PB&J before eating it, God, does every move this boy makes have to be adorable?

Unlike me, Arnold has an ample sized group of friends. All boys, of course, cause he's a no- cooties kind of guy. Lucky for me. With a sudden burst of courage, I stand up abruptly and make my way over to his clique, leaving Katarina confused and alone. My brain is too cloudy to even process what I'm doing, or why I'm doing it. Eventually, Arnold notices me sauntering over, and his beautiful smile fades into a look of perplexion. Or maybe fear? Either way, I knew it wasn't directed at me, cause I looked sexy as hell. My hips swayed profoundly, and I pushed some hair off my forehead in a seductive manner. By the time my feet are planted firmly in front of their table, all of the boys' heads are turned gaping at me. Arnold takes a gulp of air then opens his mouth to speak.

"Uhh guys, this is Richard. My.... friend." my heart involuntarily flutters when he says friend. The way the word rolls off his perfect lips so smoothly is enough to make anyone's spine tingle. All of the boys stay with their mouths wide open except for Rike Moni, who offers me a thin smile. Okay, this is not going well. At all. In a desperate attempt to re- live my fantasy from before, I crack a joke.

"Why did the banana go to the hospital?" I asked. Nobody even blinked. Arnold gave me a panicked look. "He was peeling really bad."

I didn't get the reaction I was looking for. None of them even cracked a smile, and my golden boy was definitely NOT laughing with his hand over mine.

"Hahaha!" says Arnold after a painfully long pause, "That was... funny."

Rike follows suit, giving an equally forced laugh. Soon everybody's coughing out unnatural chuckles, earning us strange looks from the rest of the cafeteria. I stand there nervously, rocking on my heels, as this group of guys savor my joke.

"Umm Richard, would you like to sit with us?" says Rike, looking at me with a pitied expression.

"Wha- me? S- sit with you?" I stammer, wildly gesturing to the boys.

"Yeah.... Unless you don't want to, of course." he adds quickly. Arnold kicks him under the table.

"Oh- oh wow. I never thought this day would come. I- I'm honored!" I say, the emotions hitting me like a speeding train. The room begins to get fuzzy, and I stumble a little bit.

"Bro you good?!" one of the kids exclaims, standing to help me stay steady. Before he can reach me, however, I trip over my untied shoes and begin to fall in slow motion.

"What the fu-" is the last thing I hear before I hit the floor, and the world goes black.