Please Talk To Me ~ SalXTravis Soulmate AU

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This is the updated chapter, since i made an oopsie, thanks to MayaZFialovehoDomu for pointing it out!

The rest of the day is pretty uneventful, besides the crippling anxiety of being alone without Larry or Neil. They're normally the protectors of the group. Ash has a sass mouth, but she's not a fighter.

Lunch is also pretty quiet. Todd and Neil are too busy being gay, and Ash just isn't here. I'll text her later.

There's a tingly feeling on my arm so I roll my sleeve up enough to see the curly handwriting I've grown to love.

Hey.

I smile back at the fact that my day has just gotten a whole lot better. "Yo Todd!" I yell and he turns to me.

"Hm?"

"Ya got a pen?" I ask, pointing to my arm. He smiles and tosses me one from his sweater pocket. I quickly write him back.

sup homo

I got your package. :)

sweet, ya like it?

Yeah! I can't believe you found one with a lizard on it. The cross is a good detail for my sake, thanks.

no problem man

Dang, why is school lunch always so bad?

I look down at my "spaghetti" and almost gag. The noodles are fucking green.

god i dunno, the spaghetti i have is almost green dude

Shit, schools really need better food standards. That can't be FDA approved.

id be surprised if its approved by my principal

The bell rings so I quickly write him back. the bell just rung, i gotta go, ttyl

I roll my sleeve down before he can respond, but I feel a shiver run down my arm so I know he did. I smile softly and walk to class.

His words were smudged, though. Was he crying? Was it raining? Never mind, he talks to me now and that's all I care about.

When I walk by the bathroom, I hear a groan. While I usually don't worry about strange noises coming from the boy's bathroom, this one sounds pained instead of pleasured.

I peer in and see nobody at first. When I step in further, I can see the last stall in the bathroom is closed.

There's faint sniffling and heavy breathing coming from inside, and that makes me even more curious. They must have some guts, crying in the school bathroom.

"Hey, are you okay?" My voice tumbles out and surprises me, and apparently it surprises the mystery person as well.

There's paper shuffling and crumpling before they respond, "Yeah-! Fine, fine!" Is that Travis?

While I'm tossing that idea around, I spot a paper ball by the trashcan and my curiosity gets the better of me. The handwriting was a little messy, but I think it was purposeful.

'I know we don't really know each other and you probably have your opinions of me. I thought maybe if I told you how I feel, things could be different.'

Is this a love note?

'The truth is, I can't stop thinking about you. I'm crazy about you. I think you're amazing!'

Definitely a love note, a passionate one at that.

'But I know these feelings are wrong. It's not the way a boy should feel. Shame swallows me whole.'

That sounds like a gay confession, a sad one. The last line is what really shakes me to my core.

'My father would kill me but I can't live in his shadow forever I just—'

I gently fold the note up and pocket it. My gut is screaming that my soulmate wrote that note, so I guess I'll just have to find that out.

I look back at the bathroom stall when I hear it unlock and swing open. Out steps Travis Phelps in the flesh. He seems surprised to see me.

"You— ugh," He groans and goes to wash his hands, avoiding any and all contact with me.

I stay where I am before initiating conversation, "You can, uh, always talk to me if you need to?" It came out like a question instead of reassurance. Why am I trying to reassure my number one bully? The literal Satan of the Christian world?

His head whips around to look at me, anger displayed on his features, "The fuck?"

"I said I'm here if you need me, I won't say it again 'cus it sounds weird," I shrug and try to shake off the fear coating my body. Travis could do anything to me while we're alone.

He scoffs then goes silent, turning the sink off and rubbing his face, "I've been nothing but an asshole to you, Fisher," He turns to face me.

I nod and sigh, "You really have, and that hurts, but," I suck in a breath, "my mom always taught me kindness," I remember a memory of her.

"C'mere Sal," My mother yells from her classroom. She's a teacher at the local primary school.

"Yeah, mommy?" I lean against the doorframe and see that she's talking to Matt and Toby.

She motions to them, "Matt and Toby were being mean to each other, shouldn't they be kind?"

Matt and Toby look real sad. They really should be nicer to each other. "Yeah!" Mommy smiles at me and looks back at them.

"And why do they need to be kind?"

"'Cus kindness makes the world go 'round!" I yell and stand in front of them, too. "If someone else is mean to you, remember the golden rule: Treat others how you wanna be treated,"

I giggle and Mommy ruffles my hair up. "That's right, honey," Matt and Toby run out mumbling apologies to each other.

I turn and give Mommy a big hug.

"If you don't remember anything else, remember this," She starts and brushes my hair out of my face, "Some people are beyond kindness, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try,"

I smile at that and look at Travis. "Some people are beyond kindness, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try,"

He's quiet for a long time, and I am, too. Then I find the words, "I don't think you're beyond kindness, Travis, you're just hurt,"

"Hurt?! I'm not hurt, I'm just— It's not like— God! Just go away!" His face contorts into anger and he slams his fist down onto the sink.

That is definitely my cue to leave, so I do.

The teacher asks why I'm late to class and everything, I say that I was in the bathroom and he chills out.

I feel my phone buzz in my back pocket and risk it. It's just a message from Larry saying to come downstairs when school lets out. I smile and just send back 'ok'.

10-17-22 update!! i changed this scene a WHOLE lot
i want the relationship to be slower than i wrote it first