Don't stand so close to me |✔️

CHAPTER 4

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Declan was hurting. Every step he took seemed to accentuate sore muscles, showing him where exactly he was bruised from countless falls, a few kicks, and the strain of exercising before each and every self defense lesson. Gary took his job very, very seriously. So much so that Dec's first day Gary had him try to attack, to land a punch. Dec failed miserably, but the others in the class said he'd gotten closer than they had the first time before the security guard laid him flat with a thud.

The class had only a few people in it, Gary, David, Declan of course, Mrs. Willoughby (call me Holly) and her good friend Philip Scofield, Together, they worked the History and Foreign Languages Dept.

David and Declan paired up to spar against one another. At first David went easy on him, but when Declan landed a punch on his chest that sat him on his ass, to Gary's utter delight, David ramped it up a bit until he was straddling Dec and pinning his wrists above his head. For a split second as Dec looked up at David, something passed through his friends eyes that made him suddenly shy. Then Gary had blown his whistle, signaling the end of today's lesson.

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"Hey Donnelly, you still in there or are we gonna have to get Asher to set fire to your desk to get some attention?" one boy called out, interrupting Dec's daydream.

"No don't worry, Asher that won't be necessary thank you," he sighed, smacking his computer to make it stop it's weird squealing noise.

"Whatcha thinkin' about?"

"How much I want some music in this place," he glanced around.

Another boy snorted and swept his black hair from his eyes. "We know what you mean." Robbie, Dec remembered his name was. "This place is so damn dull even some freaking opera would lighten it up."

Dec laughed, making Robbie grin with pleasure. Then he noticed everyone was staring at him and his smug grin widened. "Too true, Williams, but I don't think that Opera would help you to win friends."

"Probably get me stabbed," he grinned. A few of the boys laughed.

"What kind of music do you like Donnelly?" the McPartlin boy asked quietly, but deeply so that his voice dominated the room. Their eyes locked over the heads of the other students and the room suddenly hushed.

Declan smiled quietly, not looking away from the Brown eye's that regarded his every move in a practiced, calculating glance.

Ant would probably never admit it but that smile struck him right across the face. No one had looked at him like that, not for a long time. Like he was human and worthy of a warm smile.

"Oh a bit of this, a bit of that-"

"What kind of music?" Winston asked again.

"Uh I dunno, a bit of Fleetwood Mac, the police, Arctic Monkeys, Blur..."

Oh dude I friggen love Blur!" young Jamie piped up enthusiastically. "Especially Song 2."

"Dude, everyone likes that one." Winston said disparagingly.

"It's a good song!"

"So is Parklife."

"Nah, that's dull-" Jamie sniffed.

"Is not you fairy! Don't dis It!" Winston rose threateningly.

This was rising rapidly out of control. Declan cast his mind about for a defusing interruption. "You know Blur is quite good in concert," Dec said lightly, making sure his voice carried.