The Lightwalker in Maple Hills (Boyxboy)

Chapter 9

I sit quietly at my desk, looking upon the open test that I had not studied for. I read the equations over and over in my head trying to figure out where to start, but the only thing that kept running through my mind was the thought of Kobie. Not only was I scared of TJ and Jimmy coming after me, but the fact that TJ knows that Kobie is my soulmate. Of all the people in the world, the one I hated more than Kobie had to be the one that found out about my secret.

I slightly shake my head before focusing my attention back to the physics problem that seems to be barrakading my mind. It doesn't take long for the thought of Kobie to pop up back into my head.

I think about his body. I think about all the exposed muscles I saw as I was getting dressed. The muscles that I know I will never forget as long as I live. I think about the hills of abs on his stomach that leads up to the mountains of his pecs. My mouth begins to water as I think about it, and the sudden feeling of my pants getting tighter snaps me out of my daydream and back into reality.

I try to focus on the test, but TJ and Kobie are the only things I can think about. I think of all the things TJ could possibly do to me. The amount of pain he can aflick on me and to know that he will never get caught. He'll do it again and again until he is absolutely sure that he is bored with me and will pass me down the line of people who will do the same thing.

I turn and look at William who is frantically writing down answers and equations on his paper. When he finished, he quickly turns the page and continues. After a second he turns to me with a puzzled face.

"What?" He asks.

"Oh, uh, nothing my bad," I say turning to my still empty test.

"Shit," I think as I look up at the clock hanging on the plain white wall and realize that twenty-five minutes has already passed. My eyes move down the wall and around the class, trying to see if anyone else is as lost as I am, but everyone looks like they know what their doing. I look back down and start circling random answers, hoping that this won't affect my GPA too much when I get it back and it has a large red F.

I finish circling my final answers when Mr. Thomas stands up and asks for the test, which we all pass down the rows to the first person where he picks them up. He looks at them as he walks over behind his desk, and holds them in his hands as if he is weighing them. He then gives us a little smile before he says, "They feel like they have a lot of equations." He puts them on his desk just as the bell rings, and everyone frantically gets their bags so they can head off to lunch. Mr. Thomas walks over to the door and watches as we all walk out, giving us a smile and saying 'Goodbye' to everyone. As far as I know, Mr. Thomas has always been like this, and in Maple Hills, he is considered one of the 'cool teachers.'

I grab my bag from under my chair and shove my pencil into my pocket as I walk up to the door. Just like everyone else, Mr. Thomas looks at me and nods his head as I leave. I shiver as I pass and head straight to the cafeteria.

-

"Kobie was beat up," Allison yells, wearing a face of utter shock. I lean forwards shushing her as I put my hand on her mouth and looking around to see if anyone heard her. To my surprise no one in the cafeteria was looking at us or even cared.

"Are you deaf," I say in a harsh whisper, "Don't go telling everyone. Or anyone in that matter."

She looks at me with a look in her face that could only mean she is trying to search the truth out of me. "Was is you," she says as she leans in, looking deeper into my eyes.

"No! You think a tiny guy like me could really beat up a huge guy like Kobie? Are you serious?"

"No," she says looking at her nail, "but you have money. You could have hired a hitman. Doesn't he bully you." She asks.

I sigh and let my head fall back, causing me to look at the white granite tiles on the ceiling. Only a rich private school like Maple Hills High would have granite tiles on the ceiling. Yet the more I think about it, this school has granite everywhere. I bring my head back down and look around the cafeteria, admiring pillars that match the roof, which are placed throughout the room. There is even granite on the counters of the serving stations. I hear a snap and turn my attention back at Allison.

"So, who do you think beat him up?" she asks.

The memory of TJ and Jimmy walking out of the locker room appears in my head as I look at Allison. I assume she knows what I'm thinking about because she narrows her eyes and looks at me. I look back at her, but her eyes narrow even more.

"You know something," she says.

I let out a breath, "It was TJ and Jimmy, I saw them walking out of the locker room before I went in there."

She smiles at me in disbelief before she continues. "But isn't TJ and Jimmy his best friends. Shit, they were together since third grade. Why would they just beat him up?"

"Because...," I say trailing off, "Our chests lite up." I look down at the table, hoping to dodge Allisons glare.

"Because what?"Allison says again.

"It's becau-" I start to say when suddenly William walks from behind and sits next to her letting out a loud sigh.

"I think I failed that physics test," he says as he picks up a bread roll.

"Why," Allison and I say, causing us to turn and look at each other.

"I didn't study, and also I don't think it will matter." He says.

"Why do you say that?"

He takes a large bite out of his roll, then puts his finger up while he chews then says, "Because I can just study for the next one."

Allison and I look at him for a minute before she starts eating her meatloaf, and I dig into my mixed veggies.

William has always been a smart person, so smart that he is in the top ten in our school, only a few points from the Valedictorian. Granted, his mother always pushed him towards having high grades, and reprimanded him if he dropped below a 'B-'. I remember his mother grounded him for a month when he came home and got a 'C' on one of his exams in eighth grade and I was not allowed to see him until he got better grades. But once he hit high school, his mother raised the bar and would punish him if he dropped below an 'A-'. But even though I was never as smart as William, I never dropped below a 'B-', but I would not beat myself up if I got a 'C'.

My mother always accepted my grades, and wanted whatever was best for me. She did not care if I failed an exam as long as I didn't fail the class. But, my mother and Williams mother would not agree with each other.

William takes another large bite out of his roll, then starts fiddling with his meatloaf. I turn and notice Allison is doing the same except with her mixed veggies. Allison then stops and looks up at me then says, "So what were you saying about Kobie?"

This catches Williams attention, who looks up at us. "You heard that Kobie was beat up too?"

I stare at the two of them, hoping they could not see my face is red with heat.

"Yeah,"Allison says, "Josh was just telling me about it."

Both William and Allison turn towards me, waiting for me to tell them. My leg starts to shake as I glare at Allison.

"What do you know Josh?" William says, leaning closer as he pops the last bite of bread into his mouth.

"Look, I saw him get beat up, and I know who did it, but I-"

Suddenly the bell rings causing everyone to get up and slowly walk out of the cafeteria towards the classes that they are scheduled for. I look at Allison and William with a fake smirk as I stand up and grab my bag, slinging it on my shoulder, and grabbing my tray and throwing in the trash can a few feet from our table.Allison and William do the same before me gather up and walk towards the door.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you," William says as he stops us. "There is a party this Friday. Are you guys down to go?"