In love with your Song // Skephalo + Dream6d (High School Band AU)

Chapter 10

Zak pushed open the large doors that stood in his and Darryl's way. The doors swung open, and the autumn breeze hit Zak in the face like a bat. Zak stepped out eagerly, ready to head back home, and Darryl just breathed in the fresh air, finally starting to feel relaxed. Zak turned around to face Darryl who was behind him. 
''So, which way are you walking?'' Zak asked. Darryl thought for a good answer then said, 
''I'm walking in the direction of the bakery,'' as he pointed the way. Zak let out a 'aaah' noise before replying swiftly. ''I sometimes walk that way, but I normally take a short-cut to my house, to get there quicker,'' He said. Zak's hands were dangling about as he walked out the school, Darryl by his side. ''Sadly, it's in the opposite direction.'' Zak said, and Darryl just hummed.
They both were walking on the footpath, occasionally a car would drive past them, filling the silence in the air. The street was surprisingly calm for 4:30pm in the afternoon. The wind blew from time to time, causing some crusty leaves to be slipped off their branches and swiftly land on the ground below the two boys.  Darryl wasn't entirely frustrated in the silence that the pair held since he was more comfortable with the shorter boy beside him, but Zak clearly wasn't. Zak despised silence between two people, when he was alone, yes the silence is bearable and calming for a short moment, but when there's someone beside Zak, he has to start a conversation.

Zak let his hands swing around as he tried to think of a conversation starter. His head was faced onto the concrete below him as he thought, but then he felt something brush the side of his hand. He looked up and then saw Darryl, staring straight at the path ahead of them, not even daring to look at the boy beside him. His face was turning a little red, but then the taller boy put his free hand in his jean pocket. Zak looked at him and tiled his head.  Darryl noticed this and then looked away while mumbling ''Sorry..'' he said. Zak just giggled and looked up ahead of him.
''Dude, it's okay,'' he said reassuring Darryl. Darryl smiled and then looked ahead of him as well.
The silence appeared again. Zak sighed quietly to him self but then Darryl mumbled something that was inaudible. Zak looked at Darryl once more ''What cha' say?'' he asked. Darryl looked down before speaking up. 

''I don't think your friends really like me.'' He repeated a bit louder
''What?'' Zak squeaked, ''Yeah they do!'' he said as he quickly swished his hand up to his chest then let it drag loose again.
''How do you know that,'' Darryl started, ''I was too awkward,'' ''So was I!'' Zak said.
''You didn't seem like it.''
''Well I was, Vincent and Clay definitely think you're a cool guy'' Zak stated, ''They're just a bit, stiff?'' Zak said with a unsure tone at the end of his sentence.
Darryl snorted quietly before looking to his left. ''The bakery is this way, which way is your short cut?'' He asked. Zak thought for a second before pointing to his right. ''This way, though the Brookfield park.'' Zak said. Darryl let out a 'oh' sound, his grip around the guitar case's handle tightened. The unnerving silence filled the air once again. Darryl was staring at his shoes, certainly feeling awkward. Zak was just looking at Darryl's face, trying to figure out what to say, but before he could speak, his thoughts got interrupted.''Looks like we'e gonna split up now.'' Darryl said quietly, Zak just nodded. Before Darryl turned away, Zak had one more thing to say.

''Hey, y'know how you said that Vincent and Clay don't like ya?'' 
Darryl's awkward expression dropped, and his facial expression turned a bit uncomfortable and fidgety. ''How about you sit with us at lunch tomorrow?'' Zak said as he put his hand behind his neck, rubbing it slightly. Darryl just looked at Zak.
''That's of course if you want to, you probably have some other people to sit with-''
''No, it's fine,'' Darryl replied softy, accidentally cutting Zak off. ''I know this makes me seem like a loner but I actually spend my lunch time in the library.'' Darryl said. He chuckled at his own sentence, his cheeks started to flush in embarrassment. 
''That's great! Well, not the last part but, you can get along with The gang now!'' Zak said happily, putting a smile on Darryl's face. 
''Well, I'm gonna head to the bakery now,'' Darryl said as he lifted his free hand and pointed to the direction that he was headed. Zak just beamed back with a large grin, and waved goodbye to Darryl. He turned around and sped walked in the direction of his house. 

Zak was over-joyed for some reason. Being with Darryl made him feel all jittery and happy, like he was meant to be friends with him. Zak smiled to himself as the walked down the street, his eyes were glued on the pavement below him, as he hopped over the cracks and partings in the old cement, looking like a child. Occasionally, Zak stepped on a leaf as it made a satisfying crunch sound. He just couldn't stop thinking about his interactions with the other boy, his pace slowed down, and he was now walking in a some what normal speed, he thought for a moment, all the teasing he received from his friends the past few days, including his sister's annoying comments.
Then, Zak realized.

'Maybe I do have feelings for him.'

~

Darryl stepped out his math classroom, and turned his head into the direction of the library. His bag was on his back, and he readjusted his glasses with his finger. He sighed as the tall boy tried to push past some students who were blocking the halls. 
Most of the students were heading in the opposite direction that Darryl was taking, yet again, Darryl was one of the students who ate their lunch alone in the library, with no company apart from the books surrounding him. 

Darryl approached the library but he felt someone poke on his shoulder. Darryl jumped at the sudden interaction, and snapped his head around to face the person who poked him. 
''Zak, you muffin, you scared me!'' Darryl said as he exhaled a breath he didn't realize he was holding. Zak just giggled at the taller boy's reaction to his action, and smiled widely. 
''Did you forget?'' Zak asked. Darryl gave the other boy a confused expression, but then it hit him. Darryl let out a 'ohh' ad his face flushed pink with embarrassment. 
''I'm so sorry, I guess I did forget.'' Darryl said looking away, and Zak just smiled. 
''You're lucky I has history before lunch today, it's right beside the library.'' Zak started, ''I would have thought you ditched me for some books if you didn't show up!''
''Awch, don't say that,'' Darryl said playfully. ''I'd only ditch you if the book was, really interesting,'' 

Zak let out a offended gasp, and Darryl just giggled. 
''How dare you say that to your music buddy.'' Zak said with an offended tone. Darryl looked at Zak and then asked, ''Music buddy?''
''Yeah! Bro, we are like the best at playing, so we are music buddies.'' Zak beamed. 
''Isn't that a bit childish for our age?'' Darryl asked once more, was Zak always this childish?
''Nothing is ever too childish, how dare you say that!'' Zak replied jokingly, Darryl smiled and looked down at the ground. 
''Alright let's go to the cafeteria, don't want Clay and Vincent to think I died or something.'' Zak said as he broke the short, yet comfortable silence between them. Darryl nodded and followed Zak to the large hall. Not many students were in the hallways now, they were already in the cafeteria or were in some other room, doing who knows what.  

As the two boys walked in the hall, Zak immediately spotted his friends, chatting away at their usual table.
''Come on, let's go- what the fuck?'' Zak said, his tone changing from jolly to confused.
''Hey language, what are you cursing about?'' Darryl said as he narrowed his eyebrows at Zak's choice of wording. Darryl then followed Zak's gaze, and he saw what the smaller boy was looking at. He was looking at his friends, Clay and Vincent, both of their fingers intertwined on the table. Both of their faces blushed pink, smiling and chatting away. Darryl averted his gaze from the two boys to then Zak, who looked completely dumb-founded. 
''What the, since when?'' Zak asked himself quietly in a whisper. Darryl then realized, 'Wait, are those two dating? Did Zak know about this?' Another thought then hit Darryl like a bus, 'Was Zak homophobic?' He definitely wished Zak wasn't homophobic, and if he was, Darryl would be very, very uncomfortable around him.
Before Darryl could say anything, he saw a sharp motion in the corner of his eye, he looked at the source and saw that Clay has noticed Zak, staring at the two boys, and jumped away from Vincent, snatching his hand away. Vincent looked confused and a bit heartbroken, but when he looked at what Clay was staring at, he said something to Clay that Darryl couldn't quite hear. Probably since he was on the other side of the hall, and the loud chattering around them, but it looked like Vincent mouthed the word shit.
''Zak,'' Darryl asked, he turned his head to the boy, ''Are they dating?'' 

Zak slightly tilted his head, but then snapped his gaze to Darryl excitingly. 
''Oh my god they're finally datinG-'' Zak said though a voice crack. Darryl sighed in relief, and then chuckled at how excited Zak was. So Zak wasn't homophobic, considering how supportive he started to be. Without a second to think, Zak grabbed Darryl's wrist and pulled him to the table. Darryl's face flushed red at Zak's sudden motion, and Zak didn't even look like he noticed what he just done. 
 Once the two boys arrived at the table, Zak let go of Darryl wrist, and pulled two chairs over to the table, one for him and one for Darryl. 
Zak sat down excitedly, he put his elbows on the table and leaned his cheeks on his palms. 
''Sooo..'' Zak said excitedly, he dragged on the word for about 3 seconds before studying the two boys in front of him. Clay had pushed himself away from Vincent as far as he could without falling off his chair, his entire face was filled with shock. While on the to other hand, Vincent's face was lit up with a bright red color, the blush pulled from his cheeks all the way to his ears, and he fidgeted with his fingers underneath the table. 

''Yeah so Darryl is here now, wow, yeah,'' Clay stuttered changing the subject immediately. Darryl looked down at the table, and muttered a 'yeah' under his breath and smiled.
''Hey, dOn't change the SubJeCt!'' Zak said with another voice crack. Darryl giggled softly as Vincent said something in what seemed to be french.

Darryl could see himself belonging in this friend group, and he smiled. 
'What wonderful people I've met.'

(1880 Words)