the boy on the bridge ✔️

51. work boy

Chapter 51 — work boy

"Do you think he's alright?"

"I don't know — he seems to be doing fine, but still..."

"I know. As calm as he's been, this is just not him,"

"Tell me about it,"

"I mean, since when did he start caring about school dances? And actually helping out — wonders never cease,"

"What are you guys talking about?" Josh walks over to the two girls who are so occupied into their discussion they don't even notice him approaching.

Both of them jerk up and Val drops the notepad she has in her hand.

"Smooth," Josie mutters from beside her and Val just scowls at her.

"Nothing," Val smiles at Josh, "I was just telling Josie here about the things she should know if she wanted to join the social committee next year,"

Josh doesn't even look like he heard the reply — his mind seems to be constantly occupied these days. He nods anyways and turns to the vast gym hall that is being temporarily transformed into a ballroom for the winter formal, "Do you need help with anything else?"

"Wow," only then does Val even properly takes in their surroundings and is nothing but struck in absolute awe, beaming, "You really have outdone yourself, Josh,"

And he really has. Josh has completely thrown himself into work and solely focused on winter formal and getting everything done in the events of the previous work. An idle mind gives place to unnecessary and unwanted thoughts; thoughts that he doesn't want to pay any attention to at all — so he never allows a second of relaxation to him at all. He keeps himself busy all day and all night, sleeping only when he is wore down to the bones and then wakes up to the same rhythm all over again.

It works. He is fine. He is going on. Or at least that's what he's convinced himself of.

Valerie has been working on decorating the hall gym for the winter formal for almost a month and even with the help of a few other students who are in charge of the formal, she was nowhere near done. That is until the blond showed up. And now within the span of only three days, he has somehow managed to turn the bland place into a festive one. It is more than she'd imagined.

Curtains are draped over the poles, banners are hung highly and right in position, the decorative items (glitter stars, ribbon, lights) — they fill the place.

"This is gonna be the best winter formal ever," Valerie exclaims gleefully.

"No," Josh mumble, swalking over to the made-up stage and climbing on it, "There's something not right here," he says and starts plucking out the alphabets that are stuck on to the wall.

"Wha— Wait, wait, wait," Val runs to him, and pulls him away, "What are you doing, crazy?" she asks.

"They look a bit slanted," he tries to dodge her to resume his work but the girl is quick to block him.

"No, they don't. They're good— no, they're perfect,"

"I can make it better — we've still got time till the formal, don't we? And it's not like there're other works to be done,"

"Well there're still the balloons — but we have to wait until the formal's day for that, so that they don't deflate. And then tomorrow we have to go the caterings to make sure they've got the right orders and that they'll deliver it to us on time, and then the photo booths, we have to get that tomorrow too,"

"Exactly — tomorrow," Josh exclaims. "But today... today we still have time,"

Val face palms herself and then turns to Josie who is looking at them amusedly, "Can you please talk some sense into your brother? I don't think he'd let us go home otherwise,"