What Happened in Winter [boyxboy]

Chapter Ten

Craft POV

"Where did they go-?" The words had just left Craft's lips when the two missing boys showed up. Greyson looked paler then usual, but was... smiling? It wasn't his normal, dazed grin, either. It was the smile he used to use when Jayson cracked a clever joke.

Craft shifted his gaze to the other boy. He was laughing: his hands splayed out, his head thrown back. 'Must've been the joke of the century,' Craft thought bitterly.

"He's in safe hands. I made sure of that this morning," River's voice floated up to Craft.

"What do you mean? That kid is a nightmare. He causes too much trouble than he's worth," Craft huffed. 'Lord, please forgive all the hateful things I've been thinking lately,' he prayed. He had been defying God so much lately. His parents would be so disappointed.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that," Craft apologized quickly. To whom he was apologizing, he wasn't sure.

River dismissively shrugged his shoulders. "It's no biggie. I have no doubt he's been an issue. But, he's trying to do the right thing here. We ended up having a lot in common."

'A lot in common? So, River must be dangerous,' Craft thought nervously. Out of habit, he brought his thumb to his chapped lips and started peeling at his jagged nails with his teeth.

River smacked the back of Craft's hand. "Don't do that. It's bad for you." His face was twisted into a distasteful look. Craft pulled his hand away from his mouth and flushed.

"S-sorry."

The corner of River's lips flipped up. "There's no need to apologize. I'm just looking out for you."

He needed to stop plucking at Craft's thin strings of sanity.

Kyle POV

"I'll see you after class, then," Grey said, a faint blush settling on his cheeks.

"Y-yeah," Kyle said, his words oddly breathy after seeing Greyson smile how he used to. Kyle thought he would never see that 2000 watt smile again.

Kyle sat back in his seat slowly, afraid that if he moved too fast, the world would creep out from under him and he would fall into the inky black void.

Though, a pair of eyes was staring at Kyle, boring two holes into his forehead. He looked up in frustration and was met with molten yellow eyes and a furrowed brow. Kyle sarcastically looked around himself and met Craft's angry eyes again. 'WHAT?' Kyle mouthed.

Craft sucked in a furious breath, pointed hard at River and then Greyson, facing Kyle again and shrugged. 'WHY?' He mouthed back.

Kyle threw his hands up in the air, the universal sign of "I don't fucking know!"

Craft whipped around in his seat, ignoring Kyle completely. What was his damage? Why was he being a complete prick all of a sudden? Craft was known to be a quiet and thoughtful leader. He followed all the morals Jayson had put in place, never bending the already-lenient rules.

Kyle's phone vibrated, alerting that he had a text message. He checked the screen and it was a text from River.

River: u good?
Kyle: ig... whats Crafts issue?
River: idk. working on that.

Kyle watched as River placed his phone back in his pocket, their conversation very clearly over.

Craft POV

"This isn't a set up to get your friend hurt, Craft," River said to the still seething boy next to him.

"I feel out of control. Greyson was always my responsibility and now...," Craft trailed off, shaking his head.

"Maybe Greyson doesn't want to be a responsibility anymore. Maybe he wants something different," River said in that same tone he did the day he told Craft that he was a bad friend. He felt like he was drowning, this situation taking all the things he cared about and throwing them as far and messily as possible, away from Craft's reaching hands.

"Is there anyway I can refund this friendship?" Craft asked, only half joking.

River jutted his chin in the air and sniffed, his arms folded across his thin chest. "No take-sy back-sies. I'm here to stay. You can't get rid of me that easily."

Craft wondered as soon as River said that, if it was such a good idea. Craft worked tremendously hard to keep a wall up between him and other people. He liked to stay anonymous and would like to keep it that way.
Was he willing to risk his simple, quiet, God-fearing life one more time?

Maybe.
Maybe not.
But maybe, nonetheless.