Mysterious Boy - McLennon

7.

John was sat in his second lesson, English, when the boy walked in after some of thee students. Paul. He hadn't noticed John, that was clear, as his attention was focused on his shoes beneath him.

"Paul!" John called to him, and the boy looked up abruptly.

"John..." He replied, his face looking emotionless as he stood still, tugging at his backpack straps.

"C'mere, kid." John patted the seat next to him, and with a cough, Paul nodded, walking over.

The rest of the students slowly piled in, but John wasn't looking at any of them.

"How did last night go? Did they tell your parent?" John asked, reaching into his pocket for a pen.

"My Da'? Aye, they did..." He spoke, looking down and tapping his pencil on the table. The boy seemed like he was finished with talking, but John didn't want to stop so easily.

"Do you wanna borrow a pen?"

"No thanks." He shook his head. "I- I can't write in pen..."

"Oh." John nodded, about to apologise when the teacher began to speak.

The teacher handed out new books, ordering for the students to write their names on the cover. The class did just that, but John couldn't help but notice Paul's shaky hand as he wrote.

He swore Paul's hands weren't shaky yesterday.

And he wasn't this... Miserable yesterday.

Most of the lesson went by with just the teacher talking to the class, introducing herself and the rules, as well as what they'd be learning. John wasn't paying attention, he was too busy trying not to look at Paul, but failing. The boy was just so... Enticing. How could he not look at him?

The bell went for the end of the lesson, and Paul immediately rushed to his feet, heading towards the door. John was still packing his stuff away when Paul had left, and frowned.

He hoped the other was alright.

-

At break there was no sight of the boy, and so John just hung around with Stuart and his friends in the hallway, trying to distract himself. But he'd keep glancing around the corridors, looking to see if Paul was walking past.

At lunch, Stuart and his friends went in the canteen, and in there was where he finally spotted Paul. The dark haired boy was sat at a table with two other boys, the same two he'd seen him with the day before, smiling at something as he picked at his pizza.

"Hey, John." Pete, Stuart's friend, clicked on John's face.

"Yeah, sorry, what?"

"Are you comin' in the line or what?" He asked, and it was then that John noticed the rest of the boys were already in the line.

How long had he been standing still and looking at Paul for?

"Oh, uh..." He glanced back at Paul, who was now laughing. "No... I'm not that hungry, actually."

"Alright lad." Pete patted his shoulders, before heading back over to Stuart and everyone else.

John began to make his way over to Paul, hoping that the boy purposely didn't want to avoid him. He didn't want things to be awkward just because they got caught smoking together.

Oh god... What if he thought it was John's fault? After all, he'd never been caught before John was with him.

He shook the thoughts aside, approaching the table of three.

"Paul?" He hesitantly asked, trying to hide how nervous he felt.

"Yeah?" The boy asked, turning away from George to look at the person speaking to him, clearly not realising it was John straight away. "Oh, John..."

"Hello..." The other boy moved up, allowing room for John to sit down on the bench too. "Thanks."

"John, meet George and Ringo." Paul pointed to the two boys across from them, who both mumbled a 'Hi' back. "George and Ringo, this is John."

"Hey." John smiled.

"Are you the one who got caught with our Paul, eh?" George questioned, looking John up and down.

"Yes Geo, he is." Paul nodded, but the boy didn't stop looking John up and down. It was as if a George was Paul's father, inspecting a new boyfriend of his-

The thought of being in any sort of relationship with the beautiful boy next to him made his heart flutter, and was grateful when Ringo cleated his throat, speaking up.

"So John, how was your second day so far?" He asked, in a less judgemental tone.

"Alright so far..."

"Good." Ringo nodded, before Paul spoke up.

"I was just askin' the boys here if they were in any of your lessons and if they'd seen you, but they're on the other side of the year, so wouldn't have seen you yet."

Paul was talking about him?

"Other side of the year?" John questioned.

"Aye. It means that we have a different lesson schedule to Geo and Richie here." Paul pointed out, taking a sip of his chocolate milk.

"Ay. So I hope you're lookin' after him first us while we're not there..." George spoke in a warning tone, and John couldn't tell if he was joking or not. John sort of froze.

"He is, Geo, leave him alone..." Paul laughed.

Just as John was about to say something else, a voice called to him.

"John! You comin'?" Stuart called to him from the table he and his friends were sitting on.

"Oh... Aye!" John called back, receiving a nod from the other lad. "Well... I'll see you later, ay?"

"Aye. I think we both have music next, so I'll see you there..." Paul smiled, brightly.

"Alright." John nodded, before climbing out from the bench and beginning to walk over to Stuart, feeling three pairs of eyes still burning into his back.

-
A/N- Sorry for the long wait for an update, I've been busy on ao3 :p x