Seven Minutes From Heaven [bxb]

Chapter 1 - Detention Debacle

I wasn't particularly good at anything or close with anyone besides one guy, but I liked school. Lunch time was my favourite part of it, because that's when a huge heap of students would crowd around the field with a selected few centred in the middle. There, they would embark in their recreational, yet still highly competitive games of soccer.

And Liam Petry would inevitably be the star of every game.

Every lunch, without fail, he would shove down a muesli bar or two on the way to the field and then save his proper lunch until right before break ended. This was usually when the game concluded, although sometimes if he was feeling rowdy and boisterous enough, he could knock it out much more quickly. He really was so impressive.

"It's nearly break," my friend whispered from the desk beside me. "D'you want to race to the cafeteria so we can buy food before they start playing?"

I shook my head.

"I'm not hungry," Is what I said, but the truth was, it wasn't worth the risk. If they started the game before we got back, then that was time and opportunity wasted. Tristan was a good friend, but he didn't understand just how much this meant to me. It'd probably be weirder if I tried to explain it, though. "You go ahead."

Tristan sighed and ran his fingers through his wiry black hair. He had the potential to be completely popular, but he was only here on exchange from the Philippines for the next three months. That, and he somehow decided to make friends with me instead of anybody worth a bar of soap.

"If you love soccer so much, why don't you just play?" he asked.

It's not that I loved soccer so much, but that I loved watching Liam Petry play so much. It's not like I could say something like that, especially with Liam sitting just two seats ahead of me. There's no way somebody's attention wouldn't perk at somebody's casual mention of their name. "I'm not sporty," I said with a shrug, which wasn't a lie. "You're the one who really loves it. Why don't you go and play?"

"Jude, Tristan," Ms. Nirvana said, bringing our attention back to the front. "Unless you want to stay behind and organise the gym shelves for your lunch break, I'd suggest staying quiet for the next three minutes before class ends."

We both straightened up in our seats, nodding to show our compliance. She rambled on about our next two assignments, reminding me how much I dislike science along with almost every other school subject. Finally, the bell rang, and Ms. Nirvana dismissed us. As we were scooting out of our seats, Ms. Nirvana quickly called, "Don't forget you're going straight to the gymnasium to organise the storage, Liam."

I watched Liam stand and swing his bag over his shoulder as he nodded. Even from behind, he was so cool and composed. Even while being made to carry out some pejorative punishment that just wasn't fit for a guy like Liam. His coppery brown hair set him apart from everybody else, enough that it was just impossible not to notice him in a crowd. At least for me.

"Well, I don't think they're gonna play without the star of the game. You'll come to the cafeteria, right?" Tristan asked with a hopeful grin as he rubbed his belly. "I'm so hungry!"

I was torn between laughing at his theatrics and crying, because I couldn't recall a single day one that I didn't watch him play. It felt like a break of an important tradition. "Alright," I reluctantly agreed. It wasn't like I could do much since he wasn't playing anyway. "Let's go."

The line for the cafeteria was way too long. Maybe it's because all the people who'd usually be out at the field were inside for this break, but the high numbers and small spaces were beginning to make me claustrophobic. Being around large masses of people wasn't really my strongest point, but I did my best to endure it for Tristan's sake. Some students approached us and shook hands with him, starting conversations. I hung back a little, but the longer they chatted, the more tense I felt as I stood here uselessly.