Nightshade Academy (BoyxBoy)

Chapter 10

AN: Guys Nightshade Academy has reached over TEN THOUSAND views! Thank you so much! I love you all! *runs around to hug and kiss the cheek of every spectacular reader around* I'm seriously stoked about how well this story is doing and hope it reaches a hundred thousand views someday :) but for now here's another chapter for you to enjoy ;)

It's been a few weeks now since the football game. Everything is fairly the same, except now Josh and I seem to have grown closer while Dakota and I are drifting apart. Every time I look at Dakota all I can see are he and Jay kissing. I meant to ask him about that a long time ago, but every time I build up the courage to do so I immediately back out of it. During school it doesn't seem like anything has changed though. He still ignores Jay and Jay is still a pampered jerk surrounded by his never ending fans. I just don't understand it. Meanwhile I seem to be running into Josh practically everywhere I go. Lately he hasn't been acting at all like the perfect jock I had met. Around his friends you'll never hear him speak an ill word about anything but when it's just the two of us he complains about school work, teachers, and football practice. He tells me his worries about becoming alpha, how much he loves his pack, his admiration for his parents and I can never get enough of it. I like it when Josh just acts like himself instead of putting on a façade. He's always Mr. Tough Guy at school but when he's with me he'll start acting like a small child. He'll sprawl out on the grass outside our dorms and pick at the daisies, stuffing them behind my ear or tying them in my hair and then laugh about it like he doesn't have a care in the world. The best part is when someone he knows walks by and he'll immediately sit up and strike a casual pose like he wasn't just being a total dork.

My new closeness with Josh seems to be adding to the friction between Dakota and I however. Whenever Josh comes by Dakota doesn't even bother to stick around and fight with him anymore. He just immediately walks away and it makes me sad, but when we're alone it's like there's this awkward space between us filled with all these silent questions. I don't dare try and break the silence first for fear that the bubble will burst and we'll both be drowned in our unsaid words. It's almost like we're not even friends anymore. We get along just fine, but we don't ever talk. We're mechanical with each other and follow a strict routine of waking up, going to class, hitting up practice, then going to bed. The only time we ever really say anything to each other is during practice when we're forced to communicate for a new piece. That's it. This whole situation is extremely depressing and I don't even know the best way to fix it.

I sighed as I laid my head down on my desk, holding my textbook up in front of me so the teacher wouldn't notice. I was supposed to be reading a passage on great literary works written by famous vampires during the renaissance, but I couldn't really get into English right now. Instead I watched June doodle. He was making a perfect sketch of the two birds perched just outside the window seal. His fluid movements graced the page with such elegance it was like I was watching a dance. He'd glanced up, tilt his head ever so adorably to the side, then his hand would sweep the page and add another new line to the abundance of black marks. He'd do this over and over again in complete sequence, too lost in his own world to notice anything else going on. I liked watching June work. It was like I was watching a piece of himself flow out of his soul and take the form of whatever perfect image he'd create. Unlike Josh, June never put up ruses. He was very true to himself but watching him draw made me feel like I was seeing him in his purest state, free from his smirks and playboy attitude. It was calming.

Suddenly June dropped down to the bottom corner of the page and started drawing something else. I lifted my head slightly to get a better view and watched as he sketched out a miniature chibi version of himself. His little round figure was grinning, showing off his tiny fangs, and pointing an accusing finger at me. He moved above his little doodle and drew a speech bubble.