Sterling

Chapter Twenty-One

"Did you hear about the new girl?" Hoseok asked in a low whisper as he sat down at the table with everyone. The group shared confused looks with one another, shaking their heads as a response, "Really? Her name's Nayeon, she's literally the only new girl here. She's from Seoul, but she came from a different school-actually, I think she was homeschooled or something like that."

Taehyung looked up at Jungkook from where he was resting his head on the older's shoulder, seeing how he was absentmindedly running his fingers through his brown silky strands as he listened to Hoseok. His behavior hasn't changed back to his normal behavior, and Taehyung was convinced it was because of how he was stressing out over a big test that was coming up in his Biology class, so he tried not thinking too much of it.

But he also noticed the dark circles under his eyes have only worsened, and not at all had gotten any better. He was still walking around school like a zombie, falling asleep during class and lunch, only mustering enough energy at the end of the day to walk home with Taehyung, but that was about it. He was completely sleep deprived, and the brunette felt bad for him. He really did wish there was something he could do to help him, but he felt completely and utterly useless.

All he could do was watch.

"Wait, what did you say her name was?" Yoongi asked, his attention now on Hoseok and away from his boyfriend. He was trying to ignore the male as he had a conversation with Jimin until Hoseok came to their table blurting things about a new girl, but now that he had heard the girl's name, he wondered if he was heading things right, "Did you say her name was Nayeon?"

"Why are you so interested?" Jimin questioned his boyfriend with a confused look, eyebrows furrowed. Yoongi wanted to roll his eyes at the male beside him, but refrained himself as he saw Hoseok flash him a confused nod as well. Taehyung didn't know what to make out of this situation, so he stayed quiet and remained relaxing against the older boy beside him.

"I'm not. It's just, some of her friends go to our school, and they talk about Nayeon all the time," Yoongi responded as he held his hands up in surrender, "and apparently her and her friends really like to gossip," he added. Everyones eyes slowly went over to Taehyung as the boy felt his heart drop to his stomach.

"Great, that just means more rumors about me," he mumbled to himself, lifting his head from Jungkook shoulder and throwing his face into the palms of his hands. This wasn't what he needed right now. He didn't need more people spreading and sharing rumors about him. There was already more than enough people doing that, and he didn't want anyone to be added to the list of people he has to avoid and couldn't face.

He felt a hand rub his back in soothing circles, the touch warm and familiar, a touch he didn't seem to flinch to at all, but when it came to others touching him, he flinched as memories came rushing back-the not-so-good ones that always reminded him of past things he just wished he would let go already.

He was sick and tired of the rumors that were currently spreading about him, not to mention the ones that stated how he and Jungkook were a thing now, and everyone was disgusted that a jock fell for someone like him: a freak, and so much more. He was met with the rumors not too long ago, notes shoved in his locker, written on the grey metal, the whispers making it back to him, but none of it seemed to bother Jungkook at all.

If there was one thing Taehyung could be like, he would be Jungkook, only because the raven-haired boy never seemed bothered by rumors, and it surprised him because not only was Jungkook like that, but all of his friends were too. He wondered how anyone could be okay with rumors being spread around that are about you, and it amazed him when they were met with the whispers and all they did as a reaction was simply shrug or laugh with them.