He's Just a Skater Boy (boyxboyxboy)

Chapter 46: A Kiss for the Glum

I finished my lunch quickly enough, mainly because I didn't eat much of it. I wasn't hungry. The lunch hall was loud, the students all cramming in to have conversations with their mouths open as they stuffed down food.

When I was done I took off and walked out and on my way to the door I caught the eye of Angela. Not in real life, it was hard to find people in the lunch hall with so many people all constantly finding different places to seat. It was her poster on the wall just to the left of the double doors.

"Trying is first, second and third step to getting things done!"

The bold writing was wise inscription sat beneath her glowing smile and perfectly curled locks. She looked pleased with herself, maybe she agreed with the quote. More likely they had the photoshoot and applied the quote by picking it from a hat.

Stupid. Trying gets nothing done.

When the door closed behind me I headed towards the stairwell. I didn't actually do it with anything in mind, my legs just headed in that direction without me thinking. When I stopped in front of the stairwell door I stood for a moment trying to remember why I was there. When I saw a figure moving about vaguely from the window I remembered and my heart beat started to pick up.

I didn't like that. It was almost as though I was starting to think of this as... something else, when I knew it was just a way for him to get back at me.

It was like I was forgetting to be embarrassed, forgetting to get angry. Instead I stood at the door and nervously turned the doorknob, looking left and right. I guess trying to make sure Jacob didn't see me a second time. 

At the top of the stairwell Atlas was sitting on the floor, his long legs stretched out in front of him as he smoked a cigarette, staring up at the window, bright light streaming through.

He didn't notice me immediately as I entered, and I saw as I looked up that he looked relaxed, watching the clouds move, I think, because it was a bright, though overcast day, and from his angle I couldn't picture anything else being visible.

Atlas looked good. He always did. His shirt was messy, buttons undone and the light hit his face from a good angle. Long eyelashes and nice lips showing from the side. A long trail of smoke wisped up towards the ceiling and he drew the cigarette to his lips again.

I frowned.

"You smoke?" I asked.

His head swung to the side. He raised an eyebrow. "You don't?"

He crooked a finger at me, telling me to come towards him. I walked up the stairs, watching him as I approached.

"Why should I?"

He shrugged. "It's relaxing."

I stared at him, and then eventually took a seat beside him. Even sitting there was a height difference, and more and more lately I was beginning to feel like that twisted something in me. I liked the way it felt looking up at him, the way he looked from my point of view was so nice, imagining being the same height or taller made me feel awkward.

"I've smoked before." I said. "I just don't find it relaxing."

"Hmm," He hummed. "I don't know. People told me it's relaxing, it wasn't then but now it is."

I continued to stare at him as he inhaled from the cigarette and breathed out the smoke.

"You'll get cancer." I said quietly.

He rolled his eyes. "You don't know that."

"Nope." I agreed, turning to face forward. The shadow from the window frame was pretty cool the way it stretched out over the steps and changed in shade.