boys //ziam

chapter seventy-eight

"i don't know how," noah says. "and i'm used to this. so it's fine."

the boy frowns. "what's your name?"

"noah," noah introduces.

"i'm alex," the boy introduces. "i'll walk you to your next class."

"why?" noah asks.

"to protect you of course," alex says.

"i don't need protection," noah says.

"well, then to keep you company," the boy says.

"why?"

"you sure do ask why a lot," the boy chuckles. "c'mon."

noah follows after him, curious on what the boy wants from him.

"i have a free period," noah says.

"neat. so do i," alex says, smiling and showing his teeth. noah notices he wears braces. "what do you usually do on your free periods?"

"i go back to my dorm or the library to study," he replies.

"that's boring. do you even have friends?"

"no," noah shakes his head.

"i'm not surprised," the boy says. "you give off this vibe that you're better than everyone else."

"what do you mean?" noah asks, curious. he's always wondered why he's never able to make any friends.

"you stay on your own, you don't talk to anyone, you don't smile to anyone, and you have this resting face that just screams 'look how high and mighty i am'," he says.

"really? i never realized i was doing that," noah says.

"it's probably why those guys were picking on you. they were intimidated by you," he says. "how old are you?"

"i'm twelve," noah says.

"you're pretty young to be in this school. you must be smarter than average, and the cut off for average in this school is pretty high," the boy says."i'm fourteen. second year."

"oh," noah says. he didn't realize the boy was that much older than him.

"yep," alex says.

"why were those boys afraid of you?" noah asks, curious. alex doesn't look like the fighting type.

"because," he starts. "i'm their senior. and your senior."

"by just one year," noah says.

"seniority is everything in this school," alex says. "the fourth years rule the school. but third years can control and do whatever they want to the second years. second years can bully the first years. you get the picture."

"that's stupid," noah says.

"it is when you're on the bottom of the food chain," the boy replies. "which you are."

"well, you're a second year. so does this mean you get bullied by your seniors?" noah asks.

"it should mean that. but, people have figured out this neat little hack. if you got a friend, brother or boyfriend in fourth year, no one would mess with you. because like i said, fourth years rule this school," alex says. "the third years don't mess with me because my boyfriend is a fourth year."

"oh,"

"and my boyfriend rules this school so i'm practically invincible," he says. "you're lucky to have met me."

"why did you help me?"

"i came by your class to mess around with my juniors. but once i saw what they were doing to you, i couldn't just let it happen. i lost my mom too, my first year in this school was hell,"