Saving Isadore [MxM] (An Alpha's Fight Book 1)

Chapter 29

ISADORE • POV

"Does anyone have a spare black pen?! I lost my pen!"

"I've forgotten everything! Shit! My mind- it's blank!"

"Gonna puke! No, I'm being fucking serious! Ughhh!"

"I NEED A PEN!

The common room was absolute unhinged chaos. There were people running between tables and chairs everywhere, looking for last minute equipment and flipping through text books. They were desperately trying to absorb information they probably wouldn't retain during the next ten minutes before our exams finally started. People were crying. People were puking. People were laughing deliriously as reality finally caught up with them, slapping them harshly across the face.

"Year 13! I need you in front of the exam hall as soon as possible! Line up in alphabetical order in front of your exam subject! If you are seventeen or eighteen years old and still don't know what alphabetical order means, good luck to you!" The booming voice of our Post 16 Head, rose over the panicked chatter as he started herding us towards the exam hall like cattle to slaughter.

Aaron's slim hand was clutched tightly in mine and I felt like I was hanging onto him for dear life, trying to find comfort in the warmth of his touch. Every few seconds, a classmate would grab his arm or swoop in for a rushed hug, wishing him good luck amongst the crowd. He'd smile, say a simple 'you too' before carrying on with me by his side.

Aaron was calm, and I tried to latch onto his confident, seemingly serene temperament, but the reality was that I was terrified. I could feel my anxiety flaring, my heartbeat erratic, sweat building over the top layer of my skin, causing my shirt to stick and cling uncomfortably to my body. These were my final exams of secondary school, then I'd be free. I had to do well. I had to do my best, not just for myself but for Dad and Nana and Aaron too.

"Jason! Put the dang textbook down! Anything you don't know already is not going to magically stick in 30 seconds! You should've been paying attention in my class!"

"But sir-!"

"Down!"

The outside of the exam hall - which was really just our gymnasium lined with hundreds of single chairs and desks, was swarming with people. It was loud, unorganized and the heat of the uneasy crowd made me want to faint where I stood. Teachers held subject cards high in the sky and I spotted Mister Mason cheerleading with his 'Higher Maths' sign at the very front of the crowd. That was where I needed to be.

"If you do not have a pen, come and get one out of the basket at the front! If you need the bathroom, go now or forever hold your pee! Phones should be left outside of the exam hall, in bags or with a trusted teacher! Empty those pockets!" Our school head teacher held a microphone, hollering over us on top of a step ladder, the noise mingling into one cacophony of mayhem.

I nervously patted myself down, although I'd already discarded everything I owned in my locker, back inside the school building. Aaron had even teasingly 'stopped, searched and seized' me in the corridor, laughing gleefully when his hands strayed to private areas he shouldn't have dared touch in school.

When he discovered the poem I had written for him ahead of our exams, tucked away in the breast pocket of my blazer, he'd almost rugby tackled me to the floor with the intensity of his hug.

I won't tell you empty words of encouragement.
I believe in you and the time together we've spent.
I know you'll succeed without a doubt.
See you on the other side,
Where we'll celebrate with screams and shouts.
Love, Isadore.