𝚂𝚃𝙰𝚁𝐺𝐼𝑅𝐿. | ant vaughn , hbh '22.

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐄: 𝐿𝑂𝑆𝐸 𝐶𝑂𝑁𝑇𝑅𝑂𝐿.

There's a lightness in his chest now, the words that he and Rory had shared had lifted an unknown weight, she wasn't ashamed of him, or at least that's what her words had told him and he was thankful, because he knew he liked her, hell it was probably more than like at this stage, they'd been doing this for so long now.

"Dude where you been?" Shaking at his shoulder alerts him of Spiders presence and the common goofy smile that can be etched into features remains as he shrugs. "You missed the assembly and first period, get lost did ya?" The tall lanky blonde taunts, but soon enough the pair were interrupted by the accented voice of Woodsy of the intercom, calling their names and others to classroom five - d, including AURORA  GALLAGHER - JONES.

Slowly students trickle into the classroom, greeted by a teacher and the principal, one by one as students take seats scattered across the room, the last in the door was Rory, teeth bitten lips, still red and slightly swollen no thanks to the boy that watched her enter the room. He could see the way she felt out of place and unsure, her bag settling on the seat next to where her sister and Darren sat on the table tops, hidden from almost everyones view, Ant could still easily see her and when she glanced upward, he offered her a kind smile, quick and easily concealed as the teacher began.

The class was rambunctious and loud enough to cause the blonde to drop her head into her arms and try to drown it out, breathing shallowly into the desk her phone vibrates in her pocket, the sound alerting her more than anything, pulling it from the fabric she glances at the text.

Ant:  you okay?

She ponders a response but she's not okay, and despite asking he already knew she wasn't, so she shakes her head, typing out a small response before locking the device.

Rory:   too loud.

And it was, she was already fragile after this morning and their rendezvous let her not think for a moment but eventually those thoughts came piling back in with every moment she was alone again. There was another text but in fear of breaking down she doesn't look, she doesn't take notice of it. As moments pass by, her trying not to focus on the sounds and yelling, the tables are being pushed back and she's forced to stand in a group, arms tucked around herself. Told to walk around each other, weaving in and out, careful to not touch anyone Principal Woodsy then requests for everyone to shake hands with three people. The first person she doesn't even know the name of, the girl with bright red hair and a kind smile before turning away, the second being Malakai, the new kid that she'd met this morning, his eyes still that warm brown, and then lastly Ant, who whispered in passing that it was okay, that everything would be okay.

Upon coming to a stop, Rory found herself hidden away at the back of the class, standing behind Anthony and Dusty, the latter having wrapped his arm around Ant to lean against him, but the bug boy she stood behind, wiggled his fingers behind his back, as if knowing she was there, and her hand fell into his without thought, unaware that the movement had caused Dusty to look over his shoulder and catch the act, but he's turning away back to the front before the girl or Ant could find out.

Hand in his, she felt better, content and calm, as if the loud noises were now suddenly drowned out. "Spencer." Woodsy begins, "You have genital crabs." The room descends into laughter at the boys expense, and Rory can't seen his face but she can only imagine what he's making in regards to Darren's comment. "Now who shook hands with Spencer?" She questions after making the reluctant boy raise his hand. "And who shook hands with them?" and so on until everyone in the class had raised their hands. "You all have genital warts!"

"I thought it was crabs."

"Yes, thanks, uh ..." As the new kid reconfirmed his name to the principal, she repeated herself again, they all had genital crabs. What even was this class, Rory thinks as she drops her head into Ant's shoulder blade. The class dispersed, Ant and Rory separating once again to the point of different tables, the points looking through the photo's on Dusty's phone, giggling and asking each other questions, as the bell rang, Rory with her head in her arms doesn't bother to make much of a move but slowly and surely she's moving away from the table and gathering her bag.