The Lost Ones | TCR/ heyimbee AU

.chapter fourteen.

🌟 CH 14:
Chapter 14:
After that night, Ryan and I talked as much as we could. We became oddly close really fast. He told me about his home life, his little brother and how he's really into art. He even promised to give me some painting tips one day.

I glance over to the window at the bright Wednesday morning. The four walls I was wedged between made the day even worse. They were so bland. Simplistic. The cork board above my desk held my schedule for the day.

Later I have to sit with Mr Knightley and discuss what Mr Oliver had me taking notes on. I have the morning off up until then so I'm going to spend it getting back into drawing.

Slinging a bag over my shoulder, I tossed some drawing utensils beside my notepad and binder. I bounded out of the room and down the stairs to find a notebook for my drawings to hide in. Chai was sitting in the living room on her laptop when I reached the bottom of the stairs.

"Chai, you're here late." I admired and walked over to crouch behind her. My elbows rested on either side of her shoulders which were being lured in to the computer. On the screen was a One Direction song that I didn't recognize. Infinity.

She held up a finger to me, muffling out my accusation with her bulky headphones. They looked funny on her peanut head. I chuckled and walked through to the kitchen to find an empty book. Eventually I came across some black leather one. My finger tips ran along the jagged slits that draped the spine like vines. It looked pretty neglected so I took it under my arm and walked out to see Chai gaping at her screen.

Her head slowly found me in the doorway with a smirk across my features.

"Was it good?" I asked to which she simply nodded and rushed to refresh the page. Refresh not replay, my friends. I shook my head at her and threw the notebook into my bag.

"See you at breakfast in a few?" She waved me off. With a giggle I found my way to the front door and out in the open. Some students trickled along to breakfast later than they were supposed to. I followed them all the way to the designated table we'd claimed by now.

"I grabbed you some fruit." Ryan slid over a bowl when I shrugged the bag under the bench.

"Thanks." I smiled and attached myself to the web of conversations from every which way. Kendra was engrossing herself into a stupid argument with Hudson over how comfortable leggings actually were. I rolled my eyes when Hudson made a remark of girl's asses in them. Ryan turned to Mitch and they continued on about some school assignment that I didn't care to figure out. This left Brayden to distract himself with his cereal.

I chose an individual milk cup from the centre dish and chucked it at the top of his head. It bounced against his fluffy hair and he looked up to find the culprit. I pretended to be eating when it was thrown back at me.

My lips twitched into a goofy smile at him when he decided to be social.

"What's wrong?" I asked and popped a grape in my mouth. He nodded his head out of the circle of our friends. I nodded and excused myself to follow him over to the food table.

He picked up a muffin and turned his back to the rest of the room. I grabbed an apple and met his gaze. He seemed concerned and determined to get me to say something. I urged him with my eyes to go on.

"Did you look at the hard drive?" He asked, anxiously picking crumbs out of the carrot muffin.

No.

"Yeah." I lied without a flinch. Looking past him at Ryan who was eyeing us carefully. I knew that he didn't want anyone to know about his slip up. He's still a bit weary that I know.