The Bucket List [boyxboy]

Chapter Two

Later Again

New kid.

More Later

New kid sat by me in English. He had the wrong book with him so Mr Ellison made him scoot his chair over beside mine. I have endless questions: How did he end up with the wrong book when the school literally sends you a list? Who moves house over Christmas? Why did he think it was chill to doodle in a book that wasn't his? Why didn't I stop him? Why can't I remember his name? Wait, maybe he doodled it, one sec.

Yeah he doodled it, his name is Byron.

Oh, shit. He also doodled his number.

Okay I texted him. I said:

Hey, this is Charlie. You defaced my book.

Now we wait.

Okay he replied. He said:

Sorry. I got the right book today.

I said:

Don't bring it tomorrow.

Ha. I'm good at this.

Tuesday, January 5, 2016

Byron actually did what I said and brought the wrong book to English again. Mr Ellison was like wtf but let him drag his chair over to my desk and we sat in silence for another hour long period. He was doodling and I still didn't stop him but at one point his left arm touched my right arm and he looked up and smiled at me before moving it.

He's cute.

Later

I had lunch after English and Anita was like, 'Have you gotten over yourself yet?' because I guess I was still dickish to her yesterday, but I was all, 'You literally poisoned me,' and she reminded me that nobody forced me to eat those mushrooms. She's right about that, but I won't be trusting her to source my drugs for me anymore.

Later Again

Goddammit, Anita just texted me that she got some MDMA for this weekend. I am weak.

Wednesday, January 6, 2016

Byron brought the correct book to English today but just before Mr Ellison got started he rapidly switched out his book with mine. So I'm sitting here with a brand new book that has new book smell and he's still doodling in my old one.

I don't know what's going on here but I think I'm into it.

Later

Byron's doodles:

"Jane Lynch + Stephen Fry = Mr Ellison"

"Tripping on skies, sipping waterfalls"

A drawing of a fish.

And:

"The boy" With an arrow that would have been pointing at me.

Thursday, January 7, 2016

Today I was prepared. As soon as Byron sat down at his desk I reached out to hand him my book. He smiled at me again and we swapped. Still haven't said a single word out loud to one another.

Later

Couldn't wait until getting home today to find out what he'd written so I looked during lunch. Of course my friends were like, 'Dude, you're gonna get in so much trouble for ruining that book,' and 'Why are you doing homework at lunch you complete loser,' so I had to tell them what was going on. Lewis was all smirk-y because he knows I am a sucker for shit like this and Carly and Abby kept bugging me to point out who he was. Anita was all, 'Invite him round on Saturday,' but like you can't just ask somebody you barely to know to come and do drugs with you, right???? Like that's creepy???? I think.

Anyway, here's what he wrote:

"Polaroid camera"

"Bo Burnham"

A shower of little star drawings all down one of the margins.

"The boy"

"All we do is sit in silence waiting for a sign"

Later Again

Okay, I have a plan.

Friday, January 8, 2016

So last night I scribbled Anita's address with Saturday's date and the time we were all gonna show up there on the next page in my book. Now I'm sitting here in English pretending to take notes and trying really hard not to look at Byron to see if he's seen it or if he's writing anything back.

Later

Today's doodles:

"He is a firefly"

"Mr Ellison stop"

A line drawing of a cityscape.

And, right under where I'd written to him, a smiley face.