Setosolace- "The Past Bites Back"

Chapter Four

*Wheeze*
Reading the chapter(s) I'm using as a base for this one hurt my soul

I was so cringey

ALSO I'M SORRY FOR NO UPDATES I'M AN UNMOTIVATED PIECE OF SHIT BEAT ME WITH A PIPE

Small explanation:
This story is completely about setosolace now, and it's now completely seto-centric. There will be no POV switches, ever, so a large amount of chapters will be clipped because they don't focus on Seto. What happened in them will be shortly mentioned, though, throughout the chapter.
~

Seto focuses his gaze in front of him, feeling bleary and tired. His steps are zombie-like as he makes his way to the lunchroom, feeling thoroughly exhausted and spent. He had P.E. less than an hour ago, and they had ran a mile, did a stadium run, and then played baseball out on the fields. He was dead tired.

He also was starving, and pauses momentarily to rub at his eye. The noise of the hallway was, as always, deafening. Girls chittered excitedly to one another, rambling about the newest person they had the hots for, and the more built boys ran circles around eachother. Seto sighs dramatically as he steps into the cafeteria, picking up a tray and telling the woman his number, paying for his food. He doesn't bother with grabbing anything extra, besides an energy drink the schools provided for sale. He could always use his magic, but what would be the normality in that? Seto was trying desperately to keep his life steady; no more sulking in dark rooms with night vision, and no more bringing objects to life since he was so critically lonely.

He doesn't even notice when his thighs hit the table, and he drops his tray down onto the surface uncharacteristically; very much plopping himself down into a chair. He picks at his food, occasionally taking a mouthful of it, until Tyler sets his tray down across from him and grins. There's a scuffing noise as he pulls out the chair and manages to settle into it, knees knocking from how lanky and clumsy he was. Seto cracks open the energy drink he bought, listening as the can hissed and the air smelled like citrus momentarily.

"You won't believe what happened yesterday," Tyler spoke, leaning in. His voice was hushed and incredulous, and his face was lit up with a small grin. Seto quirked his brow, interested.

"You've got my attention." Seto's tone was amused, and Tyler rolled his eyes and continued.

"Do you know a boy named Jason? He's in your P.E. class, I'm pretty sure." Tyler waved his hand, not giving him any time to respond as he returned to speaking.

"Well," Tyler's eyes glittered in the light from behind the frames of his glasses, and Seto noted this with a slow sip from his drink. "I have the literal biggest crush on him."

Seto choked, sputtering as Tyler shot up and tried to help him. He coughed weakly, laughing in some sort of agony as he felt the citrus sting his nose and dribble out. He wiped himself clean with his sleeve.

"Jesus, man, give me a warning next time you drop something like that on me." Seto felt tears sting his eyes and he coughed again, miserable. Tyler managed to laugh, shoulders moving with it. Tyler, as it seemed, was very animated with his gestures.

"Sorry, sorry, anyways," Seto watched as the boy adjusts his glasses and grins, looking awkward. "We had this totally weird staring contest on the bus, and then he asked me if I'd like to go roller skating with him!"

Tyler's legs bounced as he spoke, and then it hit Seto at all once that Tyler was living the teenage dream. He was a nerdy theater kid, who had fallen head over heels for a jock who played soccer and football, and then managed to score a date with him. It warmed Seto's heart, sort of. It would be a lot warmer if he wasn't also insanely envious, but he shoved that aside. 

"That's awesome, I'm really happy for you." Seto tried to make his tone match his voice, but it didn't quite work so much. Tyler rolled his eyes a bit, and Seto scoffed playfully in return. They talked about this and that between bites of cheap school food, and halfway through the lunch period Tyler aimed the tip of his spork at a boy with sandy brown hair and honey colored eyes, clad in a blue hoodie and talking amongst a couple of students who Seto recognized as other jocks. The boy notices the point, and sent a lighthearted wink in the direction of the theater boy; who blushed and adjusted his glasses. Seto gave him a lame gesture of approval, and Tyler's face lit up in a grin.

Lunch passed quickly, and Seto smirked a bit when Tyler and Jason seemed to click like magnets at the hip. He hurried out of the cafeteria and beelined through the crowd so fast he may have been leaving skid marks. He collects his bag from his English class, and barely takes a step before he slams into someone so hard he was knocked to the floor.

"Holy shit man! You alright?"

Seto recognized the voice immediately, the accent didn't help hide who he was much. His eyes snap open, and he looks up at the familiar face.

Blue eyes gaze upon brown ones as the reality of the situation sets in.

Blue eyes flick away first.

"I'm fine."

Seto's voice is a bit strangled, and suddenly he feels hot all over; face burning a soft rosy color. He forces himself to his knees, gathering his bag and the papers that scattered from it. His eyes narrow a bit when something is shoved in his face, before realizing it was stack of essay rough drafts that had fallen out of his bag. Seto takes them in his hand, folding them neatly and tucking them away once more; before his gaze drifts up (as do his legs).

Brice is basically a head taller than him, with his blond hair styled up as it always was, and had his head turned to the side, blushing. Seto clears his throat, and then Brice's eyes turn to look at him.

"It was nice seeing you again," Seto whispers, face expecting. "It's been a while."

Brice seems to study his face for a moment, and Seto can hear his tongue click in his mouth as he decides on what to respond with.

"Yeah." Brice whispers, meekly. "It has."

They stand there for a moment longer, avoid each other's eyes; but sneaking looks when they thought the other wasn't looking. There's a tension in the air so thick you could choke on it, and either isn't sure who cracked first.

"Hey, look, I'm-"

"Dude, I'm really-"

They both freeze, sharing an awkward laugh and then urging the other to continue. Eventually, they both do.

"Sorry."

The word is said in unison, and it startles both of the boys immensely. They stare at one another for a moment, before the taller of the two blushes fiercely, and then their gazes drop at once.

"I'll be... seeing you?" Seto whispers softly, hand wringing the strap of his book bag that was draped over his shoulder.

"Yeah, yeah," Brice mumbles, trying to look more chill than he actually was. He opens his mouth to speak again, but the bell cuts him off and both boys start to scramble, scuttling about to close their bookbags and finish collecting dropped papers.

As Seto zips up his bag and turns on his heel, he feels someone grab hold of his wrist, and yank him a bit. He turns, expecting to see a teacher, but is instead greeted with familiar pools of crystal blue, and this time the eyes didn't look so scared.

"I'd like that."

Brice smiles, and then lets Seto go. The two begin to walk in opposite directions.

Seto swears he feels like the ground he's walking on is about to split open and swallow him whole, and his face burns a bright red. He tries to ignore the tingling feeling on his wrist from where the other boy grabbed him.

He wasn't going to let Brice do this to him again.