Kyle and Johnny's Story

3 - Numbers

“It’s a good conversation starter when don’t know someone very well,” he said nodding down at his hand.

“Ok. Kyle Hunter,” Kyle shook his hand timidly, confused at the sudden show of kindness and the strange way of starting a conversation.

Johnny smiled and released Kyle’s hand, flicking his fringe out of his eyes with his now free hand, “So what do I need to know now about this school? What are people like here?”

“Like anywhere I suppose,” said Kyle looking away from Johnny’s strangely intoxicating eyes, “They don’t like anyone different, anyone who wants to stand out.”

“So I’m pretty much going to be ripped to shreds?”

“If not for your appearance and demeanour then for the fact you just came out as gay in your first lesson here. Not a great start I’m afraid,” Kyle looked back and was drawn in by the green eyes and handsome but feminine facial structure.

“School of homophobes then.”

Kyle couldn’t tell if this was a question or an observation so he stayed quiet for the moment. How could someone so… for want of a better word, cool be so proud to be themselves? So unburdened that they enjoyed challenging people’s perceptions without really caring what the outcome would be?

“So what about you then?” Johnny slouched back in his chair, resting his arm on the back so that he was angled towards Kyle.

“What about me?” Kyle responded while keeping his eyes fixed forward.

“Who are you into? Girls? Guys? Both?”

Kyle scanned his face for any sign of hostility but found none. Maybe Johnny was different. “Girls. Definitely girls,” he turned back to the front.

“You sound pretty sure there. Maybe a little too sure. Just girls?”

He whipped back to face Johnny, “Yes just girls!”

“Ok, alright,” Johnny murmured, “just making conversation.”

“Maybe both,” Kyle almost whispered, focusing quickly on the pen in his hands.

Johnny grabbed the back of his chair and fixed his eyes on Kyle, “Oh now we’re getting somewhere!”

Kyle fiercely shushed him, nervously flicking his eyes around.

Johnny sat up straight and dramatically put a finger to his lips, “Continue!” he whispered, eyes alight.

Kyle sat back and threw on a straight face, “With what?”

“With what you were saying!” Johnny leant closer, “I sense we are on the verge of a breakthrough for you!”

“Just shut up and promise you won’t say anything! I was only messing around anyway, making conversation!” he desperately replied, his heart pounding.

“Sure,” Johnny moved even closer widening his eyes, “You’ve said it now!” Kyle ran his hand through his hair, “Not that it would be my place to, but I won’t saying anything to anyone. It’s a personal matter so even if you hadn’t asked my lips would be sealed.”

Kyle hazarded a glance at him, “Promise?”

“Cross my barely there heart.”

“Ok and please take your finger off your mouth, you look like a toddler.”

Yes! Johnny screamed inside his head, I have a chance. Next step to see if he likes me.

Johnny grinned at Kyle childishly.

“What?” Kyle demanded, his heart still racing with anxiety.

Johnny’s facial expression changed to coy, “Oh, nothing. Just thinking.”

They sat in silence for a while as their teacher explained the topic they were starting on and rattled on about how likely it was that it would appear in tests. Kyle flipped open his book to a new page and scrawled some notes beneath the title he’d written. Although it was a new school year, new books were only given out when you’d taken up all the room in your last one.

Johnny glanced at Kyle’s slanted handwriting and sighed, he really didn’t get this. He waited until the teacher gave out a page number and turned to Kyle for help.

“I really don’t get this!”

Kyle relaxed, glad to change from they had been discussing “We’re you listening though?”

“Yes! And I’m sure I just finished doing something like this at my old school,” he explain, exasperated, “But I just don’t understand! Help, please?” He put his hands together and widened his eyes in a begging gesture.

Kyle laughed. Johnny’s dramatic motions were quite endearing.

“Ok, I’ll help,” Kyle smiled and flicked the textbook open.

Quickly, he ran through an explanation, pausing a parts where Johnny furrowed his brow and smiling when Johnny let out little ‘Ahh’ noises. It didn’t take long. It turns out that most of the basic knowledge was in there, Johnny just hadn’t realised it linked with this topic.

He clapped his hands loudly, “Ahh ha!” he whispered victoriously, “I get it now, cheers mate!” He grabbed his workbook and started scribbling down a question and answering it with quiet determination.

Kyle watched him smiling. He just seemed like a big kid. He was glad to have helped though. Johnny knew how to do it, he just need help linking all the skills together.

Johnny felt like he was being watched. He turned his head slightly and looked up at who quickly looked down at his own work. Johnny waited until Kyle looked up and caught his eye again. He held the look for a second then winked, bit his pencil and casually turned back to his book.

Kyle couldn’t help but blush, what is going on? Does he like me? He thought, confused. Using his work as a cover-up he thought about it. He decided he wouldn’t mind Johnny liking him; he’d probably stop when he worked out what a loser he was anyway. Do I like him? He thought slowly. He couldn’t answer that. He didn’t mind so much that it would be a boy, but he hadn’t known Johnny for very long.

The end of the lesson drew near without much conversation from either of them, except for Johnny to compare answers at one point. The teacher asked for everyone to pack away early and then began quizzing the class on the difficulty of the lesson.

Afterwards, she stepped back and allowed the class to chat until the bell went. Johnny linked his hands and leant his chin on them. He swivelled his head to look at Kyle and cocked it slightly.

“Thanks for helping me,” He said quietly.

“No problem,” Kyle shrugged, fiddling with the zipper on his bag.

“What you got next?”

“Bussiness Studies,” Kyle frowned turning to face Johnny, “You?”

“Drama,” Johnny answered happily.

“Drama? Would you say you were an actor? Or is it just a fancy?”

“I’m hoping to work in acting when I’m older. Or music. Something cool, with possibilities, you know?” he said creasing his eyebrows, “Maybe directing, or movie effects or something,” he sighed, “I’ll figure it out. What about you?”

Kyle ran a hand through his hair, down to his next and then leant on it, “I’d… I’m… No idea,” he admitted, slapping his palm down on the table and slumping in his seat a little, “My parents keep asking too. I dunno, I’ll figure it out,” he smiled as he copied Johnny’s words.

The bell rang metallically, interrupting them.

“Ahh, there’s plenty of time for that,” Johnny said, slapping Kyle’s arm with the back of his hand as he got up, “In the meantime,” he fished around in his pocket and pulled out a scrap of paper on which he scribbled something, “Here,” he said handing over the paper.

“What is it?” Kyle asked but Johnny had already started moving away, towards the door. He left Kyle flattening out the paper to see a dialling code and seven numbers looking back him with Johnny’s name written above. Kyle smiled and put the note in his pocket.