Oakleaf Academy For Boys

seventeen

Lucky immediately took it a step further and snaked his arms around Sebastian's neck, pulling him down for better access. Sebastian happily complied, moving his mouth in sync, his tongue parting Lucky's lips to delve deeper, exploring every inch of his mouth. When Lucky sighed in content and let slip a quiet, satisfied moan, Sebastian reluctantly pulled back, "You need to pack." He murmured into his lips.

Lucky grumbled in complaint and finally began to pack, stuffing his screwed up clothes into a backpack. It didn't take long, just long enough that by the time he had finished, Sebastian needed to leave, "I gotta go, the coach will be here by now."

Lucky didn't want to drag things out. Sloppy goodbyes made him cringe. So he made sure it didn't turn into a goodbye, it was merely a promise to see him again soon. "Have a good time with your family. Don't forget about me."

"Yeah and don't forget to tell me about all the interesting birds you see." He shot back sarcastically, grabbing Lucky's collar and pressing his cool lips against his cheek. Then he left.

Lucky watched him go sadly. They had officially been together for a total of two days and they were already being separated. It wasn't fair. But his true fear hid somewhere else; What if he can never be as good as Alex? Because he can't compete with a dead guy, no matter how hard he tried, it just wasn't possible. Besides, he didn't want to compete with Sebastian's ex, he was either good enough or he wasn't, end of.

Sebastian's ex. That didn't sit right with him. Alex wasn't an ex. They never broke up. They never ripped up old photos and cried themselves to sleep at their broken relationship. Technically, they were still together, but one of them was lying beneath cold soil with rotten flesh and a heart that will never beat again.

He was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard a soft knock at the door, before the hinges creaked to announce the intruder's arrival, "It was open." Benji said quietly, "The coach is about to leave. I just wanted to say goodbye."

Lucky stared at his best friend for a long three seconds, his expression hard and unreadable. Then he strode forward and locked him in a bone crushing hug, their bodies pressed tightly together, "The offer still stands, y'know?" He mumbled against Benji's soft caramel locks.

Benji pulled away first, forcing on a small, awkward smile, "Thank you. But I need to go home."

"No, you don't. Just come back with me, Pup. He can't hurt you there, just-"

"Lucky, please stop." His voice sounded so fractured with guilt and pain, it made Lucky stop talking in an instant. "I'm gonna be fine, please don't worry about me."

Lucky groaned loudly and shuffled over to grab the notepad he'd left under his bed, then fished out a pen from his bag. He quickly wrote his number in smudged ink, and an address below it. "Here. Come find me if you need to, alright?"

Benji smiled softly, "You live in Oxford?" He observed, glancing down at the note. "I haven't been there in years."

"Yeah, well, pay me a visit." Lucky shrugged, "It's not too far from you, is it?"

"No, I'll only be in London. Well, the outskirts really."

Lucky wrapped him up in one last hug and they exchanged final goodbyes. Benji placed the scrap of paper in his pocket, right beside Kit's number, and finally left. He didn't return to his room, merely headed straight down the stairs and out the front gates, where two large double decker buses were impatiently waiting. Today was one of those rare occasions when the gates were left unlocked and open for kids to come and go as they pleased because today, they were officially someone's else's responsibility.

He hopped onto the nearest coach without a second thought, wandering down the aisles until he found a free seat by the window, dropping his stuff down by his feet and turning his attention to stare through the frosty glass.

Diesel glanced around halfheartedly for a seat, a smile creasing his features when he noticed one beside Pup, just waiting to be filled. He collapsed onto the cushy material and dropped his bags to his feet, turning to face Benji, "You need to stop blaming yourself."

Benji resisted the urge to face him, keeping his gaze strictly on the towering building through the window, desperate for it to fade from view. "It was my fault." He whispered.

"Bloody hell, it wasn't, alright? What does it matter now anyway? He's fine."

"He was seriously injured, Elias." Benji snapped, finally giving in to the urge and twisting his body around to look into those tauntingly mysterious eyes. "I shouldn't have left."

"It wouldn't have made a difference. It would only mean that you would be just as injured as him." Diesel rolled his eyes, "And don't call me that."

"But Lucky didn't do anything wrong-"

"And he got beat up. So what? Every kid at Oakleaf has been beaten up before. And if they haven't, then it's coming."

Benji gulped, "I-I know."

Diesel sighed heavily and slouched back in his seat. He would never admit it out loud, but deep down, he knew that Benji would never be beaten up, not if he was around to stop it. He was going to protect him, just like he did for Lucky, but this time, he'll make sure he rescues him before the damage has already been done. No one was going to hurt his Pup.

"Where you heading?" He asked, trying to lighten the mood a little. He vaguely registered the sound of the engine as the coach roared to life, the wheels beginning to drag them towards the train station. He knew he didn't have much time left with Benji, he was going to make the most of it.

"London." Benji murmured. "You?"

"Up north." He shrugged.

"How far north?"

"Scotland."

Benji rose his brows in surprise, "You're Scottish? No way."

"Why? Do I not match your ideal Scottish person?" He teased. "I'll be sure to wear my kilt and bring my bagpipes the next time I see you."

"You don't have an accent." Benji noted.

"It's faded." He replied simply. There was more to it than that; when he first arrived at Oakleaf, he made a conscious decision to suppress it. It was difficult at first, but eventually, his accent had flattened out entirely, not that it was ever very strong in the first place.

The rest of the journey was spent in silence. Benji watched the dying countryside zoom past the window dripping with condensation, while Diesel's eyes darted from his feet onto Benji's soft features and incessant fidgeting.

When the reached the station, they parted ways.