--Mark--
When I leave my fourth period class, I'm ready for lunch. After nearly getting pummeled into my desk during first period, I wanted to just shrink back and never speak to any living soul again. I was ready to just retreat with my tail tucked between my legs.
The one thing that intrigued me was Jacks willingness to help me out. How on earth could someone be so ready to help a dork like me, especially when we've barely even spoke to one another. I'm about ready to ask him what he wants from me since he's being so kind. No one is normally this nice to me unless they want something.
I am just outside the lunchroom when I feel a hand grab my arm and another hand went over my mouth, muffling my screams of fear and shock as I was pulled into a nearby janitors closet. When the door slams shut and I hear a click, I only panic even more.
I start to breathe heavily before I hear an Irish accent whisper at me from the darkness of the closet.
"It's just me. It's just Jack." He told me. I calmed down slightly, but my heart still pounded in my chest. I mean, why wouldn't it in my situation. The closet was tight so we were pressed against each other. The only light came from a few little slivers in the door frames. The darkness acted as a blindfold to me, making me unknowing of what was going on and what was going to happen now that we were here.
I nearly jumped out of my skin at the sound of Jacks voice as he cleared his throat and a simple sentence spilled out into the darkness.
"Did you consider my offer, Mark?" He asked me lowly, almost in a whisper.
"Yes. I did consider it." I said formally. I knew where this was going. It was all on my word.
"And?" He asked me, openly wondering what my answer was going to be. I tried to understand what I was getting myself into as I decided on an answer.
"I'll take you up on your offer, but first I must ask a few questions." I said. I felt an air that told me it was okay to talk to him now. Okay, get ready. Set. Fire.
"Is this going to be dangerous?" I ask.
"I don't know." He answered quickly.
"Am I going to be put in jail?" I ask.
"Not if you listen to me." He says immediately.
"Is there a chance of death involved?" I asked uneasy.
"Who knows." He replies nonchalantly.
"Are you just pacifying my ass at this point?" I throw out at him.
"Do you want to take my hand and find out?" He answered my question with a question. I swear, the questions and answers came and went like bullets from a machine gun. It all happened so fast that I could barely keep up, and I was the one holding the conversation. However, what I didn't expect happened right after he'd answered me. He stretched his hand out to me, and I could feel his icy eyes searching for my chocolate orbs in the short space of darkness.
I looked down at the outline and I felt myself reaching for his hand before I could stop it. Before I knew what had happened, I was shielding my eyes to the bright light as my feet struggled to keep up while Jack pulled me down the hall.
I sighed in relief as he let go and pulled open his locker, grabbing out a green skateboard.
"We have to move quickly." He said. I panicked slightly. Great. I've already panicked and we haven't even been on our first misadventure. We haven't even left the school grounds yet. Good sign or bad sign?
"What? Where are we going?" I asked as he slammed his locker shut and looked over at me.
"To lunch. At Carson Café." He said. My eyes went wide.
"That's halfway across town and back! We'll never make it back in time." I told him. He has got to be kidding.
"Oh well. Our lunch break is thirty minutes long. Ten minutes to get there, ten minutes to drink coffee, and ten minutes to get back. Thirty minute mission. Now come on!" He exclaimed and suddenly bolted toward the front doors. Before I could change my mind, I followed. I was not nearly as fast as he was and I almost kicked myself when I heard one of the teachers shout, "HEY!", at us through the hallways. The echo of the word gave me chills.
However, there was no going back now as Jack and I bolted into the morning. I ran down the steps to the school and Jack stopped a brief moment for me to catch up. Without hesitation, we both jumped onto the skateboard.
We rode down the sidewalks past people and cars all the same. Some people were just going to work, some just woke up, and some who've been up since three that morning. Just a regular Tuesday day in Athlone, I'm guessing.
We rode around for a good while before we stopped abruptly, causing me to wake up from whatever daydream I was having. I looked up to see that we were outside of Carson Café.
I stepped off of the skateboard, looking around the more deserted part of town. A light breeze settled against my face as I squinted my eyes in the sunlight, staring at my surroundings. Barely any cars parked on the street and cloudy skies overhead. Everything was normal.
"Well. What're you waiting for. Let's go in." Jack said. He led me into the small shop and I looked over the place. The only customer in sight was a woman getting her coffee on her way to work (as a doctor, I'm guessing by the uniform) and then you had us.
I looked across the marble tables and countertops, shiny hardwood floors beneath my feet. I breathed in the natural scent of Pine-Sol, closing my eyes for a moment to take it in.
I could almost imagine Thomas behind the counters running coffee machines or wiping off the tables. However, he wasn't even working at the moment.
He was sitting in a class somewhere. Probably science class. I now pictured him in the middle of class with his head in his hands, staring at a sheet of paper on astronomy or constellations. I could picture him struggling to find the answers and struggling to understand the material. Astronomy and space science was hard to him. He was probably jotting down answers and hoping they were right, fighting to learn the materials I would have understood so well. Yet here I am, skipping school with Jack while he's working hard in class to get good grades and a scholarship. He was doing his best to stay out of trouble while I was clearly getting into it. Just the thought itself made me queasy.
Jack stepped up to the counter and looked at the cashier, who had his back to us washing one of the counters.
"Hey Horan!" Jack calls behind the counter. I immediately shrank back, thinking the worker would be offended at his tone. However, it seemed as if this one knew Jack too.
A guy with blonde hair and ice blue eyes turned around to face us. He immediately smiled and playfully got offended.
"That's Niall to you, Seán." He chuckled.
"Whatever." Jack playfully rolled his eyes and I stood back away from the two. For someone who doesn't associate with anyone, Jack sure is a people person and he sure as hell has acquaintances.
"How's it going my friend?" Niall asked, grabbing a pen and order pad, tapping the pen on the counters as they talked.
"Pretty good. You?" Jack asked.
"Eh. I'm alive. My dad just got laid off from his job and now he's pissy with the whole world. Takin' it all out on me." Niall muttered lowly, before his expression grew chirpy again. His eyes shot to me and I automatically felt comforted in a way. It was as if I were being greeted by my own brother when I looked into his eyes and he smiled.
"However, that's not what's on my mind. Who's your boyfriend, Jackaboy?" Niall asked, gesturing to me.
"Mark, come on up here. Niall doesn't bite." Jack called behind him. I slowly stepped forward and rested my elbows on the counter.
"I don't bite unless you do, lad. Besides, any friend of Jack is a friend of mine. What can I get you guys?" He asks.
"Mocha latte for me." Jack says naturally.
"Caramel latte." I say quietly. Shyness overtook my comfort and I bashfully hid behind Jack like a little child with his mother.
"Oh come on. Can't be quiet around us. We're loud people." Niall jokes, clicking the pen shut and going into the back. My shyness slips away along with the blonde hair and chirpy attitude from the other Irishman.
"He seems nice." I mutter to Jack quietly.
"He is. Don't be so shy." He said warmly, nudging me with his elbow. Niall came back and handed us our drinks. I smiled and gave a quiet "thank you". Just as Jack pulled out his wallet to pay, Niall stopped him.
"This ones on the house, bro. Besides, you guys are adorable." He chuckled. My face heated up and I looked at Jack, who smirked.
"I-I... W-we aren't..." I stuttered before Jack placed a hand on my shoulder. My heart fluttered and I drew in a breath.
"Use your words, Mark. Quit getting all worked up before you hurt yourself." He said quietly, looking me dead in the eyes as Niall looked between the two of us. I looked back at Niall and took a deep breath.
"W-we aren't actually d-dating N-Niall." I stuttered out, my face going beet red. Niall smiled and threw his hands up in defense.
"Sorry. I just figured..." His voice trailed off. I looked over at Jack. He just figured what? Is Jack gay?
Jack smiled and thanked Niall for the coffee, leading me into a booth nearby.
"So, uh. I'm guessing from what Niall said, this means your..?" My voice trailed off as Jack sipped his coffee and raised an eyebrow.
"Don't worry about it." He shrugs me off casually. I look at him questioningly.
"But I wanna kn-"
"It's not any of your damn business yet. You barely know me." He says a little more forcefully. I shrink back in my chair as he scolds me for pressing. I felt like a young child who'd been rapped across the knuckles with a ruler.
"I'm sorry." I mutter quietly as I sip my coffee. His expression softens as he reaches across the table and puts a hand on my shoulder.
"Don't kick yourself so hard. I just don't feel like you should have to know that yet. In my mind, it's not yet your business or your problem." He says, softly yet firmly. I nod as he speaks to me, staring into his blue eyes. He seems to go into a trance for a moment before he snaps back and shakes his head as if to clear his thoughts. He leans back once more, sighing before his voice rose back up to its natural noise level.
"Just don't worry." He says. He finishes up his coffee before looking at me and grabbing up his skateboard.
"Come on, let's get back before they know it was us that left." He said, making me stand up and follow him out of the café.
----
I'm sorry my updates are extremely late. In case you don't know, my app was deleted, as were my drafts I had written up for this book and my other book, "Forever In My Nightmares (Darkiplier)" so I spent three hours recovering my app and another four hours writing drafts back up. So thanks for patience.
Thanks for reading another shitty chapter of my book. I appreciate the love and support you guys give me. You give me life. I love you all.
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-Sam