[29]

I push open the doors of the school building, slipping into the buzzing hallways of a normal monday morning at my high school. I can feel Riku's presence behind me as I walk down the hallway, trying to keep my anxiety at bay as more and more eyes turn to look my way. Thoughts about my aunt cross my mind, the guilt that didn't want to come out two days ago finally surfacing.

I just hope she didn't call the police.

I sent her a message yesterday morning, telling her that I was fine and that she didn't have to worry about me, and then I turned my phone off again, not ready for the on-storm of unread messages from my aunt. So, I don't know how she reacted to it, or if she even read it, and that worries me.

"Chase!" My head snaps up as Kai's voice fills my ears, the worry in it tugging at my heart strings. He races towards me and embraces me in a hug before I can get a word out, his arms crushing my fragile bones as they wrap around me tightly. My bruises scream at me in agony but I keep the yelp that wants to come out in and stay quiet, enduring the worry and the anger that Kai's hug conveys to me.

After a few moments, his grip starts loosening and he pulls away, his face displaying a variety of different emotions. "Fuck, you can't just always disappear. At least tell me when you do, okay? You worried the shit out of me." I lower my head as that long anticipated feeling of guilt finally crawls up my spine.

"I'm sorry."

When I don't hear an answer and feel Kai's arms disappear, I raise my head, being met with a look of fear on his face, his eyes trained on something behind me. Realization dawns on me when an arm snakes around my waist from behind me, its intentions displaying possessiveness.

"What on-" Kai's eyes widen to the size of saucers, almost popping out of their sockets, as they jump between me and Riku's arm, confusion and shock swirling around in them. "You, and... Hamming... ?" I sink my teeth into my lower lip, his reaction spiking my nervosity.

"Look, Kai, I-" Before I can get another word out, however, Kai turns around and storms off. I attempt to follow him, to try and calm him down, to try and explain it to him, but the hand that shoots out and grabs ahold of my upper arm prevents me from doing so. I spin my head around, my mouth already opened to tell Riku to let go of me, but, again, I don't get a sound out before I'm interrupted. This time, though, by a pair of lips that slams into mine.

Right in the middle of the hallway, with everybody's eyes turning to look our way.

But, surprisingly, it doesn't bother me as much as I had anticipated. Because as Riku's lips move on mine, his taste sneaking into my mouth, I feel rather calm than freaked out. Reaching around my waist, he pulls me closer to him before he disconnects our lips and looks me right in the eye.

"Let him calm down," he mutters quietly enough for only me to hear.

I nod my head, slowly, his touch overpowering the urge to follow my best friend. "Ok," I whisper.

Suddenly, the bell rings overhead, booming through the hallway and effectively dissolving the crowd of students that has been lingering around their lockers. I clear my throat when I finally become aware of the position I'm in, wrapped up in Riku's embrace in the middle of the hallway.

Instantly, his eyes dart to the pink tint on my face and a smirk spreads on his lips. I turn my head away in embarrassment, trying to ignore the set of butterflies that is tumbling through my stomach which has been brought alive by the glint of amusement in Riku's eyes. It still amazes and scares me at the same time how the tiniest things can make me feel such things when it's him.

"Wanna skip first period?" My head snaps back to him, surprised by the sudden question.

"What?" I ask, although I understood exactly what he meant, his words setting alive yet another swarm of butterflies.

However, he knows that I understood what he wants, because he starts dragging me across the hallway and shoves me into the janitor's closet, ignoring the second bell that rings through the building as a final warning that class has begun. My back is slammed against a wall, making me hiss in discomfort. Riku shoots me a look, one that seems unbothered from the outside but that is actually one of concern - when you look deep enough - which I return with a reassuring smile.

He turns to close the door and, seconds later, the click of the lock fills the silence of the cramped room. I bite my lip nervously, unsure of just what he plans to do in here. But all of my concerns are swamped away when he abruptly spins around and, without giving me time to prepare, crashes his lips into mine again. This time, more passionately, though.

Way more passionately.

His hands encircle my waist and pull me against his chest, his heart pounding against my own. I wrap my arms around his neck and bury one of my hands in his hair, enticing the sound that I had hoped for - a groan emitted by the depths of his throat. The sound vibrates against my lips, a shiver running down my spine. The kiss deepens, our noses crashing into each other as our lips dance together.

After a few moments, I pull away, feeling my lungs scream for air. "Stop," I breathe out, my knees trembling as his hands brush over that sensitive spot on my hips.

"Why?" he rasps against my skin before he places a soft kiss into the crook of my neck. I press my lips together to refrain a moan from escaping as his soft lips connect with my skin over and over again, my knees weakening. He seems to notice the slight trembling of my legs because he snakes an arm around my waist and keeps me standing, locked up in his embrace.

"We're in a fucking closet!" I exclaim, which instantly makes him stop. I eye him cautiously, confused by his sudden change of mood, until I spot the smirk on his lips. "What?" I ask quietly.

He raises his head. "You're cute when you curse." He brushes a loose strand behind my ear and lies his hand on my warm cheek, hiding its red color underneath. I avert my gaze in embarrassment.

"Stop it," I hiss under my breath.

However, he continues placing gentle kisses into the crook of my neck, wandering down to my collarbone, unbothered by the fact that we're in a public place. I suck in a breath when he sinks his teeth into my skin, and tighten my grip on his hair, emitting another one of those groans from his throat.

We're getting more lost in each other with each second that passes. My breath gets quicker and his hands wander farther, but, suddenly, a knock on the door causes the bubble we're in to burst. I lay my hands on his chest and try to push him away, but he doesn't budge. Instead, he raises his head, disconnecting his lips from my skin, and releases a sound of annoyance before he calls out, "Tell me you have a good reason for knocking on that fucking door."

"Chester, are you in there?" My heart drops.

Cooper.

I completely forgot about him.

Riku's grip on my waist tightens possessively as his jaw clenches. I can see the anger boiling in his eyes, whereupon I send him a look of concern, but knowing that I couldn't calm him down with Cooper standing just outside the door, I redirect my attention to him instead. "Yes, I am," I say loudly, though it is clearly audible that I dislike this situation; if the shaking of my voice is any indication.

"Can we talk?"

Memories from our last talk pop up in my mind. I like you, Chester. I know it's wrong. Please.

When a sigh escapes my lips, Riku's eyes snap down to me, daring me to say my thoughts aloud. But I'll have to talk to him eventually, I can't keep on pushing him away in hopes of him leaving me alone. So, with a guilty expression spreading on my face, I reply, "Okay." Riku's eyes narrow, his grip tightening even further, to a point where it slowly starts to hurt from how hard he is digging his fingers into my hips.

"I'll have to talk to him eventually," I reason with him; but he doesn't budge. "Then... let me tell him that I'm-... uh, you know... y-yours... ?" My voice grows quiet towards the end of the sentence and my ears heat up, embarrassment filling me for the third time today.

But it seems to have worked, because Riku's dark expression lights up, the frown ceasing and the corners of his lips tugging upwards into a smirk. "Fine," he grumbles and loosens his grip on me, if so reluctantly. However, before I can move even an inch away from him, he presses a quick kiss to my forehead and whispers, "But if he touches you, I'll kill him." I gulp as his hot breath on my face sends a shiver up my spine, goosebumps spreading on my skin like a wildfire. Hesitantly, I nod my head and slip out of his grasp, gaining a click of his tongue as a display of his annoyance, before I turn to the door and unlock it.

My heart feels heavy when I catch sight of Cooper. He's leaned against the row of lockers, his hands shoved into his pockets and his eyes fixed on the ground.

With a small sigh, I go to close the door, leaving it slightly ajar so Riku can hear. It gives me a sense of security to know that he could intervene if anything happened. Not that I think anything would happen, but still.

When I turn back around, Cooper's eyes are already on me, the sigh seemingly having caught his attention. He pushes himself off of the wall and walks up to me. As soon as he's stood in front of me, a small smile sneaks onto his lips. "Hi," he breathes out. I greet him back with an awkward wave that I can't seem to get rid of, which has him chuckling lightly to himself and my already red cheeks darkening in its color.

God, I hate this already.

(author's note in the next chap)