The Outside Lines (boyxboy) - Chapter 9: Chapter 9

Noah's POV
Today is Friday. The final school day in the week I have to suffer through.
"I'm heading out." I Informed my family, stepping out the front door made of glass. I'm an only child so a lot of attention and expectation gets put on me. My parents are almost overbearing at times. My Nan who is staying with us for the summer is much more easy going though. I love her a lot. She's funny, kind, and all around a good person.
I walked down the hill that was our yard. A stone pathway guided down the grassy lawn. There were very few trees near our house, but where our yard ended was lined with many green trees, almost creating a forest.
I walked along the road over-headed in the tall trees, nearing the closest bus stop. My heart ached just seeing the sign. I waited, my nerves growing. I knew exactly what was waiting for me. Chad made it his mission to torment me. He hits me like I'm his personal piñata. Everyone just stares., including his friends. They refuse to take swings at me, but they wouldn't step in to help me whenever someone did. It hurt, the ladder and hive mentality that runs our school is so toxic. I'd be a hypocrite if I didn't acknowledge that I contributed to it. I've been trying my best to be inclusive though. I knew what it felt like being in everyone else's shadows, to not be noticed. That's how it was for me before I met Taylor.
It seemed that I was back at square one again.
I froze up in shock when I reached my locker. "Meet me right here after school, prick." was a message written in marker. My legs turned into jello, I could barely stand I was so terrified. Someone really had it out for me this time didn't they?
I caught Chad occasionally scowling my way during class. I figured he was probably the one who wrote on my locker, though it didn't seem much his style.
Rebbecca was also burning a hole trough me with a death glare. I didn't know what for though. If anything I was the one who should've been staring daggers. She ruined my school life for her own publicity.
After the final bell rang I raced to my locker. I hastily tried to shove my books inside and collect my things for home before Chad had a chance to mess up my face. I had no intention to get beat into a pulp if I could help it.
"Hey." A voice startled me as I was head deep in the locker, prompting me to jump and hit my head against the top.
I turned to the person beside me, hesitant. It was Taylor.
"I half expected you to chicken out." She watched my nervous frame with a judging look. Little did she know that's exactly what I was doing. It wasn't until a moment later that I noticed the towering man stood behind her. It's the scary guy that I've been trying to avoid. I put two and two together. She intended for him to knock me into oblivion, didn't she...
I took a step back, my mind racing with thoughts.
"Earth to Noah." Taylor waved her hand in front of my face. "Are we going to talk or are you going to continue being a mute jerk?"
"Talk?" I responded confused.
"Yes, talk, that thing you've been refusing to do." She said smartly, leaning towards me.
I eyed her and the guy behind her suspiciously for a moment. "About?"
"Oh, I don't know. You being an ass?" She said with her eyes narrowing, me averting mine.
"I don't want to talk." I refused, even if it meant her sicking big man on me.
"Tsk" She went silent, lowering her head. I wish I had it in me to forgive her. but I just couldn't, I wasn't ready yet. I still don't know if her outing me was just on accident. But my life's become hell because of it. There's also the possibility that she wasn't the one who outed me at all, but that's highly unlikely.
"You know what, screw you, I'm hanging out with Nathan instead." She bit, grabbing onto the arm of the tower that stood behind her. It hurt, but in the end I was the one turning her away.
"You wanna hang out with m-me?" Nathan questioned with a weak stutter, pointing to himself. I noticed his voice had a little grit to it, almost a little husky sounding.
"Well duh, we're already kinda hanging out. I'm taking you into town though." Taylor was almost dragging him away as she pulled his arm in her direction. I could tell she was trying to make me jealous. I couldn't tell if it was working, though usually when that's the case for people it just means they're in denial.
"Um." Nathan mouthed before being dragged off with Taylor.
It was so odd. That very moment a bright pair of hazel eyes peeked through the long dark hair that ran across his face, reflecting the bright light that shone through the school doors, and his mannerisms seemed so... innocent? it confused me even more. Everything about him is very... unique.
A voice snapped me out of my head. "Orman?" someone called out.
"Yeah?" I responded, turning to face the approaching voice.
"I'm glad I caught you before you went home." It was the school counselor, Mr. Cluskey. "I've noticed you've been having... issues other students lately. Which might I point out is so unusual for you." He made note. I stood there in silence, waiting for him to continue.
"I would summon you to my office, but as you can see school's already ended, so we'll have to pick this up on Monday." Mr.  Cluskey briefed, offering a smile of pity and walking off. I've met Mr. Mr. Cluskey a few times before, but I've never been called to his office.
"Ugh, this day is just so freakin' weird." I groaned to myself, standing in the emptying halls.
Nathan's POV
I was feeling almost giddy to get to school today, which is an unusual feeling for me. Normally it felt like climbing down into a sewer and hanging out with the rats. But today I felt more like a child waking on his birthday.
I'd hoped Taylor meant what she said. If I'd get to see her today maybe I could get closer with her, even if it's just a little. Befriending her is one of my top priorities.
I sat in one of the many chairs placed near the endless rows of lockers to go through my notes. They weren't exclusive to school. I had recipes I intended on trying out in the kitchen, movies I wanted to rent for my aged blue-ray player, and an array of other things written across the slightly torn page of the notebook.
-Begin exercise regimen. That was the first thing I wrote. As I crossed it off, a sense of accomplishment overtook me. I was still running and lifting everyday, but I'd already come so far and have implemented it into my daily routine.
-Make a friend. My pencil hovered over this one. I'd gotten really close with the people at the Black Day cafe. Lauren is always so kind to me whenever I stop by. Her father, not so much, but he's definitely warmed up to me. I didn't know if they consider me their friend though, so I left this one uncrossed.
"Holy crap, I saw what happened on the news this morning Rebbecca." A worried voice and Rebbecca's name caught my attention, my head snapped up to see an angry Rebbecca walking through the hall. She did well hiding it in her movement but I could see the demons eating at her face.
Was the girl saying what Taylor and I did made it to the local news? A shiver crossed my spine. That was a freaking crazy night. I really hope we did enough to cover our tracks.
Rebbecca was dead silent, though her appearance spoke louder than words as she glared over the several students within the vicinity.
After the first few periods I went and got lunch as usual. Kassandra continued to thank me for the other day. Her partner was back in the kitchen in full force so I didn't need to lend a hand today.
"Hey, come over here!" A voice called out. I spotted Taylor getting up from one of the many lunch tables, waving. I hesitantly made the distance between us. I wasn't sure if she was waving my way.
"Hey Taylor." I greeted awkwardly holding my barren tray.
"Why don't you come and sit with me?" She offered, stretching her hand to the table beside us. there were a few people occupying it, but it was big enough for many more.
"This is unusual." I muttered, bashful.
"Not for long." She raised a finger. A sheepish smile captured my appearance before I bit into my cold, soulless sandwich.
We didn't talk about much, I mostly just listened in on the conversations happening around me. Taylor and I met up later in halls though. She ordered me to follow her after final period. I didn't know what for but I wasn't going to refuse.
"Hey." She called out startling Noah who was head deep in his locker.
"I half expected you to chicken out." She teased. After a moment passed Noah looked my way. Even though he looked terrified of me my face still flushed a bright red.
He distanced himself from us.
"Earth to Noah." Taylor waved her hand in of his face. "Are we going to talk or are you going to continue being a mute jerk?"
"Talk?" He responded confused.
"Yes, talk, that thing you've been refusing to do." She said, leaning towards him.
His gaze on us deepened, looking more on guard. "About?"
"Oh, I don't know. You being an ass?" She said, prompting him to avert his gaze.
"I don't want to talk." He denied, stubbornly.
"Tsk" She went silent, lowering her head.
"You know what, screw you, I'm hanging out with Nathan instead." She bit, grabbing onto my arm. It completely caught me off guard.
"You wanna hang out with m-me?" I stuttered, pointing to myself.
"Well duh, we're already kinda hanging out. I'm taking you into town though." Taylor said, her small frame leading mine.
"Um." I began, looking at Noah before being pulled out the door.
Taylor didn't let go until we were half way through the parking lot. I could tell something was up. We strode across the asphalt, up to her car. It was a big change compared to her father's truck. The seats were low and the space was just barely enough to fit myself into.
The silence that enveloped the car was almost audible. Neither of us talking, but both of us lost in the sea of thought, words flowing through our heads. I came to the realization that Taylor might have just been using me to make Noah jealous. After much hesitation I decided to confront her about it.
"Are you using me to make Noah Jealous?" I questioned, with little emotion coloring my tone. She didn't respond, her eyes fixated on the road. Does us hanging out not mean anything to her? Was she not interested in actually being friends?
"It's that obvious, huh." She decided to speak after a good minute, with a dry chuckle. I glanced at her, studying the emotion painted on her face.
"Sorry, this isn't fair to you." She apologized, a look of concern crawling onto her.
"Do you wanna hang out?" I asked her, putting emphasis on wanna. "If not you can take me home."
"Don't get me wrong, I want to hang out. I just saw a two birds one stone opportunity, so I took it". She explained.
"Noah's attitude's been bugging me lately, I just really want to find a way to change that."
"I'm going to make it up to you though. That was kind of jerkish of me." She said.
"It's fine." I assured her, turning my gaze to the window.
"Nope, it's a promise." She insisted. "I'm going to make today a day to remember."