4 CHAPTER IV
Vince remembers when he was little and he would look out his bedroom window, watching people passing by holding hands, and he would think about his future, about how his soulmate would hold his.
He wondered if they would hold his hands tightly, like they were afraid of letting him go. Or if they would do it delicately, as if he was precious and could break any time.
But of course these daydreams didn't last. They just left a bitter taste on his mouth and an unbearable pain inside his chest, always heavy with the thought of what it could be. He shakes his head, trying to get these thoughts away.
He doesn't want to think about when it all went wrong. It's too painful. The moment still seems fresh on his memory, ready to come back to the surface at any moment, and sometimes it takes all he has to stop it.
Jack comes back, pulling him out from his thoughts.
"So!" The boy smiles, "The principle said you should go home and rest for the day."
Vince nods, looking down. He does feel tired.
"Uh… Do you have anyone that can come pick you up?" Jack asks awkwardly, not sure how to interpret the other's silence.
Vince furrows his eyebrows, thinking for a second. He supposes Sev can come but he'll probably take a while to get here. He clears his throat. "Yes. I'll call a friend of mine." He smiles.
"Good." Jack smiles. "Get ready, then. I'll help you with your stuff."
|||
Jack checks his phone.
《 Jack > Theo》
》 Jack?
》 Did you meet him?
》Is he doing better?
》 Did the principle say anything?
》Jack?
》 JACK
》WHY AREN’T YOU ANSWERING????
》IF YOU’RE NOT WITH VINCE RIGHT NOW I SWEAR
《 Oh god
《 Chill!!!
《 We just left the nurse room.
》I hope you’re serious!
《 Of course I’m serious
《 We’re at the cafeteria
《 He’s trying to call one of his friends to pick him up cause the principle said he should go home.
Jack sighs. How can his best friend have so little faith in him? Well. He guesses he can’t really blame him.
He looks at Vince, who is focused on his own phone, and opens his cellphone’s camera.
He snaps a photo of him and sends it to Theo.
《Jack > Theo》
《 Here’s proof since you don’t believe me.
》Oh, thank god!
》I hope he feels better :(
》 I still don’t know what happened.
》Anyway, we’ll talk later.
》Thanks again!!!
《 No problem!
《 See you later.
|||
"Alright. Thanks, Sev." Vince hangs up the phone smiling, grateful for having a friend like Seven. He doesn't notice Jack staring at him.
"So?" Jack clears his throat, "Is your friend picking you up?"
"Yeah! He's on his way." He nods and smiles at him behind the mask.
"Good." Jack smiles back.
Must be someone special, to just drop everything for Vince. Or maybe Vince is the special one.
"Thank you for being here with me." Vince tells him shyly, staring at the ground. "But I really don't mind waiting alone, you know? It’s okay if you have to leave.”
Jack stops to watch the boy in front of him for a moment. He looks tired, dark circles around his eyes and his hair is a mess. His face is almost entirely hiding behind the facemask he put on and the scarf that covers his neck as well.
He still looks beautiful, somehow.
He shakes his head, thinking he must be getting sleepy, because he never thought that way about someone.
He usually just thinks about how attractive they are, and whether or not they're worth spending a night with - but he never stops to notice if they're beautiful.
He looks away, suddenly nervous, feeling a lump forming on his throat.
"I-It's okay. I don't mind." He forces a laugh. "Besides, like I told you, it's better than class."
Vince laughs as well, giggles actually, and Jack makes it his goal to hear more of it.
"Hey, Vince!" a tall boy approaches them, panting heavily.
"Hi, Sev, thanks for coming." Vince smiles wide and gets up, the other rushing closer and taking him on a hug.
"Of course, Vince." He smiles kindly and caresses Vince's hair. He looks up and sees Jack, staring at them.
“Hi! I'm Jack." The boy says as soon as he notices the other looking, waving his hand. "Nice to meet you."
Sev smiles and shakes his hand. "Likewise."
Jack smiles, trying to decide if he likes the boy or not.
"Let's get going, then." Sev pats Vince's back.
"Okay!" Vince nods and picks up his bag.
He turns to Jack, noticing that weird smile on his face again.
"So..." he coughs. "Thanks again, for being with me through all this." He gives him his best mask covered smile, happy to have met someone so kind.
"Don't worry." Jack smiles, a sweet honest smile now. Vince likes this smile better. "I'll see you tomorrow?"
Vince nods and waves at him. Sev bows again, and both of them leave.
Jack stands there watching the boy until he's out of sight. He sighs and shakes his head, forcing himself to get to class before he starts thinking too much.
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Class is finally over and Jack is as bored as ever. He just wants to go home and sleep the entire afternoon away, but just thinking about having to walk all the way to his dorm makes him want to cry.
He considers texting the guy who gave him a ride to campus. But it probably won’t be for free if he agrees to drive Jack back home too, and he isn’t really in the mood for that today.
He wonders if Theo could help him.
He could ask him if he has any news about Vince, too. Not that it matters, anyway, Jack is just curious.
He shakes his head, telling himself to stay focused, and grabs his phone to call Theo.
“Theo! Can you give me a ride home?”
“Hi to you too, Jack.”
“Please.” He whines. “I’m too tired to walk.”
“You’re lazy, that’s what you are!” Jack hears him scoffing. “I’m not going straight home after class, I need to stop by Vince’s house and drop today’s homework.”
Jack raises his eyebrows, thinking.
“Oh… I can come with you.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, why not.”
“Okay then… I’ll see you after class.”
“See you.”
Jack hangs up and smiles to himself.
