Chapter 8

Wednesday (6 days before camp)

Nick looked in the mirror to find his patch still on his forehead. He pulled it off wincing in pain still wondering who put it there.

Nick got on the bus to find it abnormally quiet. He waded cautiously through the aisle and took an empty seat at the back. He brought his hand to his forehead and slid his hand over the small scab that had formed. Nick shook his hair back into place on his forehead concealing the wound. He sighed and sank into his seat.

The morning was fairly normal. Random shoves and pushes from people became routine for Nick.

Don't mind them, he thought.

He shoved his things into his locked and walked into class to see an exceptionally quiet class 10D. Nick slid into his seat silently as Miss Bradley walked in.

"Class, as you have probably heard based off of everyone's behavior this morning, I'm assuming you have found out the bad news. The principal sadly passed away yesterday in a car crash."

A quiet sob came from a girl in the corner of the class. Everyone's head's were lowered. Nick didn't really know the principal but assumed that everyone liked him. He looked around at everyone's sad expressions. Nick looked over at Alex who had his fists clenched on his desk, green eyes burning with rage. He stood up violently and began walking swiftly towards the exit.

"Alex, please sit do-" Miss Bradley began, but was cut short by the slamming of the door where Alex had been. There was a tense silence in the room before everyone relaxed into their chairs. "U-um, you may talk among yourselves..." Miss Bradley said. No one began talking but instead continued sitting in silence.

Nick began to wonder what was going on with Alex. What happened to Alex? Why was he so upset? Nick raised his hand.

"M-Miss Bradley, may I please go to the bathroom?" Nick asked

"Yes, you may."

Nick hurried out of the door and started towards the male bathrooms. The halls were void of students and silent of their chatter. The only thing Nick could hear were the sound of his footsteps on the ground.

Upon arriving at the bathroom, Nick gingerly opened the door. He looked around the lavatory to find Alex sitting against the wall, knees up to his head that was buried into his legs. Nick heard a faint sob coming from Alex. He cautiously tip-toed towards Alex before stopping before him. He squatted down, Alex still not paying any attention to who was there.

"H-Hey, Alex. Are... um... Are you o-okay?" Nick stuttered. Alex looked up at Nick with a sad expression on his face, tears strolling down it. His eyes were bloodshot and puffy and his bottom lip was shaking. Perfect eyebrows curved upwards to form an almost scared complexion.

As soon as Alex realized Nick was in front of him, his expression turned to a cold scowl. Alex was furious. He was upset and the one they send was this dickhead? What a joke.

Alex sprang from the ground at Nick grabbing his shirt and pushing his body onto the ground. Nick gave a yelp of surprise as he was grounded, Alex hovering above him. Alex was still gripping Nick's shirt as his expression showed that he was furious. His emerald green eyes burning intently, face going red, eyebrows tensed so hard down they almost were touching at the bridge of his nose. He was breathing heavily through his tightly clenched teeth whose smile was long forgotten, his free hand in the air, tightly clenched in a fist above his head. Nick's expression turned to one of fright.

"WHY ARE YOU HERE, ASSHOLE, HUH? WHERE ARE MY FRIENDS? WHY ARE YOU HERE! WHY HIM, HUH? WHY WAS IT HIM? WHY WAS HE THE ONE TO BE TAKEN?! MY UNCLE? MY ONLY FATHER FIGURE I COULD LOOK UP TO! HE WAS A PERFECT MAN, HE DIDN'T DESERVE ANYTHING BUT THE BEST, BUT INSTEAD I'M FACED WITH YOU?" Alex screamed at Nick.

Alex's fist began to plunge through the air towards Nick. Nick's eyes went wide before closing them tightly as well as tensing the rest of his face bracing for impact. Shitshitshitshit Nick thought...

Alex's fist stopped millimetres away from Nick's cheek. Alex paused for a moment before lightly pushing his fist into Nick's face, then dropping his hand. The vice like grip Alex had on Nick's shirt lightly loosened as tears fell and landed on Alex's hand. Nick looked up to see Alex's face still tightly tensed but with clear despair in his eyes. He clenched them close tightly.

"W-Why... Him... Why...W-W-Why..." Alex tried to choke out. He pulled his hand that was still attached to Nick's shirt to his forehead, forcing Nick's upper body to sit up from the ground. Alex began letting out held back sobs, tears falling from his tightly closed eyes. Nick slowly brought his left hand to the back of Alex's head and pulled him into his chest where his shoulders relaxed as he fell into the gracious embrace. Nick's face heated up slightly.

Alex began to pour out all of his emotions into Nick's shirt, staining it with tears, his cries ringing in Nick's ears as he rubbed Alex's shoulder in comfort. They sat there for a few minutes before Alex's voice slowed down and loosened himself.

"It'll be okay."

Alex slowly looked up at Nick with a tear stricken face and red and green eyes that were swollen. Alex expression suddenly changed as if he just realized where he was and what he was doing. He pushed Nick back on the ground, his body hovering over him, their faces only inches apart.

"D-Don't think this changes anything, asshole," Alex said shakily, breathing raggedly. He stood up and walked out of the bathroom with his hands in his pockets.

Nick lay there on the bathroom floor for a moment before getting up and going to his next class, feeling deep down that he did something right.