Chapter Six: Nathan’s Basically Trouble, Hello And Goodbye

It was not what Josh had expected over the past moments of his life as a hand clung onto his shoulder.

The touch sent every part of his body rigid. He could not tell anyone about how his father would treat him brutally.

“Are you fine?” It was Thomas’s sharp voice behind him.

Josh turned around and plastered on a fake smile that he had always felt inside the knots of his mind.

“Yes, I’m fine.” He replied in his soft baritone voice which brought an ease of easiness to the friend in front of him.

“Come on. Lunch?” Thomas said while giving Josh a warm smirk. Both of them started walking away from the lockers of hell and their footsteps echoed behind them.

Both of them sat at their desks. They looked like they were the kings of heavenly clouds just by sitting there.

Spaghetti was on Thomas’s plate and its aroma circularized in Thomas's senses.

Meanwhile Josh sipped his water as his notebook stayed laid on the table. He was calculating the variability of the points that he committed to and wasted for nothing.

Sweat ran down his forehead, but his eyes were focused deeply and cut through the thin paper.

A hand slammed down on the table and made his eyes go wide. He nearly dropped his notebook.

“Hello.” The voice was charming and sounded innocent.

He looked up and felt the temperature on his skin grow.

It was Nathan. The strands of his black hair were clearly perfect.

“Hi.” He replied and then returned to studying.

Nathan squatted down and sat next to Josh.

Josh could feel his eyes prickle as he forced them to read and study. He wanted no distractions.

“What?” He shouted. This time his voice was the definition of a king.

Thomas on the other hand stared at them. He watched both of their mouths move and reply to one another.

“You need help with that?” Nathan offered as he placed his arm on Josh’s shoulder.

Josh began to feel his stomach twist. Clearly Nathan would not budge and Josh wanted to study alone. Josh's eyes crept up and he pushed Nathan’s arm away.

The suspect's eyes wrapped around both of them as if they were scrolling on a screen.

He didn’t need help.

“No. Why would I need your help?” Josh said with a different and cold voice mixed with power.

Nathan’s pressured smirk looked like it started to get hit by a car that dropped onto a massive vortex.

Josh rolled his eyes and took the headset out from his bag. He played a song that matched the vibe he was going for.

Finally Nathan flew away from them. Thomas on the other hand finished his spaghetti without even giving Josh a bite.

“Shit. My stomach had eaten all the spaghetti.” Thomas said sarcastically.

Josh and Thomas had a habit of sharing food sometimes. It was a normal bro thing actually.

“It’s fine, I can get another one.” Josh replied.

“Anyway, why give Nathan a harsh moment?” Thomas asked. He was clearly invading the attention away from the studying on the thick paper.

Josh pulled his headset out. His eyes widened and his jaw clenched.

“I did not give him a harsh time.” He stated and gave a thumbs up to Thomas whose throat was bobbing.

Four hours had gone by.

He never gave Nathan a hard time because the time was already ticking on the clock hanging below the doorway of his last subject.

The bell connected with the metal straight object.

Ding! Ding!

Josh stepped out of his room. The aura orbiting him made all the girls' eyes gaze at him and his features glowed rapidly. He was about to step one more foot forward when a voice rushed in.

“Mr. President! Wait!” It was Tristan.

Josh spun around and his heartbeat went up. The curves finally cracked open as his jaw tensed down.

He stared directly at Tristan's deep-ocean eyes and it gave him goosebumps internally.

Deny! He could not do this anymore. Tristan always found something that crawled around Josh’s skin.

But why? He was perfectly fine. Nothing was wrong at all. Perfect as always, he straightened his back like his straight A grades.

“Yeah?” He managed to control his voice as he replied nonchalantly.

“About the math… what was it?” Tristan tried recalling what the competition's full title was.

“Math Decathlon.” Josh groaned as he managed to control his hands from shaking.

“Yes! About that, you can come to my place tomorrow after class!” Tristan said out loud as if he was trying to attach a string between the two of them.

His place? If it was not large and did not make his back feel the jerk pain of their couch, then it would be fine.

“I am going to think about it.” Josh replied. He felt relieved that he chose the perfect words to attack him with.

“Now, goodbye.” Josh said like he was trying to get rid of him. Tristan noticed that and rubbed his curly dark hair.

“Wait! Thomas invited me to go to the arcade with him. I thought you were coming Mr. President.” Tristan tried to persuade Josh as Josh's legs went into mechanic mode.

Josh had forgotten that Thomas invited him earlier. He had shaken hands with Thomas and sealed that the deal was made.

The scent of a black rose perfume rose through his nostrils as Thomas walked up and placed a hand on Josh’s rock-solid shoulder that softened all of a sudden.

“So, Josh ready to smash at the arcade?” Thomas's voice deducted the scent from his nostrils.

Josh had to study on his own later at his desk. The sins in his mind had to be devoured by praying to God.

“Josh?” Tristan blew his body onto the cold snow boiling on his skin which made that thought go away.

“Su-sure, I mean no. I have to study for the Math Decathlon. And one thing first, I don’t go out with losers.” Josh regained his throne back and his voice was mesmerizing.

He turned around and started to walk away. His mind and heart were still out of control where the fire leaped brutally.

“Come on, dude!” Thomas yelled at his back.

“Just let him be.” He heard Tristan’s small voice.