Addicted [BoyxBoy]

Give Me A Sign

Mr. Patterson looked at me swiftly as I walked into the classroom. He peered through the top of his glasses and looked at me with a bright smile. I smiled back and nodded before he continued lecturing the class.

Mr. P was a very outgoing person. How could he not be? He was an art teacher. The students found him very amusing. His actions spoke for him, excited and exaggerated. His physique spoke a little too: wild gray hair, lanky form, and a wardrobe that begged for correction. But he was kind, passionate, and a lot of fun. Everyone loved him, especially me.

As I walked towards the back, I glanced at the ground near the easel I had used the night before. The janitor managed to clean up the blue paint stains I couldn't get out of the dark gray linoleum floor. This guy was good.

I walked back to the cupboard and pulled out the brushes that the class had used that day, just as he was dismissing everyone. Mr. Patterson came to the back with me, and while I was cleaning the brushes in the sink he said, "Hey, Caleb, I wanted to apologize for having you in here alone so often, but the art showing is coming along really nicely and I wanted to invite you. It's in three weeks."

His big brown eyes lit up as he talked about his gallery, and I couldn't help but politely smile and say, "Okay, sure, thanks."

He smiled and nodded, before turning and walking back towards the door. "Lock up for me when you're done," he called as he left.

Usually I liked silence.

But with my thoughts constantly screaming in my head, I wished I could be immersed in noise so that I didn't have to hear it all.

He's straight, don't fall for him.

She's not gonna dump him, he's not gonna dump her, it's happened. Live with it.

Then my heart would retaliate:

They won't last forever.

He seems to really care. What if he does like me?

I was so immersed in my internal argument that I didn't notice that I had cleaned all the brushes and the water was just running through my shaking fingers.

This shouldn't have such an effect on me.

I sighed and turned off the water, leaning against the sink to take a breath and compose myself.

Turning around, I leaned against the counter and stared at the empty room.

It mirrored how alone I felt on the inside.

Who else around me could even remotely relate? Sure of something yet totally confused with it at the same time?

A knock at the door snapped me out of my thoughts. It proved how unfocused and dazed I was.

"Come in!" I called to the mystery knocker.

Bobby's head poked around the doorway, his eyes wide and expressive.

As if I didn't have enough problems already.

"Hey, you," he grinned and stepped in.

"Hey," I breathed, walking towards him, "How did you find this place? I never told you where it was."

He pulled me into a fierce hug, wrapping his arms around my entire body effortlessly.

"Bobby," I choked, "Oxygen."

He kept holding on for a few more seconds (as I expected he would) before letting go and smirking at me.

"Sorry, I went to your house to see you and your mom told me where you were," he explained with his hands in his back pockets.