The Carnivore [boyxboy]

Chapter 11

Rory rushed to pull up his pants and put on a shirt. He was running late to get to school already, but that didn’t really matter. It was finally a Friday anyways. Kristen was still sore about her break up with Deacon earlier in the week, and so Rory tried not to mention it too much.

Rory hurried into the bathroom to brush his teeth. He grabbed his toothbrush and felt a sting from his knuckle. He ignored it only long enough to brush his teeth before inspecting the cracked skin. He frowned at it and dabbed some Neosporin on it then, complete with a Band-Aid before meeting his mother and Kristen downstairs.

He went through the morning as usual; keeping his head down in class and doodling over his notebook. Maybe he should actually consider using the sketchbook he’d been given for the drawing class instead? But it was in his art locker. He’d get it later.

The period right before lunch, he felt another split on a knuckle. This time it was his left hand. He frowned at it and lathered more hand sanitizer onto his hands, biting his lip through the pain as it went into the raw skin. Once the class ended he made his way to the nurses office and asked for a handful of Band-Aids. He put one over the second cut.

Outside the office he inspected his hands a bit more closely. Maybe they were a bit dry, but it was a given with the climate—and winter would start soon. He met up with his friends for lunch and tactfully ate out of the plastic baggy that held his sandwich.

He half expected Deacon to come out and visit him during lunch, but it didn’t happen. It’s not like it really mattered anyways; Deacon had classes after all. Rory wondered if once Deacon got a girlfriend, if the rides home from school would stop.

He hoped not. Maybe he really should start pushing for Kristen to be able to drive the second car to and from school. What was the point of it if they hardly used it?

Lunch finished and he went to his last few classes of the day. He was still somewhat wary of Mr. White and being asked questions. He guiltily hid the Band-Aids on his fingers through the class. Mr. White only stopped him briefly after class. “Is Deacon still dating your sister?” he asked.

“Not anymore,” Rory admitted. Was it really any of his teacher’s business? “Why?”

“Mm. Have you seen Deacon today?”

“Not yet, but he’s giving me a ride home from school.” At least that was still the plan, or so he hoped. Maybe he should actually learn to check his phone for something like a text message.

Mr. White grunted and let him go then. Rory lagged behind the rush of the crowd to get to the busses and made way for the parking lot instead. He picked out Deacon’s car and went over it. Deacon was already waiting inside and Rory could hear the muffled music.

Rory went around to the passenger side and climbed in. “How was your day?” Deacon asked, turning his music down.

“Fine.” It had been just like any other day, really. He liked the repetition of things, aside from Mr. White always trying to ask questions.

“What happened to your hands?” Deacon questioned, reaching over instinctually, but stopping just before actually touching Rory’s hands.