Freak (Sherlock x reader high school AU)

Three: Movie Night

You and Sherlock continue eating together, talking about the randomest of things all the while. From you trying to convince him why watching films isn't a waste of time and can actually be quite fun, to him explaining what upward and downward inflictions in people's voices can reveal about them. There's never a dull moment in your conversations.

But, just as he cautioned, people begin to take notice of your spending time together. It was little things at first. People would snicker when you two walked by, whispering harshly to their friends with tickled smiles. You could feel eyes boring into your back when you sat in class, making you sink deeper into your chair. Things escalated slowly. One morning you came to your locker to see "Loser 2" written in thick black sharpie across it, "Loser 1" written on Sherlock's.
His eyes meet yours and you find some apology in them. He doesn't sit with you at any meals that day. After dinner you find him in the science lab, which is usually locked, but Mr. Levinson gave him a key months ago after he found Sherlock breaking in anyways. He's shaking some white powder over a bubbling liquid, taking notes furiously.

"You're not upset" his words sound surprised.

"Nah" you shrug, sitting in the chair across from him, fiddling with an empty test tube.

And that's the end of that.

You're thinking about that moment as you walk down the corridor on the way to your third class, eyes trained to the ground but head lost in the clouds. You're still caught up on the simplicity of the moment. You didn't have to have some longs feelings talk, you just both understood that things were okay, very few words needed.

Coincidentally, it's his words that pull you out of your day dreaming. His voice stands out amongst the buzz of conversations surrounding, and you find yourself following it, passing the door to your classroom.

He stands with his back to the wall of lockers, Thomas, Liam, and Malcom surrounding him. Malcom holds a composition notebook over Sherlock's head, waving in tauntingly.

"All you gotta do is jump" Malcom laughs, shrugging his shoulders casually.

"The bell is about to ring, we're all going to be late to class, so if you could simply give me my notebook back I'd greatly appreciate it" Sherlock responds in the calmest voice possible. They take pleasure in his frustration, therefore he mustn't appear frustrated. No matter how much he actually is.

The hallways have started to clear at this point, and soon you won't have a sea of hurrying students to hide you. Time to make a decision.

"Come on, just jump freak"

That word, that one syllable word is what spurs the anger that starts in your chest and spreads throughout your entire body. Freak . That's all anyone here calls him. And each time you can see it in his eyes, if only for a split second, that it hurts.

"Hey Sherlock!" you call, all their heads snapping in your direction. With absolutely no plan for what you're to say or do, you walk towards them.

"Aw, girl friend to the rescue" Thomas coos, you roll your eyes.

"Speaking of girlfriends, yours is on the warpath Malcom. Heard her shouting in the girl's lavatory about some chat room with another girl she saw on your laptop..." the words come quickly and effortlessly,

His eyes go wide and the notebook falls from his hand as he retreats, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Fuck fuck fuck" he mutters, sharing a look with Thomas and Liam.

"Told ya you should've cleared your bloody computer history!" Liam groans as they all begin racing down the hallway towards the dorms wing.

You grab Sherlock's notebook from the floor and hand it to him, a satisfied smile on your face.

"You were lying" he smirks, sounding rather impressed.

"Acting," you correct, "a line from a movie I like. I always thought it was clever. Every teenage boy in the world's got some dirty secret on his computer he's hiding from his girl friend. I'm sure Malcom's no exception"

"Brilliant" he mutters, "At least, until he finds out it was a lie and his girlfriend has no idea about...whatever it is he's done"

"That's a problem for another day" waving your hand dismissively.

He nods in response.

"Hey, ya know, I was thinking..." you start to say, "Would you maybe wanna, I don't know, not go to class..."

He tilts his head to the side, "And do what instead?"

"Oh, er, I don't really have anything particular in mind..."

"Yes you do" he states.

"Yeah, I do"

"Go on then"

"Well, it's just that, there's, uh, there's, er-"

"Why do you keep saying words that don't explain anything? You simply keep repeating the same sort of thing as if you've forgotten how to speak" he says as if pointing something out to you.

"I know. I know. I just-"

"You're nervous" he mutters to himself.

"No I'm not"

"Creases in forehead, eyebrows furrowed together, applied concentration to simple words which really only makes them harder to say, fidgeting with the sleeve of your left sweatshirt, clenched jaw-"

"Do you want to go see a film Sherlock? At a theatre? Do you want to see a bloody film with me at the bloody theatre?" you shout, throwing your hands up in frustration. Why does he always figure you out so easily.

"Yes. Of course. I mean, no, I'd rather not go see a film. But it's better than here. I don't like films, but I like your company, which I suppose is worth sitting through an easily predictable slide of poorly shot scenes with two dimensional characters. Sometimes I guess the ending within the first five minutes, that can be fun" he nods as if weighing the pros and cons in his head.

You're still stuck on the "I like your company" part. That's about as close to an admission of friendship either of your have gotten. Because friends is a solid thing, a real word with real weight and meaning. It's a label. And once it's put there, it remains. Until it doesn't. And that's all so messy.

"So that's a yes?" you laugh, already walking down the corridor towards one of the side exit doors.

"Of course" he says, smiling as he follows.

It's a large school with a lot of students, easy enough to slip out, especially when no one cares to notice you to begin with. You end up watching quite a movies, until morning turns into evening and the sun has set. It's dark when you leave, dark and quiet, except for your two voices, laughing over some romantic comedy that you watched fourth, which you've already forgotten the name of. Giggling mainly due to sugar highs from sweets and soda, you ease your way back inside the school and to the dorms wing.

"Some of those were surprisingly alright" he chuckles as you near his door, "And now I'm not at all tired and probably won't go to sleep for another..." he checks his watch, "three and a half hours"

"Me too"

You stand staring at him for a moment, leaning back on your heels, then shifting your weight forward.

"Did you wanna..." he swings open the door and motions inside, "We could watch another film maybe, if you've got any-"

"I know just the right one!" you smile, nodding swiftly as you take off down the corridor to fetch it from your room.

You fall asleep in his dorm room bed, the first of many times, with the movie Driving Lessons playing, him dozing off at his desk over some study he's doing on the different types of green tea leaves. It was the best day either of you have had in forever.