Chapter 2: Do Tell

"You know, I probably was imagining things, but I swear we looked right at each other!"

Pat stretches, switching his cell to his other ear. He caught him self rolling his eyes as he found him self having to explain the eyes and whatever detail he could remember at lunch. He felt like he was playing charades, as even though they were on the phone, he motioned with his hands, providing visual examples for no one in particular.

"Oh, Chad!?" Lauren's voice breaks through he friend's monotonous descriptions. From the other side, Pat lights up with recognition, only to sink once again when his bet friend continues, "What would he want with you?"

"Hell should I know?" Pat retorts, shifting around again in his bed. A low sound of amusement plays in his ear and then… silence. Sometimes, he liked this silence and as it lingered, so did his thoughts, into far away places and things.

"So Jasmine said… Pat? Hey… Hey? Hey!!"

Pat nodded his head, groaning into the phone as a response. His eyes were halfway closed and proved to be a challenge to keep open. He was listening but somehow, it was as if every other second, Lauren's voice was put on mute. He stood in the middle of unconsciousness and consciousness, mind still working up concrete thoughts and responses he thought were leaving his mouth—which were, sort of, as a series of broken sounds. He continued nodding off, trying to fight, however, he lost and everything went black.

"To some, jelly is jelly, and it doesn't matter. But the only thing I would put on top of peanut butter and bread is grape jelly. Discrimination."

The entire class burst out into a fit of giggles. Pat's ears tinged pink as he made his way around back into his seat. Psychology is one of his favorite classes. He is the so-called nerd, because the true nerd didn't really extend any help and kept him self below the radar. Pat's policy in learning psychology was simple: associate it to life.

"Now, Chad, why don't you explain assimilation?"

Before Pat's head even hit the desk, he quickly lifted it back up, and his ears perked. Chad appeared to be moving in slow motion, sluggish, disinterested, with eyes lids drooping over hazel eyes. He wore a red flannel, unbuttoned so his white tee on the inside showed, and both were slightly wrinkled. The clothes hugged his body making his slim figure really obvious. When he spoke, he didn't even attempt to hide his disinterest emphasized by his flat tone. But even so, his was a voice people didn't mind listening to.
His voice was not too deep or too light and when he spoke, he appeared to be singing, even without trying. All of this, Pat noticed in the short time Chad stood before the class. Pat couldn't remember anything the boy said. He hadn't even noticed when he finished and sat back down. He did remember that for a brief moment his lungs were struck by a powerful scent.

"I hadn't noticed he was in my class--'till now! That's just weird."

"Not like your dreams."

"They stopped Lauren."

"That's good!" Lauren exclaimed, clapping her hands together, she paused, seeing Pat's disgruntled expression, "Isn't it?"

Pat's shoulders drop and he sighs. Lauren placed her hand on his shoulders and rubs on them, nuzzling her cheek against his neck. Pat's eyes traveled to the corner upon feeling something soft and familiar press against his neck.

"All you told me is that it's about a kiss tell me more about it."

Pat pulls away from Lauren in discomfort. She was a little too close. He didn't feel he could handle the warmth of her breath brushing against him teasingly. Why was he so bothered? He must be on one of his vulnerable days. Oh no, he must be on his "man period" as Lauren would call it.

"You know you can tell me anything."

Pat's eyebrows furrowed and his lips puckered. Lauren has been his best friend since…forever. He can tell her. He should be able to tell her. So, he did, and…

"AHAHAHAHA!!!!"

"I hope you choke on something."