Chapter Three - Receiving

After a long night of pondering on whether or not to actually give the girl the note he was now on the bus with his head held high despite his nervousness and lack of energy. Once he locked eyes with the woman in the back he marched towards her and held out the note which caused her to blink repeatedly for a second before taking it. Inside he was cheering himself on as he walked away from her, still holding his head high.

"Whoa dude what was that about?" Jon asked, laughing a little.

Bryce only shrugged his shoulders at the man before plopping down beside him. As much as Bryce considered him a friend he didn't want to tell him anything due to things that have happened over the last few months. It wasn't that he didn't like Jon but more or less that he didn't particularly trust him fully. He didn't want to tell him a single thing because as of right now he was enjoying having something be just his little secret.

——>

Bryce stares at anything and everything but his teacher in hopes of blocking out her lecture, of course this came to no avail. She was going on about a story they had just read and don't get him wrong, he loved the book but this made the fourth lecture of the week and his brain was fried to hell and back. A knock at the door caused the woman to pause and he thanked the heavens above someone came to interrupt her even if it was just for a moment. He lazily moved his gaze toward the door to see a man peering his head in, not just any man though. The man that ran into him. He opened the door more so the teacher could see him then put his hands in his pockets and gave a cheeky grin to the woman before her eyes lit with amusement.

"Ah Ryan I see you and the others made it."

Why're they here?

Luke gave a slight pat to Bryce as he walked passed him with a laptop in his hands causing Bryce to pass a small smile. He looked back at the teacher to see her facing the board before glancing back at his friend who was sitting directly across from him. Bryce then snapped his fingers and got Lukes attention before mouthing, "Why're you here?" This caused the man to just stare at him with a dumbfounded expression as he tried his hardest to process what he was asked.

"Makeup test." Luke (tried to anyways) whispers back with a grin.

Bryce gave a nod before turning back around and listening to his teacher, the feeling of eyes burning into his skull causing him to take another glance back. Luke was lost in his computer so he looked over at the guy named Ryan only to see he was also lost in his computer. Who could it have been then? Maybe just his imagination getting the better of him? After all he was a bit on edge since the note. Soon the bell rang and as everyone packed up and left he soon found himself being the only one there other than the teacher who sat grading papers.

He sighed a sigh of relief before rubbing his eyes and glancing around the room until he stopped on a familiar gray hoodie hanging from the chair. As students began to flood the room he snatched it up and nearly sprinted his way out of the room and down the halls, his eyes frantically gazed around until they landed on the brunette who was walking alone. Bryce began to walk faster and faster, somehow dodging every student that nearly smacked into him. His fingers acted as a hook and curled their way around the man's shirt before giving a slight tug causing the guy to come to a complete stop as he looked over his shoulder to see Bryce.

The blonde held up his finger as he panted in hopes of retrieving some of the oxygen that had left his body on that little speed run. He thought of it like a side quest to a video game which brought a quirky smile to his lips as he raised his head back up, "Is this yours?"

Ryan and him locked eyes and the brunette found himself with mouth slightly agape as e took the hoodie back causing him to give a shake to his head and smile, "Yeah thanks man, I owe you one honestly."

"Don't worry about it," Bryce waved it off with a laugh, "names Bryce."

"Bryce huh? Call me Ryan."

The two locked hands before Bryce looked at the clock on the hallway wall and went wide eyed in shock. Not only was he late but the realization that he was shaking hands with the man he found kinda cute finally settled in and boy was his heart pounding through his chest. He began to stumble over words as he struggled to make out an excuse to be leaving and heading to his next class, leaving Ryan speechless.

"Bye Bryce," Ryan chuckles out as he calls down the halls to the now running boy.

Even though the moment between them was short he couldn't help but feel as if he unlocked a hidden achievement. He felt as though he finally did something that wasn't cowardly. With a small grin he silently began cheering himself on in his head before he reached his next class.

——>

The clocks hand was moving ever so slow, with only a minute left of class he was tapping his foot cooly on the surface below in hopes of maybe speeding the process up. His pencil tapping on the desk and other students writing was the only thing that filled the room around him. He had already finished his test and the adrenaline rush he was getting from thinking about receiving another note from the man he didn't know.

As the bell rang and students rushed to get their tests in Bryce was the only one zooming out the door and to the bus where students crammed their way inside. Once he was in he took his casual seat next to Johnathan and waited patiently, the other man taking note of this but choosing to stay silent on the matter. As the girl got on the bus she locked eyes with him before handing him yet another sticky note, this one being baby blue.

Quickly he undone the note and began to read the words written in fine ink.

Dear McQuaid,

I can assure you I have no need to pull anything on you. If it makes you feel any better about me I'll give you my locker number and you can drop the note off there though I rarely come by when people just stand there. I knew you had to be new in some form, I haven't seen you that often. I won't make this long for you Bryce so I'll end it with my locker number. Be sure to write me sometime. 434

P.S- Tell me what you like. Favorite colors and hobbies—yanno the usual.

There was a small smile then his face scrunched up as he wondered how the hell this guy got his name. Stalker much? Maybe, just maybe this wasn't a joke.

"What'ta hell you smiling for?"

"Nothing."