Chapter Text
Class was getting very long.
It takes everything in Mike not to fall asleep. But even if he wanted to, he couldn’t.
He felt observed.
Make sense, since all the students in the room were looking at him, which was very uncomfortable by the way. But it wasn’t just that.
Someone was watching him, intensely. And it came from outside. Nobody seems to feel it.
A chill ran down his spine.
“You okay Mike?” whispered his right neighbor.
“Yeah Logan.”
“But you’ve been looking at the window since the start of the class.” He replied, eyebrows stretched. Mike shrugged his shoulders.
“I like the sky.”
“You mean you’ve been sending glances at the window for the whole hour because you like watching the sky?” Asked his left neighbor, eyebrows furrowed. “Bullshit. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing—”
“This isn’t nothing anymore,” Jordan said.
“And you know it.”
“Jordan… Maybe he doesn’t want to talk about it.”
“We’re his best friends!” He said a little too loud. “We’re in the right to ask what’s wrong and to be—”
“Misters Miller, Stevens and Lewis. What’s happening?”
“Nothing Mister!” They replied in unison. The teacher turned back on his math problems.
Jordan looked sharply at Mike.
“We’re talking about this later.”
They went out of the room with a relieved sigh.
“Who decided to put 2 hours of math on Monday mornings?” Some guy asked.
“Someone who want us to die maybe.” His friend replied. Their laughs reverbed in the corridor.
“Let’s go to somewhere isolated,” proposed Jordan, leading the way.
They stopped at a little patio next to the Sloan Mathematics Corner and sat in a circle.
“So,” started Jordan, “What happened?”
The wind blew in the trees, making the birds fly away from the leaves. Mike relaxed.
“Someone was watching me.”
“From outside? That’s new.” Logan elbowed Jordan in the ribs.
“What do you mean?”
Mike looked at them.
“It wasn’t just some student. Someone was here, studying me… I don’t know, but it was weird. And that creeped me out.”
Jordan and Logan shared a look.
“Okay.” Logan sighed. “We don’t push him.”
He looked at Mike. “If something feels off, you leave. That’s it.”
“And make sure no one follow you.” Added Jordan. “Evan can’t bring you back?”
Mike didn’t want him to miss class because of him, so he shook his head. They give him a look unimpressed, but they didn’t press further.
“Okay then. You’ll take the train.”
“Sure. They’ll be people there, so I won’t be kidnapped or killed or whatever this person watching me wants to do to me.”
“Even so, you’d be able to kick their ass off.” Added Logan, with a smile.
“Yeah. And thanks for telling us your thoughts, that means a lot.” Jordan murmured, eyes on the sky.
“Always guys.” Mike replied with a smile. “We should head to class now.”
As class ended, Mike sent a text to Evan.
“Text us when you’ll get home.” Jordan said, walking away.
“And be safe,” add Logan.
“Yeah,” Mike replied, “See you tomorrow!”
He left the Braun Music Center and felt the sharp eyes close to him. They were on him in music too, but farther, since they were on the second floor.
He look around but nothing.
Mike walked quicker to his bus stop.
As he sat on the bus, he didn’t feel the gaze anymore. He relaxed and put on some music.
The bus stopped at the train station and Mike got off.
He headed to the station, and the familiar gaze was back.
Mike turned around. People were rushing to take their train; they pushed him inside the station.
As they went away, his breath was quick and his heartbeat pounded loudly.
Crowds really weren’t his things.
He reached a wall and breathed.
The look felt sharper and closer than before. Mike sensed a movement, but he didn’t have any time, a little needle transpierced his neck.
Then it all went black. Silence swallowed him, except for a single beat—like a heart.
Evan’s heart raced, and for a moment, he forgot where he was.
Then, he was back at his place, sitting by the window.
Everything was normal: students glared at him and whispered, the teacher was amazed by him as always, they were talking to him, he was smiling…
Except, it wasn’t normal: Mike wasn’t okay, he just wanted to reassure Evan and maybe even himself, but Evan knew better.
Mike has been doing those fucking nightmares for 4 weeks. He hasn’t slept, he hasn’t eaten, he hasn’t smiled, he hasn’t laughed and he hasn’t finished his music project due to next week.
That made a lot of bad things.
And it was a big problem. Those things were affecting Mike’s reality and Evan felt useless. Forced to watch the person he loved the most suffered from this weird thing.
Evan thought about their talk earlier. Mike looked like he was sure nothing could help except him, but Evan was skeptical.
I need you. He didn’t understand. “—an!” What can he do? He wasn’t enough and he knew it.
Don’t ever say that again. So it was that? “—van!” He’ll just stay here, watching, loving? No. Love isn’t always the answer. Even if he sincerely loved Mike, the problem was beyond that.
“Evan!” He snapped up his head. A classmate was standing before him, bag on his shoulder. “Class is finished. We have English.”
Evan looked around, nobody in view. He cracked a smile.
“I’m coming. Thanks.”
He put his belongings in his bag and headed to building 420.
The text they worked on was about love. How it could change or heal people.
Questions were noted on the board, and the teacher was explaining some things. But Evan didn’t care.
Fists clenched and shivering, biting his lips, he thought: What if it’s possible but I just don’t love him enough?
He knew it was childish and futile. Only stupid people can think love solved it all.
But right now, reading this, thinking about this morning. He couldn’t help himself.
He sighed and looked at the sky.
The memory of black hair and a big smile flashed before his eyes.
It was the first day he took Mike on his bike.
They were high schoolers, in May, their 1st month of relation.
The sky was blue and the sun was setting.
Evan picked up Mike, leaning against his motorcycle.
“Wow! You have a bike! That’s super cool! Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t think it was important. And we both know that you’d made me pick you up every day.”
“Yeah.” Mike chuckled. “But wouldn’t it be great? We would spend much more time together!”
Evan smiled, lower at Mike’s level and kissed him softly.
“If you want to, I’ll do it.”
Evan got on his motorcycle and gestured Mike to sit behind him. He looked at him, surprised.
“No helmets?”
Evan side-eyed him.
“Want to?”
Mike climbed onto the bike, arms wrapping around Evan’s waist.
“That’s what I though you little delinquent.”
Mike rested his head on Evan’s back.
“That's the pot calling the kettle black. And you know, I’m a nonconformist.” He whispered. “I don’t like rules.”
Evan’s eyes widened and he burst out into laughter.
“Well, Mister I love freedom, let’s get out of here!”
Mike tightened his grip and Evan started the engine. They rode away at high speed.
“Woo-hoo!”
The bike was running fast, with no cars on the road. Evan turned around, he gasped.
Mike was beautiful, even stunning.
The wind made his hair dance around his face. He was looking around, mesmerized by the view. The sunlight hitting him perfectly.
Feeling Evan’s gaze, he looked at him and grinned.
Evan went back to the road, a blush on his cheeks.
When Mike rode down the bike, he hugged him.
“Thanks for the ride! I love you.”
Evan froze and Mike pulled away. He walked to his door but stopped right in front. He shifted abruptly.
“I want to buy a bike!” He said, eyes sparkling.
“Sure! We’d do races then!” Evan replied, with a small smile.
“Deal!” Mike shouted.
“Deal.”
A smile took place on his lips.
No, it wasn’t true. He loved Mike with all his soul, and nothing could change that.
His phone buzzed in his bag. He took it and his smile faded a little.
From Love
“I’m going home
Don’t worry and stay in class
See you later, love you ”
In times like this, he regretted not living on campus.