Reaching the front entrance, Skylar grabbed the door and tried to open it softly. He wasn't sure if the doors would be locked by now. They were only a couple of minutes late, so the teacher would most likely give them late slips or call the office to change their attendance. Sky hoped the teacher hadn't already done the attendance because it would make it easier, but he didn't mind taking a late slip to the office. The door didn't open when Sky pulled on it, so he pressed the ringer to get into the school. Stepping back, he waited to hear a buzz that signalled that the door was unlocked. He opened it and stepped aside for Alex. He let go of the door and was quick to return to Alex's side. "To the art room we go." Skylar said When they got to the art room, Sky walked in first, slightly holding the door open for Alex. He went to his seat, and sat down, trying not to make eye contact with anyone. He offered a small smile to the teacher but that was all.

Alex slowed to a stop a few steps behind Skylar when they reached the doors of the school. He glanced towards Skylar before watching as he tried the doors only to find them locked and hand to press the ringer to get the doors opened for them. The idea that he was late enough for the doors to be locked like this sent a tendril of worry and unease through him, though he did his best not to let it show. Hopefully, his parents wouldn't learn of this. Funny, how, when he'd made the decision to go to Skylar's place he hadn't held any worry about his parents learning he was late to class, but now that he was here, waiting for the doors to open it was almost overpowering. He nearly jumped when he heard the buzz signaling that the doors had been unlocked and looked up to find Skylar pulling one open and stepping aside for him. For a second Alex was still before he offered him a smile and moved to step inside. After taking a few steps from the door, Alex slowed and turned to wait for Skylar to join him, and once he had he started walking next to him towards art class. At Skylar's words, he chuckled softly and gave a nod. When they reached the art room Alex offered Skylar a thankful smile when, once again, he held the door for him. Turning his blue hues to the teacher he gave a slight nod. "Sorry, we're late." He said before he moved to take his seat at the back of the class.

When Sky was seated, his eyes moved to look at Alex. He watched as Alex sat down in his spot, and he offered him a quick smile before looking away. Sky couldn't belive that Alex was officially his boyfriend now. He wouldn't be able to show him off but knowing that Alex was his, and he was Alex's, made his heart flutter. Sky was fine with this being a secret, for now. Sky leaned back in his seat, letting his eyes wander around the classroom. It seemed like nobody cared, they were in grade 12 and that's when people get less judgy and stare less. "Hope you had a great vacation Skylar, you've got lots to catch up on though." The art teacher said (forgot her name). Sky was slightly surprised when the art teacher spoke to him, his mom must have said something. "Ya, it was great." Sky replied, swallowing thickly before looking at Alex. "Also, you guys are just in time for attendance." She also added.

After sliding into his seat, Alex slipped his backpack from his shoulder and set it down on the ground, propping it up against his leg once he'd done so. Briefly, he let his gaze sweep over the room before he turned to look at Skylar, catching the smile that Sky threw his way just before he looked away. Feeling a smile tug at his own lips he let his gaze remain on Skylar a second longer than necessary before he turned to look toward the teacher when he spoke. The fact that she would say anything at all surprised Alex and instantly his gaze returned to Skylar, as if wanting to make sure he was alright. Sure, Ms. Pierce hadn't suggested anything had been wrong, but she'd still made a point of bringing up his absence in front of the entire class as well. When Skylar looked at him, Alex did his best to offer him a smile that was as reassuring as he could manage and gave him a slight nod. Despite the teacher saying something it didn't seem like anyone else was paying much attention or judging Skylar's absence. Letting out a soft sigh at that fact he looked towards the teacher when she spoke once more and paused in surprise before feeling himself relax. If they were in time for attendance, then there was no need for his parents to be notified of his tardiness.

~After school~

Weird was one way to say how being back at school felt, but he felt much more than weird. He felt as if everyone was staring at him, and everyone knew. His mom must have called or emailed the teachers and principal about everything. She must have told them the truth because it's not like her to lie. Sky hoped she was vague about it, he didn't want the school to know anything. The thought of anyone at school knowing, apart from Alex and Chris, was stressing Sky out. His anxiety was through the roof all day, up until when he could leave of course, but even after, it lingered.

'

On top of everything, being official with Alex was also weird at school. Sky didn't like that they couldn't even hold hands, but he had to put up with it, for Alex. It was almost frustrating having to fight the urge to show any kind of affection towards him. It's not like people would get suspicious after one simple touch. Guys can be touchy with one another, just like girls, it's called bromance. Sky knew anything would probably upset him since he wasn't even out to his friends. It sucked, and it will continue to suck. How long will Sky be able to put up with it? He was unsure, but he knew he had to try. He liked Alex so much that he was willing to do anything for him, but having to hide their relationship could get old pretty quickly.

'

The whole day Alex and Sky were pretty distant, only talking a bit in the classes they had together. Even just talking was hard, looking at Alex for too long made Sky blush hard. He couldn't help it, and there was just a look in Sky's eyes that wouldn't be able to fool anyone. At lunch, he and Chris talked since they hadn't face-to-face in a while. It was pretty awkward, but Chris tried his best to make Sky feel better. Sky explained the best he could and tried to open up about everything, but it was hard. So much had happened, and quickly frankly he was ashamed of himself. He tried so hard today, he hoped that tomorrow would be easier with everything. Giving up wasn't an option right now, but surely by the end of the week if things didn't get better it would be.

'

Right now, Sky was at home. It was his spare and he couldn't wait for school to be over. He was unsure of whether or not he and Alex were going to hang out after school, so he could be waiting for nothing. Pulling out his phone, he went to his and Alex's messages. "Hey did you want to hang out after school?" He pressed send without much thought, after all, they were boyfriends. Sky smiled at the thought and even blushed a little. Sky had no clue what he was going to do if they couldn't hang out. He could hangout with Chris, but he felt like it would be too much, and he'd prefer to hangout with Alex. After all, Alex was there for him, Chris wasn't. A part of Sky was mad at Chris, but he knew he still cared about him, at least he hoped he did.

'

After sending the text to Alex, he put his phone down. He knew it might take a bit for him to answer, especially if his teacher was doing a lesson. Sky was okay with waiting, he knew he'd get an answer once school ended. He laid there in his bed on his back, staring up at the ceiling. Many thoughts spiraled in his brain, one in particular wouldn't go away. No matter how hard he tried, relasping and wanting to go back was always in his mind. It would sometimes go away, but it came back, over and over again. When he's alone, it's sometimes the only thing he thinks about. He had to stay strong, for Alex, but how long could he keep the mask on?

It was nearing the end of the school day, and Alex was more than ready to be out of the classroom, out of the school building, and enjoying the few hours of freedom that followed. He already knew how he wanted to spend his time, and who he wanted to spend it with. All day his thoughts had been consumed with Skylar. During the few classes that they had together, Alex had found his gaze often wandering over to the brown-haired boy he was seemingly so infatuated with. It had been a struggle to focus on the lesson the art teacher was given, and it wasn't easy to keep his attention on the music class that had followed. The remaining classes he'd had just as much difficulty focusing on. True, Skylar wasn't in the classroom with him, but that didn't stop Alex's mind from pulling forth that beautiful smile of his, or from reminding him of those green hues he could so easily get lost in.

`

Despite the fact that his thoughts had all but been consumed by Skylar, Alex had kept his distance from him throughout the day, though it pained him to do so. Funny, how a simple title, a simple acceptance and reciprocation of feelings, could make him want to do things that he hadn't ever dared think about before. It hadn't even been a full day since he'd agreed to be Sky's boyfriend and yet he found himself wishing he could hold Skylar's hand, or accompany him during lunch without potentially drawing the eyes of his peers and friends.

`

The sound of the teacher's voice had long since been drowned out as Alex fell into thought, once again thinking about Skylar. The remainder of the class likely would have passed like that, with the world lost to him had his phone not vibrated on the desk. The unexpected sound and feeling jerked Alex from his thoughts. Blinking in surprise, his gaze fell first on the teacher as the man's voice once again reached him, and then to the quietude of the class as the students listened to the last few minutes of the lesson, and then finally, he turned his gaze to his phone. Setting the pencil he had grasped between his thumb and forefinger down on the blank page of his notebook, Alex reached to grab his phone. He threw a glance up and towards the teacher, ensuring that he wouldn't be noticed before he looked down. Turning on the device, he felt a smile hitch the corner of his lips as he saw who had texted him.

`

Without thought or consideration of the possible consequences of being caught texting during class, Alex unlocked his phone and pulled up his and Skylar's messages. Reading the latest one Sky had sent, his smile grew and he found himself feeling giddy and all the more eager to have this class end. "Yeah." He typed out and sent, his response relatively quick. Again he glanced up towards the teacher who still had his back to the class before he looked down at the phone in his hand. "Where do you want to meet up?" He asked, reading the message before sending it. For a moment he was still, his gaze fixed on the screen of his phone before he quickly moved to set it down on the desk once again and lift his gaze to the teacher before glancing towards the clock. 2:45. Only five more minutes before the bell would ring and he'd be free to spend the evening with Skylar.

Sky did not have to wait long at all for Alex to message him back. His phone buzzed a couple of seconds after setting it down. Picking it up immediately, his heart pounded in his chest when he saw it was from Alex. He would have been really disappointed if it wasn't. Realizing how he would have felt if Alex hadn't responded made him think for a hot second. He couldn't start relying on him for everything and become so unhealthily obsessed, but then he thought. If they weren't going to be touchy, or even a little bit talkative in school, then it would be fine to want to spend every moment out of school together, right? All of it confused Sky, but he really didn't want to have an unhealthy relationship with Alex. He also didn't want to be that kind of person who only hangs out with their partner and forgets about their friends. Sky shook his head, stopping all of his thoughts on the spot. That was too much for him to think about, it was only the beginning of their relationship.

'

Sky focused back on his phone screen, finally reading what Alex had sent. He thought about it for a moment before responding. The thought of picking Alex up felt like a bad idea on Alex's part. It would probably start to make Alex overthink, especially since people would most likely see him. Sky's brows furrowed as he began to think of another idea. "We could meet in the middle of my house, unless you want to go somewhere else. You can decide that on the walk but we can meet in the middle." Sky typed out quickly after realizing the time. He didn't want to make Alex wait at all. With Sky's social anxiety, he knew waiting for a text anywhere inside the school or outside of it was embarrassing, at least for him. Even though that wouldn't make sense to most people, it did for Sky and he considered that for Alex.

'

Jumping up from his bed, Sky looked in his standing mirror. He still had on what he was wearing from the morning. A shower would have been great before seeing Alex, and a change of clothes, but Sky only had time for the clothes. He quickly took his shirt off and pants. He put on some deodorant before putting on a different shirt, just a plain black one. He then put on some black shorts. His outfit was very boring, but he didn't really care, he just wanted to be out of his other clothes. Putting the dirty clothes in the laundry, he then fixed his hair a bit before making his way to the front door. He made sure to put his phone in his pocket before leaving his room. Once he arrived at the front door he sat down and put his shoes on. Being a little bit tired, he stayed sitting on the ground, waiting for Alex to text back.

Alex felt like he was in High School Musical, or rather in one particular scene from the movie, where the students are counting down the seconds until the class is over. With his gaze shifting back and forth between the teacher and the second hand of the clock, he could feel his excitement and impatience growing. Without realizing it, he'd begun to tap his foot, the rush of emotions he was feeling needing some kind of release. The action seemed to bring the teacher's attention to him, not something Alex wanted since his phone buzzed at the same time. "Something wrong, Alex?" Mr. Peterson asked, one of his large bushy brows cocked. "Hmm? Ah, no." He responded a little too quickly, which only seemed to earn him a doubtful look from the teacher. "Alright, well, that about wraps up today. Remember you're essays are due tomorrow." He said, and Alex watched as he stepped around his desk to take a seat. At his words, there was a collective groan from the class, and it didn't take much thought to assume that most of the students hadn't started their essays, or at the very least weren't nearly finished with them.

`

His thoughts didn't linger on it for long though as the bell rang, signalling the end of school. Swiftly, Alex grabbed his phone from the desk and, ignoring everyone else in his class as they stood and gathered their things together before moving to leave, focused on the text Skylar had sent him. "Class just finished, so I'll meet you there." He said, silently implying that meeting Skylar halfway to his house worked perfectly for him. With the text sent, he moved to stand, grabbing his pencils and notebook and carelessly dumping them into his bag, before zipping it closed and moving to head for the door.

`

His steps were quick, and hasty, as if he were in some great hurry to get somewhere. Indeed, he was. Slinging his bag over his shoulder, Alex swiftly slipped between the crowd of students in the hallways and headed for the front doors of the school. It took but a minute before he reached them and pushed them open to step outside. His phone was still tightly grasped in his hand, and not wanting to drop it, he moved to slip it into his pocket as he headed away from the school building and toward the sidewalk to begin making his way to the meeting point.

A couple of minutes had gone by, and Sky found himself scrolling aimlessly on Pinterest. Once he read what Alex texted, he rose to his feet and went out the door. He began walking to their meeting point, quite excitedly. He was a bit tired, he hoped it would show but maybe a little nap couldn't hurt. Sky was unsure of what they were going to do but he knew they were going to have an amazing time.

'

Looking up to the sky as he continued to walk, he took in the weather. It was a bit humid, and he could feel that it was going to rain. He couldn't explain the feeling, but it was a specific feeling right before it rained. It was probably because of how the air smelt and felt, the clouds were also a dead giveaway. They were dark, making it very gloomy out, but Sky saw some beauty within it. It was only 3 pm but it looked like 6 pm already.

'

Being caught up in the weather, and how the sky looked, Sky didn't notice how much time flew when he was walking. When he finally looked back in front of him, there was Alex. A big smile formed on his face, he gave a quick glance around to make sure nobody was there before pulling Alex into a hug. The hug was quick but much needed. "So, have you figured out what you want to do? It looks like it's going to rain." Sky said, looking up at the clouds for a moment before looking at Alex.

As Alex walked, his bag slung over his shoulder and his gaze on the pavement beneath his feet he chewed at his bottom lip. Skylar had suggested he be the one to figure out what they should do but he hadn't the slightest idea. Honestly, all he wanted was to see Skylar, to be near him, and to enjoy his company, anything that would grant him that was something he was willing to do. "Hmm..." He hummed quietly to himself as he walked. There were the movies, but considering that had been what they'd done the night before, it didn't exactly have that great an appeal. Maybe they could go to a diner or cafe, enjoy something to eat and drink there while simply hanging out? That was certainly an option and one he'd offer to Skylar when he saw him.

`

Lifting his gaze from the ground, from his shoes meeting the concrete and towards the cloud-filled sky, Alex drew in a deep breath. He could feel the cool crispness of a storm in the air and could smell the unique scent that promised rain. Those two things alone would have been enough to tell him that a storm was brewing if the dark grey clouds weren't covering what was usually a brilliant blue sky. Maybe a cafe was out of the question then. He didn't fancy the idea of getting stuck somewhere should the storm be upon them before he could get home. Drawing in a breath he shook his head and continued gazing up the sky as he continued walking, and only after several minutes did he drop his gaze and look forward. It was then that he spotted Skylar, walking in his direction, his own gaze thrown up and toward the stormy sky.

`

Slowing to a stop, Alex allowed himself a moment to simply watch him. He took in the way Skylar tipped his head back, how his hair fell with the action, and smiled. It was clear that Skylar was caught up gazing at the sky above him and likely thinking about the storm that was quickly approaching, and Alex was about to call out to him, to draw his attention from the clouds and to him. Before he could utter a word though he watched as Skylar did just that, almost as if he'd heard him despite his not saying anything. Seeing Skylar's lips pull back in a wide smile had the corners of his own lips ticking up in a smile as well. All day... all day he'd wanted to see that smile and here it was, right before him, and then, he was being pulled into a hug. The action startled him, and though he stiffened a moment he moved to return the embrace, as brief as it was.

`

Only once Skylar's arms had dropped from around him, did Alex let go of him as well. Taking a small step back, he ignored the racing of his heart and cleared his throat. Looking up at Sky he listened to his question and then his prediction of the storm before he laughed softly and shook his head. "Hmm, I wonder what gave you that idea." He teased, tossing a glance up to the storm clouds above them. "And, considering it's probably going to rain, I was thinking we should go somewhere we could stay a while, so... your house?" He asked after a moment, tilting his head slightly as he looked up at Skylar. Honestly, the storm was just a cover. While he'd originally been thinking about going out some place, the moment he'd seen Skylar he'd realized he wanted to be with him, and only him. He wanted to be able to hold his hand, to hug him, to kiss him without worrying about being seen, and that could only happen if they were at Sky's house.