Without Me

PE

Maybe life was a fleeting thing but it wasn't like he needed someone to remind him of it. So many times he just wished life would move forward and he wouldn't have to be bothered by how little everything was. He looked at the clock that was ticking slowly.

"Ready to go, Jonathan?" Shou asked and he looked up at him before nodding. He pushed himself up and took his towel as well as bottle along. "Were you thinking of things again?"

Ever since that conversation, he had been thinking. Way too much. He sighed and nodded. It was already Sunday now. He rubbed his neck and let out another sigh. He wanted to stay out of trouble but everything just felt like a problem now. Like he had dove first head into a hornet's nest.

"And what about you? Are you sure you're joining us for PE today?" Jonathan asked, trying to distract himself. Shou shrugged.

"Maybe. Unless someone decides otherwise," he replied and Jonathan nodded. Maybe he can introduce Shou to Chuck. If they did meet. If not, he guessed it was fine too.

Students and teachers were already assembling at the open area. Some teachers yelling at them to get in line while others just stood and watched. Jonathan walked up to the closest line with Shou but they ended up getting separated when a whole group of students were forced back so those in front had space to start lining up.

For a short period, Jonathan was pretty lost since it was his first assembly.

Until the person in front of him bumped him. Again. It was the same boy.

"Ares," he let the name slip from his lips. Head snapped back to look him in the eyes. Jonathan flinched slightly. For a small sized boy, he had a rather sharp glare. "S-sorry. You bumped into me."

"Oh." His eyes softened and he shrugged. "Sorry. I didn't notice. People just keep pushing around."

"Y-yeah," Jonathan mumbled awkwardly. The memory came back to him. The kiss the two shared in secret and one he had to witness. Ares seemed to notice only a tad later as the boy turned to face Jonathan again.

"You called me by my name, didn't you? Who are you? I don't recall ever telling you my name," he said in a quick tone. Jonathan gulped nervously.

"Um...I just... uh.. overheard it? Somewhere. I'm Jonathan," he said half heartedly, trying not to expose himself. Ares squinted at him, giving him a judgemental look which Jonathan really couldn't look back at. He kept his gaze elsewhere even after Ares turned back around.

This was bad.

He didn't know how the other would react if he had told him the truth about how he knew his name. Because Viktor said it out loud. No, no. You can't, Jonathan. He would either get into trouble with Viktor or scare the boy for whatever reason there was. Either way, it was just bad. He kept his lips sealed as PE started with warm up sessions.

At first he hadn't notice the crowd shifting but a few minutes after, Viktor was suddenly by his side. Doing jumping jacks. Either Jonathan felt overwhelmed by the leaping sight of Viktor or he felt overall threatened, as though Viktor knew. He gulped and rubbed his cold sweat away.

Please don't talk. Don't talk.

"So, Jona-" Ares was about to say something again when he turned but stopped when his eyes locked onto Viktor. He turned around again and just ignored their existence after.

Well s**t.

Jonathan could feel the sharp glances that Viktor was giving him. He didn't think Ares would suddenly talk to him again. He was definitely in deep s**t, wasn't he?

He tried to move away from the crowd, eventually finding Chuck hidden among the taller boys. He let out a relieved sigh and waved to him as he stopped beside Chuck. Thank goodness the teachers didn't care much about them. Somehow. Chuck waved back and they got a ball to do throwing exercises.

"I didn't see you the whole day yesterday," Chuck said and Jonathan shrugged.

"I was busy," he replied. "Sort of. Doing homework." It wasn't a lie after all.

"What? You do homework?"

Jonathan was quite bewildered by Chuck's reply but nodded anyways.

"Cool s**t. I didn't think you would. Teachers don't even mark them. Except a selected handful," Chuck explained and tossed the ball back to Jonathan. It tumbled away and he ran after it.

It stopped at someone's feet and that person bent over, picked it up and looked at Jonathan with that same cold glare he had given the other from earlier.

"Can I join you guys?" Ares asked softly, his hoodie still over his head. Jonathan looked around, wondering where Viktor went but nodded.

"Um... Sure." Since he didn't really have a reason to reject the other apart from getting mauled by Viktor but the other wasn't around now so no harm done, right? Ares tossed the ball back to Jonathan and jogged up to them. Chuck raised a brow and waved to Ares who gave a half-assed wave in return.

"Who is this?" Chuck asked as they resumed their little sports activity.

"You know you could just ask me since I'm standing right here," Ares replied with a slight hiss in his voice. Chuck grimaced and stuck his tongue out at Ares.

"I remember you. You're the rude kid who bumped into Jonathan the previous time. Fine. What's your name? I'm Chuck."

"Ares."

Jonathan felt like there was a silent feud going on somehow and he slightly regretted bringing Ares over. He hoped Viktor didn't think he was onto something. He sighed and didn't say much as the two continued exchanging words.

They seemed to warm up to one another after a few more rounds of bickering and nonsensical argument that Jonathan had no mood to join in. He just listened and grabbed the ball every time it came in his direction. He tossed it back and kept a lookout for Viktor.

He saw Mark during one of his lookouts but had to peel his eyes away from the sweat ridden shirt that clung onto the other's slightly toned body. He almost slapped himself right there but decided against it since Chuck and Ares were present.

That was a godly-no, that was an unexpected sight. Calm down, Jonathan. You were going to end it, right?

Right?