Thud! Thud! Thud!

My sneakers thumped against the tiled flooring of Jeffrey Whitlock High School, causing heads to turn in my direction as I ran through the halls painted blue. 

Blue? That's odd, weren't they white on Friday?

I didn't ponder on that for long, the quest to reach Malcom before the first bell rang being much more important.

"Woah, Lu! What are you doing?" Malcom screeched on my approach, holding his hands out to prevent us from colliding. 

"You. . .are never. . .gonna believe. . .what happened yesterday!" I wheezed. Damn, where's my inhaler when I need it? 

"Maybe you should wait until you can actually breathe before you tell me?" Malcom raised a brow in amusement, but I could see the hint of concern behind his gaze. He had always known about my asthma since either of us could remember. It was never too severe, however Malcom's anxiety was. 

Taking a minute to breath, I looked around the halls of the school. Most students were chatting with one another about what God only knows, while others were busy shuffling through their lockers before the bell rang. And, of course, there was that sickening couple in the corner—Sydney and Ross—who were practically eating each other's faces off.

The apparently freshly painted walls were lined with rows of white lockers and classroom doors running all throughout the building. I could see the door to my first class from the spot I was standing in. Mrs. Claire, my pre calculus teacher, could be seen through the little window in the door, her blonde hair cascading down her shoulders as she shuffled through what I assumed to be her student's last homework assignment. 

Oh shit, my math homework!

"Luca? Lu!" I jumped, finally noticing Malcom's calls for my attention. 

"Oh, haha, sorry. What were we talking about?" I rubbed the back of my neck, smiling shyly and looking up at Mal from under my eyelashes. 

"I don't know, you tell me. You're the one who came into school running like a maniac just to tell me something?" Malcom laughed. If honey were a sound, Malcom's laugh would be it. 

"Oh, right! Yeah, Dominic spoke to me yesterday at the arcade. He spoke to me!" I squealed, bouncing on the balls of my feet. 

"Why? Did he order a pizza or something?"

I frowned, "Mal, you know I don't work on Saturdays. He was there with his brother, Tyler. But, oh my gosh, his smile is so cute! He has dimples. Dimples!" I gushed. My expression had to have been one similar to that of a puppy after their owner's return. 

"Lu, tons of people have dimples. I have dimples. He's not that special." Malcom sighed, leaning his elbow against my locker. 

"Not that special? Have you seen him? I'm disappointed in you, Malcom." I huffed, crossing my arms playfully. I tried to keep a frown on my face, but at one point it turned into a pout which somehow ended up becoming a smile. 

"Why are we disappointed in Malcom? What did he do this time?" A nasally voice asked from beside me and I jumped.

"Natalie! Don't ever fucking do that again!" I screeched, placing a hand over my chest to keep my heart from dropping right out and onto the floor for everyone to see. 

Malcom and Natalie were cracking up while I was having a full on heart attack. Assholes.

"That wasn't funny you guys." Pouting, I pushed Malcom to the side and finally opened my locker, searching for my pre calculus textbook. We didn't have much time left before class started. 

"Oh come on, it was hilarious." Natalie guffawed, slapping Malcom on the shoulder as she laughed her head off at my expense. 

Glaring, I waited for Natalie to finally shut the fuck up before looking to Malcom, "Dimples are surely God's most precious creation so you better take that back, Asshat." 

"I didn't say dimples weren't that special! Again, I literally have dimples, Lu. I was just saying that Dom—" I gave Malcom a look that basically said 'if you don't shut your mouth right now, I will throw my book bag at your face' and it seemed to work instantly. 

"What is going on here?" Nat raised a suspicious brow and pointed a pink painted nail between the both of us, "What are you not telling me?"

It's not that I didn't want Natalie to know about me being gay, but I hadn't come out to her yet and I was unsure of the reaction she'd give. I wanted her to know so that I could be myself around my best friends, but I knew I had to keep my little crush on Dominic to myself—I had a slight inkling that Natalie had also been crushing on Dominic for some time now and I didn't want to get in the middle of that. 

Clearing my throat, I came to a decision, "Well, I'm gay. So. . .yeah."

Malcom choked on what I'd assume to be his own spit as Natalie's eyes widened for just a split second. As soon as the reaction was there, it was gone. 

"Oh, that's all? I already had an idea." At that, Malcom chuckled. All it took was one glare and a slap to the shoulder to shut him right back up. 

"Am I really that obvious?" I whined. 

"Yes." Nat and Malcom stated simultaneously. 

I pouted. 

"So—according to Malcom—who's dimples aren't that special?" Nat prodded, glaring at Malcom after he lightly smacked her on the shoulder, "I did not say that!"

"Oh, uh. . .it's no one. Don't worry about it." Smiling with my mouth, but giving her a look that said 'don't push it'.

"Okay, fine. Don't tell me. I'll find out who it is soon enough." Was her response, huffing with her arms crossed over her chest. 

Clearing my throat, I returned my attention to Malcom, "Hey, are you able to meet me at the arcade again tonight? We can talk more there." I whispered the last bit to him, hoping Nat wouldn't catch on.

Malcom and I met at the arcade just about every night I had a shift, which tended to be Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. 

"Yep! I wouldn't miss that for the world." Mal winked and Nat laughed. I just rolled my eyes and went back to shoving books into my book bag.

With that, the bell finally rang and the three of us went our separate ways.