Three days.

It has been three days since Kyle saw the new student from Denver sitting in his History class and found himself wondering about who he was.

Kyle got up after Mrs. Peregrine let them go and he was quick to the door when a thought came to him.

He turned around, having to sidestep the students streaming past him so he could head over to the redhead who was currently tucking books leisurely into his bag, not in any sort of rush to get his lunch.

"Hey." Cole looked up from his bag, his eyes widening slightly before his face broke out into a practiced smile.

"Hey," Cole replied politely, sitting up to look at Kyle properly. "Can I help you?"

"No, I don’t want your help," Kyle told Cole with a shake of his head. "I wanted to know if you wanted to sit with me and my friends during lunch."

Cole looked a little taken aback for a moment but he cooled his features, smiling as he spoke.

"Sure, let me just put my stuff away," Cole said to the boy in front of him, ignoring the way his mind seemed to emphasize that a popular, good-looking, and athletic guy was being nice to him.

It doesn't matter, He tried to tell himself. Handsome or not, you don't know him. He could be a jerk and then you'll be upset that you got your hopes up.

With that thought in mind, Cole put away his books, standing up so Kyle would lead the way.

They didn't know who started the conversation but by the time they were entering the cafeteria, Cole had a beaming smile on his face because Kyle was cracking up at something the redhead had said.

The students around them were mildly interested but they knew that there was no point in trying to wonder too hard. Kyle was very public and any rumors were immediately squashed once the rugby player caught wind of them.

Because once he caught wind then the rumor was getting a little too heated.

"Are you buying lunch?" Kyle asked when Cole started towards the line.

"Yeah, are you?" 

"No, I bring my own." When Kyle told him that Cole was unable to mask his surprise and quietly cursed himself.

Without realizing it, he had created ideas about who Kyle was and how he acted and still was shocked when he learned differently. He was still shaking his head when he went over to the line. Kyle gave his new friend a lingering look before he went over to his table.

"Who was that?" Neal asked him once he was comfortably seated down.

Kyle knew that his friend would ask, the two of them were pretty well known since Kyle was in Rugby and Neal was the school's main pianist but unlike Kyle, Neal wasn't always completely prepared to talk to total strangers. And that's just who Neal was, a nosy introvert. Plus they were seated at a table where the majority were well-known students, it wasn't uncommon for students to ask to join them, but they usually got bored with Kyle and Neal and either left to a different table or sat closer to some of the other populars.

So when it came down to it at school Kyle's only actual friend was Neal.

And Nosy Neal would definitely be curious when he had never seen Cole before.

"Cole," He started, waiting for Neal to start looking hilariously upset before he continued. "He's in my history class with Mrs. Peregrine, he moved from Denver, Colorado."

Neal waited for Kyle to give him more information but Kyle just got his backpack, pulling out the sub he made himself the night before and taking out a good bite.

"So that's all you are going to tell me." Neal hadn't touched his mac 'n cheese since Kyle sat down and it seemed like he wouldn't until Kyle took the edge off his curiosity.

"I haven't seen him hanging out with anyone so I invited him to join us, no biggie." Kyle shrugged calmly, hoping that his friend will be satisfied.

"So there is no other reason for you to ask him to join us?" Neal raised a brow and Kyle felt an odd feeling but shook it off.

"Nope, no reason." Kyle shoved his sandwich in his mouth, trying to end the conversation and sighing in relief when Cole showed up, holding what looked like mac 'n cheese.

"Hey, I'm Neal, Kyle's friend." Neal introduced himself putting out a hand that Cole quickly shook once he put his tray down.

"Cole." Cole gave Neal a big smile and Kyle for some reason found himself looking away. "Nice to meet you."

—————

The final bell rang and Kyle wasn't in a rush to get to his locker since he had Rugby practice which gave him a good twenty minutes to do absolutely nothing.

When he was about to reach his locker someone was reaching for him, pulling his arm and turning him around to face red hair and grey eyes.

"Kyle," Cole sighed, a smile growing on his face as he looked at the taller boy. "I thought I would miss you."

Kyle had that odd feeling again but like the last time, he ignored it, smiling back at Cole.

"My locker’s just close by," He told him, pointing to the locker only a couple of steps away. "Why don't we talk there."

Cole nodded and they went over to Kyle's locker where Kyle opened it after telling Cole to speak.

"I just wanted to thank you for inviting me to join you and Neal. Some people have come up to me before but I never really had any fun with them." Cole rushed out, his words almost rolling together if it weren't for how much he seemed to pronounce every word. "So thank you."

Cole was staring at his shoes but when he looked up to see how Kyle looked at him he let out a quiet curse and turned away.

"I'm so sorry, that was so cringe." He covered his face with his hands and groaned. "This is why I don't have any friends."

Kyle hadn't said a word since Cole started his speech and still hadn't when Cole finished it through his hands.

" . . . Cool." Kyle coughed turning his head away from his friend. Somehow Kyle felt... embarrassed? He seemed to hold him in a high place that Kyle didn't feel he deserved. "Um, thanks."

He peeked through cracks he made between his fingers and Kyle didn't know what he saw but whatever it was it made him so happy that his barely visible eyes crinkled up into what seemed like a smile.

"You're welcome." Cole kept his hands on his face after replying for a little longer then removed them, his face back to a pleasant smile as if nothing ever happened.

"So are you heading back home?" Kyle asked absentmindedly, his jittery fingers and smile almost giving his facade away.

"Yup," Cole said, tilting his head slightly as he spoke. "I'm gonna stop by a library near my house before but after that, I'm going home."

"How lucky," Kyle started jokingly. "Like a normal student, you get to go straight home, basking in the distance between you and this building. While I must run around with a bunch of other guys after a wonderfully draining day."

Cole seemed slightly stunned by Kyle's words so the Rugby player quickly scrambled to try to get rid of his new friend's shock.

"I'm kidding!" He tried in a blind panic, slapping a smile on his face to seem more convincing. "I love Rugby, it's worth it."

Cole seemed to believe Kyle and that soothed the pointless worry that quickly put him into a panic.

"I get it." The redhead smiled. "I feel the same way about my guitar."

Kyle paused for a moment with the new information.

"You play the guitar?"

Cole turns bashful under his friend’s gaze, his hand running through his hair before he spoke.

"Why are you so surprised?" He retorted, feigning confidence he didn't feel.

Instead of drawing back like Cole expected him to, Kyle's face spilled into a smile bringing a light hum to play in Cole's head.

"I just didn't imagine you as the ‘play the guitar and pour your heart and feelings out through your emotional lyrics’ kind of guy." Kyle let out a short laugh, unaware of the way Cole's face lit up when he did. "But that red hair does make you look a lot more like Ed Sheeren."

Cole scoffed, his hand going out without even thinking about so he could playfully shove Kyle.

Kyle barely even moved from the shove on his shoulder, but a light warmth seemed to come from the place where the boy who was now laughing his ass off had just touched him.

The feeling was amazing.

And he welcomed it with open arms.

Kyle glanced around the two of them and the color drained from his face when he realized that the halls were almost empty.

"Shit!"

Cole sobered quickly when he heard Kyle's curse and saw the boy hike his backpack properly onto his back.

"What's wrong?" Cole asked worriedly, unsettled by the look on Kyle's face.

"I lost track of time," Kyle told the shorter boy, his eyes unfocused as he rushed through his words. "If I don't get across the school in about four minutes then I will be late for practice."

Cole winced, guilt getting real comfortable at the bottom of his stomach.

"You better run then."

"Yeah," Kyle sparred a quick glance at Cole, smiling before looking away. "Bye."

He sprinted down the hall, his legs appearing to be a blur while actual dust flew behind him as he turned a corner. Cole looked at the spot where he last spotted Kyle then turned around heading out of the building. Kyle was focused on the task at hand his feet violently pushing off the floor to get him to his destination faster but he still smiled when he thought of Cole.

What a funny guy.