Meet Me In The Woods

Charlie

"Dismissed!" 

Charlie was already halfway out of the classroom by the time Mr Wilson finished. The other poets save for Neil and Todd were at his heels, and together they rushed towards the infirmary. He hadn't been able to focus all day and he didn't doubt the others felt the same way. Todd had wormed his way into their hearts and it would be a big-ass lie to deny they all had an especially soft spot for the shy boy. 

Damn, he hoped Todd was awake by now. 

The five of them burst through the doors of the infirmary. Charlie slid to a stop immediately, which resulted in both Knox and Cameron crashing into him. 

"Ooof!" 

Neil and Todd turned to look at them, wide smiles on their faces. 

"Toddy! You're awake!" 

"Hi, guys." 

Todd looked a lot better, Charlie registered. His hair looked freshly washed and a bit messed up, which was definitely Neil's fault. Most of the colour had returned to his face, and he was sitting up in bed, scribbling what was most likely the outline of a new poem. 

He was most likely still even more fragile than usually, though, but that didn't stop the poets from running over to him, whooping loudly and dog-piling on top of him in the world's messiest hug. 

"Careful!!!", Neil almost shrieked while Todd laughed, pulling them off ickle Toddykins and checking his loverboy over for any injuries inflicted by yours truly. Relieved loverboy was all right, he allowed them another, much gentlter hug. How truly generous of him. 

📝

The poets had been sitting together for some time when Charlie and Neil found themselves alone for a moment, having ventured over to the window. 

"Charlie", Neil groaned, dropping his head onto his hands. "I'm so screwed." 

Charlie gave him a borderline sympathetic glance. "You've really got it bad, huh?" 

"It should be illegal to be that pretty", Neil complained. 

Charlie laughed. 

"Oh don't pretend you like him for his looks." 

"I know! I don't. But still. It should be even more illegal to be so nice and smart and talented and absolutely adorable and that pretty all at the same time." 

"Gosh, you're helpless." 

"You're not helping, Dalton!" 

"Tell him then! He feels the same way, any fool can see it." 

"Yes, but... what if he doesn't? What if I'm just a friend to him? What if he isn't even into boys? What if it ruins our friendship?" 

"Neil." Charlie put his cigarette out on the windowsill. "He'd never ruin your friendship for something like that. Besides, there is no way the only thing Todd feels for you is platonic affection. The literal only danger is that he's too oblivious and innocent to realise exactly what he feels for you, which I think is very much possible. Otherwise he'd be blushing with a guilty expression instead of an infatuated one." 

"Infatuated? Big words, Charlie. Where'd you pick that one up?" 

Charlie gave Neil an unimpressed look at his pathetic attempt at a joke. 

"Okay, okay", Neil sighed, turning away from Charlie. 

"You're no help at all, Dalton." 

"Ask Knoxious, then." 

"Do you think I'm an idiot?" 

"Yes." 

"Asshole." 

"Lovestruck dumbass." 

"Damn it, Charlie." 

Charlie chuckled and clapped Neil on the shoulder. "Let's get back to the others, yeah?" 

"Yeah." 

Later that evening, Charlie watched with a smile on his face as Neil and Todd sat side by side, Neil's arm around Todd's shoulders. They were laughing at something Meeks had said, and Todd put his head onto Neil's shoulder, a blissful smile on his face. 

Get a move on, Todd, Charlie thought.