No one POV
"The other day my mum organized a family dinner or some shit like that and she wants to do it every week. I can't deal with my aunts who ask about my life all the time" Andy sighed and plopped down on a chair.
"Is it that bad?" Rye asked, he felt sorry for his friend.
"You have no idea. It's a nightmare" the boy rolled his eyes and both Rye and Sonny laughed.
"Well, at least you know that your mum cares about those things" Sonny pointed out.
"Please...she just does it cause she feels guilty. My dad left us and she blames herself" Andy explained with a harsh tone.
"Well, I'm sorry mate" Rye didn't know what else to say.
But in that moment Jack walked inside the classroom.

Jack is not shy...he's extremely shy, Rye has never met someone as shy as him.
But it was cute.
He is always so quiet and chill, the boy never speaks and it looks like even the wind could destroy him but Rye knew that he was stronger than what it looks like.
Whenever Jack smiles, Rye feels like when you're kissed by the sun during winter and you gradually feel warm, that soft type of warm.
Jack's eyes are green as a forest and his gaze is cold but not in a negative way.
The way he moves and sits to be invisible, the little things he does that Rye notices...Jack sounds like a dream.
So the brunette boy waits for the moment when Jack arrives in class like a child during Christmas.
But has he ever talked to him?
Absolutely no.
He wanted to, so many times but it was just an idea, he didn't want to scare the boy away.

Jack sat at his usual seat and with his headphones on, he started to read.
Rye admires him from afar like Jack was some rare animal at risk of extinction that must be protected and wondered what he was reading.
"Rye? Hey..."
"Sorry what?" Rye went back to reality.
"Still with that guy?" Andy asked with a smirk.
"He has a name, Jack, and don't make that face. I didn't even say hi to him" Rye looked away, sometimes he stares at Jack so much that it's kinda creepy.
"Come on...what's stopping you? You literally can be friends with a stranger within minutes" Andy looked at his friend then at Jack.
"At least say hi" Sonny intervened.
Rye contemplated the thing for a second but the bell rang and the teacher walked in.

For the rest of the day and also for the following one, Rye couldn't stop thinking about the whole Jack thing.
It's just a hi right?
What can go wrong?
Plus Rye wants to be friends and then if something happens they could be something more without any pressure...right?
"All this thinking is killing me!" Rye buried his face in his hands and sat down at their usual lunch table.
"Go" Sonny and Andy said in unison.
Rye glared at them cause he really hates his friends sometimes.
"What am I supposed to say? Hi, I have a huge crush on you? No"
"Just say hi, he's still a person so be friendly and outgoing as your usual" Sonny suggested.
Rye played a bit with his food while thinking whether to do it or not.

So he found himself walking towards where Jack was sitting, a wave of confidence rushed through his body.
"Hi" the boy said sitting down in front of the other.
Jack looked up from his book with a puzzled face and with a hint of fear.
"I'm Rye and I saw you here alone so I came to say hi"
Jack stayed quiet.
It wasn't a problem for Rye but he had to find a way to get the boy out of his shell.
"We have a couple of classes together..."
Still nothing.
Jack was feeling slightly uncomfortable cause he couldn't point out the reason why Rye was there in front of him.
"Well...I don't want to disturb you but if you need some company you know where to find me. See you around" Rye got up and went back to his table.
Jack followed the boy with his gaze.
Did his crush just say hi to him?
What just happened?
Wait!
Jack stayed there in silence the whole time embarrassing himself!
Ok, now he feels stupid.
Usually, he wants to disappear but after that, he wished he was never born.

Saying hi to Jack unlocked something in Rye, he wasn't nervous anymore around the shy guy.
His confidence came back and the usual Rye was feeling great as ever.
He said hi a couple of times to Jack who always replied quietly but that was it, it was still some progress though.
"Mate, you need to take a position without being an asshole" Sonny started while they were waiting for Andy outside school.
"What I mean is: make some plans and put him in a comfortable situation so maybe you two can develop at least a friendship. But let him decide like don't baby him" Sonny continued and what he was saying was actually making sense.
"Ok noted. But what do introverted people do? I can't bring him to a party or out with us"
"Maybe stay in? My sister doesn't particularly love socializing so whenever she's at home she feels better" Sonny sounded like an expert.
Rye looked around and found Jack exiting school with a book held close to his chest, he had to ask him.

"Hey, love!"
Jack turned around since he recognized Rye's voice.
"Did you just call me love?"
"Tomorrow we hang out, me and you, and I know you don't really like being around people so we'll watch a movie or do something at my house. Whatever you want" Rye said with a kind smile.
"What?"
"This is the time and place. See you"
And with that Rye left.
Jack didn't know how to feel, it was a mix of warmth cause Rye knew that Jack hates people and nervousness cause he will go to Rye's house!
The boy looked at the small piece of paper in his hand and smiled.

Jack usually hates new places but Rye's house was cozy and nice, it felt like a real home.
"Ok so just do whatever you want. I'll grab some snacks" Rye said putting away his stuff.
Jack wandered around a bit till he found a large bookshelf.
He went over all the book spines with his index finger then stopped over one specific title.
Dickinson.
He admired the dark green cover and then opened it, looking through the pages, a mix of words that someone put together a while ago that now is considered art.
"What did you find?"
Jack jumped and closed the book immediately.
"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you" Rye laughed putting down a tray with food and two fuming cups.
"Ah Dickinson...my mum loves books written by women" Rye explained standing by Jack's side.

The two boys ended up on the couch, books scattered around the room, mugs everywhere and Rye's head on Jack's lap, both of them covered with heavy and fluffy blankets.

-I gave him my heart, and he took and pinched it to death; and flung it back to me.
People feel with their hearts, Ellen, and since he has destroyed mine, I have not power to feel for him. -

Jack read out loud.
"I could stay here like this forever" Rye whispered with his eyes closed.
"Really?" Jack closed the book so he could look at Rye.
"Yep. I always wondered what you did to spend your time or what you read at school..."
The camomille he drank was making him sleepy.
"I don't do much, I mainly read. I read pretty much everything but I need to have a good love story" Jack's voice was soft and it made Rye even more sleepy.
He fell asleep.
Jack looked at him, all cuddled up against Jack and it felt like one of the stories he usually reads.
It felt like when outside there's a storm but you're at home with a hot cup of tea doing absolutely nothing.
It felt like when you look at someone and your heart already knows that they are your person even before your brain could process the color of their eyes.
That was how Rye made him feel, maybe he was his person...

-next day-
"You look...rested..." Andy pointed out leaning against the lockers.
"Yeah. Slept a lot" Rye was in a good mood and not only cause he slept.
He spent the whole day with Jack so there are no reason to complain and as he was thinking about him, the boy appeared in the hallway.
"I'll see you later" Rye said to Andy then walked towards Jack, who was trying to put away at least 10 books in his locker.
One was about to fall but Rye caught it in time.
"Orlando by Virginia Woolf...nice"
"Oh hi..." he stuffed the books inside.
"Did you rob a bookshop?" Rye joked.
"Ha ha ha really funny...no, just have to do a literature project"
Rye nodded.
"I'm sorry for falling asleep yesterday but that camomille you made me knocked me out"
"Don't worry. You were tired" Jack finally managed to close the locker.
"I'll see you outside school"
The raven boy kissed Rye on the cheek then left.

Rye waited impatiently for the last lesson to end, his leg was bouncing up and down and it was driving Sonny crazy.
Thank god the bell rang and Rye ran out of class.
"He's too whipped for that boy" Sonny said to himself.
But Jack wasn't out yet so Rye had to wait, he was nervous for some reason or maybe excited?
He didn't know.

After what felt like an eternity, Jack appeared with a couple of books and papers.
Rye's face lit up but the smile disappeared a second after when someone bumped into Jack mumbling 'loser'.
Everything Jack was carrying fell and the guy didn't stop to help or say 'sorry'.
Rye saw red and went after the asshole.
"What the fuck is wrong with you uh?" Rye had the guy pinned on the wall by the collar of his shirt.
"Now you apologize" Rye imposed, his eyes dark and full of anger.
The guy was too scared so he apologized quickly then ran away.
Once that was done Rye felt a bit better and went to help Jack.
"Are you ok?"
"You didn't have to" Jack said coldly while picking up the papers.
"But he was rude to you"
"Yeah but you're no better than him" Jack stopped and looked at Rye's eyes.
Rye really meant to do good but maybe he did it in the wrong way.
"I'm sorry...I just- I don't want people to call you loser or any shit. You don't deserve it" Rye ran after Jack who was walking way too fast.
"Please stop" Rye grabbed his wrist and turned him around.
Rye searched for Jack's gaze that was lost in something else so he grabbed his chin and made him look at him.
"I'm sorry Jack. I wasn't thinking straight, anger took over. I-"
"It's ok. I'm not mad, I mean I don't like violence but I appreciated that you defended me, no one ever does it" Jack cut him off.
"But you can't let them step over you"
Rye was mad again cause how can someone be so mean for no reason?
"I don't know. I just get over it"
"Yeah but now you're scared of people and you barely talk to me"
Rye imagined a bubbly and outgoing version of Jack.
Carefree and not anxious about the number of people that surround him.
It was a nice scene, not that he doesn't love this Jack.
"I'm ok...I got to talk to you. Just ignore those assholes" Jack clutched his books and looked down.
"Ok..." Rye sighed letting the topic go.
"...do you want to come to this coffee shop/library that I found a few days ago?"
At the invite, Jack's eyes lit up cause whenever Rye does those little things for him, his heart melts.
He listens, cares and knows how to make him happy.
Jack smiled and Rye took that as a yes.
The raven boy always dreamed about having a love story like one in the books he reads and he finally has one.

The loud and extrovert one who learned to love quietness because he fell in love with the quiet one.

___________________________________

Note*
Had this story for a while and honestly I don't know how to feel about it but I said fuck it and posted it anyway.
Having a bit of writer's block so if any of you have some ideas/requests I'll be happy to do them.
Stay safe and remember to take care of yourself cause you need it.🧸