Under the Same Sky [BOYXBOY]

Chapter 85

The sky was overcast the next morning as Cam and Leo trod down the path to first period.

Leo looked up at the thick blanket of slate-grey clouds and a small shiver ran down his spine.

'What a dreary morning. Somehow, I can't shake off the feeling that something huge is about to happen.'

Cam glanced at him as their soft footfalls echoed down the path. 'Is it something good or bad?'

'That's the thing,' Leo murmured with a small frown. 'I can't tell if it's a good thing or bad thing but it's definitely going to have some huge impact on our lives.'

'Well, that certainly clears things up,' Cam muttered sardonically but Leo wasn't paying attention. His brows were still furrowed in a frown as his eyes stared off into melancholy landscape drowned in muted hues of greys and black.

They turned off the path and met Paul and Noel walking up from the cafeteria.

'How are you guys holding up?' Cam asked as they fell into step.

'Relatively well considering the circumstances,' Noel answered. 'Did you guys come up with any ideas?'

Cam shook his head regretfully. 'No luck, I'm afraid. Maybe Jayden and Samuel have something.'

'There they are right now,' Leo spoke up as they approached the school building only to come to a sudden stop when he was close enough to notice the expressions on their faces. 'Is it just me or do they look unreasonably happy?'

'Happy isn't what I'll call it,' Cam replied. 'Excited would be more accurate. It's almost scary.'

'Do you think they've got a plan?' Noel asked, feeling the faint stirrings of hope beginning to rise in his chest.

'I suppose we'll find out,' Paul answered as they drew closer.

'Why hello there!' Samuel greeted brightly as soon as he set eyes on them. 'Lovely morning, isn't it?'

Leo went straight to the point. 'Are you drunk?'

Samuel blinked in surprise. 'What?'

'Listen, don't get me wrong, I love to drink as much as the next person -I even keep a secret flask in my backpack for emergencies- but to get piss drunk before class is another level of crazy even for me.'

'But I'm not drunk. What makes you think I am?'

Leo stared pointedly at him as if the answer was blatantly obvious and he was right. Anyone who saw Samuel as he was now would not have been amiss for coming to the same conclusion.

His eyes were unusually bright, and he couldn't keep still, alternating between bouncing on the balls of his feet and tapping his fingers against the strap of his bag.

Samuel shrugged off Leo's pointed look. 'I'm not drunk. I guess you can say I'm jacked up on adrenaline.'

'Why?' Noel asked eagerly. 'You have an idea, don't you? You must have some sort of solution with the way you're acting. Please tell me.'

'Patience, little one,' Samuel replied in amusement. He glanced at Jayden. 'Do you want to tell him or should I?'

'You brought it up first, so I suppose you should do the honour,' Jayden answered and though his features were calm and collected, his voice betrayed the excitement and anticipation that perfectly mirrored Samuel's.

'Jayden and I were lying in bed last night when it suddenly occurred to me -I suppose I should say us but I'm not sure when he got the idea- that those pictures were really not that good.'