Boys Against a Project (Part 1)

<~*Chapter 7*~>

Matt and Melanie meet Scott at the table he's sitting at. Now that it's currently lunch, Scott sits silently, thinking about everything that has happened and to say the least, Scott was confused. Nothing was making any sense.

Even so, Scott looked over to his siblings.

"Scott, are you feeling alright?" Melanie asks with a concerned expression.

Scott felt that his siblings were being weird, however, didn't want to look into anyone's minds now that he knew there were shadows everywhere.

"Yes, I'm fine. I told you, it was just stress, okay?" Scott says folding his arms and looking away, like a stubborn child.

"Okay.. But, if you're feeling sick or something, go see the nurse, they're here today." Melanie states calmly, Scott only nodded in response.

"So.. Are you coming to practice tomorrow?" Matt asks Scott to change the subject.

"I forgot about that.. I think I'll just quit Hyper Hurdle." Scott has more important things to do than playing sports and Hyper hurdle is quite boring to him.

Hyper Hurdle is a team playing game where you and your teammates create obstacles for the opposing team to cross. There is a commander, who gives commands, the strategists who plan the layouts and movements, the builders who are equipped with magic to put their plan into motion, and runners who actually play on the opposing side's hurdles. There are few rules but the main rules are to not severely injure the opposing side and not break the other team's hurdles. To win the game, all you have to do is make it to the other side of the field, while dodging or entering the opposing side's 'hurdles', and finish in less time than the opposite side. It's fun for all ages and in the huge city of Erebus, it's the most famous game.

"What!? Why?" Matt jumps up, almost slamming his hands the table.

"Because, I don't enjoy that and plus, playing will only stress me out more." Scott says surprised by Matt's outburst.

"But.. the team needs you." Matt says in a strained tone.

"I.. I'll try to play one more game.." Scott says with a sigh, why couldn't he refuse his younger brother?

"Really?'" Matt asks happily. Sometimes Scott thinks Matt may be bipolar, but now he realizes everyone's strange mood swings could be related to the umbra.

"I said I'll try.." Scott says scratching the back of his neck.

"Anyways," Melanie starts, "did something happen today? You looked a little out of it earlier."

"Huh? Oh.." Scott's mood change was very noticeable. "I was thinking of what could've caused me to pass out."

Luckily, he had already prepared his list of lies to tell.

"Oh, have you-" Melanie was interrupted by the loud screeching of the school bell. "Dang it. Sorry, next class is the senior project so best not be late."

She scurried out of the lunch room and Matt did the same. He isn't even a senior, that little goody-two-shoes.. Scott thinks as he gets up as well.

Scott walked into his next class, looked around and noticed Grayson who was also looking at Scott. They both quickly looked away, Scott was feeling too embarrassed to look at Grayson.

"Okay class, today we're working with the other seniors on the projects we talked about last week. I hope you all remembered." The history teacher said, making everyone groan.

The teacher laughed, "your partner will most likely be from this class but they may also be from another. Anyways, before class officially starts, go into the gym and tell any senior you see to go too."

The class groans again but gets up and everyone spreads out with their friends to go to the gym.

Scott walked down the crowded halls of students rushing to get to class and all the seniors heading into the gym.

The gym was huge with a lot of room to move through, but now there were booths lined up with different tags for students to go into, making walking around way more compressed.

The bell rang and the last of the students came rushing in.

"Good afternoon, senior students!" The principal shouted into the microphone. "I hope you all came prepared." She was always outgoing and very interactive with the students, she was really kind and extremely beautiful, everyone was always trying to guess her age due to her young looks and smaller body. She usually wore her silvery hair down but today it was in a bun on the top of her head. She had blood red eyes that could be very scary sometimes, Scott would know because he's been to her office more times than he would like to admit.

Regarding her question, some students shouted 'nope,' others shouted 'yeah!' The crowd went wild, you could say.

"Okay, okay. Settle down now," the principal, Kirsten Ozonad, said with a laugh. "As you all know, this is supposed to be a fun, middle of the year, project. Only seniors are allowed and we have all the seniors names to place them into groups."

"Sorry if you don't get with your friends, this will be a project with 2 to 6 people in each group. We want you all to meet new people and learn new things. So, we hope you all enjoy this project." The vice principal explains.

"Now, when your name is called, go to the booth you have been assigned and wait for the other students to join you." The principal says happily while most students groan.

After a long wait, Scott heard his name called into group 17 and of course, because of Scott's amazing luck, there was already a person waiting in there. Can you guess who this lovely person was? Grayson Kane. Isn't it amazing how Scott got one of the people he didn't want? Yes, it totally is.

"Oh, uh.. Hi Scott." Grayson says, very awkwardly.

"H-Hi.." Scott said, also very awkwardly.

Scott sits at the other chair in the tiny booth and they wait in silence, both hoping for another person to come to ease the awkward-ness.

After some time a teacher walks in, "Hello guys, you two are the only ones in this booth. You know your assignment, right? If not, all the details are on the papers right there." She says and points to the papers on the small desk. "You may leave now, there will be no more classes today so go start your project. Have fun!" The teacher says happily and walks out.

Grayson and Scott sit silently, wondering what to do now. They both start to say something, "So.."

"You go first." Scott says, laughing a little.

Grayson laughs too, "Okay.. So, you want to just go the park now..? And we could start this at the cafe, if you want?" Grayson looks extremely nervous.

"Yeah, that's fine. Lets go now then." Scott says, while him and Grayson stand up, take the papers, and get out of the tiny booth. They both walk silently, side by side.

Scott would love to be with his soulmate, and most people would too. Despite feeling this, Scott is not really in the right mind to be dating, he would like to, but it would make many things complicated for the both of them. Family, friends, secrets, etcetera. Those things come into play when making decisions that will change your whole future.

Scott's feelings for Grayson are complicated. He knows that in the past he had a huge crush on his best friend Lucas, but when Lucas had found out about his soulmate Scott gave up on his secret crush, it was difficult and he thought he had but.. During the time he went missing, lots of feelings surfaced and the thoughts are still in the back of his mind. Thinking about having a soulmate and liking someone else who he could never be with is extremely hard to process.

Still silent, Scott and Grayson arrived at the park. It isn't too small, there's a bench right next to a big water fountain and in the middle of the fountain, there's a gigantic heart. The park was mostly grass and trees surrounding playground equipment. The basics like a swing set, a few bright green slides, and monkey bars that wrap around a small area.

Grayson and Scott instinctively moved to the swings and sat down quietly.

"We're soulmates.. And I don't know what to say." Grayson started.

"W-Well, me neither." Scott says, he's never shown his nervousness in front of another but right now he can't control his feelings and honestly isn't thinking about how he's acting. .

"In the future, we're bound to.. fall in love, right? But right now, we're in high school and I feel like we should take it slow and get to know each other more.. Plus, we've always been fighting over stupid stuff," Grayson says laughing slightly, "so let's work out those differences first. I mean, this is just my thinking.." Grayson rushes his last thoughts as Scott sighs in relief.

"Yeah, I understand what you mean. That's exactly what I was thinking, so this project might do some good, I hope it won't be boring though.." Scott trails off with an annoyed sigh this time.

"You don't like school that much, do you?" Grayson asks and Scott huffs while folding his arms over his chest, other than that he doesn't give a response. "We could go to my house everyday to work on it.. I mean, if you want to."

"Yeah, that's fine." Scott said, with a small laugh, he's already forgotten his hatred for school.

"Alright, good." Grayson said, as he sighed in relief with a smile.

"Why are we sitting on swings again?" Scott asks, wondering how they both ended up swinging on the swings.

"I uh, I have no clue." Grayson says confused and looking around laughing.

Scott has now challenged Grayson to a swinging contest: who can swing the highest?

Scott immediately thinks, I'm going to win, and he laughs as he swings his legs feeling the amazing breeze hit his face.