The sun just started to rise when Sam and Adam ran to the school gate. They breathed hard making clouds in the air, as time slipped away and they hurried down the street. The gate stood tall ahead, its iron bars showing how little time they had left. With one last push, they got there right as it started to close squeezing through and letting out a big breath together.
As they walked to their classroom, their hearts still pounded from the quick run, and a student came up to Adam. "Did you bring his work? He keeps asking for it," the boy said sounding a bit urgent. Adam opened his bag right away, took out the neat homework, and gave it to him. "How's he doing?" Adam asked looking interested.
"He's doing fine," the boy answered with a grin. "He told me to see him in the cafeteria during recess." He nodded turned around, and walked away. His steps grew quieter as he moved down the hall. Sam, who had been watching , took the seat next to Adam. His face showed worry and puzzlement.
"Adam why are you doing his work?" Sam questioned moving closer. "Why don't you spend time on stuff you like? It seems like you're his personal helper or something."
Adam was about to reply when their teacher entered the classroom. Everyone stood up and said, "Good morning, teacher!" The teacher, a middle-aged man with a friendly face, smiled back and greeted them as he walked to his desk.
"Good morning class," the teacher said. "Please sit down." The students took their seats and got out their math books. The teacher started the lesson writing problems on the board while Adam and Sam paid attention to their work.
When the math class ended, the teacher picked up the finished work from the students. He paused for a moment before he spoke to the class. "I need to tell you something important," he said. "We'll have our third big test in a month. Don't forget, all projects for every class must be turned in by the second week of this month."
The class buzzed with shock and worry. The news left everyone feeling tense thinking about the tests coming up. Adam looked at Sam realizing how serious this was. They knew they had a lot to do to get ready for both the projects and the exams.
As the students started to gather their belongings, Sam turned to Adam once more. "It seems we both have a lot going on," he said. "Just remember, you don't need to handle everything for everybody. Look after yourself as well."
The school bell rang at 7:45 sharp signaling the beginning of a quick 15-minute break. Students streamed into the hallway, their chatter filling the space. Sam and Adam made their way to the garden seeking out a quiet place to unwind.
As they took a seat, Sam glanced at Adam with concern. "Adam, have you given any thought to what we discussed earlier?" he asked in a serious tone. "You've been doing his assignments for two years now. What's the reason? Is he pushing you around or something? If that's the case why not speak up to a teacher?"
Adam looked down at his hands then stopped talking. "Don't tell any teachers," he said . "He's not bullying me or anything. I like doing his work. He's not forcing me to do it."
Sam didn't understand. "You like doing his work? Why would you do that?"
Adam leaned back and let out a breath. "It's complicated. I'm not sure maybe it's just become normal to me. He doesn't make me do it, but I feel like it's my responsibility now. I guess I just got used to it."
Sam shook his head. "That's not right, Adam. Nobody should feel obligated to do someone else's job. You need to spend your time on stuff that's important to you."
Adam paused biting his lip. "I hear you Sam. It's been on my mind too. I'll work on changing things."
As Adam and Sam headed back to their classroom, Adam heard the sounds of a basketball game on the court. He looked over and noticed the student he'd just given his homework to dribbling the ball with skill and experience. The student moved sure of himself, and caught Adam's eye.
In a quick motion, he jumped and threw the ball at the hoop. It flew through the air and went through the net with a nice swoosh. When he turned to cheer for his shot, he saw Adam watching him from across the court.
Adam's face went red as he looked away feeling shy and impressed. He rushed to class trying to calm the butterflies in his stomach. As he sat down, he couldn't wait for the next break when he could go to the canteen and chat with him.
Just thinking about being close to him made Adam's heart pound with thrill and worry. He loved these times when they were near each other feeling at ease when together even if it was just passing in the halls or short talks. This feeling puzzled him, as it had grown over time and taken him by surprise.
Adam's mind drifted while he waited for the bell to end class. He thought about how these feelings had grown. He couldn't pinpoint when or how he'd started to feel this way, but he knew this student's presence made him feel both excited and thoughtful. For the moment, he would anticipate the coming break hoping to gain some insight and maybe a way to voice his inner emotions.
The bell chimed marking the end of the lesson. Students started to gather their things. The teacher asked Sam to come to his office so Adam walked to the cafeteria by himself. Feeling both excited and jittery, Adam navigated the crowded halls, his mind fixed on the talk that was about to happen.
As Adam approached the canteen door, his heart began to pound. Just when he reached to push it open, someone behind him pushed him forward. He lost his footing, stumbled, and fell right toward the boy he came to meet. Time crawled as Adam noticed their faces were close, their lips almost meeting. In a rush of panic, Adam turned his head to the side, but this caused his lips to touch the boy's neck instead.
Adam froze in disbelief, his brain trying to make sense of what just occurred. The boy's skin felt warm on his lips leaving him dazed.
The boy under him broke the quiet with amusement. "Are you done smelling my neck, or do you need more time?" he joked, his voice playful.
Adam's cheeks turned red from embarrassment as the boy's words brought him back to reality. He got up feeling ashamed and flustered. "I-I'm so sorry," Adam mumbled, his voice quiet as he tried to pull himself together.
The boy stood up and brushed off his clothes, a grin on his face. "No worries," he said with a laugh. "Just watch where you're going next time."
Adam gave a nod still shaken by the chance meeting. His chest thumped, and he couldn't look the boy in the eye as they both stood up straight. What just occurred seemed like something from a dream—or maybe a nightmare, given how ashamed he felt. But under the unease, there was also an odd excitement that Adam couldn't shake off.
As they stood there, the air between them crackled with an unspoken strain. Adam's thoughts raced with feelings he couldn't grasp. He had come to talk, but now all he could think about was how near they had just been.