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345 words for [break]
Caleb Wood

N/a

[attr="class","johnny-lyric2"]I'll bury myself in my bed

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Nothing was intriguing about the ceiling and the occasional lift of his phone to check messages; the device was on silent mode. Boredom haunted him for those additional minutes waiting for Caleb's arrival. This idiot was definitely finished with his services, he was certain about it. The closeted senior could hardly complain if it meant preserving everything he had rather than abandoning the slightest bit of safety he held in his hands... Mother took everything else after all or at least diminished it. The slammed hand against the door frame of the study area caught Johnny's attention.

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Finally, he could maybe persuade Caleb outside and into silence for a f*cking cigarette. The weather was warm for the autumn months, a miracle given the country's notoriety for snow and cold. When he heard Caleb's voice, the blonde was close to voicing his complaints about the wait... until he saw the dark-haired boy's face. Surprise crossed Johnny's face when he noticed the bandages secured around his cheek. The question was ignored to stare at the supposed injury. What the f*ck happened to this sweet, innocent boy? It was probably something boring, he did not exactly scream fighter.

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"She's not... and what the f*ck happened to you?" Johnny asked with a raised brow.

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As the question left his mouth, Johnny gathered up his items. They were initially stuffed into his backpack with little explanation. He wanted that cigarette badly. He gestured for Caleb to follow as he hauled it over his shoulder.

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"We'll study outside," he decided rather than ask and added in a quieter voice. "And what you see when we get there, you can't tell anyone. Understood?"

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His voice was low, almost a growl beneath the words—the teachers learning about his smoking tendencies needed to be avoided. The contact who purchased them on his behalf would not appreciate the jail time for buying smoke for somebody underaged... Nor would he appreciate his emergency fake IDs being found. While they headed out, Caleb would retell whatever stupid story resulted in the bandages taped over his cheek.

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468 words for [break]
Caleb Wood

N/a

[attr="class","johnny-lyric2"]I'll bury myself in my bed

[attr="class","johnny-post"]




Regardless of the nicotine craving running rampant within Johnny... he caught the dogshit lie Caleb spouted out. The blonde paused a moment, surprised about the ridiculous little fib. A girl fell... he grabbed her... and she managed to accidentally punch him?! Imagining the scene was the playing out of a cartoon. A ridiculous, slapstick one where every single action prompted the circumstances growing in absurdity... The senior's purple gaze locked onto Caleb, brows raised in question as he attempted to comprehend how the f*ck that whole situation played out.

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"... How the f*ck?" Johnny questioned harshly. "Dude, this is real life, not some cartoon. Yeah, suuure. Some girl magically punched you square in the cheek when you helped her."

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Sarcasm oozed from the blonde as he rolled his eyes, his gaze returning forward. What was hell was he supposed to do? Pry Caleb's mouth open while shouting 'truth' repeatedly? At most, Johnny could use his snarkier comments to drag it out kicking and screaming. Point out how he believed Caleb's stupid cover story was absolute bullshit. As they escaped into the daylight, Johnny immediately turned and walked down the side of the building, sticking close to the wall.

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"Yeah it is, but we ain't staying out here," Johnny explained, glancing back and gesturing for Caleb to follow.

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Quiet steps carried himself and Caleb closer to Firefly Pond, where there was thicker foliage and a small clearing Johnny slid into. There were tall bushes and thick trees around them. An enclosed space that was difficult to catch a glance into, at least, not without making tons of rustling noises. The blonde slid off his backpack, settling beneath a tree with the bag beside him. The scenery was beautiful with light filtering between the trees as the breeze rustled leaves. The senior gestured for Caleb to sit down in the small clearing, a finger going to his lips to gesture for quiet.

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From the front pouch, Johnny fished out a lighter and his pack of ugly brown; merely noticing the brown made his eyes roll at the government's decision that 'bright colours made people smoke'. Smoothly, he opened the pack, bringing a single, white tube to his lips. Both hands closed in on the end, blocking any wind before flicking the lighter a couple times. The end burned amber as Johnny inhale, his breath escaping in a whisp of grey smoke.

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"Okay," he breathed out, smoke trailing his lips. "Do you want to tell me what actually happened, or just get started on your math?"

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Hardly a thought was placed further on the notion of him smoking underage. He already informed Caleb to say nothing about it, and hopefully the cute motherf*cker was a good listener... Problems with the school's teachers was the last issue Johnny wanted to deal with today.

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489 words for [break]
Caleb Wood

N/a

[attr="class","johnny-lyric2"]I'll bury myself in my bed

[attr="class","johnny-post"]



The flinched expression was unnecessary to smell the bullshit Caleb was attempting to sell. The junior's denial when Johnny called him out made it beyond obvious! The denial was weak and without any reinforcement. A drifting away voice made it clear Caleb was clueless about how to sell his little fib... However, the blonde wondered what he was lying about. Was this shortie a bit of a troublemaker? He thoroughly doubted that notion. There was something about the junior that showed his immense innocence and lack of willingness to do wrong... What would they have called Caleb? A cinnamon roll?



Unless somebody else started it, Caleb did not strike Johnny as a fighter. The junior lacked sufficient muscle mass alongside the attitude of someone willing to start anything let alone stand up for himself. When Johnny pushed the matter, it became clear something nerve-wracking happened to the short junior. The blonde lifted a brow, narrowly resisting the urge to lean in curiously at Caleb's expression. The chewing of a lip and general nervousness suggested it was bigger than an accidental hit. Yet... Johnny found himself respecting his personal space... partially to avoid Caleb inhaling the secondhand smoke...

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Why did this motherf*cker have to be so cute?! There was a part of the blonde growing protective of the cutie across from him... He hated the whole situation. A brow rose when Caleb opened with the wound being his fault... Was it something embarrassing and that was it? The bashful manner Caleb explained along with the explanation... The blonde's blood began to boil as his eyes narrowed into a glare... but that anger was not at the junior he tutored...

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"Those f*ckers!" He snapped out, fingers taking the cigarette. "F*cking creepy ass sons of b*tches decided to hurt you instead when it was their own f*cking fault! Why would you give it to them?!"

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A long drag of the cigarette was taken and expelled in a puff of grey smoke. Nerves were eased, but admittedly? The man was itching for a fight... He wanted to show these motherf*ckers they needed to stop messing with people willy-nilly and showing their creepy ass faces around! The blonde stewed for a moment, brows knitted together in anger as another puff was taken, ash accumulating at the amber end. Smoothly, Johnny flicked the stick, sending ash to the ground. A hand lifted, snuffing out the end of the smoke with a 'tsst' of sting leaving his lips.

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"I'm going to show those f*ckers a piece of my goddamn mind," Johnny grumbled, getting back to his feet. "Wait here, work on your math."

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The blonde moved to stomp out of the bushes, a hand grabbing his phone. Once he figured out where the f*ck those idiots were, they would gain a piece of his mind in the form of fists! They dug their grave with their actions! Or, at least, lost their safety from his fury.

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761 words for [break]
Caleb Wood

N/a

[attr="class","johnny-lyric2"]I'll bury myself in my bed

[attr="class","johnny-post"]



Rage, in some respects, was a tool. Destructive and bridge burning in mere seconds. In Johnny’s situation, it was a bright, brilliant fire impossible to extinguish on a whim. Nobody taught him emotional regulation. His darling mother accomplished the opposite, proving herself overly emotional and dramatic; unable to think rationally as she focused on shifting victim and perpetrator. The anger was deafening inside his head, making Caleb’s request to wait to go unlistened as he stomped off. Those f*ckers dared to bruise up the cute motherf*cker after being absolute creeps.

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A text message was sent via Johnny’s cellphone, the blonde narrowly holding back the flames at the moment. Disguised emotions with kindness to gather a favourable answer… Eerily it was something his mother would do… but she would do it for herself, right? Not a reminder of who they f*cked around with…

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Meeting place established, the figurative gasoline proceeded to fuel him. Every step was driven forth by explosive fumes and heat. Once he approached, he noticed them cackling about their enjoyment. The tallest of the group noticed him, lifting a hand as a loud laugh echoed from his lips.

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“Heeeey, Johnny! Did you see that pathetic little gay?” He opened, laughing. “Think we made him cry! It was fuc-”

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As the tallest, a freckled-faced redhead with lanky limbs, but a surprisingly hard hook spook, he moved closer. A darkness in those eyes as he listened to him happily declare victory over their torment of Caleb. Cutting him off was Johnny’s fist into his cheek, hand adjusted, thumb outside the enclosed fingers to avoid breaking bones. On the ground, he sputtered, surprised by the action. The pair of teens flanking him, another senior and a junior, stiffened in shock.

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“What the f*ck was that about, Johnny?!” He snapped from the ground, scrambling back.

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He stepped forward, rage still boiling in his veins… but the other two caught their bearings. Arms enclosed around his arms, determined and strong as they pulled him back. Against them, Johnny struggled, seeing red, caught in the thought of Caleb’s sad face with a bandage.

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“YOU’RE SUCH A F*CKING CREEP PREYING ON JANET LIKE THAT!” Johnny snapped back… but that was not what this was about. “I ARGUE THAT LITTLE F*CKER GAVE YOU WHAT YOU DESERVED! GONNA STALK HER NEXT?!”


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The redhead returned to his feet, dusting himself off with narrowing eyes. Perpetrators often despised being called out on bad behaviour. Yet, was Johnny not a liar for changing the subject matter of the anger?

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“OH SO IT WAS FINE WHEN WE WENT THERE?” The redhead snapped back.

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The pair pushed him against the back of the school wall, equally annoyed by the accusations. Air coughed out from rough treatment as his back smacked flat into the hard surface. The redhead, a man called Korrine (teasingly pronounced Chlorine by a friend) brought his face close as his green eyes entered a sharp glower.

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“Did that gay motherf*cker put you up to this? YOU made a lot of excuses for him, didn’t ya?” Korrine smirked as a laugh left him. “Awww, does someone like men more than we thought? Or do you feel so-”

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Leveraging between the wall and grasped arms, a foot was brought up and kicked into Korrine’s knee… and afterward, everything blurred. Insults, punches and kicks were thrown and barely remembered. Words stated went unheard or fueled another wind of blows in anger… However, three against one had an inevitable outcome as they retreated, cackling despite their bruises and cuts… Exhaustion arrived quickly in the aftermath as Johnny pushed himself up from the ground… The wind had picked up considerably as the fight arrived at its conclusion, the sky gradually darkening over time. Warmth leaked from his nose, thick and metallic, drifting over his lips. A hand wiped across his mouth, smearing red and prompting a sigh to escape his mouth.

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A lingering hand remained under his bleeding nose as he leaned against the rough back outside wall of the learning commons. It was stupid how normal blood flowing over his face became after two facial injuries… His body ached from being roughed up… and he could imagine the litany of bruises he would have in the morning. Blooded knuckles flexed, testing wound constraints as he settled there… and a thought entered his mind.. Why did he do that? He could have left it, no skin off his back… but instead he started a fight over it… As purple eyes noticed a familiar face… a single thought came to mind. Oh, yeah… that’s why.

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431 words for [break]
Caleb Wood

N/a

[attr="class","johnny-lyric2"]I'll bury myself in my bed

[attr="class","johnny-post"]



Narrowly, Johnny managed to steady himself on uncertain feet, his hand leaking with red. A sigh heaved from his exhausted body as he leaned against the wall. The quickened footsteps from the bright-eyed, sweet-faced cute motherf*cker echoed in Johnny's ears as he glanced over at the junior he tutored. A hesitant hand reached for him until Caleb shifted. There was a thrum in his chest, banging against his sternum as his eyes looked beyond blood-smeared hands at the grass below. The blonde was used to injuries... After years of running around with rough crowds, getting beaten up occasionally was nothing.

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Sore shoulders managed a shrug as Caleb went through his bag... What was he grabbing? The older student did not bother asking about it. The unexpected sweetness from his lowerclassman was already fluttering his heart and driving him mad... He would not have galavanted into a fight if he did not feel compelled to protect this adorable idiot.

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"It's fine... It happens," he mumbled out half-heartedly.

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He narrowly managed to get out. The hand was brought closer to the nose, the senior spitting on the ground. Between words, the coppery-tasting, red liquid managed to slip into his mouth. Briefly, he pulled away from his shirt, however, gradually eased into the assistance. He brought his cleaning hand to the shirt to hold it himself... Almost as though using the cleaner hand would somehow salvage Caleb's now blood-filthy t-shirt. The gentle wipe across his cheek made Johnny flinch, the burn of a fresh wound irritating it. The apology astonished Johnny, his purple eyes gazing at Caleb. Initially, the blonde said nothing... until the second sentence reached him.

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"Why would I stop talking to you?" The blonde mumbled. "I went off to teach them a lesson... I just wish I did more... lesson teaching than bleeding."

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A long, exasperated sigh escaped the upperclassman as his head leaned back. There was a slight squirm as blood from his funnelled down... F*ck he despised nose bleeds and the endless discomfort they caused. The mere mention of the infirmary prompted a groan as he glanced at Caleb.

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"Yeah... probably... but I don't want to," he mumbled with a sigh. "I started it... I don't need someone getting wise to what I did."

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Matching wounded knuckles, texts to show premeditation alongside a variety of other possibilities... After having the shit kicked in, the blonde preferred not to accidentally add detention to this f*cked-up equation. The wind was ruffling his hair as he relaxed against the back wall. God, he did not want the consequences of his reckless actions.

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850 words for [break]
Caleb Wood

N/a

[attr="class","johnny-lyric2"]I'll bury myself in my bed

[attr="class","johnny-post"]



Nothing indicated the day would lead to getting beaten up by his friends... or former friends... The wounds stung his face, his knuckles tinged and ached as adrenaline drained from his body... Another drifting sigh escaped Johnny's lips as he leaned heavily against the wall. Fights were difficult, especially when the "teams" were unfairly proportioned, but everything inside screamed he needed to... The fight was unlikely to deter his former friends from picking on Caleb, but it would potentially create a mild, defensive wall for the azure-eyed cutie beside him.

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The reached-out hands to his single, open and bloodier hand made Johnny tense... The thick painting of coppery-scented liquid coated his palm and had leaked through his fingers when he was holding his bloody nose.

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"Caleb wait you'll get blo-" Words ceased once he felt it...

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The gentleness struck him. The cradling of his wounded hand was sweet, soft and careful. Every touch held a compassion Johnny had never experienced in his eighteen years of life... Faint red painted the senior's cheeks, gaze shifting sideways as his heart fluttered wildly in his chest. Throughout his youth, his mother berated him and forced reliance upon her. In her life equation, her child was never considered in any area of life. He was a meagre burden she needed to handle and steer on the correct path because he could never be good enough... Everything was his fault.

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Speech was stolen from Johnny at that moment as he listened to this cute motherf*cker apologize... The blonde frowned gently as the azure-eyed junior seemed determined to place blame on himself... However, it made Caleb drastically different from his mother who shoved the blame upon him at every turn. The brushing hand kept Johnny entranced, his body easing around this sweet lowerclassman... How did he manage this? An eased sigh slipped through Johnny's lips as he looked at Caleb as best he could...

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"Caleb," he began firmly, but with a foreign gentleness to his voice. "It's not your fault... I decided to... to get angry and fight them, okay? But... thank you... Thank you for coming to find me..."

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Had his former friends found him in that abysmal state, there would be laughing. An endless jeering as he held his nose, trying to avoid bleeding on his uniform... Meanwhile, Caleb benevolently offered his shirt, worried about him and... sounded as though he would assist further... It made Johnny's heart flutter annoyingly again... F*ck, he hoped this adorable idiot was dating that colourful little eel or he was every definition of screwed! After announcing the plan, Johnny nodded and watched as Caleb retreated to grab medical supplies... for him because he did not want to go to the infirmary...

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Another sigh escaped Johnny as he switched hands, using the back of his bloodied right hand to secure the shirt... He would have to buy Caleb some stain remover... The pair of backpacks were picked up, dangling from his hands as he walked in the other direction. The blonde's purple eyes were observant as he took the quiet, non-official route to another pair of learning commons doors. Footsteps were gradual from the aches brought about by the fight. He pushed through the doors, taking a primarily outdoor route to avoid cameras. They were not watched 24/7, but the less he crossed, the better.

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The senior pushed into the bathroom, dropping the bags near the sink. The junior would be a few minutes... he could at least assess the damages... The blonde positioned himself in front of the mirror, staring at his dishevelled reflection. A sigh escaped him as he saw the blood-smeared hand and the splotches on his uniform.

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"F*ck me," Johnny exhaled.

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The shirt was peeled from his face, revealing a face littered with smeared blood and cuts. A groan escaped Johnny as a hand reached for the paper towel, plucking a few from the auto-dispenser and stacking it beside him. He was a mess... Blooming bruises painted splotches on his face. A cut stretched across his unscarred cheek and another crossed the bridge of his nose. The teen's lip was busted open... and it alongside his nose was still bleeding. The flow lessened, but still creeping. The blonde reached for the taps, twisting them on and allowing water to flow.

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His hands were brought under the warm water first, Johnny sniffling in an attempt to stifle his bleeding nose. The water turned red from the washing, the warmth stinging the litany of tiny cuts crisscrossing his knuckles. Soap was introduced, Johnny washing his hands and avoiding eye contact with himself... The bloody state his face was in would be next to resolve. His hands were cleaned, and one of the paper towels was plucked to dry his hands. Another was grabbed afterwards and ran beneath the water to begin washing away the blood on his face... and occasionally pausing to avoid blood running from his nose.

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Through the meticulous scrubbing, Johnny's face stung, gentle expletives leaving his mouth... At least if he tidied up a little before Caleb arrived, he could say he helped.