Kieran & Drew Read Online Free Page A

Drew’s shoes.
    He glanced up to check where the teacher was and noted that he was leaning over his own desk with a frown, reading something. He took the opportunity to lean down and snag up his backpack. Having missed breakfast that morning, he desperately needed to nibble on something. He took a bite of his Snickers.
    “Hi.”
And choked.
“Whoa, you okay?” Drew laughed, patting him on the back and setting his own backpack down under the table at the same time.
    Oh my God, he’s touching my back , was the thought running through his mind as he coughed. Eventually he managed to clear his throat, and with eyes watering and cheeks bright red, he looked at Drew and nodded. Great, that’s gotta look sexy. Well done, Kieran.
    “I’m fine, thanks.”
“Appleby, are you quite done?”
    With dawning horror Kieran looked to the front of the class where Mr. Trinder stood, one eyebrow raised in question. The rest of the students were turned in their seats, looking at him with various expressions that ranged from “what is wrong with that guy?” to “fucking freak.” He wanted to curl up and disappear.
“S-sorry,” he managed.
    Mr. Trinder offered a final tired look before going back to handing out the large A3 pieces of paper draped over his arm. Looked like they were drawing again today. When the snickering eventually died down around him, he dared a look at Drew. Drew was frowning slightly, looking at something on Kieran’s side of the desk. Kieran followed his eye’s line and was mortified to realize Drew was looking at the notebook that lay open with its stupid but nonetheless damning doodles there for all to see.
    With a quiet gasp, he slammed the notebook closed and folded his arms over it. At the same time, he sensed someone standing next to him and looked up to see Mr. Trinder staring back at him. He could tell by the tick in his cheek that the teacher was not having a good day and had quite obviously run out of patience.
    “Passing notes, really ?” Mr. Trinder asked, clearly resigned and beyond annoyed. He made a “give it to me” gesture with his hand. “Hand it over, now.”
    Kieran’s eyes widened in horror, and he looked at Drew, who was staring back at him with a blank, unreadable expression. He looked back at his teacher. “I-I wasn’t passing notes, honest,” he choked out quietly. A glance forward confirmed that the class was once again watching him. Oh God .
    “I said give it here,” Mr. Trinder said firmly. “Now, Kieran.” “He wasn’t passing notes, sir,” Drew offered.
    Mr. Trinder glanced between the two of them, and with a sigh, reached to take the notebook from Kieran. Kieran acted instinctually, and when the notebook was nearly out of his grasp, he scrambled and tore out the front page. Gasps and startled laughter erupted around him when, without thinking, he quickly crumpled the paper and shoved it into his mouth.
    He could feel his face turning scarlet as Mr. Trinder stared at him, as shocked as the rest of the class. To his mortification, he could feel his eyes begin to actually sting as the laughter with intermittent whispered comments of “oh my God, he’s so fucking weird” ricocheted around him. He cut a glance at Drew to see if he was laughing at him too, but was only further appalled to see a distinct look of pity instead. He looked back at his teacher when sensing Mr. Trinder leaning close.
    The teacher spoke firmly and in a low voice. “I want you to collect your things, go to the bathroom, spit that out, and then go and wait for me in my office. Understand?”
Kieran nodded unhappily, gathered his bag, and left as swiftly as he could without running.
    D
REW had never in his entire life felt as bad for another person as he did for Kieran in art class that morning. He was still trying to make sense of what he’d seen in Kieran’s notebook and which ultimately had ended up in his mouth. He knew he’d seen both their initials and a doodling of hearts. It was