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If you were to ask Charlie Dalton, holding grudges was most definitely not a red flag. It wasn’t like he hated anyone; matter of fact he managed to get along very well with just about anyone. Sure, he would complain and bemoan to Neil about any classmate who wronged him or go glare at past situation-ships in the hallways, but Charlie never really hated anyone. That was, until he met Knox Overstreet.For all his complaining and grumbling, Charlie Dalton was relieved to be back at Welton academy for his senior year. Hauling two heavy suitcases around campus, he almost tripped over a group of first years standing in his way. They were gawking at the extensive campus and fancy cars that lined the roundabout leading up to it. Welton was known for being one of the most prestigious and expensive private schools, but all Charlie could see was money being used as an excuse for poor teaching. Expensive cars lined the parking lot and their campus; massive buildings, a lake, soccer fields, and tennis courts stood out against the grassy plains of their surroundings. The school itself was beautiful; old architecture with grand windows, expansive buildings that spanned out over the space and lush vines winding their way around the buildings. Arctic Monkeys blasted through his air pods as he struggled with his suitcases up the stairs to the dormitory building. Charlie had already said a half-assed goodbye to his parents before jumping out of the car. His summer, although he would tell Neil otherwise, was completely uneventful. Aside from the odd country club party with his dad’s colleagues Charlie was supposed to spend the two months in his countryside house, doing nothing. The tension at home between him and his father had been stifling and Charlie had taken every excuse to get out of the house. He had spent a week in Ibiza with some distant cousin or whatever, partying until the sun rose. After that there was the weekend in Greece where he had spent the majority of his time swimming in the ocean and talking to pretty girls and boys at beach parties.“Dalton!”A loud voice shouted out to him from where Charlie stood in the hallway of the senior boys dormitory. His head swiveled and a grin grew on his face at the sight. Neil Perry poked his head out from his dorm room, long brown hair falling over his forehead in messy waves.“I heard you did summer school,” Charlie drawled, leaning against the door frame.“Chemistry. My father thought I should get ahead. How was your summer, slick?”“Keen,” Charlie smirked. “Partied in Spain, drank too much, the usual. Have the roommate listings gotten posted yet?”Neil nodded his head, gesturing towards a small sheet of paper stuck onto the dorm’s door. “They have them put on each door. I think I saw your dorm somewhere down the hall.” Charlie opened his mouth to speak, but Neil beat him to it. “Don’t worry, Cameron is rooming with some guy called Stick this year.”“Thank God, one more year with him and I’m not sure I would have survived Welton. Who are you rooming with?”“Todd,” Neil smiled, a small blush creeping onto his cheeks. Charlie let out a small wolf whistle and Neil rolled his eyes before shoving him out of his room. “Go unpack your stuff, Charlie. Opening ceremony’s at 7.”“Its Nuwanda, Neil,” Charlie remarked, sticking his tongue out at an exasperated Neil before hauling his baggage down the hallway. He stopped to greet Meeks and Pitts, who had gotten lucky and managed to room together for the past four years. It was for the best; he doubted anyone else could put up with the amount of electrical equipment the two left laying on the floor.He stepped into his dorm room, paying the piece of paper tacked onto his door no mind. Charlie was so focused on lifting his numerous suitcases into the doorway that he barely noticed his roommate, back turned to him. He had already taken one of the beds and Charlie hurried to place his belongings on the other mattress across the room. The dorms weren’t massive but they were luxurious enough: two beds sat parallel to each other, with matching desks pressed against the space in between the foot of the beds and wall.Charlie turned to his roommate, who was hunched over his own bed and beginning to unpack his clothes. He cleared his throat expectantly, waiting for him to turn around. God, I hope I don’t get stuck with another neat freak like Cameron. It was after a few seconds of waiting that Charlie realized he was listening to music through his air pods. He tapped on his roommate’s back, a smirk playing across his face. The boy turned around, eyebrows furrowed in annoyance. Charlie eyed his new roommate. He was tall, way taller than him, and the thought sent a small jolt down his spine. He had messy brown hair that fell over his forehead in waves, deep brown eyes and a strong nose. His cheekbones contracted from his face and he had broad shoulders that were hidden under a navy blue sweatshirt. Okay, so maybe Charlie’s roommate was somewhat conventionally attractive. Maybe this year might be better than he thought it would be. He steadied himself before introducing himself.“Charlie Dalton, your new roommate.”“Knox Overstreet.” The boy, Knox, had an agitated expression across his face, his lips quirked downwards into a frown. He took out his headphones and shoved them in the pockets of his jeans, staring at Charlie expectantly.“I’ve been at Welton the past four years, so if you need anyone to give you a tour you can hit me up,” He smirked, eyeing Knox from head to toe. “You’re gonna have fun at Hellton here, I can guarantee it.”“Yeah, sure,” Knox mumbled. The frustrated look on his face didn’t fade and his eyes darted between Charlie and the door as if planning an escape. Charlie opened his mouth to further his introductions but Knox beat him to it.“Look, Charlie, I’m sure you wanna continue talking to me right now, but I’m not really in the mood.”“Excuse me?”Knox sighed. “We can chitchat or whatever some other time, but if you’re gonna to try to hold a conversation at the moment you may as well go visit your other friends.”“Hold up Overstreet; I, a stranger, trying to get to know my new roommate for the next year takes less priority than unpacking a shit ton of sweaters that look like they were stolen from your grandmothers wardrobe?”“I’m not in the mood for dealing with someone that just won’t shut up, okay?"“What the hell is your problem?” Charlie grumbled, glaring at the boy across from him. Great. Five minutes into meeting his roommate and he already turns out to be a complete dickhead.“My problem, Charlie, is that I just need five minutes of peace before I start to get interrogated by my very extroverted and talkative roommate. Is that too much to ask?” Knox exclaimed icily, pinching the bridge of his nose as if dealing with a child. Clear annoyance was painted across his facial features. Charlie stood there, unsure what to say. Anger bubbled beneath his skin as Knox turned back around. “Of course I get a loud and annoying roommate,” he mumbled under his breath, assuming Charlie had turned back to his own suitcase.What.An.Asshole. Charlie strode out the room, fuming silently. He headed straight towards the administrations office; he would rather put up with Cameron for his senior year than Knox.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Sorry Mr. Dalton, but I’m afraid that roommate transfers are only applicable if there is a serious issue between the two students. If this continues to be a problem feel free to let a staff member but there is nothing we can do at the moment,” Mrs. Karinsky explained, a sympathetic expression painted across her face.Great. Charlie attempted a smile before getting up and exiting the house parent’s office. His shiny uniform shoes tapped against the hardwood floor as he ambled back to the senior boys dormitory wing. He stood outside his dorm room, contemplating. He could go back in and deal with a complete ass of a roommate or complain to Neil (and most likely Todd: the two were inseparable) about said roommate.Before he could rationalise that yes, he would have to face Knox Overstreet at one point, Charlie found himself poised outside Neil’s dorm.“Open up!” He shouted, knocking on the wooden door obnoxiously. Normally Charlie would just invite himself in, but after accidentally walking in on the two cozying up as they studied for exams in their junior year Charlie learned from his mistakes.“Charlie!” Todd greeted him with a bright smile. Charlie squinted at him. Had Todd grown over the summer? He seemed a bit taller and his sandy blonde hair had grown out a big longer.“Anderson! Excited to room with Neil again?” Charlie prompted, smirking at the way Todd’s eyes widened and his cheeks flushed.“Who’d you get as your roommate, Dalton?” The second the question left Neil’s mouth Charlie’s face dropped. All the residing anger built up inside him as he stormed over to shut the door. Sighing dramatically, he flung himself onto Neil’s half-unpacked bed, ignoring his best friend’s yelps of protest.“God, that’s why I came here to talk to you about. He’s some new kid, goes by the Knox Over-something or the other -”“Wait! Knox Overstreet? Pitts has a good friend that goes by that name. He mentioned him a few times as a family friend?” Neil was now sitting at the head of the bed and Charlie rolled onto his stomach to face him. Todd lingered nearby as he perched on the windowsill, observing the conversation with a quiet smile. Neil’s words sent a jolt of annoyance down Charlie’s spine. God, why would Pitts ever befriend such a jerk? Hopefully there was more than one Knox Overstreet out there.“Hopefully not. Anyways, I attempt to strike up a conversation, like any normal person does when meeting the person they have to share a room with for a whole year. This asshole interrupts me to tell me that our “introductions” can wait and to give him some peace and quiet,” Charlie rants indignantly, seething as he recounts the previous encounter with his roommate. Neil and Todd’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise simultaneously at his words.“Did you ever consider-”“No, that’s not the point. He couldn’t even spare five minutes of his precious time to exchange more than our names, Neil. Naturally, I ask him what the hell he means to which he responds that he isn’t in the mood for someone that won’t shut up.”“Well, maybe he was having a bad day?”“That doesn’t excuse his actions. He could’ve been more polite, at the bare minimum,” Charlie continued to complain, ignoring the stares Neil and Todd gave to the door behind him. “I can’t even switch rooms: I just talked with Mrs. Karinsky but apparently you can only switch if there is a serious issue, which there isn’t-”“Char-”“No, what do I do? I can’t spend ten months with some stuck up, self absorbed, pompous dickhead that consider anyone’s feelings just because he “isn’t in the mood” for a talk? I only met him for a few minutes but I cant stand him and the infuriating way he stands and talks-”“Charlie! Shut up!” Neil whisper-yelled, eyes wide with panic. Todd’s entire face paled as the two stared at the door behind them. Or rather, someone. Charlie felt his stomach fill with dread as he turned around. There stood Knox, leaning into the door frame of the room with a hurt and agitated expression painted across his face. There was no mistaking that he had overheard more than half of Charlie’s rant and the glint of anger was visible in his dark brown eyes.“Pitts told me you were most likely in here. Opening ceremony’s at seven so I thought to give you some time to unpack your stuff.” Knox’s voice was icy and sharp as he glared at Charlie still slouched over on Neil’s bed. It didn’t go unnoticed the implication that Knox was giving him time to unpack alone so they wouldn’t have to interact. Charlie couldn’t help but sense a flood of relief at prolonging the tense atmosphere between the two.“I put my clothes in the left closet, by the way,” Knox stated tersely before exiting the room, his movements tense and stiff.“Charlie! What the hell was that? If you didn’t get off on the right foot at first then you most certainly won’t have any luck befriending him!” Neil scolded, turning on Charlie with pointed eyes. Charlie could feel his cheeks flush with frustration as he swiveled his gaze onto Neil, annoyance seeping through his veins.“Well I didn’t know he was standing right fucking behind me, did I?”“We tried to warn you, you idiot, but you couldn’t take the hint and continued talking,” He explained exasperatedly. “Maybe you could, I don’t know, apologise to him?”“Are you kidding? Not before that complete asshole apologises to me for his behaviour,” Charlie shot back hotly. He stood up before crossing across the hall and ducking into his dorm room, digging the heels of his palms into his eyes. Pull it together, Dalton. You’ve dealt with annoying people before. Charlie dug through his numerous suitcases and pile of luggage as he turned the conversation with Knox over an over inside his head. There was something about him that infuriated him. Four suitcases, three cardboard boxes, one bag of soccer gear and an obnoxiously large silk pillow and bed sheet collection later, he sat on his bed, scrolling through tiktok to avoid thinking about Knox.Try as he might, there was something about those broad shoulders, defined Adam’s apple and messy brown hair that Charlie didn’t understand. The reality of his situation hit him; he was stuck with a complete dickhead as a roommate who not only yelled at him for being annoying but had also overhead Charlie ranting about said roommate to others. The silky bed covers met his back as he flopped down onto his bed. God, he was so fucked.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Charlie hated feeling out of control. It’s ironic, considering his whole demeanor around his friends is to be the one that doesn’t care. So there he sat, glaring down at his breakfast like it has personally offended him. The dining hall was filled with the chatter from students ready for their first day of classes at Welton. He knew he should make an attempt to join the conversation between Todd, Neil and Meeks, but it was hard to focus when he could feel his glare on him a few seats down the table. Charlie risked a glance at Knox Overstreet only to be met with the sight of Knox and Pitts chattering like old friends.
Anger rushed through him at the thought of him and Pitts becoming friends. What was it that Neil had said about them knowing each other? Charlie observed the way Knox smiles at Pitts before whispering something to him that makes him throw his head back in laughter. No, Charlie is definitely not jealous at the way Knox treats Pitts compared to himself. No, not at all. He glares before turning back to the meager pile of hash browns and eggs on his plate.
“Charlie, you all good?” Neil’s concerned tone cut through the incessant train of thoughts running through his mind.
“-What? Oh um, yeah. Just didn’t sleep well, that’s all.”
“Are you sure it isn’t because of Kn-”
“I said I was fine, okay?” Charlie snapped, his tone alerting the attention of those around him. The look of hurt and shock that crossed Neil’s face sent a jolt of regret through Charlie. “Sorry,” he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand sheepishly.
“Its okay. Um, what classes does everyone have first semester?” Neil diverted the topic and soon him, Todd, Meeks, Cameron and Charlie were all complaining about annoying teachers and the mountains of schoolwork that were sure to pile up very quickly.
“I’m taking AP government and chemistry this semester,” Cameron supplied with a proud smile.
“I’m surprised there’s any AP classes that you didn’t already take last year,” Charlie replied sarcastically, a small grin on his face forming as he watched Cameron’s face shift in frustration.
“Well, Charlie, some of us here have our eyes set on real life goals.”
“You wouldn’t consider running away to New York to play the sax and dance at night clubs a real life?”
“You’re still on that? Charlie, there’s no way that’s how you want to spend the rest of your life- oh, you’re being sarcastic.” Cameron frowned as Charlie’s shit eating grin grew wider. How he loved getting a reaction out of the redhead.
“You know, for all your book smarts you sure do lack social skills,” Charlie remarked as Cameron’s brows furrowed at the insult.
“Well, its still a terrible goal to set for your life!”
“And this is a terrible dream because the idea of going to a club means you have to interact with a real girl or…?”
“I have interacted with plenty of girls!” Cameron sputtered indignantly, cheeks flaming at the accusation.
“Have not!” Charlie stuck his tongue out at Cameron. In his peripheral vision he could see Neil roll his eyes and mutter something to Todd, leaning in to whisper in his ear. Todd smiled and turned to gaze into his eyes intimately.
Interesting.
Charlie would have to interrogate Neil about it later.
“Have so! I had a girlfriend back our freshmen year, you know?”
“How much she’d get paid by your dad to take you out?” Meeks snickered at the comment and Cameron sent a piercing glare his way.
“Okay, enough bickering you two,” Neil chided with fond exasperation.
“Neil!” Pitts shouted from down the table, pausing his conversation with Knox, who turned to a blonde girl sitting across him. “Study group your dorm tonight?”
“Of course!” Neil smiled before turning to Todd. “If that’s okay with you; I understand if you’ve had enough socializing for now.” Charlie smirked at his friends as a blush crept across Todd’s face at Neil’s comment. He had been waiting since their freshmen year for the oblivious pair to finally get their heads out of their asses and finally confess their feelings for each other. Charlie had spent one too many afternoons listening to Neil rant about how perfect Todd’s hair and voice and poetry was- he had been trying to convince his idiot of a best friend that yes, Todd did like him back.
“Is it okay if Knox joins? He has chem 12 with Ostroeisky- knowing her she will assign him a whole assignment for tonight,” Pitts reasoned. Charlie felt his stomach drop. Rooming with Knox was already proving to be an issue- their first night had been filled with tension between the two. After hearing him rant to Neil, Charlie was sure Knox wanted nothing to do with him.
Fine by me.
Stilted conversation, tense words exchanged and glares sent both ways had proven to Charlie that he could barely stand his roommate for one night. Was he really going to have to see him at the study group?
Charlie shot a pleading glance Neil’s way and was met with eyes filled with resignation and guilt. “Sure!”
What the fuck? Wasn’t Neil supposed to be on his side?
As soon as the bell rang for the beginning of morning classes Charlie snagged his best friend by the arm and dragged him into the hallway.
“What the hell, Neil?”
“I'm sorry, Charlie. Maybe this will be a good chance for you two to start over?”
“Did you not listen to anything I told you last night?”
Yes, but-”
“No! You’re supposed to be on my side- do you not believe what I told you?”
“Of course I do, Char! It's just that- don’t you think that maybe he was just having a rough day yesterday? Being new to a different school can be stressful and I think that inviting him to study group was the right thing to do.”
Charlie rolled his eyes in annoyance but he couldn’t stay mad at his friend for too long. “Alright, I’ll go even if he is there. I can’t promise I’ll talk to him though.”
____
As the day progressed Charlie became so frustrated he felt like ripping his hair out or banging his head against the wall multiple times. Maybe both. His classes were all boring and he shared not two but three classes with Knox; AP Government, English 12 and AP Physics. He wouldn’t admit it to his friends, but Charlie had always had a passion for math and physics. He had been excited at the thought of taking the class but his anticipation had been squashed by the presence of his roommate. To make matters worse, he had been told by Pitts that Knox had come to Welton through a soccer scholarship, guaranteeing him a spot on Welton’s senior boys team.
Charlie, Neil and Pitts had all played soccer since grade school and it had become one of his greatest passions. He knew that no matter how much his parents yelled at him or how low his grades dropped the net and soccer ball would always be sitting on the turf. During grade school Charlie had spent most of his free time at the pitch, practicing drills until his feet went numb. He had Neil as a support system but during eighth grade things had taken a turn for the worse: Neil’s mental health had sent him to the psych ward and left Charlie in a worried and stressed state.
He could barely remember those twelve months of his life and when he tried to recall memories all his thoughts became clouded with a certain sadness and loneliness. His grades fell to an all time low which prompted daily fights with his father. He could recall one fight clearly; after receiving a C- on an English exam his posh grade school hadn’t hesitated to tell his father about the mark.
“Do you even try, Charles?”
“Im sorry, father-”
“I work hard to get you into one of the nicest private grade schools and this is how you repay me? A near failing grade?”
“I was so stressed with Neil and-”
“You know what I think? I think it's time you focus less on Neil and more on trying harder. I have given so much for you to be able to study at a nice school and you take advantage of my gratitude!”
“You have given so much?” Charlie heard himself scoff incredulously. “You mean take advantage of my grandfather’s money and donate to the school?”
“You don’t talk to your father that way! If I hear you call that stupid Neil boy one more time I will cut off your access to the internet. If you aren’t able to get an A on the next English project I will draw you from the school and send you to a boarding institute in Europe.”
“But father-”
“Do not talk back to me. Are we understood?”
“Yes, sir.”
Charlie had spent most of his time dribbling on the field during those months. He would wait until he was sure his father and mother were asleep before sneaking downstairs to use the wifi to text Neil. Stress and worry had controlled his body and dark circles had branded themselves permanently onto his skin. He would stay out on the turf until he keeled over in exhaustion, running across the field and scoring goals as anger and sadness bubbled underneath his skin.
“Mr. Dalton? Are you with us?” His Calculus teacher Mr. Stokes implored, an annoyed expression painted across his face. Charlie was broken from his reverie as he glanced at his notes before answering the question on the board. It was already the first day and he would have a pile of homework awaiting him on his desk. Normally, Charlie would’ve loved math class but he just sat at his desk and watched the clock’s hand tick at an agonising pace.
He waited through his last class of the day (calc) until prep arrived. The two hour time period between the end of the school day and dinner was used for studying, sports or any other extracurriculars and the poets liked to use it for study group. Soccer wasn’t starting up for another few days and Charlie dragged himself reluctantly into the dorm hallway. He knocked halfheartedly on Todd and Neil’s door before wishing that Knox had decided he did not want to come.
They had all sat together for lunch earlier on and met in between classes and Charlie had (thankfully) not had to interact with his asshole of a roomate. The door swung open to reveal several faces staring at him and Charlie’s smile faltered as he spotted Knox. He was sitting at Todd’s desk, combing over a textbook with an agitated frown on his face. His hazel eyes flitted over to Charlie and a thick silence filled the room. Before Charlie could get a word in, Neil interrupted.
“Okay, so who has homework and for what class?”
Charlie forced himself to ignore the tall brunette in the corner as he sat down on Neil’s bed next to Meeks. “Meeks and Cameron both aced French and Latin, Neil managed a 97 in Biology 12, Pitts can solve any computer science problem, Todd can write a perfect essay in one hour and I didn't quite flunk maths and physics last year.”
“Didn’t quite flunk? Char, you had a final grade of 96% for Pre-calc 12!” Neil laughed.
“My teacher rounded up from a 94,” Charlie felt his face heat as his friends gazed at him in shock. He had only told Neil about the excellent grade, although the reason why he didn’t know.
Meeks’ eyes widened in surprise and pride. “Wait! How come you didn’t tell us?”
“It didn’t feel relevant,” Charlie murmured, shrugging his shoulders. “Anyways, I have a shit ton of Chem and AP Gov work and I would really appreciate it if someone could help.”
“And by help you mean do almost all of the work for you?” Cameron snarked, although there was no real bite behind it.
“Yep!” He replied, enunciating the word with a bright smile. He had almost forgotten Knox was in the room until he cleared his throat.
“Wouldn’t that count as academic dishonesty?” The room fell silent once more as Knox asked the question, his voice tense with dislike. Charlie forced a fake smile on his face as he ignored his roommate, turning to Neil to discuss their AP gov homework.
The rest of the night passed relatively smoothly, if you ignored the fact that Charlie and Knox never once spoke to each other directly and spent the entire time on opposite sides of the room. Hearing Pitts laugh at a joke Knox told made Charlie’s blood boil and as the time for dinner rolled around he felt internally grateful for the bell for once in his life.
Dinner went by in a blur of mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans and enthusiastic conversation. Charlie and Cameron were currently debating whether a thanksgiving dinner should be eaten with each dish separate or all mixed together on the plate. Charlie was trying (and failing) to avoid glaring at Knox who had moved closer to their friend group upon Pitt’s request.
“You don’t get it: when everything is mixed together it's like an explosion of flavour!”
“It’s complete sacrilege, Charlie! Who mixes the cranberry sauce into their mashed potatoes?”
“I do!” Charlie shot back indignantly. Cameron sighed before relenting and turning his attention back to his dinner.
The sky outside had darkened into deep purple and blue hues as the sun set, casting a golden light over the entire campus. All the students got ready for bed and Charlie did his best to ignore the other person lying across the room from him. Exhaustion settled into his bones from the first day back and soon enough Charlie felt himself slipping into a deep sleep.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
A loud thud woke Charlie up from his sleep. Groaning, he rolled over to be met with the sight of a tired Knox sitting up on his bed. His alarm (some Beatles song) blared through the room and Charlie winced at the noise. He glanced at his phone on the bedside table. It was 5 in the fucking morning.
What the fuck?
Knox stilled at the scoff of annoyance that left Charlie’s mouth. He then stood up loudly and Charlie watched with a pointed glare as his roommate changed into shorts and a T-shirt. Knox made a point of turning on their bathroom light to its maximum brightness and fumbling with his air pods case a little too loud than normal as he shuffled around their dorm room.
After several minutes of over exaggerated footsteps Charlie snapped. “Why the fuck did you wake me up at 5 in the morning?” Charlie demanded, throwing his sheets off of his body before standing up. Knox tensed before turning around with an exasperated sigh.
“I guess it’s because I am a
stuck up, self absorbed, pompous dickhead that doesn’t consider anyone’s feelings
,” Knox quoted, throwing Charlie’s words from complaining to Neil right back at him. In lieu of a response Charlie strode across the floor until he was face to face with Knox. He was so close he could feel Knox’s breath on face and the slight scent of rose water that radiated off of him.
“What the fuck is your problem?” Charlie whispered each word, his voice low.
“Just going for a morning run,” Knox shrugged, eyeing Charlie and standing his ground as he took another step towards the other boy. They stood there in silence, the tension so thick you could cut it with a knife. The air stilled around them and Charlie’s pulse hammered widely in anger as he seethed silently. Eventually Knox relented and strode over to the dorm room door, slamming it. The noise sounded throughout the room and Charlie pulled on his hair in frustration.
He was, and never had been, a morning person. He dreaded the early mornings almost as much as finals week and would prolong his mornings if it meant five more minutes of sleep. Charlie had a feeling this early morning routine of Knox’s would persist, regardless of whether he was going on a run or not.
Well, fuck him.
Charlie could be rational about this. He could be. He paced the floor of his dorm in hatred, images of Knox laughing and sitting with
his
friends at
his
study group flooding through his mind.
He hated him. He hated him so much.
He eyed the light that still flooded out from the bathroom door.
Well, if Knox could be an asshole, so could he.
Without thinking Charlie grabbed all of Knox’s textbooks, workbooks and notebooks residing on his roommate’s desk. He stormed out of the room in a blinded rage as his feet carried him down the dormitory buildings and out to the courtyard of the west wing. Their dorms were relatively close to the courtyard and Charlie had always come to the spot to think and get fresh air. Not this time though. He stomped over the old cobblestone pathway to the centerpiece of the area: the fountain. The concrete was cracked in certain places and in it sat a puddle of green water, pieces of dead leaves floating about. Charlie raised the pile of notebooks, paper and textbooks before dropping them into the water with a loud splash. They sank satisfyingly to the bottom of the water and Charlie grinned at the sight. The paper pages were undoubtedly soaked and any ink would turn into one messy blur.
He pulled out one small piece of paper he had ripped out of an English class book that had sat on Knox’s desk and one pen he had pocketed from his own stationery supplies. On it he scrawled in his messy script the words
Your notebooks, Knox Overstreet
before weighing it down on the edge of the basin with a rock.
Satisfied, Charlie skipped back up to his dorm and began to get ready for the school day. Hopefully no more early morning runs from Knox Overstreet.
____
“What the hell did you do with my textbooks, Charlie?” Knox snapped. Charlie raised his head from his breakfast as he eyed the taller boy who towered over him from his spot directly across him. The poets glanced over curiously at the loud remark.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Charlie smited with faux innocence, a smile pasted onto his face.
“Bullshit. I know you were the one that dumped them in the fountain!”
“Why would I touch your stupid shit?”
“Because you were angry I went on a morning run?” Knox scoffed, glaring at Charlie as he waved his hands around angrily. All the students sitting within hearing distance had stopped their conversations to stare at the source of the accusation.
Charlie laughed, “Morning run? That's what you’re calling it? Admit it; you purposefully got up at 5 and made as much noise as possible to wake me up.”
“Not everything is about you, you know,” Knox retorted, eyes blaring. “I know you touched my books and threw them in the fountain, because who else would do something so immature?”
“Like I said before- I didn’t do anything!” Charlie protested, his voice rising with each spoken.
Neil attempted to resolve the tension as his eyes flitted back and forth between Knox and Charlie. “Why don’t we-”
“Not now, Neil!” Charlie snapped. He turned his attention back to the person sitting across from him. “You can think all you want about your precious little notebooks and papers and whatever stupid shit your dad buys you, but I didn’t touch anything.”
“They cost at least 100 dollars each, Charlie!”
“Seems to me you should be whining to the person that threw them in there in the first place.”
“Oh my god, why are you such a dickhead?”
“Says the one that turned on all the lights, stomped across the floors and played his alarm at full volume at five am!”
“I promise you; all I was doing was going for a morning run!”
“I don’t believe you,” Charlie retorted, feeling his cheeks turn red with anger. Knox scoffed before pushing his chair away from him and standing up.
“Maybe you don’t, but I know you were the one that ruined my books.”
Charlie rose up from his chair, scraping it against the floor as he grabbed his blazer and stormed out of the mess hall. His heart pounded loudly with frustration as he shoved his way through the throng of freshmen in the hallways. A loud click sounded from the lock of his door as he pushed himself into the quiet of his room. Charlie forced his breathing to slow as he leaned against the door. When things had gotten bad with his father or his grades last year, he had always retreated to the silence of his dorm room, but now the visibility of Knox’s side made him feel worse.
It was only two days into his senior year and Charlie found himself missing the chaotic reprieve of the summer.
This was not how he wanted his last year of school to go.
_____
Knox got his revenge a day later. Charlie woke up to a loud banging against his dorm door and his room an entire mess. His clothes, textbooks, notes and pieces of paper were scattered across his side of the room.
“Mr. Dalton, you are late to the first period!” A loud and cranky voice sounded out from underneath the door. Mrs. Herant, notoriously known for giving harsh punishments to any student not out of bed or at breakfast.
Charlie stumbled out of bed, his head pounding with confusion. Why was he late? He shoved the school sweatshirt over his head and shrugged into the uniform pants one handed as he thumbed for his phone. The time read back at him and Charlie blinked sluggishly. Why the hell was he already an hour late for his first class?
“Mr. Dalton!”
Charlie rushed towards the door, opening it to a very unimpressed Mrs. Herant. Her lips pointed downwards into a frown as she eyed Charlie and his very much non-school mandated uniform. “I was told by your roommate you had refused to get out of bed and clean your side of the room for room inspections.”
Wait, what? The confusion must’ve shown on his face as Mrs. Herant let out a disappointed sigh before explaining, “Today is wednesday, Mr. Dalton. And seeing as you have made no efforts to be in class and tidy your side of the dorm I will be marking this down as one strike and let your first period teachers know the reason behind your absence.”
“But-”
“We do not tolerate tardiness at Welton. You of all students should know that,” She pursed her lips in annoyance. “You have ten minutes to get ready for the day or this will be marked as a class purposely skipped.”
“Yes ma’am, sorry,” Charlie replied glumly. The second his dorm room closed he slumped against the wall, confusion flooding through him.
What the fuck? Wasn't it supposed to be the early morning?
His eyes trailed the mess spread across his dorm as he dressed in his proper clothes. It was then that he noticed that the cord to his alarm clock had been pulled from the electrical socket and that the windows remained closed shut. His drawers had been left open and the notebooks scattered had purposefully been pulled from his backpack.
Realisation flooded through him as he seethed silently. Knox must’ve shut off his alarm and gotten ready as quietly as possible to have Charlie sleep in until he was late enough to class to be noticed. Not only had he gotten him in trouble for being late but also made a huge mess of his room and snitched to Mrs. Herant.
What.The.Hell.
Fuming, Charlie finished getting dressed and slammed the door behind him. He stormed down the dorm hallways and into his first period class, ignoring the looks of annoyance his teacher shot him.
Knox can do whatever the hell he wants to
, Charlie seethed. But it didn’t mean he wasn’t going to get him back.
___
The two went back and forth as the first two weeks of the year passed. Charlie took all of Knox’s soccer gear after one of their first practices and stuck it on the roof. Knox responded by signing Charlie up for a bonus marks presentation for AP gov. He had only found out the day of and was forced to act as a fool in front of the class, talking about a subject he knew nothing about.
In retaliation, Charlie had forged a hate email from his roommate to their notoriously strict chem 12 teacher, which had gotten him a stern warning about academic misconduct. Knox had been so pissed he had snitched to the faculty about the stash of alcohol Charlie had hidden underneath his dorm bed. He had gotten a three day suspension and Charlie had been so furious he had taken all of Knox’s uniform shirts and poured permanent paint all over them. He had been forced to buy a new set.
Soccer practice wasn’t much better. They had entered a month-long period of tryouts and practices to prove they were good enough to play on the competitive team with set positions on the field. Charlie put all of his anger into every kick and play and it wasn’t long until he had entered a competition with Knox.
By the end of the two weeks the hatred they held for each other became well known. Whispers followed Charlie as he entered class and all their teammates were on edge at soccer practices, eyes swiveling between the two roommates.
What was almost worse than their little jibes and attacks at each other was having to room in the same dorm every night. They fought over every silly thing and Neil had complained one too many times about hearing their angered shouts through the thin plywood walls. Knox would always act so annoyed about a single piece of clothing Charlie left on the floor, regardless of whether it was on his side or not. They had put down an even line of masking tape on the hardwood floors to keep the room separate and practically ignored each other when they weren’t arguing.
“Could you not maybe, I don't know, wake up at 5 fucking am every morning with as much noise as possible?” Charlie snapped as Knox pulled back the curtains and flicked on every light. Their morning routine had become the same thing every day: Knox would wake Charlie up with lights at full brightness and a blaring alarm, to which Charlie would put as little care into keeping his side of the room organized as he got dressed for the day. Charlie would rush into the bathroom and lock himself in there, scrolling on his phone until it made Knox unable to get ready for his “run”.
“Like I said before, I am going for a run,” Knox snapped with gritted teeth, tying on his running shoes.
“Listen, I haven’t had a proper sleep in two weeks, so I’d really appreciate it if you didn’t turn on every light and have your alarm at full volume every morning.” Charlie spat out in frustration. Knox didn’t even look guilty; he glared at Charlie as he grabbed his phone and headphones off of his desk.
“Maybe you should’ve begged to Mrs. Karinsky more for us to change roommates,” Knox snarked.
Shit. Had he listened in on his conversation with her about changing dorms the first day?
“All I asked was for you to be more considerate in the mornings!”
“Maybe you need to be more considerate about keeping your space more neat!”
“Oh please, I move one pencil out of line and you freak out!”
“You’re a terrible roommate Charlie!” Knox snapped, eyes blaring as he turned around from the dorm door. “You make too much noise, you invite your friends over anytime, you stay up way too late with your phone at full brightness, you leave your shit everywhere!”
Charlie took a step back, affronted by Knox’s outburst. “Oh yeah? You blast your stupid music all the fucking time and have the right to be offended when I make any sort of noise.”
“I’m not doing this right now.”
“Yeah, that's right! Run away from all your problems! Isn’t that why you came here in the first place? To run away from your parent’s divorce?” The words left Charlie's mouth before he even registered them leaving.
“What the fuck did you just say?” Knox asked quietly, his eyes turned on Charlie with an intense anger. In all honesty, Charlie had overheard Knox talking to family members (sisters, aunts, cousins?) on the phone discussing his parent’s divorce.
“Just because you are mad about family issues gives you no reason to act like a complete ass all of the time, you know?”
“Fuck you,” Knox spat out.
Charlie scoffed. “Is that an insult or a to-do list?”
Knox turned his attention back to the dorm room door and stomped out loudly, but Charlie could’ve sworn a slight blush had dusted across his cheeks at Charlie’s words. He rolled his eyes in annoyance before crawling back into his bed in a feeble attempt to get more sleep. Fuck him, Charlie thought. Fuck Knox Overstreet.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Dalton, let's get it moving! I want to see you put real power behind each pass!” Mr. Keating, their AP English and soccer coach shouted out across the field. Charlie sprinted after the ball, successfully dribbling it into his possession before running down the field.
It was only practice, but he could feel the potential success at scoring a goal against the other team. His legs burned with exertion as Charlie passed the ball between his cleats deftly. He was so close to the end, small pieces of turf spraying out from beneath his cleats with every stride he took. One more step, one more dribble and he would-
Charlie was blindsided as another person crashed into his body with force. He was sent careening towards the turf, breathless from the impact upon the dense ground. The ball was out of his reach and as Charlie made his way back to standing the shrill sound of the whistle permeated through the air.
“Overstreet, no physical contact!”
Charlie swiveled his head to glare at Knox, who was staring back at him with dislike flickering in his eyes. So that's who had run into him. They had had the fortune of being on opposite teams for the drill, but that had resulted in a silent competition only they could hear. When Charlie made an assist in a goal, Knox rebounded with an aggressive offensive coordination that scored his team another point. Charlie strode over to Neil, rubbing his sore shoulder as he sidled up to his friend.
“You okay?”
“He ran into me on purpose!”
“Char, this is soccer. People can be aggressive.”
“Yes, but-”
“Perry and Dalton, do you have something you would like to share?” Keating interrupted, his tone stern but not unkind. The pair stared down at the ground in silence as Keating motioned for the team to huddle in the corner of the pitch. “Since that would have resulted in a foul from Overstreet’s physical contact, Dalton gets the ball for a throw in at the corner to the net.”
“It was an accident!” Knox protested as his teammates let out groans of disappointment at the change of possession.
“Whether an accident or not, Mr. Overstreet, it is important that we abide by the rules applied to actual games. Let this be a lesson to all of you boys; no matter the context, it is imperative we apply all and any concepts of fairness or justice to any situation in life. With that being said, the ball is yours, Mr. Dalton.” Keating motioned with his hands as all the players ambled back to their respective positions on the field. Charlie groaned, dragging his hands down his face as he returned to the field. This was going to be a long day.
_____
A warm and calloused hand found its way around Charlie’s waist. His breath quickened as the weight of another person pressed him against the door, the wood digging into his back. Hot lips trailed across his jawline and down his neck and Charlie let out a small sigh at the sensation. Dark brown hair crossed into his field of vision as the person leaned down to press their lips together. Lips slid over lips in a passionate frenzy and teeth grazed over skin, finding the right spot to bite down into soft skin lightly. Charlie tangled his hands in the boy’s hair, feeling the way the strands intertwined with his fingers.
The hand around his waist pressed him into the door hard, another hand sliding up the back of his shirt and digging into his spine. In a sudden motion the boy grabbed at his wrist and dragged them onto his bed. Sheets tangled into Charlie’s body as the boy climbed on top of him, his weight providing a comfortable pressure.
Broad shoulders and brown hair flooded his vision as strong hands grabbed his wrists to pin them above his head. He sighed at the sensation of breath brushing against his earlobe as the boy leaned down. Lips trailed down his neck and Charlie slid his hands up the boy’s shirt, running curious palms over muscle.
“Look at me.” The boy whispered in his ear, and it was then that his features, blurry before, were cleared. He was undoubtedly attractive, with his roman nose, full lips, cheekbones and curly brown hair, but it was his eyes that made Charlie’s breath catch in his throat. They stared at him, heated and full of desire.
“Kiss me,” Charlie could hear himself begging, voice breathy and desperate as he squirmed beneath the boy above him.
Knox leaned down to Charlie once more, lips ghosting over lips as he whispered, “Only if you beg for it.”
___
Charlie awoke with a start, his breathing erratic as he shot up from his bed. His heartbeat hammered in his chest as he pulled at his hair, sleep blurring the corners of his vision.
No. Nope. Shit, shit, shit. This was not happening
. Whatever
that
was, it had no relevance whatsoever. Just a bad dream, Charlie told himself as he rolled out of bed. He still felt the ghost of the hand wrapped tightly around his waist and shuddered as he remembered the weight of another person on top of him.
“Charlie?” An annoyed voice sounded out from beneath the mass of blankets adjacent to his bed. Charlie startled, his heartbeat quickening as Knox sat up in bed, running his hands through his hair. His voice was hoarse and rough with sleep and Charlie struggled to get the image of Knox pinning him against the wall out of his head. “Hello?” Knox snapped, frustration seeping into his tone.
“What?”
“Its four fucking am in the morning.”
“So? Go back to sleep.”
“You woke me up!”
“What if I wanted to go for a morning run?”
“But you didn"t.”
“You don't know that.”
“Why are you so insufferabl-”
“I’ll get out of your way, okay? Give me five minutes.” Charlie could hear the silence ghosting back over the dorm room as he stumbled into a pair of gym shorts and a T-shirt. Before Knox could ask any further about where he was going, Charlie slid on a pair of sneakers, grabbed his airpods and phone off of his desk and left their room.
Shutting the door behind him softly, he snuck past the hallway of dorms before turning into a small corner. It was enveloped by blackness and he had to feel with his hands before turning the door knob and exiting into the musty air of the old school. The door led to a small stairwell hidden away, leading up to an unused classroom. It was relatively small and empty, save for an old chalkboard and a few desks scattered across the dusty floors. Windows lined the wall, all of them facing out into the expansive campus of the school.
Neil and Charlie had discovered the secret room back in the first semester of their freshmen year upon a late night walk in the school paired with a little more alcohol than two fourteen year olds should consume. They supposed it was used as a classroom decades ago when the school was first a new building.
Charlie sighed, relaxing back into the familiar space of the silent room. A different night he would have started for the secret stash of alcohol he had hidden underneath a loose floorboard, but Charlie could feel a restless energy buzzing beneath his skin.
He couldn’t get that dream out of his head, and it was almost as if he could feel Knox’s lips brushing over his neck before trailing down his jawline and collarbone. Charlie continued until he reached the farthest window of the classroom, climbing out of it and landing onto a small stone outlook. Using a familiar pathway of stones jutting out from the wall Charlie clambered down the side of the building, landing on the damp grass with a soft thud.
He could've taken a shorter route for access to the school grounds but that would risk getting caught and detention for sneaking out. He attempted to focus on anything but Knox and the tight space between them in their dorm, but his thoughts traveled back to his roommate. It didn’t mean anything right? Who knows? It may have been a random boy with the face of his roommate, which made sense considering half of the time Charlie spent was sending death glares in the other boy’s direction.
Charlie tried to reassure himself but he couldn’t think properly. Panic rose up in his throat like bile and suddenly he was too warm. The air had become thick and tense and began to press in on him as his breathing quickened. It was irrational, he knew, to panic over something so stupid. But Charlie was so tired. He was tired of rarely seeing his friends, of the look on Knox’s face that made him feel inferior, of the constant pressure from his father to keep his grades up, of the way that his only safe space on the field had been broken down and shattered into a million pieces.
Knox had driven Charlie’s friends away from himself, become a threat both on and off the soccer field and made him feel inadequate and stupid since their first interaction, and here Charlie was dreaming about sleeping with him? What the hell? The thought filled Charlie with a surge of anger at himself.
In a frustrated and (basically) sleep deprived blur, Charlie jammed his airpods into his ears aggressively before blasting his music at full volume. He began to run, taking out all of his worries and troubles into the grass beneath him as he pushed each leg past the other. He had planned to climb onto the roof but the exhilaration and distraction the running provided calmed Charlie down.
A mix of The Neighbourhood and Arctic Monkeys blasted into his ears as he jogged down and around the school campus, sticking to the paths hidden in the shadows of the night. Charlie’s chest heaved with the exertion as he pushed his burning legs onwards. His thoughts ran through his mind in a nauseating blur as the cold night air bit at his face and exposed skin.
Minutes ticked by as the sun began to rise and Charlie headed back towards the dormitory buildings. He retraced his footsteps before, legs and chest burning. Charlie stumbled back to his dorm room in a sweaty and exhausted mess, collapsing on his dorm bed the second he entered the space. Noise had begun to build from the hallway as the students began to get ready for the school day, but Charlie covered a pillow over his head before rolling into his bed sheets.
Knox had already left the dorm (Thank god, he silently added) which left a peaceful quiet in the room. Soft chatter blended through the thin walls and a morning light scattered in through the window.
Small beads of perspiration rolled down Charlie’s neck as he lay starfished out on his bed, limbs too tired to move.
God, he really needed to get laid.
____
Charlie wasn’t really sure when he had begun avoiding Knox and, subsequently, his friends. They seemed to have no problem at all with his roommate and although Neil sent him sympathetic looks his way and had sent him numerous texts telling him to give Knox “another chance”, they had welcomed Knox at every opportunity.
Whenever he saw his friends (and Knox) strolling over to him in the school library during prep hour he shoved his belongings into his bag angrily before storming off to a different space. He knew it was ridiculous to be mad at his friends for something that wasn’t their fault, but he felt so tired of no one believing him when he explained how mean Knox was to him. It was as if his roommate put on a facade for the rest of the world to see, only exposing his grumpy nature to Charlie.
They had continued in a strange dance that only the two of them could see, poking jabs at each other and involved in a constant competition for everything. Charlie had “bumped” into Knox at soccer practice one too many times to be an accident and Knox made an effort to target Charlie during every game or scrimmage.
It was the worst back in their dorm room, the thin walls blocking out the rest of Welton and leaving the pair in tense silence. Knox had no respect for him, and it showed in the way he bossed Charlie around and woke him up at ridiculous hours of the night. Charlie hated it, the way Knox belittled him for anything he did. He was too messy, then he was too loud, then obnoxious, annoying, extroverted, careless. Every day Knox pointed out to him something wrong, something that he was doing wrong. It wasn’t like he was any better: he was rude, cold, dismissive, pompous in every conversation they had.
“Char!” Neil’s voice rang out in the mess hall as students ate their dinner at the numerous tables scattered around the big room. Charlie turned his head, focus shifting from his plain chicken and rice to his best friend. “You never eat dinner this early,” Neil commented, sitting down next to him on the empty space at the table.
“Didn’t have enough for lunch, I guess.”
“How come you haven’t been to study group in days?” Charlie’s eyes flickered with annoyance as his friend began to question him. Truthfully, he had been avoiding Knox, who had attended every study group this year so far. The tension between the two of them had become well known and it had made every attempt at spending time with the rest of the poets awkward and annoying.
“Been busy with schoolwork,” He supplied, ignoring the suspicious squint that Neil sent his way.
“That’s what we have study group for, dumbass,” He replied, laughing.
“Well, It’s not like we actually get anything done. Besides, my grades in AP physics and calculus have been good so far and I would like to keep it that way.”
“Good? Knowing you, you are at a 99 average for both,” Neil teased. It was weird: Charlie had never tried in school regardless of the class but starting his sophomore year he had found a passion for maths. It just made sense to him, the way the solutions and logic all blended together into equations.
“97, actually,” Charlie mumbled. Neil rolled his eyes before looking over his shoulder and smiling. He waved, a bright smile forming on his face. Charlie could tell without looking that it was Todd who had spotted his best friend’s eye. The two had been enamoured with each other from the first look and Charlie spent way more of his energy than necessary convincing his oblivious best friend that yes, Todd was in love with him as well.
“Neil!” Meek’s voice rang and he could hear a group of people approaching him and Neil where they sat in the mess hall. Charlie turned around, his smile dropping from his face as he spotted Knox talking animatedly with Pitts, hands waving in the air as he spoke. He was too far to hear what his roommate was ranting passionately about, but judging from the amused expression on Pitt’s face and additional commentary from Cameron he could assume it was something funny.
Charlie’s stomach churned with an unpleasant sensation as he eyed the way they had connected with Knox so easily.
What had he done wrong?
As they approached the hall Knox’s eyes flitted to his and immediately narrowed, corners of his mouth turning downwards into a frown. He cleared his throat, staring down at Charlie as if he were something stuck on the bottom of his shoe.
Charlie swallowed, frustration building up inside of him.
Was the mere sight of him really enough to ruin Knox’s mood?
An uncomfortable silence fell over the group as everyone eyed both Charlie and Knox, apprehension handing in the air. After a few seconds the rest of his friend group sat down at the table, plates of food in their hands. Soon enough, the chatter of the poets began to fill the space around them.
Charlie shot a pleading glance towards Neil, but it went unnoticed. His best friend was busy laughing with Knox over something funny their chem teacher had said earlier that day, matching smiles pasted onto their faces as they talked over each other in a chaotic mess. Jealousy rose up in his throat as he watched the way he had disappeared into the old wood of the tables, Knox the centre of their discussion.
Screw this.
Charlie stood up hastily, grabbing his blazer and schoolbag. He left his food untouched on the table, shoving miscellaneous papers and math notes into his bag as fast as possible.
It was only until he had pushed his chair back against the linoleum floors that Neil noticed his abrupt movements.
“Charlie, where are you going?”
“I had enough to eat - I think I’m going to go practice on the pitch for a while.”
“Why won’t you wait for us and then we can do drills together?”
“It’s fine, Neil.” Charlie expected the conversation to end, but Neil let out an annoyed scoff.
He crossed his arms over his chest. “You’ve been avoiding us for days, Charlie! I don’t understand why!” Neil’s words hit Charlie in the chest and he let out a spiteful laugh.
“Really, you don’t know why?” He spat, his voice rising.
“No! How am I supposed to know? You never talk to me about anything anymore and then expect me to know everything!” Neil accused.
“You haven’t had breakfast with us this entire week,” Meeks accused. How come all his friends were ganging up on him? They were the ones that had been ignoring him the entire week and made no efforts to talk to him at all. Charlie tried not to let the hurt show on his face.
Neil continued on, frustration painted on his face. “You don’t come to study group, you leave before we get the chance to talk and always rush out of class when the bell rings.”
“That’s not fair and you know it- It’s not my fault that I am busy with my schoolwork.” Charlie retorted.
Neil rolled his eyes, seeing right through Charlie’s feeble excuse. “Since when have you not had enough time to go to poet’s meetings in order to do schoolwork?”
“Oh I don’t know! Maybe since my father has begun breathing down my neck about every single test and assignment score I get?” Charlie could hear his voice rising as Neil continued to glare at him accusingly. It was far from a lie anyways - he had been receiving more texts and calls regarding his grades from his dad then ever before.
“You think I don’t know what that’s like?” Neil retorted, cheeks flushing from irritation. Charlie could feel the stares of all of the dead poets as he stood over the table.
“God Neil, try not to make everything about yourself all the time! We get it, your dad sucks, but you aren’t the only one with shitty parents here,” Charlie shouted, regretting the hurt expression flashing across his best friend’s eyes.
“Excuse me? You of all people should know what my dad has done-”
“Cmon, it's not like your dad was the complete reason why you tried to off yourself!” The words left Charlie’s mouth before he could register them, blinded by a fit of rage. Neil physically recoiled, a crushed look forming on his face. Todd turned towards Charlie, eyes blazing with anger and Charlie could sense that he had made a huge mistake.
"What has gotten into you lately? Why are you such an asshole?" Todd defended, eyeing Neil protectively.
Instead of responding, Charlie turned around and stormed out of the mess hall, resentment coursing through his veins.
Whatever, screw them
. It wasn’t like they had even cared about him until he had opened his mouth to argue.