Even In Pieces [bxb]

Chapter 13

Everett

Cut grass on the soccer field smells great till you start playing, then it smells like sweat, spit and adrenaline. My bones are jelly and my brain is clear. The best feeling in the world. Even though all of us are exhausted, we still drag ourselves to the showers to clean up. The hot water seeps into my skin, relaxing the muscles on my back. I let out a relieved sigh.

I have to go to the theater right after this. I can't wait to work with Jess, even though Jess has a different writing style than mine, she is so good to work with and amazing at what she does.

I get out of the shower with a towel around my waist and go over to the locker room to get changed. Some of the guys are also finished with their showers and doing the same thing, one of the freshmen looks at me with disgust, what's his name again? Jace? Jack? No. It's Jayson. Homophobic asshole, getting uncomfortable to change when I am here. He stares me down obviously trying to intimidate me into changing somewhere else. I almost want to scoff at him. He thinks he scares me. I cooly stride over to my locker and start changing.

"Dude, stop staring at the dude. He ain't gonna do you. You aren't his type." Pierce says to Jayson. I guess he noticed the prick being a prick. Pierce has always come to my defense when people gave me shit about my sexuality. Jayson's face goes pale.

"I was just thinking he could change somewhere else instead of making the rest of us uncomfortable," the guy mutters.

Pierce grits his teeth and narrows his eyes at him, but I give him a look that says 'stay back'. He relaxes and I turn to Jayson.

"I am making you uncomfortable? I didn't even do anything. On the contrary you are the one who told me to get out for no reason, making me uncomfortable." I tell him with a sigh.

"You're the one who's gay!" he snaps.

"And you're the one who was staring at me the whole time. I mean I know I am hot, but you should check out people a bit more subtly, otherwise it's kinda creepy," I nod at him.

He gapes at me, but before he can say anything more I had already changed. I get out of the locker room and head straight for the parking area. I see Zachary leaning against my car looking down at his phone. Relaxed and casual, looking right at home. I decide that I like him there next to my car, next to something I own and treasure and looking like he has the right to lean against it. My breath catches in my throat at that thought.

What the hell is wrong with me!?

"Hey," he greets when I reach him. That's progress. So I don't scowl at him. "Vio asked for your number, but I didn't have it either, so now she has been messaging me non-stop telling me that I am a complete dumbfuck and to get your number," he sighs. I laugh at his obvious distress.

"Now that I think about it Vio isn't wrong. I don't have your number either."

He scoffs. "We hate each other, remember."

"Oh yeah, I definitely hate you, but you are a bit more tolerable now."

He grins at me and hands me his phone. I type my number in and leave it for him to save. He types something, my phone rings.

"That's me." he says.

I look at the number and then save it in my contacts as 'arrogant shit'. He'll probably smirk if he sees this. It feels good to have his contact number even though neither one of us are really going to call each other.

We drive to the theater but this time we are talking. Of course there's the thing that the conversation started with a fight. Zachary made a comment on how little action I must be getting because of my cocky attitude and I told him that unlike him getting laid isn't the highlight of my life. But then I notice that even though we are both slurring at each other, we are still smiling. It's fun to jab at each other when we aren't being complete egoistic assholes about it.