The New KISS High School

Ch 15: Wait What (Eric C)

I stepped off the subway at my stop, sticking my hands in my pockets. On the one hand, I was terrified about going on a picnic with Bruce, but on the other hand, it wasn't like it was just the two of us. Gene at least was gonna be there, meaning things would be just fine in theory. I walked up to the address I had been given, feeling my heart stop. Oh, this was so unfair.

Bruce was in the middle of working on a motorcycle, wearing a white tank top tucked into tight jeans which were in turn tucked into a pair of black boots, wiping grease and sweat off his face with a bandana. I could feel my face growing red as I walked up his driveway. "Uh, hey. Am I early?" I asked. He jumped, turning to give me a grin, and I nearly died on the spot. He wasn't exactly shredded, honestly I was more built than he was, but he still had such a nice definition to his arms, and there was a bit of chest hair showing over the low-cut collar of his tank. 

"Hey! I mean kind of but not really. Gene didn't tell you?" he asked, rising to his feet and cleaning off his hands. "Tell me what?" I asked, face growing hot as I tried and failed not to stare at him. "Oh he can't make it today so it's just gonna be you and me for lunch I guess," he said with a shrug. I felt my heartrate skyrocket, smile growing forced. That bastard. That absolute bastard. There was no way he hadn't deliberately dropped out to shove Bruce and I together on a date. Honestly Eric was probably in on it too. "Oh! No, he didn't...didn't tell me." "You're okay with that, right?" he asked, and I nodded. "Yeah sure! I took the subway to get here though so I can't like drive us anywhere." 

"Oh no worries! We can just take my motorcycle," he said, gesturing at the bright red bike next to him in the driveway. I stared at it, swallowing the lump in my throat. "Okay, s-sure! Um, how do you...ride it?" I asked. "I'll get you a helmet and a jacket for safety but all you've gotta do is sit behind me and like have your arms around my waist. Don't worry, me and my brother have been riding dirt bikes since we were little kids, I've known how to ride a motorcycle before I could legally drive a car. Here, come with me and I'll get you a helmet," he said, motioning for me to follow him. 

Making a mental note to give Gene a serious piece of my mind when I got home, I followed Bruce into his garage. "Here, this is probably close enough to your size," he said, tossing me a jacket. "I know it's hotter than hell outside but you know, gotta dress for the slide not the ride," he added with a shrug, pulling on a jacket of his own. "Lemme go grab a helmet and then the food too," he said, walking inside and leaving me standing in his garage. I glanced around furtively before taking a deep breath, inhaling the smell of the jacket. It smelled exactly like him and I smiled, wrapping it around myself. Bruce returned a minute later, shaking his hair out of his eyes and handing me a helmet and a backpack.

"I have the food in there, I figured you could just wear it since you'll be sitting behind me," he said, pulling on his helmet while I did the same. I watched him mount the motorcycle before taking a deep breath and sliding onto it behind him. I hesitated, unwilling to wrap my arms around him despite how desperately I wanted to, but Bruce made up my mind for me by reaching behind to grab my wrist, maneuvering it around his waist. "If I go too fast and you panic just squeeze me!" he said, before revving the engine and driving off.

I let out a yelp, immediately clutching him, burying my face in his back as best I could with a helmet on. Despite my initial fear and the immense panic I was feeling being essentially alone on a date with Bruce, I eased up significantly. Hell, by the time we reached the lake I was starting to enjoy the ride. He parked his bike, cutting the engine before twisting around, pulling off his helmet and giving me a grin. I nearly melted, watching his curly hair tumble free from the helmet just like in some scene from a movie. "So? What'd you think?" he asked eagerly. 

I tugged off my borrowed helmet a lot less gracefully and gave him a grin. "It was fun! Kinda scary, but fun. I didn't know you had a motorcycle," I said. He shrugged, helping me off the bike and walking with me down the path, holding the helmet for me. "Yeah, I've had that one since I was fifteen I think? It used to be my dad's. I just don't take it to school because I like being able to throw stuff in my trunk," he said with a smile. "Smart, smart," I mumbled. We reached the little sandy spot along the shore that was dotted with a few rocks comfortable enough to sit on. He flopped onto one of them, pulling off his jacket and running a hand through his hair, making the tank top hug his chest even tighter. 

"This isn't fair," I whispered to myself, trying not to stare as I took off my jacket and set down the backpack. "So what'd you bring for lunch?" I asked. "Ah, just sandwiches and like some chips and soda and apples if I didn't forget them. Oh and I got bored and made brownies last night so I packed some of those," he said, giving me an eager smile, completely oblivious to just how melted my heart was. He was such a sweetheart, just the nicest guy without even seeming to try. "Yeah that works great!" I said, unzipping the backpack and handing him his half of lunch. 

It was a surprisingly great lunch. I mean the food I was always expecting to be good, and the brownies were absolutely delicious, but to my relief I didn't feel quite as panicked around him as I had assumed. Sure he was still distractingly hot in his tank top and jeans, but I found myself just enjoying the afternoon. The lake was a nice background noise to our conversation, and we talked for hours about everything and nothing. At last it started to get dark so he rose to his feet, pulling me to mine.

"Alright, we should probably get home," he said, giving me an almost reluctant look. "Yeah," I said with a sigh, pulling on my jacket. It felt a lot nicer now that the sun had gone down, and I walked back to his motorcycle with him. "Oh I'll just take you to your house! That way you don't have to deal with the subway," he said with a shrug, and I was far too excited at the chance of an extended opportunity to have my arms around him to protest. The second ride was a lot nicer as I focused more on him than my panic about dying in an accident. I could feel him shifting slightly as I clung to him, the rise and fall of his chest as steady and soothing as the hum of the engine. But finally, we reached my house. 

"Here, I'll take your helmet and jacket," he said, stuffing them both into the backpack before pulling off his own helmet and stepping off his motorcycle. There was a pause as we looked at each other, exchanging almost nervous smiles, before he leaned forward and kissed me. I froze, standing locked in the kiss, before he finally pulled away. "Um...I really like you," he mumbled, face burning a bright red. 

I stared at him in open-mouthed shock, mind reeling, before instinct took over and I turned and sprinted into my house, ignoring him calling after me as I slammed the door shut behind me, not stopping my sprint until I had collapsed onto my bed, chest heaving and a stupid smile plastered on my face. He kissed me, he had actually kissed me, and told me he liked me. And then my reaction sunk in and I let out a groan, rolling over and burying my face in my pillow.

He had kissed me, and I had turned and run away.