The Carters | ✓

Chapter Three - A Slight Chance

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Mason's POV

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"Me?" Cody questions softly, his turquoise eyes bright as they stare up into mine. His Adam's apple bobs as he swallows and I watch the movement with greedy eyes. Everything this boy does somehow turns me on in some way.

I nod to his question, dragging my eyes up his face. I have to force my eyes not to linger on his lips for more than a second and instead my eyes lock with his. Leaning even closer to him, I murmur, "You've piqued my interest."

His eyebrows raise slightly, "Me?"

I chuckle softly, "Is that the only word you know?"

He swallows harshly again before shaking his head. He is silent for a moment, clearly gathering his thoughts. Meanwhile, I take the chance to stare at him some more. Never in my life have I been more attracted to a man before now. I've known that I'm bi for a while now but the ratio has always been way skewed towards girls. There are only a couple of guys that I've been with, but nobody - boy or girl - has ever captured me like Cody has.

"Sorry, I-" He pauses, looking down at the ground, "I just wasn't expecting that."

"I can be pretty blunt, sorry." I shrug nonchalantly, ignoring the way my heart has started to pound in my chest. What if he isn't gay? But I have seen him staring at me more than a few times. I see how the few words I say to him affect him. He has to be.

"So... you want to be friends?" Cody looks up at me hesitantly, his shoulders slouched as always. He is only a couple inches shorter than me, still over 6', but he is always slouching so he looks shorter. I like that he is almost as tall as me.

Friends. I toss the word around my head for a moment. No. That isn't the relationship that I want with Cody. But it will have to do for now. "Let's go with that." I affirm, pushing off the row of lockers I have been leaning on when he shuts his locker. Without giving it a second thought, I reach out and grab the two books he's been holding in his hands and start off down the hall.

"What- what are you doing?" He stammers, hurrying to fall into step beside me.

"Walking you to class." I reply nonchalantly, looking at him from the corner of my eye, "What do you have first?"

"Uh- Physics, but-"

"Great. What room?" I interrupt, feeling my cheeks start to heat up. He has to know that I'm crushing on him. I am being blatantly obvious right now.

"Room 42," He replies, reaching his hand up and rubbing the back of his neck slightly. "You do know that school doesn't start for another fifteen minutes... right?"

I pause only for a second before continuing, "I know." I continue to lead the way down the hall, but not towards his classroom. When we arrive at the cafeteria, I pull the door open and gesture for Cody to walk in first.

He murmurs a soft "thank you" before walking in, a light blush tinting his cheeks. Please be gay. Please be gay. Please be gay. My inner thoughts chant over and over again. Bisexual works too. Or pansexual. I don't care as long as he's into men.

I follow after him but he quickly looks over his shoulder, slowing down for a moment so that I can catch up and lead the way again. I walk us over to a table in the corner of the room that is unoccupied. I sit down on one side of the table and slide to the end of the bench. Silently, I wait to see if he will sit next to me or across from me.