Claustrophobia (Boy x Boy) ✔

14) TRYING TO FIND A WAY

*Ian Romero's POV

I barely slept that night. Partly because I was texting with Callie, trying to fix the mess I had made. Mostly it was because I couldn't stop thinking about Cody and the much bigger mess I had managed to make without even realising it.

After the dinner I realised how much I had missed Cody's friendship all these years. Maybe that was even the reason why Ade was so important to me: I lost Cody's smile, but it didn't hurt so much when I had a new friend who smiled even more than Cody did.

When my mom decided it was time to move and take me with her, I barely had time to say my goodbyes. It was a stupid and childish thing to do, but as I didn't know what to say to Cody, I didn't say anything at all. I just left without a word after I had made that stupid joke about him to Bryce, Jeremy and Kaleb. 

That was a shitty thing to do. A really shitty thing to do. So yeah, I admit that does make me an asshole. 

But what happened afterwards, I honestly had no idea things would go that far. I still have no fucking clue how far-reaching consequences my stupid joke have had. I'm going to find out, though, and I'm going to make sure it can't go any further.

***

On Monday morning, before the class, I went to talk to Callie, who was talking with a girl named Hope. Hope on the other hand happened to be Bryce Fletcher's girlfriend, so soon enough I was surrounded not just by Callie and Hope, but also Bryce, Jeremy and Kaleb. 

"I heard you forgot your date, how's that possible? I could understand that if you had had a date with Carla, but not with someone as high-class as Callie." Jeremy grinned. He glanced at Carla, a nerdy girl who was so close she could hear what we were talking about. I smiled at her apologetically.

"I was having dinner with my mom and we stumbled upon Cody and his family. And there was wine, so.." I shrugged, glancing at Cody this time. He met my gaze briefly, but then continued browsing his phone.

"With Cody — Runner? Are you serious?" Bryce exclaimed. I didn't bother to answer, I just gave him a look that could be translated like: yeah, so?

"Oh, that explains it then. You were infected with the gay virus, no wonder you forgot you were supposed to meet a pretty girl." Bryce snickered, making Jeremy and Kaleb laugh too. One could almost have thought he had said something actually funny..

"Seriously, cut him some slack." I sighed and Bryce and the others stopped laughing. Then I just walked away, fed up with those three idiots. Thankfully that was when Ade walked in the classroom and I could go to him instead.

***

Nothing big happened during the next three weeks. I spent my time at school with Ade and Callie. I'm not really sure what I am to her and what she is to me, but somehow she has started hanging around with us.

I had hoped me and Cody would get even a tiny bit closer after the dinner we had had, but he didn't seem to think about me any differently. I'm not saying he still looked at me with deep hatred in his eyes, just that he didn't exactly shower me with warmth either.

I no longer went to see Cody's practices, but I did keep an eye on him. I was discreet about it, so I hoped Cody didn't even notice I was still doing so. 

There hadn't been anything major, like I said earlier. I had only witnessed some small incidents, such as people making smooch sounds when Cody walked past them and once someone shoved him against the lockers in a hallway. Cody stumbled on the floor when the latter happened, but when I tried to help him up, he just glared at me and got up on his own.

So, in case you're wondering why I haven't done anything to help him, it's because I have absolutely no idea how to do so. Also, it's not easy to help someone who clearly doesn't want your help. I guess I was just keeping an eye on Cody, making sure nothing bigger was going on and trying to find a way to make things better for him.

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Question of the day:
What's your favorite fruit?

(Me: Pineapple 🍍 and watermelon 🍉, cannot choose between those.)