Boys, Boys, Boys.... [boyxboy]

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Aiden-

Lance Rutherford had the most malicious grin on his face. He was looking at Caleb and I as if he were the luckiest, evilest guy on the planet.

"Ha. Holy shit! But really? I knew it! You're both a bunch of queers!" Lance laughed out loud.

"Here I was, thinking I was late for stupid rehearsal, and I come across you two homos. I can't believe. You don't like Ashley at all! And now I can ruin you both," Lance added. He was overjoyed, like a kid in a candy store.

"Rutherford...don't," I said.

I pleaded with him with my eyes. I needed this secret kept. At least until I had the courage to tell people (and by people I mean Simon) before Lance could.

"Why the hell would I keep your little secret? I'm gonna have too much fun shoving you out of the closet, Gray! You too, Snider. You're both done for."

Caleb shrugged. "I could care less what everyone thinks they know. Go ahead. Expose Aiden. You'll never get Ashley back that way. She knows about him and me, and you'll just come across as a gay-basher. You'll probably get suspended for being a hate-criming dick...probably be kicked off the football team...and with the big Homecoming game coming up that would really hurt your record. It's the twenty-first century. You're kind isn't cool anymore, Rutherford. So I would think carefully about how you go about this little situation. You have more to lose than either of us."

I gaped in shock at Caleb's cool, calm, and collected threat to Rutherford.

I think Rutherford was just as put-back as I was. He looked almost contemplative which is a strange look to see on someone like him.

"So...you're saying I still have a chance with Ashley?" He grunted.

I shook my head vigorously. "Definitely. As long as you don't act like an asshole about this. She'll totally forgive you for all that other stuff."

No way in hell Ashley would ever take him back. Not after he acted like such a dick which included him calling her a whore.

"And I have to play in the next two games...Coach will kick my ass if he has to bench me for our game against the Bobcats."

Wow, it was really taking him a while to think through the consequences.

"I'm not gonna tell anyone. For now. Watch yourselves, though." He said menacingly.

Caleb smirked, obviously not impressed.

Rutherford walked away and headed towards the school for rehearsal. I breathed a heavy sigh of wary relief. "Shit," I muttered.

Caleb grabbed my hand. I pulled away quickly. He looked almost hurt, if that was possible.

"Sorry," I mumbled. "Thanks, though. How did you keep your cool like that?"

He smirked widely. "Please, pretty boy. You really do care too much about what others think, don't you? Well, I don't. I don't care if people know I want you."

This was the first time Caleb had really, actually expressed his feelings for me out loud. He was a pretty secretive guy, and I felt like he was slightly opening up to me. Sure, he wasn't afraid of what people thought....but he sure was afraid of opening up to me...and well, anyone. I guess I hadn't really opened up to him that much about my feelings, though, either.

And he was right. I did care about what other people thought of me. That's why I had pushed things farther than I should have with Ashley. And that's why I wanted to like Sam so much. And it was also why the thought of Rutherford telling everyone (especially Simon, my best friend who had no clue) about my whatever-it-was with Caleb made me want to vomit profusely. But I didn't know if I could change that about myself.

My thoughts drifted back to Caleb saying he wanted me. Did I want him? Yes. Definitely. My urge to kiss him was an indication of that. But what about my unresolved feelings, or whatever they were, for Simon? I remembered back to the bathroom incident and the towel thing... Simon had made me go grab a towel for him even though there were clean towels inside the bathroom in its linen closet. Was that a sign he had feelings for me too? I couldn't believe it. Simon was still in love with Sarah. Wasn't he?

I looked at Caleb, and all I wanted to do was leave with him. Or maybe by myself to think things through more. But he started walking towards the school.

"C'mon, pretty boy. We've got a production to rehearse. And I'm the male lead. Stop being so irresponsible, would you?" He teased in his deep voice.

I dreaded going in there. But I followed him, anyway.

I knew I had to tell Simon soon. He would find out eventually, either by the loud mouth of Rutherford or by my ever-increasing public displays of compromising positions.