Just So You Know (boyxboy)

five

[ Nate ]

Today was utterly pointless. Seniors only had to be at school from for four hours, and what were we doing? A last football game against ourselves. The freshman team vs. the sophomores, and then the juniors vs. the seniors.

In other words, completely pointless.

"Careful out there, Nate." Ronnie smirked sitting next to Max.

Max wouldn't even look at me, did I do something wrong? I apologized for what I'd said to him. I really didn't mean it the way it'd come out of my mouth. 

A guy that looked like he should rather be working at Hot Topic rather than be at a football game, sat next to him and they instantly started a conversation. I'd seen him with Ronnie a few times but I didn't like the way he was eye-fucking my best friend.

"Nate!" Jazmine yelled and bounced from her seat on the bleachers a few rows down from Max.

I waved at her and she grabbed her shirt like she was going to flash her chest but one of her friends had gotten her attention.

I was - had been - quarterback for the actual football team, but because we were doing this all lame today, I didn't know what was actually going on, so I put my helmet on and walked on to the turf. They sat the ball down and then when no one was gonna kick it, I took the liberty.

And kick it I did.

The games was only supposed to be about an hour and a half for entertainment only. After that, the underclassmen had to return to their classes so that we could eat.

Towards the end of the game, I was tossed the football. I ran backwards, cocked my arm, ready to throw. I looked back at Max, though and regretted it. Ronnie's friend had his hand on Max's inner thigh. Max smiled and laughed his fingers intertwining with his.

I felt the blow before I saw it.

[ Max ]

"So," Jeremy said quietly as I was trying to watch Nate. "I was thinking you and me could go on a date? Tomorrow night, maybe?"

I smiled and faced him, "I'd like that." He set his hand on my thigh and I interlocked our fingers.

"AND NUMBER 22, NATHAN STANTON IS DOWN!" The announcer yelled.

My head snapped up to the field and Ronnie was already pulling me up. I ran for Nathan and was the first to reach him. I laid his head in my lap and struggled to get his helmet off. His eyes were closed and his nose was pouring crimson blood.

"Nathan?" I shook him a little and he groaned, his eyes fluttering open and then rolling back.

"Maxey," He gripped my hand.

[ Nate ]

I woke up to a white room, a blue curtain separating me from everything else. The last thing I remembered was Max holding me, so naturally, I'd began to call for him.
Ronnie, along with the school nurse, pulled back the curtain.

"Shh." Ronnie held me down when I tried to sit up.

"Where's Max?" I demanded.

"He got sent home early."

"How come?" I held her hand that she offered me.

"You know how he is with blood." She scrunched her nose. "Your nose was pouring and wouldn't stop. And then you wouldn't wake up..."

"What's my diagnosis?" I said dryly to the school nurse as she came uo behind Ron.

She had me sit up and tilt my head back a little while she shined a small flashlight in my eyes, making them burn. I flinched away from her. "A mild concussion, it looks like." She said, equally has dryly. "But you'll live, thankfully."

"Thanks." I nodded to her and then turned back to Ron when she walked away. "What time is it?"

"Passed one."

"Seriously?"

Ronnie nodded.

"I'm breaking things off with Jazmine. Not that we really were anything. Just a couple of dates. Not even a single fuck."

"Really?" She raised her brows in shock. "She seems like she puts out."

"She does." I nodded. "I'm the one who didn't want to."

"You?" She demanded. "What the hell?"

"Trust me, I have my reasons."

"Source: trust me, bro." She made a face and I rolled my eyes. "When are you doing that?"

"Saturday."

"Saturday? Isn't that the day you promised you'd hang out with Max?"

"About that..." I looked at my hands folded in my lap. "Can you tell him I'm not gonna make it?"

"Why can't you tell him yourself?"

"Because I know he's already mad at me. I don't know what about —"

"You really don't know why he's so hurt?" She cut me off, folding her arms across her chest.

"No. I don't."

"How dense can you be?" She scoffed. "He asked you to come over so that he could talk to you. Privately. He wanted to tell you something that was important to him, but you showed up with your ditz. Now you wanna ditch him again?"

"Well, something equally important for me came on this Saturday. Max is just gonna have to suck it up for now. I'll make it up to him, okay? Now are you gonna tell him or not?"

She nodded, but showed her look of disappointment.

"Thanks." I said and then we sat in silence for what felt like forever. "I seen him with that guy on the bleachers. Max was gonna tell me he's—"

"It isn't my place to say anything." She cut me off again. She was really starting to gett on my nerves when she did that. "I already messed it up, once. I'm not gonna mess it up, again. You wanna know what he has to say, you go see him, yourself."

[ Max ]

"He seriously can't come?" I got that little tickle in the back of my throat, the one right before you start crying. I swallowed it down. I wasn't gonna cry over him.

Ronnie gave me a small nod. "I'm sorry, Max. He said he'll make it up to you."

"Whatever that means." I sighed, hurt and annoyed. I sat on my bed. "How's he doing, at least?"

"School nurse said he has a concussion. Other than that, he's going to be fine."

I let my shoulders sag. "That's kinda good news I guess."

"Don't worry, Max." She smiled, reassuringly. "He'll be alright."

She gave me a quick hug and was off, another party to throw.

I grabbed my phone and texted Jeremy, asking if he wanted to hang out on Saturday, too. He was quick to reply with yes.