Learn How to Love (Boy x Boy)

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟓

It was so hard to focus the next day at school. I couldn't stop thinking about Luke. The way he had cuddled up to me while talking about how uncomfortable cuddling made him, and the way he opened up to me about his sexuality without worrying I might be upset with him for it. Luke trusted me. And that was horrible. When we fixed the curse, which I guess now meant we had to find Luke a boyfriend of sorts, I still intended for us to go back to normal. Luke and I were just too different. He was popular and strong and a chick-magnet (more or less), and I was the weird, quiet queer kid that ate in the corner with his lesbian best friend. There was no way we'd ever be able to hang out together and maintain our normal lives. 

I had so many dreams last night of a world where Luke came out to the Douche Squad and they accepted him and I told Sadie we were friends with them now and she accepted it. But, like I told Luke, nothing was that simple. 

Sadie nudged me. "Hey, did you notice Luke isn't here today?"

I glanced upwards. Obviously I had, since Luke was back at my house in my treehouse reading the autobiographies I had given him about people growing up as queer teenagers in America. Easier said than done. "No, why?"

"He's been pretty obsessed with you recently," mused Sadie. 

"Really?" I asked, blinking at her innocently.

Sadie nodded seriously. "He's always looking at you. In class, during lunch, at study hall, it's kind of getting creepy. I don't know why it doesn't bother you."

I shrugged. "I mean, Luke isn't that bad," I said. "He's stopped bothering me like he used to, and I've seen him be nice to other people. He got mad at Justin for calling Nia a slur the other day. I think he's just insecure?"

Sadie frowned. "Huh. Maybe?"

"Yo, Kylar."

The voice made me jump and nearly knock over Sadie's mocha frappucino. Sadie quickly grabbed the cup, shot me a dirty look, and set it further away from me like I was some clumsy kid you had to keep fragile vases away from. 

Hayden leaned against the table. "Hey," he said.

I looked Hayden up and down. He was wearing a red and yellow sports jersey and baggy red shorts. "Hello?" I said, much more startled than I meant to. It's just that, even though Hayden and I used to be friends, he'd more or less treated me like a brick wall since he got in with Justin Metz's group. 

Hayden slid into the seat. "I've been meaning to talk to you, but Luke wouldn't give me your phone number. Something about not trusting me? It was kind of weird, but anyways I've been wondering if we could start talking again? I heard about your grandmother, too, and it was pretty upsetting. I meant to tell you how sorry I was about it, and to go to the funeral, but I was a little busy with sports and crap. Can you forgive me?"

I blinked rapidly. What do you say to that? I'd been hanging out with Sadie and just Sadie for almost six years now. Hayden treated me like dirt after he and Justin became friends, and even though Hayden wasn't particularly unbearable he still acted like he was too good to hang out with people like Sadie and I. Also, why didn't Luke tell me Hayden had asked for my number? It wasn't like him.

"Sure," I said. I reached into my pocket and pulled out my phone. I opened up my contacts up and held it out to Hayden. "Here's my number, if you want to talk more."

He nodded and quickly punched it in. He shoved his phone back into his pocket and was about to leave when he turned back around. "Hey... how did she die? You know, Margaret?"

"Car accident."

Hayden winced. "Oh... Oh, oh I'm sorry."

"It's no big deal. Thanks for... saying something, I guess. I'll talk to you later?" I offered. Hayden nodded and walked off, waving over his shoulder as he returned to his group. Sadie nudged me playfully.

"So?"

"So what?"

Sadie rolled her eyes. "Come on, Kyky! Hayden is pretty cute for a guy, and he's totally interested in you. It might be good for you to have a friend other than me, and a boyfriend is even better! Oo, I can already picture the children."

Something made me feel guilty. I wasn't flirting with Hayden by giving him my number, was I? No, there was no way. So why did I feel so dirty for it? It's not like I was dating anyone else. I shook my head vigorously. Whatever. "I bet Justin dared him to do it or something. Hayden doesn't talk to me anymore."

Sadie clasped her hands over her heart. "A childhood friend trope!"

I wrinkled my nose. "Excuse me?"

"You know how there's like enemies to lovers, friends to lovers, stuff like that?"

"I-I guess, but-"

Sadie held up her hand to cut me off. "So you and Hayden getting together would be like a story of childhood friends who were cut off from each other and found each other again!" she chirped.

What in the Wattpad... "No, Sadie that's ridiculous. Besides, I doubt anyone in the Douche Squad has the balls to date me in front of each other. He'll probably make me do some secret, 'under the bleachers' or 'behind the school' type shit in order to avoid getting caught. I'm not into that. I want to be with my person whenever I want, not whenever they see fit."

Sadie pointed. "Disappointing, but valid, of course."

"Thanks."