Unraveling [BXB]

Chapter 10

After that Saturday morning, things seemed to change between Chase and Wren. Chase still didn't think he had time to spend hung up over someone else, and of course, he still didn't know what he'd say to Trey if he ever found out, but in the days after, he found himself smiling when he thought of Wren instead of constantly trying to shove him out of his head, and he felt giddy inside when Wren caught his eye in the hallway. In some ways, things had gone back to how they were before, it felt like they were somewhat friends again in a casual way, it was just that now he sometimes found his thoughts drifting to what the older boy might be doing or whether he might want to get waffles and milkshakes again at some point in the future. Chase didn't like to get his hopes up about things he didn't have much control over. It made him feel a bit nauseous to think about making a whole list of plans in his head only to be let down when he inevitably realized that Wren didn't really see him that way, or that there was someone else he was interested in more. Chase knew there was no way Wren could like him in a serious way, it wasn't going to happen, and he wasn't going to convince himself it would because he knew he'd be setting himself up for failure.

"Chase...Chase!" Taylor said, kicking his foot to get his attention. "You've been staring at Wren opening his locker for like two straight minutes...well, two gay minutes, nothing about that was straight."

"I wasn't, I was just...staring in that direction and zoning out," he said, though the pink tint on his face told a different story.

"You are a terrible liar. You know that, right?"

"It's a good thing I'm not lying then," Chase said, though when he glanced back toward Wren's direction and found the older boy looking at him, he quickly looked away. Taylor rolled his eyes.

"Why don't you two just go on a date already?"

"Because it's not like that," Chase said, taking his books out of his locker before he started off toward Biology. "And anyway, you haven't gone out with Kai yet, so you have no room to talk."

"Yeah, yet, I'm just waiting for him to ask me out."

"Why don't you ask him out?"

"I don't know..." Taylor said, thinking more about it. "Maybe I should."

"It's not like he doesn't already know," Chase snickered.

"For your information, I am cool around Kai. Unlike you, tomato face."

"Oh, fuck off," Chase said with a quiet laugh as he walked into class. It was true though, he was a mess around Wren and he knew it. Still, he couldn't help but wonder why Wren had been thought when he looked at him. It was a stupid thought, so stupid that he spent the rest of class dwelling on it.

---

When school ended, Chase had been expecting to get a ride home with Taylor as they tended to drive to school together on mornings Chase didn't have lessons, but he somehow knew that plan had fallen through the moment he saw his best friend practically bouncing down the hall with an elated expression on his face.

"Hey, so here's the thing-" Taylor said, trying his best to wipe the smile off his face, but it wasn't happening. "I did ask Kai out, and he wants to go out like, now, so I was wondering if-"

"I can get a ride home with Trey and Wren," Chase said with a small smile. Taylor almost never canceled on plans, so he knew this was important to him.

"Oh my god, I love you so much. I'm going to make this up to you, I swear."

"I know, I know. Just go have fun. And call me and tell me everything later."

"I won't leave out a single detail," Taylor said with a grin before he ran off to find Kai again and Chase went to find his brother.

He pulled his backpack up his shoulder as he walked to the boy's locker room. He knew the members of the football team would be getting ready for practice, so he set his bag down on the floor and leaned against the wall as he waited. Wren was the first one out a couple of minutes later and he gave Chase a puzzled look when he saw him.