Heartbreak High: New Hope

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I couldn't fight the heat I felt between us as his touch lingered. Alec's intense gaze never left mine, and for a moment, it felt like we were the only two people in the room.

But just as the connection between us seemed to deepen, my phone chimed, breaking the spell. I pulled it out to see a message from Casey.

I muttered a sharp curse under my breath. Alec noticed the sudden change in my mood and asked, "Is something wrong?"
I hesitated, "It's just Casey. I've been sort of trying to avoid her today since the carnival."
"Why?"
Alec inquired, his curiosity evident. I thought back to that night at the carnival-Casey's unexpected kiss, and Tyler's comforting presence. "It's... complicated," I muttered.

Alec leaned in, an unreadable expression etched on his face. "Well, it sounds like you need to talk to her and tell her how you feel. Maybe let her know to back off." I glanced at him, grappling with my inner voices. How could I explain that the reason I couldn't talk to Casey about my feelings was because I'm gay.
"It's fine. I'll deal with it," I finally said, avoiding his gaze. "I should go, practice is probably starting soon."

I turned to leave, but Alec's voice stopped me in my tracks. "Wait."

I glanced back, curious. Alec was already reaching into his bag, pulling out a well-worn notebook with the word "Chemistry" scribbled across the front. He held it out to me, his expression casual, but there was something in his eyes-an intensity that I was beginning to recognize.

"The notes,"
Alec said simply, I blinked, surprised that I had forgotten, I stepped forward, taking the notebook from his hand. "Oh, right. Thanks."

As I took the notebook, our fingers brushed, and I felt a spark-something small but undeniable. I looked up at him, my eyes meeting his, and for a second, neither of us said anything. The world seemed to narrow again, just like before, and I felt that same flutter in my stomach, the same pull toward him that I couldn't quite explain.

Alec broke the silence first, his tone shifting back to its usual, laid-back self. "I'll see you tomorrow," he said, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

I made my way out of the art room and towards the gym, where Casey was waiting, I couldn't shake off the weight of the impending conversation. When I reached her, she looked up at me, her lip bitten nervously.
"Hi, Casey," I greeted her, trying to ignore the noise inside me.

But Casey wasn't having it. "Don't hi, Casey me," she snapped, her frustration bubbling to the surface. "Why have you been avoiding me?"

"I haven't been avoiding you," I started to protest, but she cut me off. "Yes, you have," she insisted, her voice tinged with hurt. "I know when I'm being avoided, Lucas. I'm not dumb. What I don't know is why, especially after what happened at the carnival."

I fumbled for words, feeling the weight of her gaze bearing down on me, I couldn't possibly say that I was avoiding her because of what happened at the carnival. "Umm..."
"Did I do something wrong? Did you not like the kiss?" she pressed, her eyes searching mine for answers.
"Yeah, of course I did,"
I stammered, struggling to find the right words. "Then why haven't you texted me back since? And why have you been avoiding me?" Casey's voice cracked with emotion, her eyes pleading for understanding.

I opened my mouth to respond, but she cut me off again. "I really like you, Lucas, and I thought you'd be different than every other guy here. But it doesn't look that way. I thought that after everything, you'd at least want me to be your girlfriend. Don't you want me to be your girlfriend?" she asked, her expression now filled with sadness.

A knot formed in my stomach as I hesitated, knowing the truth but unable to voice it. "I-" I began, but the words caught in my throat.
"I do," I lied. "Then why haven't you asked me to be your girlfriend?" Casey's voice wavered with uncertainty, her eyes searching mine for reassurance.

"Do you want to be my girlfriend?" I blurted out, the words tumbling from my lips before I could stop them.

There was a tense pause, and I held my breath, praying for a different outcome. Then, finally, she said the words I was dreading she wouldn't, "Well, yeah, obviously."

Inside my head, a torrent of emotions roared to life as I realized the depth of the lies I'd just told.

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