Into the mountains

Chapter 1

The sun was just beginning to rise, casting a soft golden glow over the school's parking lot. Alex leaned against his car, arms crossed, scanning the group of students gathering for the weekend hiking trip. His usual crowd—teammates from the soccer team—were huddled together, laughing and joking about how easy the trip would be. Alex forced a smirk as one of them clapped him on the back, but his mind wasn't in it. It hadn't been for a while.

Across the lot, Spencer stood alone, adjusting the straps of his backpack. His expression was focused, as if he was already planning the logistics of the trip, making sure everything was in order. He wasn't exactly part of Alex's crowd—he wasn't part of any crowd, really. Spencer was one of those guys who floated under the radar. always keeping to himself. But for some reason, Spencer's eyes kept drifting back to Alex's.

Alex shifted uncomfortably, pushing himself off the car and joining his friends in the circle, hoping to drown out his thoughts. He couldn't shake the unease that had been building for months. Lately, it felt like he was pretending all the time—pretending to enjoy the jokes, pretending to fit in, pretending to be someone he wasn't. And the worst part? No one noticed. Not even his closest friends.

"Ready for this, man?" Derek, his best friend and co-captain of the soccer team, grinned at him.

Alex grinned back automatically. "Yeah, easy stuff. How hard can a couple of days in the mountains be?"

Derek laughed. "That's the spirit. I bet half these guys will be complaining by tomorrow."

Alex chuckled along, but his eyes flicked back to Spencer, who was now standing off to the side of the bus, still alone. He noticed how Spencer seemed completely unbothered by the fact that no one had spoken to him. There was a calmness in the way he moved, like he didn't need anyone's validation to be comfortable. Something about that both intrigued and unnerved Alex.

The teachers started calling everyone to board the bus, and Alex filed in with his group, taking a seat near the back. His friends filled the seats around him, but Alex noticed, out of the corner of his eye, Spencer taking a seat a few rows ahead, by himself as usual. There was a strange tug in Alex's chest, one he tried to ignore.

As the bus rumbled to life and pulled away from the school, the noise of excited chatter filled the space. Alex leaned his head back against the seat, staring at the back of Spencer's head, wondering why he cared. Maybe it was just curiosity. Spencer was so different from the people Alex usually spent time with—reserved, thoughtful. It was a stark contrast to the loud, confident persona Alex had perfected over the years.

The bus ride stretched on, and Alex tried to engage with the conversation around him, but his mind kept drifting. He felt an unsettling frustration growing, like there was something wrong with him for being this distracted. He hated that he couldn't control it. He hated even more that Spencer, of all people, seemed to be at the center of it.

Hours later, the bus finally pulled into the mountains. The fresh autumn air rushed in as the students filed off, stretching their legs and gathering their gear. The mountains loomed ahead, a mixture of green pines and bursts of orange and red as the leaves turned. It should've felt peaceful, but Alex couldn't shake the knot in his stomach.

"Alright, everyone," Mr. Lang, one of the teachers leading the trip, called out. "Gather around! We'll be splitting into groups for the hike."

Alex's group of friends stayed close, nudging each other and making jokes about who would get stuck carrying the most gear. But Alex found himself glancing over at Spencer again, who stood near the edge of the group, waiting quietly.

"You're gonna be with Derek, right?" one of his teammates asked, already assuming Alex would stick with them.

"Yeah, probably," Alex replied, though his gaze lingered on Spencer.

Mr. Lang began reading out the group assignments, and Alex tuned out until he heard his own name.

"Alex and... Spencer."

"Seriously?" Derek frowned, glancing at Spencer. "That guy? Shit, poor you he's gonna be so boring."

Alex forced a shrug, "It's fine."

They gathered their packs and set off, the groups slowly spreading out as they made their way into the dense mountain trails. The sound of crunching leaves and distant birds filled the air. Alex and Spencer walked side by side in an awkward silence, neither speaking.

After a few minutes, Spencer cleared his throat, trying to shake off the tension. "You, uh, been hiking before?"

Alex nodded, his eyes scanning the path ahead. "A few times. My dad's into it."

"Cool," Spencer muttered. His attempt at small talk fell flat, and the silence returned.

As they climbed higher, the trees grew thicker, and the air cooler. Spencer found himself glancing at Alex more often than he meant to. He noticed the way Alex moved with a quiet confidence, unbothered by the challenging terrain. There was something peaceful about it, something that made Spencer both curious and restless.

"Do you ever stop thinking?"

Alex blinked, caught off guard. "What?"

"You seem like you're always in your head," Spencer said, not looking at him. "Just an observation."

Alex wasn't sure how to respond. No one ever pointed that out—at least, not in a way that felt so... honest.

"Yeah, maybe," Alex admitted.

Spencer smiled faintly, a rare expression for him, and for a moment, Alex felt a strange warmth in his chest, though it was quickly followed by guilt. He wasn't supposed to feel this way. Not about Spencer. Not about any guy.

But even as the guilt gnawed at him, Alex couldn't stop his gaze from drifting back to Spencer.