Above The World (BoyxBoy)

Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9

The weekend went by quickly and I managed to stay busy so I wouldn't think about Gabriel too much. Sometimes I would overhear my parents talking about what had happened with Gabriel's dad at dinner, but they never talked around me. I was fine with ignoring it and moving on if they were.

At school everyone was going crazy with school spirit because it was the day of the big game. We were playing our rivals, the Brookenridge Panthers. There were banners and posters all over the school painted in orange and blue, our school colors. They read "GO GLENCREST!" and "MUSTANG PRIDE! TRAMPLE THE PANTHERS!". The football guys were wearing their jerseys and basking in all of their jock glory. The cheerleaders were in their uniforms, falling all over the football guys, even more than usual. We were having a pep rally for the team after sixth period. I started to skip out on it but Aurora convinced me to go.

"It's an exciting atmosphere! It's fun to yell and cheer, even if you don't know what you're cheering for," Aurora laughed.

"Just sounds like another way to glorify a bunch of meathead jocks," I said.

"You'll have fun! I'll make it fun. I promise!"

So Aurora and I headed to the gym for this "oh-so-exciting" pep rally. By the time we got to the gym our peers had already filled up most of the seats. Aurora and I found a spot near the back of the bleachers. The pep rally started out with this girl singing the national anthem. She was pretty amazing. Then, the cheerleaders did a couple of chants and led us in the school's fight song. I have to admit, I did get into it a little bit. Then the moment that everyone seemed to be waiting for, well everyone except me. The football team ran out and broke through a big banner that the student council had painted.

"I can actually see the testosterone pumping through their veins," I joked with Aurora. She laughed and gave me a light punch in the shoulder.

The guys ran around the gym like they owned the place. At the end of the line I saw Gabriel. To everyone else he probably just looked like another jock basking in all the attention they were getting, but when I looked at him I saw something different. I couldn't stop staring. I wanted to know everything. I wanted to get inside of his head so I could know what he was thinking, how he was feeling. Why did he push me away? I watched as he ran around with the team interacting with the crowd. When they came near where Aurora and I were sitting Gabriel looked up and it was almost as if he was startled to see me there. Our eyes were locked on each other for a few moments, then he quickly looked away, leaving me wanting more. I didn't notice until then that my heart was pounding just from the sight of him.

"Um...what was that?" Aurora asked with a confused look.

"What was what?"

"That whole staring contest that just took place between you and Gabriel Covarrubias," she whispered.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't give me that. I saw. There was some meaning behind that."

Aurora always read so much into things and she never just let anything go. She was so persistent. Normally, that would be a good trait, but at that moment I wanted her to just drop it. I didn't want to have to explain myself.

"We were friends. Now we're not. That's it," I said nonchalantly.

"Well there has to be a reason."

"Nope," I lied.

"Come on, Clay. I thought we could talk about stuff."

"Well not here."

"Okay, that's fair. We can talk after this."