“Hey Handsome! Over here!” I look up to find Angel waving frantically at me across the parking lot next to her mother’s silver minivan. Her oldest brother, Brayden, leans against the driver’s side door, clearly the designated driver for this evening.
I head towards them, slinging my bag over my shoulder. “Hey Brayden.” I say when I get to the van. I get a nod in my direction in return, and a small smile.
Michelle suddenly leans out the open window and smirks at me. “Don’t I get a hello?”
“Of course. Hello Michelle, how are you today?”
“Bastard. I’m fine, thank you very much.”
I look at Angel. “We ready to go or what?” I ask. Angel and I are going back to her house to work on posters for our school’s Gay-Straight Alliance—aka the GSA—after school today, and apparently Michelle has decided to join us.
“Nope. We’re waiting for Noel and Brittany. Brittany’s gonna help us work on the posters too.”
“What’s Noel doing here so late?” Did I stutter over his name—no, I must have imagined it. Did my voice squeak? I tried to keep my face neutral, while in reality it felt like a bunch of mutant butterflies had hatched in my stomach and are now trying to beat their way out with clubs. Get yourself together man.
“He stayed to watch rehearsal after practice.”
“Hey guys, sorry I’m late!” I turn to see Brittany running towards us, her blonde hair streaming out behind her and her tote bag slipping off her shoulder. “I stopped by the supply closet after rehearsal to grab some stuff for the posters.”
“Yay! That’s great!” Angel claps her hands excitedly. Michelle rolls her eyes, and Brayden’s lips tip up in a smile, even though he’s pretending to be looking at something on his phone. “Hey,” she suddenly perks up. “There’s Noel!”
“Ugh, finally!” Michelle flop back down into her seat in the van, out of sight.
I turn around to see Noel, Angle’s other brother, striding towards us, dark brown hair ruffled in the wind, and a knapsack slung over one muscled shoulder.
“What took you so long?!” Angle throws her hands up in mock exasperation. Brayden rolls his eyes and climbs into the van.
Noel’s lips tilt up in a small smile, his eyes crinkling. “Sorry sis, I ran into an ex and couldn’t escape.” He winks. I try not to melt.
“Well then, let’s go!” She walks around the back of the van to crawl in beside her girlfriend.
“I call shot gun!” Brittany calls, before hopping in too.
Noel turns to me. “Guess we’re stuck in the back.” He says with a smile, before climbing into the back, skirting around Angle and Michelle, who are now making out in the middle row. I take a moment to gather my scattered thoughts and reserve myself to what will now be a long, tortuous car ride, and scramble in after him.
The car ride is a quiet affair, with Angel and Michelle cuddling in the middle, and the soft music playing from the radio the only sound. Brittany is texting someone on her phone, and Brayden doesn’t have the choice to talk to anyone—he’s mute. I try not to shift around in my seat, acutely aware of Noel sitting beside me but not knowing what to say to him.
“So,” Noel’s voice startles me into looking at him. His soft brown eyes stare curiously at me from only a few inches away. “Are you going to the football game on Saturday?” His breath tickles over my face and neck, and I fight back a shiver.
“Umm,” I struggle to make my brain work. What did he ask again? “Oh! The game. Yeah, I was thinking about going.”
He smiles. “Cool. You should come.” His arm brushes my shoulders, and I realize that he’s resting his arm across the back of my seat. Suddenly the mutant butterflies are back, this time seemingly doubled in size. His blue t-shirt is pulled tight against his muscular shoulders and chest, and I try not to drool.
Someone clears their throat, and I realize that we’ve stopped. Glancing out the window, I see that we’re already at their house, and try not to look guilty when I meet Michelle’s eyes. Angel has already hopped out of the van, and Michelle had been the one to clear her throat. I widen my eyes innocently and step out of the van, feeling her gaze heavy on the back of my neck. Then everything is blocked out as I feel Noel’s body heat behind me, and know he’s stepped out of the van too. Trying to remain aloof, I walk into the house after Angel.
On the outside, Angel’s house is a simple two-story home in suburbia, not standing out from any of the other houses on the street, but neither is it plain. However, the inside is another story. Inside, various pieces of art of all shapes, sizes, and genres are littered around the room, in a mix of colourful paintings, unique statues, and other abstract knickknacks. The furniture is a funky mixture of modern elegance and retro chic. Having an artist for a mother will do that.
I head straight for the living room, which is basically only separated from the rest of the house by the circle of couches. One of them is bright red with orange leather cushions that should be ugly but just looks cool; the other is a teal coloured love seat, separated by a pile of multicolored bean bag chairs. The plush throw rug in the middle is lime green, and they all face a flat screen surrounded by potted ferns. A black swivel chair with a circular base and an egg-shaped back sits to the side, opposite the bean bag chairs.
Michelle automatically flops into one of the bean bag chairs. Brittany flops down on her stomach and starts emptying out the supplies she’d grabbed from school, while Brayden heads to the kitchen. Noel surprises me by flopping onto the couch instead of heading to his room like he usually does. My stomach flip-flops.
“Okay,” Angel calls as she comes into the room with her arms full of stuff. “I’ve got the posters we started last time, and I grabbed some new Bristol board as well.” She drops it all in a heap in the middle of the carpet, before dropping gracefully into a cross-legged position next to it. “Okay, Brittany, you’re working on posters for next month’s bake sale. Michelle, you’re working on posters for the rainbow bracelets, and Handsome, you’re working on the ally posters.”
I raise an eyebrow at her. “And just what are you gonna do?”
“Why, I’m gonna tell everyone else what to do of course.”
Michelle rolls her eyes. “She’s gonna be working on the Safe Space posters.”
“Someone turn on the music!” Brittany calls from the floor, where she’s already begun laying out her poster-making supplies around her. Michelle strides over to the sound system underneath the TV and flicks on the radio, turning it up to the point where you can still hear people talk, but only if you’re really listening for it.
I flop down on the carpet a little ways away from Brittany and Angel, grab a lime green poster board and some construction paper, and set to work.
________________________________________________________________
A/N
Sorry if this chapter is still a little boring! I didn't think you'd want it all shoved into the first chapter, but I'm still introducing characters and their personalities! Don't worry! It gets better! But you've met Noel!! Oh, another little fun fact; when I'm done Backstage Kisses (which might take a while due to school, I'm sorry) I'm gonna do a seperate story about Angel and Michelle! But that will only be if this gets enough votes and comments to show me that you'd be interested in that! So vote, comment, show me that you're reading this! Remember, I love feedback! Don't be afraid to tell me what you think!
YOU ARE READING
Backstage Kisses (BoyxBoy)
Short Story(This story contains gay characters. If you have a problem with gay content, please do not read.) Beauregard Dubois, otherwise known as Bo, has been in love with his best friend's older brother for years. However, he'd never do anything to hurt Ange...
