Gay Chicken | ✓

{20}

Chapter Twenty

Tortured Paradise had done five song in total; three covers and two originals that were surprisingly very good for a first time. There was two other bands after that and an acoustic player which Daisy fell a little in love with and James and Casper had stuck close most of the night when he came out after they had finished. Casper had all but jumped on him, hugging him tightly before he realised where he was and let him go like he was given an electric shock but James smiled all the same, unaffected by it.

“You were,” Casper gushed, unable to find words,” amazing. Just amazing.”

Casper hadn’t been able to keep his eyes off James the whole time he was playing, not even when Darla had cackled in his ear when Andrew almost tripped over the wire – he spared a glance and that was all. They had a few slip ups, Logan’s face always made it obvious as he visibly flinched the few times it happened and stumbled his words but all in all they had done spectacular for their first gig, even the owner of the bar, who made it so that he saw ever act that played there, said so and Logan and James didn’t stop grinning the whole night afterwards.

“It was alright, wasn’t it?” He said modestly but his face betrayed him when a childish excitement broke out on his face. Casper wasn’t the only one struck and strongly attracted to them actually being good. Darla had been hanging all over Logan, glaring at any of the girls that were watching them before, came up to talk to him. Casper thanked God James was a little more intimidating in the looks department and girls eyeing him up had lost their nerve to try and talk to him.

The group had left the bar un-intoxicated drunk happy, hanging all over one another as they sang their way down the streets to the train station and parted ways at the other end. Casper learned that Avery was actually older than him by a year and was in a steady relationship with Andrew.

“It isn’t healthy or logical for the band,” she explained,” but he’s too cute to resist.” She pinched her boyfriend’s cheeks for emphasis and they burned underneath her fingertips, Casper and Avery had laughed at his expense.

He and Jessica had gotten along better after her statement of not being a threat, not that Casper was a hundred percent off his guard with her but he couldn’t resist to enjoy her company as she was funny and her and Casper had always just gotten along before and slowly slotted back into the beginning of their old relationship, even swapping numbers before she left.

Avery, Andrew and Logan all went the same way from the station and Casper, James, Hedgehog, Daisy, Darla and Daniel the other. Daisy had hastily walked quickly at her turn, Hedgehog had went to follow, probably out of habit since she always walked her to her door, stopped and then went ahead with it anyway. The four left stared after them in a pitying sort of way, Daniel and Darla didn’t have a clue what had happened between them either.

Soon it was just James and Casper as Daniel and Darla were the last to part ways.

They walked under street lamp to street lamp, the synthetic orange glow washing over them. The stars twinkled after them in a dark blue sky, the moon shining bright in a crescent that resembled the smile of a Cheshire cat. The street were empty and as quiet as a ghost town and Casper didn’t even have to reach that far as James slipped his own in his. James’ hand was slightly cold against Casper’s clammy one and it made him shiver slightly but held on anyway and smiled into the collar of his hoodie.

“You were very popular tonight,” Casper said, his breath escaping through the material of his hoodie and he ducked the bottom half of his face into it.

James looked down at him,” how so?”

“The girls,” Casper said, trying to sound casual about it but winced as it came out a little high pitched, “they were all staring at you and saying how hot you were.”