The Only Exception [BoyxBoy]

08 | ѕoѕ

My common sense is out the door
Can't seem to find the lock

Chapter 08 ~ SOS

Bobby Cooper

"I'm spending the weekend with my dad, so do you wanna come with?" It was a rhetorical question, mostly, because everyone knew that Ryan and I were attached to the hip and couldn't possibly be separated under any given circumstances, so I knew that Ryan would agree to hang out with me since his parents lifted his punishment early for good behavior.

It was the end of the school day, and we were making our way through the frenzy of the after-school maze until we finally got to my car. It was a baby blue Rolls-Royce that I didn't actually mind flaunting; in fact, it was probably one of the only gifts from my parents that I actually appreciated. It worked to attract girls, and make dudes envious of me, but it did nothing but annoy Ryan.

"I, uh ... I think I'm just gonna go home," he huffed once he plopped into the passenger seat and threw his backpack into the backseat.

"What? We always do our homework together." Ryan tried his best to avoid making eye contact, and I couldn't really understand why he was being so pissy lately. This wasn't the first time that he was ignoring me; in fact, it was all he seemed to do as of late. So I nudged his shoulder. "Dude."

Ryan snapped out of whatever trance he had fallen into, and sighed. "I just got a lot of things to do at home today. Chores and stuff."

My gaze began to bore holes into the side of his head with how intense it must've been. I knew he was lying, and the worse part of it all was that he probably knew that I knew he was lying. Ever since the party at my house, I saw my best friend change right before my eyes. Ryan was always the first one to agree to spend time with me. He was always appreciative of all the things I had done for him. He was always happy, never mad. "Is this about Mr. Adney?"

Ryan tore his attention away from the glove department to look at me, hazel eyes glistening with rage. "No."

"What'd he tell you after class?" I pried. "Did he ask you out? Oh shit, did you guys..."

His gaze hardened. "I said it's not about him, Bobby. Can you just drop it?"

"Okay, okay, Jesus," I said with my hands raised to show surrender. Ryan responded by not-so-secretively rolling his eyes and turning his head to look out the window, leaving me to stick the key into the ignition to start the car. The tension between us was heavy, bitter to the touch, and that sort of aura never once existed between us until now. "Well, it must be true what they say about gay guys being bitches."

It was a light-hearted joke to lighten the sudden dark mood and I thought Ryan would take it just as that, but I was utterly surprised when he whipped around to face me with a myriad of expressions written on his face—one of his eyes were squinted and a dangerously low huff blew from his nose, resembling an enraged bull. "Fuck off," he barked in a voice that didn't even sound like his own. I opened my mouth to retaliate, but the words got lost in my throat when Ryan snatched his backpack, propped open the passenger door, and began to walk away.

I called after him—once, twice, three times—each time growing louder than the last, but he kept striding away, unbothered. "Fuck!" I shouted to myself as I climbed back into my seat so that I could back out of my parking space.