Lights Down Low ≫ tom holland

29

THE FINAL BELL RUNG, signalling that school was out. chase raced towards the exit, looking down one last time at the text message he had received from alec: i know you guys are broken up, but tom leaves for maine today and i wasn't sure if you'd want to say one last goodbye. he's leaving at 4.

chase had gotten the message during third period and it had been running through his mind all day. by sixth period he had decided he needed to see tom
one last time. matteo said he would get a ride from their sisters and as the boy sped down the street he prayed he wouldn't get pulled over.

his wishes sadly weren't met as blue and red lights flashed behind him. he groaned, smacking his head into the steering wheel causing the horn to sound. he rolled down his window and looked over at the officer as he approached the car.

"license and registration, please." chase grabbed the said items and handed them over to the officer. "do you realize how fast you were going, kid?"

"i know. i'm sorry." he sighed, running his fingers through his hair in distraught.

the officer bent down to look in the window. "are you okay?"

"not really." he looked over at the officer. "the guy i love is leaving me today and i haven't said my final goodbyes yet. he's going to be gone any minute and i'll never see him again."

"i'm sorry, son." the officer frowned. "i'll make this quick." he returned to the police car and a few minutes later came back with his information. "i'm not going to write you up a ticket, but please drive the speed limit. get to where you need to go safely and i hope you're able to say your goodbyes."

chase let out a sigh of relief. "thank you so much, officer; i will."

the officer made his way back to his car and chase started to drive again, going the speed limit so he wouldn't get pulled over. as he pulled in front of tom's house he saw the boy getting in his parent's car.

"tom!" he shouted out the window before quickly turning off the ignition. he stumbled out of the car and practically sprinted across the yard until he stood face to face with the boy. "hi." he panted and tom furrowed his eyebrows.

"what are you doing here?" he questioned.

"i wanted to say goodbye." chase spoke quietly and tom reached a hand out for the boy's. he laced their fingers together and pulled the younger boy closer to him. "i'm gonna miss you so much." his eyes began to water as he looked up at tom and the older boy nodded.

"me too, chase. more than you'll ever know." he pressed a kiss to chase's head and sighed. "i wish we didn't have to go like this."

"it's for the best." chase sniffled and tom nodded again.

"i know." there was a silence and andie rolled down the drivers side window.

"i'm sorry to interrupt, tom, but we have to go if you're going to make your flight."

"i'm sorry." chase coughed, choking back more tears. "i'll let you go."

tom caressed chase's cheek and sighed, "i love you, chase."

chase cried harder. "i love you too."

"goodbye." tom whispered before he pulled away from the boy. he made his way into the car and andie gave the younger boy a sad smile as they pulled out of the driveway. he watched the car disappear from sight and sighed, climbing back in his car.

he cried in the car for a few minutes before deciding to head home. when he arrived alec's car was in the driveway. chase rushed inside and immediately went to alec's room, hoping the boy was in there, but when he wasn't he frowned and made his way to his own room.

alec was sat on the bed with a frown on his face when he saw his little brother. "come here." he pulled chase into a hug and let him cry into his shoulder for a good ten minutes before the younger boy felt okay enough to pull away.

"it was the right thing." he tried to sound positive and alec nodded.

"if things are meant to be he'll be back."

"it's crazy to think almost eight months ago he wasn't planning on leaving and now he's just...gone."

"he loved you, chase." alec rubbed chase's back. "he'll come back for you."

"i want to believe that, but i can't." he frowned before wiping the tears off his face. there was a silence before chase spoke again, more confidently. "i've already got this planned." he began, sitting up straight as he looked at his brother. "i'm gonna repeat junior year and graduate high school and everything will be okay. i'll even start doing extra curricular activities to boost my gpa and i'll do good. i'm gonna get into a good college and live my life to the fullest. i got this. i'll be okay."

"i know you will." alec smiled. "and just because i don't live at home anymore doesn't mean i won't be around. you know i'm always here to help you out."

"thanks, alec." chase hugged his older brother once more before deciding on taking a shower.

this was it. this was the end of being sad. he wasn't going to let a boy ruin him and he wasn't going to let it bring him down. he was going to be happy no matter what and he was going to do big things.

chase oxlem was going to show the world who he really was.