It just... happened? (boyxboy)

Chapter Nine

Authors note: I'm sorry people but this is going to be a sort of short and shitty chapter. I really want to pick up the speed in updating but life's pretty hectic right now and my mental health has been suffering. Again, I didn't have time to proof read this. Hopefully in the next week or two i'll be back to my normal self! Also there is a moment in this where Willow receives a grade in math and i'd like to make clear that where I live we don't give out As and Bs, it's just percentage marks.

After what I thought to be a life changing make-out session, Charlie ignored me for four days straight. It's now Friday. I know, I'm a fool to keep chasing after this boy who is obviously just as confused as I am about our sexuality, but that last day in the storage closet just felt so... right!

I felt like a part of me had always been missing, but kissing Charlie and holding him seems to have filled the void in my emotions. We're both hurting, we both need to help the other...

Bad Ace! You don't need him, you're not gay!

Hang on a second before you start judging me. I've never not liked gays, but the influences of my homophobic mother always encouraged me to act like all LGBTQ+ people were weird, even if I didn't support these habits. So I guess her teachings have had an effect on how I see myself. It's just impossible for me to be gay! It's not right! Even if Charlie is making me feel funny in my tummy. Oh wow I sound like a seven year old!

Sitting in biology class right now is absolute torture. Charlie's friends are all over him and he's being more chummy towards them than ever. Then there's the fact that Laurie Tegan is literally on his lap laughing her head off at some sort of sex joke Luca made. After what Charlie said in the storage room I thought I'd start to notice the way he doesn't engage with his friends like he said, I was wrong. Every time I turn my head I see him with his arm around Laurie, or having Sam Coady in a playful headlock. The worst part of all of this is that I can tell he's hurting. I wasn't lying when I said I see easily through his little bubble, he constantly is wearing a fake smile or letting out this awkward laugh. How do his friends not notice? Does anyone even know him? Hell I barely just met him and can already figure out what every expression and mood of his means. I want to help him. So bad.

I'm pulled from my sulking when the bell rings. 

Finally, I can stop being tortured and confused for a while.

Charlie's friends leave and call out for him to come follow them, I guess he didn't notice he was still standing next to his desk with a blank face. My mind aches to know what he was thinking about. Just like a robot, Charlie heads over to his friends and puts on another one of his famous smirks. A fake one, of course.

I sigh as I collect my books and shove them into my bag while walking down to my locker.

Why is he doing this to me? He even ignores me at work! I need to talk to him to figure all this out! It's crazy the way he gets into my head. Does he like me? No, he's Charlie Simmons, he's just a player trying to f*ck with you!

"Ace! I got an 81% on my Math test! What sort of world are we even living in? This is my first eighty of the year, my moms gonna be so happy!", I jump as Willow grabs my shoulders and shakes me until Im jumping up and down with her. What did I say folks, We really do suck at maths.

"That's friggin awesome Wil! C'mon let's go hangout at Carol's, I still have 2 hours until work and I brought my clothes in my bag."

"Are you just using this as an excuse for me to give you a ride to work?", Willow laughed as she slung an arm around my shoulders and pulled me out into the school parking lot.

"Hey! Can't a guy just want to celebrate his friends very average test grade with a honeycomb latte at a café that just so happens to be a 20 minute walk from his work, which makes it impossible for him to get there on time?", we both start laughing before stepping into her car turning on the radio.

When we arrive at Carol's Willow automatically goes and sprints to the one open table with two seats. This café is a hotspot for the students around the east side of town so it gets pretty packed around 3:30. Once we claim a table and grab our drinks, Willow starts to blabber on about her day and all of the not-so-crazy-but-she-thinks-they-are moments that have taken place.

I use this time to finish my chemistry homework, if it could even be called that. A more accurate name for this would be 'Let's constantly worry about seeing Charlie Simmons at work and how he made out with you! Twice!!'. I giggle at my own stupidity of ever thinking he could like me. N-not that I'd want him too!

"Whats so funny there little Ace? Does my story of standing up to our perverted gym teacher not entertain you enough?", Willow kicks my shin from under the table, causing me to look up. I know she's just joking around but with the way she's been acting lately... well you never really know if you're safe or not.

"Oh uh nothing... just thinking of the story you told earlier about that Kyler kid flashing Mrs. Foot.", It wasn't a lie but it wasn't exactly the truth. A safe medium, I guess.

"OH MY GOD I KNOW RIGHT! WASN'T THAT FREAKING HILARIOUS?!", Willow continued to add more details to her over exaggerated story. I took this an excuse to mention that I have to get going and need a ride to work.

Willow grabbed her keys and we left a decent tip on the table. The car ride to work was short, but awkward. There wasn't really any talking of sorts which is strange for us, but I didn't mind too much. It let me have time to calm my nerves and prepare myself for Charlie's ignorance again.

Turns out I didn't have to be nervous at all.