Lost In My Head, Found In My Heart

Chapter 10 - Chase & Casey

The walk down the stairs was like a the walk to the gas chamber. Chase could hear that sound of voices that indicated that the guests were here. Casey couldn't see scowl on his face, because he was behind Chase, he had no idea what they were heading into. The sound of Sharon's half laugh, half giggle made his skin crawl. As she came into sight, she gave Chase that all too familiar look. It was like he was prey and she was the lioness. The high he had been riding, having Casey in his room, was fizzling out.

Sharon had been trying to get him to ask her out for almost two years. His parents kept suggesting he ask her out. Her parents had been talking to his parents about how the two of them would make a nice couple. He couldn't be rude. He didn't have it in him. He wished it wasn't so, but he couldn't embarrass his parents that way.

He saw her glance behind him, a less than friend glare fell on Casey. From behind him, he heard Casey say, "Thank you for dinner. It was delicious. I need to head home now before it gets dark. Good night." And with that, he was out the door and took Chase's chance to have him stay longer so they could talk.

Sharon put on her nice face again and asked, "Who was that?"

Chase responded flatly, "That was my friend, Casey."

"How do you know him?" She asked, her voice dripping with judgment and disdain.

"We go running in the park every Saturday, " Chase answered. It was only a lie about the running, since they were both in the park every Saturday.

Her face was dismissive of that information, since it was obvious she was only asking to be polite in front of our parents. She smiled sweetly and said, "So, when are you going to ask me out on a date?" She said it loud enough that all four adults heard her and suddenly became interested  in  our conversation.

Chase felt his face begin to blush. In his head he thought, when hell freezes over. But his parents looked at him with hopeful faces and her parents looked at him with barely contained expectations. He began slowly, "Well, I have districts in about two weeks so it would have to be after that. I mean, with school work and practices, I don't really have any free time."

"So, Saturday two weeks, you'll be free?" She asks gleefully.

Chase's throat closed up and his heart began to race. The wheels were spinning in his head trying to come up with an answer. Then, an answer came to him. "No," he said. "I have plans that night. If we do well, the team will be celebrating and if we don't well, we'll be licking our wounds and definitely not good company."

Sharon's shoulders slumped and her face turned to a scowl. Chase felt some relief but he knew he needed to get out of there before she could launch another idea.

"Mom. Tommy said something about going for a run today to get in some extra leg work. Is it okay if I go?"

The expression on her face wavered between disapproval at leaving when we have guests to understanding how important running was to him. She glanced at dad, looking for a tie breaker. He nodded and she said, "I guess it's okay. Just don't stay out after dark. It's not safe out there."

Chase rushed over and gave his mother a peck on the cheek, saying, "Thank you, Mom."

Then, he rushed upstairs, taking two step at a time, to put on his running clothes. He returned, bolting down the stairs, pausing at the door, saying, "Goodbye, Mom. Goodbye, Dad. Goodbye Mr. & Mrs. Weaver...Sharon." Then, out the door he went, trying not to look to happy that he'd escaped the Sharon trap twice in one day.

As Chase hurried to get out of sight of the house, he pulled out his phone. He googled Casey phone number and came up with an address. When he reached the bus stop, he checked the bus routes and found the one that came the closest to Casey's home. Now he had to wait. It gave him time to come up with something to say so that Casey wouldn't laugh at him or slam the door shut in his face. He looked down at his hand holding the running clothes he'd offered to Casey. He hoped Casey would go running with him. It was the only excuse he could come up with for showing up at his door. 

When the bus showed up, he climbed on and found a seat near the back. The bus wasn't very full, so Chase stared out the window at the scenery. He soon realized he'd never been to this side of town. In fact, it's the side of town that his mother always told him to avoid when she said it's not safe out there. The lawns were smaller and the homes were too. He looked at the address again, and then at the stop nearest it. This was the right bus. Wow, it hit him between the eyes. No wonder Casey was so withdrawn. Chase never gave it a thought when it came to his home. It was just the house he lived in. As he thought about it, all of his friends lived in similar homes. If he wanted to be friends with Casey, and he did, he'd have to be more sensitive to things like this. He glanced up and saw the next stop was his. He tugged the cord and stood to move closer to the door. 

When the bus stopped, he exited and got his bearings. He turned right and checked the first house number. The number was odd and Casey's address was an even number so when Chase reached the corner, he crossed the street. Then, he turned right and came back down that side until he reached Casey's home, in the middle of the block. He climbed the steps and could see lights inside the house from somewhere in the back. He wondered if Casey would hear him knock. So he pulled out his phone and tapped out a text, can I come over?  Then, he changed it to, can I come in? He waited for a reply which came in the form of the curtain by the door moving. Then, the front door opened just far enough for Casey to stick his head out. 

"What are you doing here?" Casey looked confused and uneasy.

Chase holds out his hand with the clothes. "I hoped you would still want to go running." 

Casey looked at the clothes and then back at Chase's face in disbelief. He hesitated for what seemed an eternity before he stepped back, opening the door wide enough for Chase to come in. "After you change, we can go to the park to run, if that's okay?" Casey nodded and then went into another room. Chase let out a deep breath he'd been holding. Maybe they could be friends. At least, he hoped so.