My One Regret (BoyxBoy)

Chapter Nine: Revelations in a Restaurant

"Trust me," he said. My breath hitched. I can't trust this guy for anything, let alone driving my car. Knowing how he acts, he'd probably crash my car or drive off a bridge; he shouldn't even be able to have a license! Instead of hyperventilating, I went for the safer option of looking outside the window. It was a sunny day, with a sky that had no clouds.

After what seemed like forever, he came to a sudden halt, which jerked me forward - "Here we are." I whipped my head to look at him and saw him with a wide grin. I knitted my eyebrows and looked at our surroundings. Surprisingly, I wasn't met with a sound-proof bunker (something I sort-of expected him to have, keys in hand, waiting to murder me), instead, it was a restaurant that seemed to be skyscrapers tall.

I got out of the car in amazement - no way he brought me here. Is he on crack? "Um, I don't get why you brought me here. Are you gonna force me to mop the floors or something..?" I said hesitantly, walking by his side. I was practically glued to his arm, not wanting to lose him in the crowds of people entering and exiting the building. "Hah. Funny - but no. I wanted to bring you somewhere nice.. Somewhere where we can talk. Don't worry, you don't need to pull out your dad's black card, I have some cash on me right now, trust-fund." I scoffed quietly at his sly remark.

Compared to everyone else at the restaurant, I looked like a scrawny teen who didn't know the difference between caviar and fish eyes. My jeans had stains from times I'd fallen off my bike that I can't seem to get rid of, and my sweater had loose threads at the seams - but even though Blake was wearing your typical jockey attire, with a varsity jacket and blue jeans, he still looked masculine compared to me. Maybe it wasn't the clothes that was the problem, but maybe just my build. Something of which I'm very insecure about..

While thinking about Blake, my appearance, and my insecurities, what I didn't seem to notice was that I had started to cling on to Blake. A lady bumped into me, not even acknowledging me to say an apology! - That was what snapped me out of my lovestruck trance. Wait - lovestruck? I meant dumbstruck - yeah, because I felt dumb in comparison to everyone here and their knowledge of appetizers.. Mhm.

I looked down, having felt leather in my hand. I was clinging on to Blake's sleeve like a lost puppy, fingers intertwined with his sleeve to the point where I was scared of accidentally making a hole through it. Blake didn't seem to mind or even notice since he was still leading me into the restaurant, but I sure did! I ripped my hand from his sleeve and shyly balled them into fists at my side. "Reservation for Brooks, 4 P.M." Blake said to the receptionist, "She will lead you to your table." A woman guided us throughout the restaurant to a nice little quaint corner next to a tall window.

"What would you boys like to order today?" She handed us our individual menus, "Um. I'll take the cheapest main dish, and uh.. Water. No dessert or appetizers for me." I looked up at her and smiled, but that's when I looked over at Blake sitting in front of me, "What, you think I'm too poor to even buy you a full-course meal?" He looked furious, as if I had just insulted him. I didn't even mean to! I just had a full lunch!

The waitress looks at me apologetically, then turns to Blake before he could say anything else to embarrass me in a public restaurant. "Fuck his order, erase it. Give me the most expensive main dish, appetizer, and desert. And refresher. He'll be getting the same thing as me, thanks." He says with a grimace. She walked away with a nod, and a nervous smile present on her face.

"Blake, are you out of your mind?! You can't just blow off that much money on food!" I say, my voice raising with every word, "Are you kidding me? You just made a dig at my family, and you fucking know the situation they're going through because of you. You're acting like I have nothing compared to you - so yeah, if that means I'm out of my mind, I guess I am." I flinched a little bit at his tone before I rolled my eyes, "Blake.. I didn't want to order a lot because we just had lunch at school a few periods ago and I'm not even that hungry.. I'm sorry though, you know.. If I made you feel inferior or anything. It wasn't my intention."

Was I the dick or was he? I can't tell who's in the wrong. After a long day at school, the last thing I needed was an unnecessary argument about money. Suddenly, it seemed as though a light switched on in his mind, and he was back to his chatty alter-ego again. It was weird, to say the least. Like he had mood swings, or like he remembered something. "No yeah, sorry man, that was definitely weird. I dunno what's up with me lately.. Exams, ya' get me?" He said, nervously scratching the back of his head. Okay.. now this is getting uncomfortable.

Blake's Perspective:

Fuck. I slipped up. I don't know what's gotten into me, but I promised myself that by the end of this night, he'd be in my arms and completely in love with me. I smirk to myself at the thought of payback for my family. No one fucks with a Brooks. I couldn't help but jeer some disdainful comments towards his way, letting my cover slip a few times because of the rage I felt towards him. I couldn't be anything but nice to him until this was over - get it together, Blake. 

I reached across the table for his hand, caressing it in mine, "I'm sorry. For how I've been treating you. Cody's been a real dick, and he wants me to be a jerk to you." I was dumbstruck - this kid had no redeeming qualities - and by kid, I mean Theo. What was I supposed to say - 'you're a great person and you never deserved this'? Cause no, that was definitely not fucking happening. Whatever I do to him, he deserves it. And as for a great person? He's probably just like his parents, obnoxious elitists who prey on the less fortunate. He's gonna get what's coming for him.

"It.. It's okay." That was all the pipsqueak managed to get out before his face turned beet red. He was definitely flustered - that's how I knew that I had him right where I wanted. His fingers twitched under my touch, and he slowly pulled back, face still red as ever. He looked up, and we began to awkwardly look at each other in silence. That's when I took the opportunity to observe his face. He had messy brunette hair that covered the majority of his forehead, and green eyes that shone brightly although the restaurant was dark, and lips that looked so naturally full, unlike my girlfriend's, whose lips were pumped full of injections.

He looked so close to being a girl, so it was okay for me to fawn over his face, right? Maybe if he was a girl, I would've had feelings for him. Our 'staring contest' was cut short by the loud ringing of my phone, "Gotta' take this. Do you mind?" I said. "Go ahead." He replied quietly. I stood up and walked out through the back entrance. I was in a dimly lit alleyway with trash cans lined up against the wall and empty stock boxes piled on top of each other.

"Yo, Brooks. How's the date with the homo going, homo?" Cody snickered, "Fuck off. You know I'm only doing this for payback. I'm not gay. On god, dude." I chuckled. A few days after my not-so-pleasant meeting with Theo in the school parking lot, I realized that he had a crush on me. It was so obvious. Whenever the kid would see me, his face would get all red, and he would get stuttery sometimes too. It was a funny sight, kinda cute too in that innocent puppy kind of way. I wasn't oblivious, nor dumb, although I had a failing grade in almost all of my classes.

I realized that I could use his feelings to my advantage - you know what they say, when there's an opportunity, you should take it. Because of his snobby parents, my family and I were forced to sell our house by the end of the year, which was in six or five months. Ever since his family came into town, they've been rebuilding and reconstructing our entire town, starting from closing businesses, to firing employees, and it's all because his father's an important politician or some shit like that. His father, quote, unquote, "Wants to rebuild this failing town's economy and infrastructure for the better," and by that, he also meant firing my fucking family. 

Just thinking about it had me all riled up, and I had clenched my fists without even realizing it. "This date was just another part of my plan. To get to his parents, I gotta' get through him, you know what I mean, dude?" I heard Cody mutter an, 'Uh-huh', on the other end of the line. "Man, that's gotta be the best idea ever. But my hook-up just got here. I'll call you later, yeah?" He said, before hanging up. My mind, with nothing else to think of, flashes back to when Theo was clinging on to me after we got out of the car. He looked so lost and innocent, eyes wide, with his right hand clutching onto my jacket's sleeve.

Maybe if this lost puppy knew how to navigate its way through the world, it wouldn't have ended up in the hands of the predator. Too bad he doesn't know what's coming for him.