The Life We Had | Gay BxB |

12. A Little Too Much

*****

When I finally stepped onto the bus, I immediately searched for Troy. He was sitting at the back, as always, so I made my way closer to him. He was with a bunch of their friends, so I didn't feel brave enough to go sit with them, but thankfully, Troy spotted me and pointed at two empty seats in front of him.

"How's it going, bro?" he asked while I was sitting down.

"Pretty good," I said with a smile, trying not to get intimidated by his friends.

They all were eyeing at me, especially my new clothes. I suddenly felt insecure under their judging looks. Most of them lost their interest pretty fast and turned to look at their phones, but a couple of them were still shooting looks at me, and I wasn't sure if they were the good kind.

I couldn't help but feel like they were silently mocking me for trying to blend in. And that they thought these new clothes I was wearing didn't suit me at all. And most of all, I feared they didn't like me being friends with Max and Troy.

Troy was nice enough to keep the conversation with me going, even though I was feeling so insecure I couldn't have been fun to talk to. And by the time Max stepped in, I felt like running away.

But that feeling flew out the window when Max told me to scoot over so he could sit next to me.

Next to me!

"How's it going," he asked me with his kind smile.

"Pretty amazing," I replied, completely forgetting that the two of us weren't the only people on the planet. "How's... How's it going?" I asked, immediately feeling like an idiot.

"I'm good too," he said reassuringly, but then his attention was stolen by another of his friends.

I wasn't listening to a word they spoke. I was too busy stealing short glimpses of Max. He looked more handsome than ever. How was it possible that he looked better by each passing day? Was it because my feelings for him were growing...?

My feelings really were growing... They shouldn't have. Max was way out of my reach. Out of my league. Heck, I wasn't even in any leagues! Why would he even want to hang out with me? He was basically an incarnation of a god, while I was a muddy geek...

"So! When should we continue playing that game?" Max suddenly asked, and I jerked a little in my seat when I realized he was looking at me.

"Oh... Uh... Today?" I suggested carefully, but then remembered my Dad's words. "Shoot! I need to go straight back home after school because of the weather..."

"Yeah, me too," Max said. "Tomorrow if it's calmed down by then?"

"Yes!" I chirped in excitement.

"You cool with that?" Max asked Troy, who nodded. "Cool – that's settled then."

"It'll get tense soon," Troy said.

"What is?"

"The game."

"Oh!"

We talked about the game the rest of the way to school. My insecurities and doubts and all the other negativity I'd felt were long gone as I followed them through the yard. I wasn't getting any nasty glares from their friends anymore either – maybe I'd just imagined it all. None of them seemed too keen to talk with me, but it seemed like they didn't care if I tagged along. I definitely didn't mind them not talking to me – they were big, therefore scary – as long as they were fine with my presence.