Living with Hope ✓ [ boyxboy ] [ Completed ]

11 | TISSUE PAPER

11 | TISSUE PAPER
My Ex-Crush is Bisexual and My Current One Kisses Me On My Knuckle. (All I Have To Do Now Is Wake Up.)

Ivan's POV

I'm still in the bathroom with my back pressed against the wall, still soggy from that whole flashback session I just had. After giving one last look at the plethora of marks on my entire upper body, I slip back into my t-shirt.

I step out of the stall and spot Hayden with his back towards me. Hayden is the (super cute) nerd I used to have a crush on all the way from sophomore year through junior year. He used to be in a PDA filled relationship with a cheerleader. I wouldn't stop staring at them every time they decided to show their affection to each other. That was the beginning of the rumor regarding me having a crush on the cheerleader (Zoe). No one knew how wrong they were.

"Hey?" I call tentatively. "-den?"

Hayden flips around on hearing his name. He exhales in what I think is relief. "Thank heavens it's you. Thought it was Luca again."

"Luca Guerra?" I ask, surprised. Guerra is the linebacker in the school's football team. Luca Guerra and I don't meet eyes for various reasons, one being the fact that the basketball team's more successful than the football one.

Hayden nods. "He's made my school day literal hell. I'm the obvious target for a straight white jock because I'm black, bisexual and a nerd."

My eyes widen. Hayden's bisexual? "You're—?"

He shrugs. "Thought everyone knew already. But I'm not going to do all that coming out in front of the entire school bullshit. I'm just gonna tell some people and let the news pass."

I nod. "And how many people have you told so far?"

He tilts his head upward and pretends to do some extensive math calculation. "If I'm not wrong, I think I've told exactly... one person till now."

I chuckle. "And that's me?"

Hayden grins. "Well... You don't have a problem with it, do you?"

I had a crush on you throughout junior year, I want to holler., "Not at all, mate. Doesn't Guerra know as well?"

He smiles. "I'm sure he suspects. Sometimes I think my notebook suspects. I mean, I hate people like him but I may or may not have made out with him when we were drunk."

My jaw drops.

Hayden laughs at my expression. "I didn't force him!" He defends himself. "He was the one who was all over me! Besides, I don't even like sportspeople. All they do is sweat and cuss all the time."

I raise my brows, suspicious. I try not to

"Okay okay." He raises his hands in surrender. "I did flirt with him, but he had his hands all over my hair. I mean, how did he know I find pulling people's hair really really hot? I'm telling you, he enjoyed it as much as I did. He just doesn't want to admit it."

I shake with laughter. "Good luck for spreading your word, then."

"I'm counting on you, mate." Then he takes a few steps forward, so that his shoes are only inches away from mine. He smells of citrus and the pages of an old library book. "You know..." he falters. He regains his breath and then looks me in the eye. "You know you can talk to me anytime you want, right?"

I bite my lip. Does he know? "I thought you hated sportspeople who sweat and cuss all the time?" I tease.

He exhales and I can feel his breath on my neck. "You're different."