Meaningless Numbers (boyxboy) part 1

Chapter 7

At last, the three days worth of tests are over. They were nothing hard at all like they were supposed to, It was all easy stuff I've known since math became my number one focus in life. So much for the challenge I was looking forward to.

What has pissed me of the worst the last several days is the fact that Jace keeps disappearing just a little bit before each test. He doesn't even bother telling me a thing on where he's running off to. You know, Nash keeps saying that hes meeting someone. "Don't worry about it," he says. but for some reason its starting to get on my last nerve. He hasn't been showing up around lunch, and has been coming to the room past dinner time. I mean, him being an asshole is a completely normal thing, but the way he keeps going back and fourth from nice-guy to an ass is incredibly irritating.

So here I am in the dorm room waiting for him to show his damn face so I can ask him where the hell he's been.

There was a light knock on the door. Good, speaking of the devil. I stood up and rushed to it, swinging it open and not the least bit trying to to hide my frustration. "Jace, were have you-" I froze when I seen who stood in front of me. "Julian?"

"Hey Kai," he said with a smile. I stepped back to let him in. Damn, it wasn't him after all. "Expecting someone else?" He asked.

"Uh, sort of." I took a better look of Julian as he walked by me. I didn't really mean to, but it just happened. He was in tight black skinny jeans, and a tight black tank top that showed off his muscles and flat stomach. Looking at him, I almost wished he were a girl. With the body he had now, his body as a girl would look extremely attractive...

Quickly, I shook the thought out of my head.

He sat a white McDonald's bag on one of the desks. "Sorry to disappoint you," he told me. "But hey, I bought us both some lunch. Figured that you'd be hungry."

"Not really," I managed to say. A loud drawn out growl escaped my stomach.

"Maybe you should eat something just in case," he said. "Might help you grow." He reached into the bag and took out two hamburgers, tossing one to me.

I glared at him. "I'm not short if that's what your trying to say."

He raised is eyebrow at me. "If your not short, then that would have to mean that everyone else is above average." He sat down in a chair across from me and began unwrapping it, taking a big bite. Man, Looks like he's more than a jerk than he had let on during our first two encounters.

"Uhm, thanks." I said, holding up the fast food. "You didn't have to."

Julian swallowed. "Nah, its ok. I was talking with that Nash guy and he asked me to stop by. Said that he was afraid you would starve yourself with how little you eat." Julian took another bite. "Fast food will do you some good."

I took the burger out of its wrapper. "I have Jace. He's been buying all the meals. Every day without fail." I lied.

I sunk my teeth into the food and savored the patty's juices that escaped into my mouth. It tasted Heavenly, much better than the salads I kept eating the past two days. I couldn't afford anything else.

"Then where is he now," Julian asked.

"Out." I replied.

Julian swallowed his last bite and leaned onto the desk, his cheek resting against his hand.

"And leaving you to starve?" His voice sounded a bit strange.

I looked over to him, finding myself staring into his eyes. Why was he poking his nose in my business?

Before I was able to ask, Jace just so happened to walk into the room.

"Who the hell are you," he spat at Julian.

Perfect timing.

The black haired boy stretched and let out a large yawn, acting a little bit too relaxed for any normal person that had just been the subject of Jace's scary ass tone of voice.

"I'm his boyfriend," Julian replied.

Naturally, my jaw dropped. "That's not funny!" I exclaimed. Although, I couldn't help but laugh at it.

I peered over to Jace, expecting to find him laughing too, but I quickly regretted it. Instead, his jaw was clenched and his face was flushed in anger. Exactly like that time at my locker when he hit me the day I was supposed to move away. This was the same expression as before, except not directed at me this time. Even now, I don't understand what had caused him to do that, or what made him say those things to me afterwords. All I knew was he was one hell of a pissed off guy then, and now.

"Jace-" I started. At the sound of my voice, he looked down to the ground. His hands turned into fists at his sides.

"Well, I have to get going," Julian announced casually. He stood and put his hands in his jean pockets. "

"See you later, Kai." With that, he walked past Jace and left as if nothing was wrong.

What was so bad about Julian's little joke? It was funny, he was only teasing. Jace didn't have to take it so freaking seriously. Ha, Maybe the poor guy is homophobic or something like that. I personally don't care about that stuff, but I guess that Jace does seem to be a homophobic-type of guy.

"Hey Kai," I heard. It was the softest I had ever heard Jace speak towards me. His back was towards me and slouched over, which was incredibly unusual for him. "That wasn't true in any way, was it?"

I shook my head, walking towards him. Then, I did something that the old Jace would have killed me for doing. I rested my arm over his shoulder. "Lighten up man," I said. "It was just a joke. No need to get homophobic about i-" before I knew it I was pinned down on the floor, Jace hovering over me.

"Its not that!" He yelled. His lips came down hard on mine. For a moment, everything stopped. I remembered the other morning, when he said something about changing his approach. Could it be... He was talking about me?

I gave him a shove, then quickly escaped from under him. "Have you gone crazy," I whispered. "All this time, I thought you hated me. But it turns out to be this? Making me live through hell was just a  kindergartners ways of showing love? Your such a kid," I stated, looking strait ahead at him, who was now lsitting up against the wall.

"Sorry," I heard him mumble. "I'm so, so, sorry. I- I just don't know how to show my feelings. Its... complicated."

I scooted across the floor and leaned right up next to him. "Your such a strange guy."

"I suppose," he replied.

I was stricken with surprise when he rested his head on my shoulder, and wrapped his arms around my abdomen. "Could we just stay like this for a while?" He asked.

I nodded my head. "Of course."

It was the most weirdest moment in my life, but I knew I couldn't refuse his request when he was in such a state. All the anger directed at him that had been built upon since fourth grade and bottled up inside faded away. inside, I felt... warm.

I don't know exactly when, but at some point we had both fallen asleep. We were laying on the floor facing each other, his arms still around me. In his sleep, Jace didn't seem near as ferocious as when he was awake. It was definitely a different side of him that I had never dreamed of seeing.

Feeling a shiver run through me, I slipped out of his embrace and took the pillow and blanket off his bed. I had all intentions of laying back on the floor with him, but then I noticed something under where his pillow was. Curious, I picked it up.

I drew in a sharp breath. It was a testing ID with "Jace" printed boldly across it. I dropped both the pillow and blanket that I held.

He... Was in the competition? Julian's words came into my mind.

That means we're rivals, right?