Black And White

Fifty Six

Alex just shrugged. "It's up to you. I don't really care." He stood up again, glancing at Mitch. "I'm gonna pee real quick, and then we should get back to school."

After he left, Riley looked at Mitch too. "I wasn't gonna tell. Promise."

Avi was the one to respond. "Yeah, you'd be smart not to."

Scott snapped at him. "Avi, come on."

Avi waved a hand at him. "Shut the Hell up. You just heard him say the sport was his passion. He was just talking about how much he loved it. What if this brat really did tell? Got him off the team or something?"

Riley held his hands up. "Hey, wait. I'm not gonna say anything."

"Yeah, you'd best not. Because if I hear that you did, I'll kick your ass so bad you won't play another sport until the day you fucking die."

*

Getting out of the car, now that they were at the school, Scott hurried around the car to hold Mitch's hand as they walked through the parking lot.

Avi watched them walk off, and grabbed Alex's arm. "Hey, wait a sec. Can I talk to you about something?"

"Not if it's about what I think it's about."

"Please, Alex. I'm tired of us being in such a weird place."

Alex pulled his arm out of Avi's grasp. "I don't wanna talk about it. You didn't wanna kiss me. That's all there is to it."

"It's not..." Avi looked down. If he ever wanted to be Alex's friend, he'd have to swallow his pride. "It's not that, Alex... I did." He took a deep breath. "I did want to kiss you."

"Don't lie to me. You pushed me away, and.. And kicked me out..."

"No. I was just embarrassed, because Scott walked in, and... Mitch looked at me funny."

"No he didn't. I'll believe that you're embarrassed though. I'm sorry about that... Being embarrassing."

Avi rolled his eyes. "How do you do that? How do you keep warping everything I say to be your fault?"

"Because it is. You should've just told me you didn't wanna kiss me. I.. I misread you, I guess... Thought you liked me." He laughed awkwardly, looking away from Avi.

Avi grabbed Alex's chin, forcing his eye contact for a few contemplative seconds, before he kissed him again.

Alex was the one to push him back though. "No. No. I'm not falling for that again."

Avi stared at him, so Alex pushed him back a little more.

Alex kept his hands out to protect himself. "You're kidding, right? You don't actually think--"

"I thought you wanted to kiss me."

"I did before, but not now."

Avi looked perplexed. "Why not?"

Alex scoffed at him. "Are you kidding me? I put my heart out there, and you just.. Took it, and fucking crushed it, and.. And I'd be crazy to let you take it again."

"You're being a little over dramatic, don't you think? It's not like we were dating or something."

Alex's face immediately changed to one of offense. "Over dramatic? Okay. Okay, let me rephrase for you, asshole. You told me to kiss you, and I fucking did, and then you decided that I was disgusting, and you pushed me away in front of two of my best fucking friends, before kicking me out of your house like a dick. Does that sound better? Is that more accurate?"

"Alex, woah, hang on. That's not--"

Alex pushed him away again, and began to walk off. "I'm glad we could have this conversation."

"Alex, calm down." Avi hurried after him, when Alex ignored him. "Alex!"

Alex spun around quickly. "Get the fuck away from me."

Avi caught up to him. "I thought you wanted a kiss! So I was gonna give it to you, but apparently all you wanted was to chew me out and call me names and--"

"You're so fucking shallow! You think this whole argument is because you wouldn't kiss me?! You think you're doing me a favor?!"

Avi glanced around the parking lot. "Alex, please calm down. People are staring."

"Oh fuck, am I embarrassing you again? Must be hard for you."

"Will you stop that? You're being so dramatic."

Alex opened his mouth to shout again, but stopped, shaking his head slowly and turning back around. "Just... Fuck you, Avi."

Avi stood and watched him go. "What the Hell? Alex, get back here!"

Alex only kept walking, head down.

Scott had been holding Mitch back the whole time, because all Mitch wanted to do was run over and help.

But when Alex started to walk away, rushing through the parking lot, Mitch tried even harder to push away from Scott.

Scott kept a good grip on his arm. "Mitch, wait. He's pissed, you can't talk to him."

"Why not? Please, Scott, he needs someone."

Scott shook his head quickly. "No, babe. I'm serious. He's gonna want to be alone."

"Just let me ask."

"No, Mitch."

Mitch frowned at him; Scott was right though. Alex probably just wants to be alone.

Avi shouted at Alex one more time. "Just-- Alex, please, I'm trying to fix this!"

Alex flipped around again. "Stop yelling at me. I'm not gonna waste my time on you."

"Waste--? You think this is a waste?" Avi shook his head slowly, but Alex turned to rush off again, this time actually jogging.

Mitch decided he couldn't take it, and he broke out of Scott's hold to run out into the parking lot.

Scott was right behind him, as far as he knew. Scott suddenly gasped loudly, reaching out to grab him. "Mitch, wait--!"

But Mitch didn't hear him, only hearing the loud car horn, and then Alex shouting at him. He caught a quick flash of the black and white car, and then the white was gone and all he could see was black.

Scott almost had him too, almost able to grab his arm-- But he missed.
And Mitch slipped away from him.

*