cheap bodies

65

troye feels pretty.

he feels pretty with the number '78' he wrote with glitter on his cheek. that is carson's football number, and he feels good wearing it.

he's mine! he thinks happily as he gathers up his phone and slides it into the small pocket on the back of his jean miniskirt. troye, being that he was friends with the cheerleaders, they'd all coordinated their outfits so they'd all be matching.

he smiles to himself as he walks out of his house, waiting for arden to come and drive him to carson's football game. troye had been waiting all week for this, and he was so excited (even though he didn't understand the slightest bit about football.) there isn't a worry in his mind; he knew things would go well, they had to. plus, this would be the first time that he and carson's relationship would be seen publicly, besides just in front of their friends. 

when arden finally came to get him, she could tell how happy he is—he's a bundle of chattiness, words spilling easily out of his mouth as he rambles on about nothing in particular. he must be excited, arden figures, and that's what troye had assumes, also. he never stops to think maybe, just maybe, since his last run-in with carson — that he is a bit nervous to see him again. 

fifteen short minutes later, they were there, and troye freezes before getting out of the car.

maybe, he realizes, he was a bit nervous to see the older boy again, but he shook it off before trotting after arden, onto the average-sized football field. troye looks around the stadium, his eyes glancing around for carson, but the elder apparently hasn't even come out of the school yet. arden gives him a quick, gentle peck on the cheek before she rushes back to her car. football never interested her, anyway. 

troye feels as if he's being stared at, and he tilts his head to the left, upwards slightly and towards the bleachers, to see none other than lanie, clutching onto a smirking casey's arm. troye blanches, his eyes widening. casey gives him a small wave that was anything but friendly, and troye takes a few steps back, even though they're at the last seat, a good distance away from him. and then something clicks in his mind. lanie had been cheating on jacob —had she been cheating on him with casey? 

the thought makes troye sick to his stomach, his mood already starting to sink as he shakily climbs up the bleachers, seating himself to the far left, so there was at least ten people between him and the couple. 

the turnout is bigger than troye had expected for a small-town football game. parents must've invited their relatives, and their friend's relatives, just to watch their children play in the football game. 

troye turns his head away when he realizes the worst thing he could possibly imagine is happening —casey, holding tightly onto lanie's hand, is walking towards him. 

"troye! it's been so long," casey says cheerily, the sleazy smile not leaving his face as he parks himself (and lanie) a little too close to the young boy. troye clears his throat, nods, crosses his legs, uncrosses his legs, and grins nervously. "yeah, it's been, what, a year and a half?" troye mutters, his tone meant to sound sharp and sarcastic, but it comes out as a feeble whisper. casey laughs loudly, clapping troye on the back. "it has! we should meet up again sometime. catch up." 

lanie is looking between the two, but she doesn't look jealous, like she had whenever jacob and he would converse. almost as if she knew what happened between them.

casey's eyes rake over troye's legs for a second (he immediately regrets wearing that damn skirt), and troye tries to swallow past the forming lump in his throat. he tries to repress the memory of one year ago, casey giving troye that same look before stripping him of his clothes, his dignity, his will to live.