The Ebb & The Flow (Boy x Boy)

Chapter 3: Head in the clouds

"Oh. Okay." I replied, hoping I didn't melt into a stuttering mess.

       I realized I'd dug my own grave by offering him help. We'd be pretty close if he rode on the back of my bike. Think River think! I didn't want to be awkward as he stared at me expectantly.

"So what classes did you have tomorrow?" I stuttered, as we started walking; me in the lead.

        I could vaguely hear the scribbling of pencil on notebook paper. And there was a tap at my shoulder as I turned and saw him turn the page at me. A few classes we'd actually share tomorrow. One I was behind on because of constant harassment at the hands of bullies. But I wondered why he'd had to take human development.

"Why do you have to take human dev? I have it first period too." I replied, calming down with our exchanges.

"Was exempt freshman year so long as I took it senior year." He replied through his silent form of communication.

"Oh." I replied simply as we both went to open the door. It was awkward and had my body heating up with embarrassment.

         He however stepped back and gestured for me to open the door. He exited as I rather shamelessly took him in. He was really pretty. And needless to say he got my hormones coursing through me rapidly. I let the door close, having it knock me forward a bit as I was still standing in the doorway shocked. He stepped out into the sunset, the sun giving his brown skin a radiant and golden glow. I saw a cocked brow as I finally collected myself. Really smooth River. I made my way down the steps to the bike rails. I produced a key from my wallet, unlocking my bike from its restraint. I packed away my lock and climbed on. He paused before me, pulling out his notebook.

"As cool as it looks to ride. I'll just walk beside you." He replied with another note, a sheepish smile on his lips.

"I can carry your bags at least." I offered hastily.

      He seemed amused and at the same time had me hoping he didn't think I was weird. I didn't even know if he was gay. That reality set in for me. A lot of the boys i'd liked over the years weren't like me. I was snapped out of my thoughts when I felt something rest against my chest. He handed me off his bag with a teasing smirk. It was a look that screamed 'if you insist'. Securing his bag to me we set off down the sidewalk. I somehow connected my phone to my bluetooth speaker to play some music to take my mind somewhere else. He was headed to the only grocery store in town I was sure. The song that chose to popup on my playlist had me fumbling to silence it. Wyatt paused, a quizzical look on his face. He pulled out his notepad while I swiped through my vast musical library. Though there was a soft tap on my shoulder.

"I love retro stuff like that. Play more." The note read, stoking a flame of interest.

      Most people thought my fixation on nostalgic items and things from the past were lame. And to encounter someone who also shared an interest in those things had me excited and questioning if he really had my best interest at heart. I heard the sound of a throat being cleared that caught my wandering mind. I swiped back though my playlists, finding the one that had been playing. And with that we resumed walking. Maybe it was the vibe this town had that gave me so much love for all things retro. We'd had one of those picturesque chrome and neon diners. A cliff that overlooked the ocean where my peers would sometimes hang out. I truly loved this place; just not the school.

       My mind was wandering along with the song. Thinking of what starting something with Wyatt would be like. Every now and again i'd steal some glances at him as he played some puzzle game on his phone as he walked. I couldn't help but ignore how intimate something like this was to me. A light breeze off the coast. Cruising beside someone I thought was attractive on my bike. Summer winding down and school starting back up again. It felt like a movie. He wasn't paying me as much attention as I was giving him. But I guessed that was a good thing. I'd have to tell my dad about this the moment I made it home. He finally looked up when we made it to the store. I busied myself with locking my bike up. I'd had it stolen before by those awful jocks and they took it apart. The last thing I needed was to buy another bike.