From My Enemy To My Love (boyxboy) ✔

Chapter 9

Chet Watakeekul

It was too nice of a morning to be stuck in a classroom. I wished I had time to run around the track a bit more, but I didn't. I had finance class. With one last look at the blue morning sky, I entered the building. I quickly went to the classroom and sat in my usual spot.

The classroom already felt stifling. There was a certain heaviness to the air and the sound of students chatting and shuffling filled the room. A few people came up to me and congratulated me on the game, but then went back to their conversations.

I was digging my book out of my backpack when I heard a familiar, female voice say, "Hi."

"Hi," I said to Melissa as I placed my finance book on my desk. It was only then that I remembered she had said she was going to go to the soccer game. Had she gone? I hadn't noticed.

"Great game Saturday," she said.

So she had seen it.

"You were really awesome when you scored the last point. I waited, but I didn't see you afterwards."

"Oh. Sorry." My fingers played with the pages of the book. "My friend was throwing a party and in all the excitement I kind of forgot you said you were going to be there. I was even going to introduce you to some of the guys."

"It's not a big deal," she said covering her hurt well. I didn't want to hurt her, but pretending I was interested in her when I wasn't would only hurt her more in the long run.

She put her red backpack on her desk and took out her finance book. She zipped the bag back up and was about to move it to the floor when a familiar sticker caught my eye. I grabbed her wrist before she could move the backpack just so I could get a better look at the white and red sticker with the leopard on it.

"You went to North High?" I asked her.

"Yes," she said. I let go of her wrist and she put the bag on the floor next to her chair.

"I went to South," I said.

A slight pink, blush touched her cheeks. "I heard," she said.

"Then do you know Vincent and Alex?" I realized I didn't know their last names. I should at least find out Alex's as he was now officially and openly dating my best friend.

"Not personally," she said. "I know of them."

If she only knew of them, she might not know what happened with Jason in high school. I had searched all weekend on my little, old laptop for any incident at North High between a Jason and an Alex, but there was nothing. No news articles. Nothing even on social media. It still baffled me how they could keep students from gossiping about it.

She bit her bottom lip and got that conspiratory look in her eyes. She wanted to tell me, I could see it, but she was hesitant. Maybe I wouldn't even have to bring up Jason. Maybe she would just bring it up on her own.

"Alex started dating my best friend," I offered hoping that would prompt her into telling me more. "I really like him. They are cute together."

She breathed out a happy sigh of relief and smiled at me. "I'm so glad to hear that. Everyone always knew Alex was gay. Some kids made fun of him, but he never acted like he cared. And then when he started dating Jason..." The professor walked into the room, but Melissa didn't notice and kept talking, "...he seemed so happy. If only..." She immediately stopped talking. I wasn't sure if it was because she was trying to protect the secret or because she had now noticed the professor.