From My Enemy To My Love (boyxboy) ✔

Chapter 14

Chet Watakeekul

8th Grade

I rounded the back of the school building where Mateo had asked me to meet him. The black and white soccer ball bounced gently along the grass as I dribbled it. I got to the assigned spot and kept dribbling the ball in circles. The grass crunched satisfyingly under my feet. The soccer ball began to form little paths in the grass.

"Hey," Mateo's voice came from behind me.

I kicked the ball up into my arms and turned to face him.

"Hi," I said.

He didn't seem like his normal self. His feet kicked aimlessly at the grass. He bit his bottom lip and his brown eyes wouldn't meet mine. He seemed too interested in his shoe kicking at the grass now causing little tufts to come out completely and exposed the dirt underneath.

"You wanna practice?" I asked him and held the ball out towards him, but he merely shook his head. That didn't sound like him either. He loved soccer almost as much as I did.

"I...," he started, but then he frowned and looked up at the clouds in the sky. "This is difficult."

"What is? You can tell me. We're friends."

He seemed to frown even more at that, but he finally looked at me. "I like you," he blurted out.

"Thanks, man. I like you too." I clapped him on the back with one hand while the other held the soccer ball even closer to my body.

"No," he rolled his eyes clearly frustrated now. "I like like you."

"Oh."

He paused as if waiting for an answer. When I didn't immediately reply he went on. "I thought about not telling you, about just keeping it secret, but then I thought I wasn't going to get anywhere if I didn't say anything. And if there is a small possibility you might feel the same, shouldn't I say something instead of keeping quiet forever? I know it might seem weird because we are both boys and it's okay if you say you don't like me back, but I hope even if you say no that we can still be friends even though now you know I'm gay. You're my first crush and I keep staring at you, but you don't notice. You might tease me or maybe even dislike me now that you know I'm gay, but I don't think you're that type of person, but then again, maybe you've never been in this situation before so maybe I don't know you as well as I think I do. Please don't hate me." He bit his bottom lip again and it got really quiet.

I was the one who normally rambled, not Mateo. It took my brain a moment to catch up with all that he said because he had spoken so fast.

"I'm your first crush?" I asked.

He nodded.

"Thanks," I said. It felt great to be someone's first crush. I wondered if I was anyone else's first crush and they just hadn't been brave enough to tell me. Maybe there were lots of people.

He smiled hesitantly.

"That was the best confession I've ever heard," I went on. His smile got a little bigger, but there was still a little bit of doubt in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, I don't feel the same way," I said. "But I'm really happy you told me and I'm really happy you trust me enough to tell me."

His smile faded as he nodded. He shrugged a shoulder. "It wasn't the answer I was hoping for," he said, "but at least you didn't call me gross."

I swung my arm around his shoulder. "Why would I call you gross? It's not gross. I really do feel sorry I don't feel the same because I really did like your confession."