Bite Me (boy x boy)

Chapter 5: Eating My Words

"Someone's got a temper," Colton chuckled as he began to eat.

"I told you Colt," Dean laughed along. "He took Axel down in three seconds flat."

"Really?" Colton seemed impressed and I could do nothing but blush as I suddenly found my water bottle very interesting in front of me.

"Not only that, but he kept Axel down." Dean boasted. Why was he bragging about me? When I looked up to ask though, I realized more than just Colton and Dean were staring after that last comment.

"What?" I was red in the face and I knew it. "He's not big like these two Adonises." I took a bite of the chicken sandwich on my tray.

"So you do have a crush!" Trisha squealed from beside Colton, causing me to choke on my half swallowed food as what I said finally set in.

"I didn't mean it like – I mean it's – I really-" I was doing a double take between the two of them, embarrassed beyond belief that I had let such a deep inward thought just come tumbling out of my mouth, but neither of them seemed to mind. If anything, they both looked...pleased?

"Where'd you learn to move like that?" Dean completely brushed my comment and Trisha's outburst aside as he ate his fries. He propped himself on one elbow as he gazed over at me with those emerald eyes sparkling in curiosity.

"I'm tiny, so-"

"Perfectly sized." Colton interrupted.

"So," I started again, trying to not read into his comment, "I've always been picked on and eventually ya have enough and start kickboxing and studying jujitsu and-" I cut off my own rambling and took a deep breath. "At some point ya just have to learn to take care of yourself."

Colton and Dean shared a look at that, but didn't say anything as silence fell over the three of us. Them having some wordless conversation, and me stuck in the middle playing with the cap of my water bottle, far too afraid of embarrassing myself further by spewing if I drank any.

"Lacrosse tryouts are next Thursday afternoon, aren't they Colt?" Dean's tone was leading, but I didn't really get what was going on anymore. I was sandwiched between two massive seniors that I had met in very strange circumstances and they had a tendency to make my emotions and mouth go haywire.

"They are." Colton simply agreed, shooting Dean a confused look before it was like a light bulb went off in his head. "It's gonna be a tough race for captain this year. Paul is really trying to take me out of my spot, gonna need all the support I can get."

"Support?"

"Yea." Dean rolled his eyes at Colton's short response.

"He means like a cheering section in the stands. It always helps when people you care about are rooting for you."

"Can't say I know the feeling." I wanted to face palm as soon as the comment left my lips. It was true, I had never really had anyone I cared about cheering for me. My mother was always too busy to come to my matches and I tended to fly solo even when on a team.

"You play sports?" Colton asked, leaning in ever so slightly.

"Sport." I emphasized the t. "I've been playing tennis since I could toddle, won two state championships back in Mississippi." Dean whistled, settling back in his chair.

"So you're smart as fuck, can fight, speak German, and you're a tennis star?" Dean asked. "Colt, we're out of our depths." He chuckled.

"Told ya he was out of our league just by looking at em." They both laughed, but continued to stare at me, the light in their eyes dancing in admiration. I was lost – what's new? "You should come, though."

"To lacrosse tryouts." Dean filled in the gap before I could even ask the question.

"Uh." Beautifully spoken Caden.

"That's a yes." Colton spoke with such a dominant tone that for a moment, I was about to agree. A moment.

"Hard maybe." I bit into my sandwich. Colton gave me a questioning look, as if my noncompliance was baffling to him. Dean just laughed and continued to eat as the three of us fell into a comfortable silence.

It was almost as if no one else were at the table, the rest of the pretty people not interrupting our conversation or trying to get the other boys' attention. I expected someone to start talking to one of them at some point, but the both ate in silence with me until I finally got up to head to class.

"I'll see y'all later." I smiled at both of them, earning Colton's soft grin and Dean's smirk in return.

"Thursday, 3:30 on the lacrosse field!" Dean called as I began to walk away.