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chapter three

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Chapter Three

The ringing of the school bell signaling for lunch didn't bring joy to me. I usually enjoyed lunch, jokingly claiming it was my favorite subject of the day like others, but at the moment all I wanted to do was hang out near the football and track field, knowing that Kendall and Haiden always sat as close to the middle of the cafeteria as possible so they could feel like they were the center of attention.

I gathered my things together, barely leaving the classroom only for an arm to wrap around mine. Familiarity flooded through me as I noted that it was Chloe-Rae that had wrapped her arm around mine. She was blowing her trademark bubblegum.

This time instead of it being bubblegum pink it was grape soda, which made a more gothic aesthetic to her than the pink, and it was her favorite flavor of bubblegum. She just had the pink as a cliché hue, which it was.

"I think that we should just ditch them, hang out by our tree, whatcha think?" Chloe-Rae craned her head to the side, her pieces of pretty hair shimmered in from the well maintained window that was next to us.

It made her features brighten up, and if it weren't for the fact that she wasn't showing true emotions at the moment, I was certain that others would believe that she was beautiful in this moment.

Well, I thought that she was beautiful, but what was the point of me saying that a girl was beautiful in this school when they thought that you were sinking into what society wanted you to be? What if they thought that I was being insincere because of the fact that I wasn't straight? Or that just because I was gay that meant that I had to automatically say that a girl looked beautiful?

"Sure."

I shrugged my shoulders, there wasn't anything wrong with the thought of hanging out with one of my closest (if not the closest) friends that I had bestowed with. Chloe-Rae nodded her head, satisfaction was brimming in her eyes, and I couldn't help but smile warmer at her.

She looked at me point blank with no emotion whatsoever in her face (I couldn't tell now what she was going to say), "what's with the look? Don't tell me that I'm the exception to your sexuality and you have harbored a secret love for me. I would say I am sad to deny you my love, but then I would be lying."

Shaking my head, I allowed her to know that it wouldn't happen. I had yet to have a girl that I looked at which made my heart race and palms sweaty like the three boys that I had crushes on. I never fell in love, and I think it was because of the fact that I thought that love was a dangerous thing.

Together we walked in the direction of the side doors that led out to the school campus. Mom usually packed my lunch, which at first annoyed me immensely when I had started middle school but now knew that it was convenient due to the fact that I wouldn't have to worry about making something the night before or in the morning.

It also helped that I didn't have to eat the processed food that the school board thought was acceptable for adolescent consumption. Chloe-Rae often ate food that I had left over, I had a feeling that Mom knew that I shared my food with at least one of my other friends so she always packed extra.

The warm breeze washed over us, but it wasn't enough that I shifted uncomfortably in my sweater. I saw no need to wear a jacket either, so I was wearing just enough of a thick layer to not sweat immensely.

As soon as the doors opened and we headed in the direction of where the beautiful tree that had been here since the founding of the town, I could sense eyes on me. I looked over my shoulder, finding that Kendall and Haiden were contemplating the thought of coming outside and confronting me.