During And After Prom

Mustering Up the Courage

Word count: 1450

Grizz's P.O.V~

Eyes locked on my target, I walked quickly away from my speechless friends. I could feel their confused eyes on my back as I crossed the packed hall.

I barely notice the blaring music right now. I am just following my eyes. I have tunnel vision. Everything else has faded away. Those wild dancers and the drunk laughing teens falling over their chairs. I press through the tangle of gyrating bodies.

Nothing else matters right now.

Sam. That's all.

Sam.

I try for an inhalation of breath. I manage to force the air out again in a quick puff, flipping my hair up. It just flops back into my face.

My temples are throbbing. I squint past the flashing disco lights to keep my eyes trained on his back, afraid that I will lose sight of him if he decides to get up from his place at the dinner table.

I wish I had kept those sunglasses on...the strobing disco lights attacking my eyes...combine that with downing too much beer...ugh...

Sam is another kind of light I can keep my eyes on instead. I smile nervously as I dwell upon the idea of Sam as my guiding light. How 'poetic'...I shake my head. Come on dude. Don't get soft.

Throat tight with tension, I pull up a chair next to him and land in it heavily...nerves tingling in my biceps and hands, my shoulders tense...flutterings in my jaw...be cool Grizz! Man...

I clench my teeth for a moment to try and still my speeding heart. There are only a few feet between us right now. Have I ever gotten this close to the sexy red head before? He's even hotter close up. I can actually see how his deep auburn eyelashes are long enough to brush against his chisled cheekbones.

I can even count the freckles on the side of his face....I feel the heat rising in my own cheeks. I want to reach out and run my fingertip along his angular jawline. Oh man. I press my fingers together tight.

I swallow hard. Come on, I am a jock. I can handle this. I spent hours performing powerful throws in front of huge crowds of football fans every week. What's the big deal?!

I glance over at him, thinking fast, what should I say? I am finally here now, I have finally worked up the courage to break away from the huddle of jocks I clung to as my only friends these past few years.

I truly love those guys, developed meaningful bonds with them. But there's a limit to how accepted I feel with them. Secrets I haven't been able to share with them.

I need to break through my thoughts now and somehow talk to Sam. I just need a simple sentence...Stop overthinking this Grizz!

Oh he's looking at me! I dip my head at him quickly, trying for a macho eye contact type greeting. A small smile is all I can manage. I shove some stray hair behind my ear.

Wait, he's talking?...oh no...
'Sorry what did you say?' I lean close, desperate to try and catch his words.

'...Don't speak very well...how do you like prom?' Sam repeats, apologising.

'Oh no! You speak fine, it's just the music is so loud.' Help, I am flapping my hands too much. Ok enough...

Grizz proceeded to try some sign language and generally try to make Sam laugh somehow, acting the clown.

Warmth spread over Grizz at the sight of Sam's bright blue eyes fixed on his face. I love him looking at me...I don't want him to ever stop looking at me. A burst of fireworks charged up Grizz's chest and down to his belly and below...it felt intoxicating. Wow I must really like him. Understatement.

Spending the past year or so avoiding Sam did little to help Grizz cope right now. He had made Sam an untouchable, kept him in an iron safe, more than arm's length away. Was it really necessary? Couldn't I have tried to be his friend and avoid being dangerously alone with him, avoid getting too close to him?

The thrill Grizz was buzzing with now was delicious, addictive. Sam was all he could see. Sam's smooth pink lips, his thick hair, strong chin, his cool and aloof posture as he sat slouched in his seat at the table. It seems perhaps it had been wiser to treat him like a stranger all this time after all. Being in such close proximity to Sam literally felt like an adrenaline rush. The smell of his cologne... I don't think I could have hidden my true feelings for him if I had begun to befriend him before going off to college.

Grizz settled his gaze upon Sam, unaware he was doing so as his thoughts carried him far.

_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Sam's P.O.V~

Sam was surprised by this unexpected visit from the hunky jock. Trying not to blush, Sam realised it was Grizz, the dark haired dream he used to sneak peaks at during lunch time football practice. Grizz stood out from the other guys on the team. What was it about him?

Sam used to take post-eating walks with Becca down from the cafeteria to sit and see the boys practice football formations. Becca thought it was because they both loved the sun and the smell of freshly cut grass before continuing on with the rest of the days classes. It felt so good to be outdoors, away from the fluorescent lights.

Sam actually had had a different motive, but rather than admit it, he readily encouraged Becca to get out and soak up some vitamin D from the sun's rays with him. Sam couldn't tell Becca he had his eye on Grizz. He was a straight varsity star and way out of Sam's league. Even sharing a comment on how good Grizz played was forced back in, Sam didn't want Becca totally crushing his fantasy. He didn't want her to sign the words, 'Get over it'.

Sometimes if he was really lucky it would be extra hot out and Grizz would finish off practice by nonchalantly dragging off his damp t-shirt and wiping off his wet heaving chest and back with it before heading off to the showers out of breath and tired out.

Damn, it had been so hard for Sam to hold himself back on those memorable occasions, from jogging over to Grizz and follow him into the changing room, searching for some lame excuse about needing to take a piss or something equally reasonable and unsuspecting.

Those fantasy visits to the changing rooms...Sam was genuinely impressed by his own wild imagination.

Now I am stuck here in West Ham I am gonna have to step up and live my life my way. I can't wait anymore. I need to be me. Why can't I reach out to him?  Maybe I can connect, maybe those cliques and invisible barriers could fall away now, maybe I can get to know Grizz for who he is behind the jock persona. He always came across as more sensitive and cerebral than the teammates he hung out with 24/7. He could become a good friend, someone I could secretly crush on while spending time just hanging out with him. At least I would be near him, get to inhale that ocean musk he used as aftershave. Yes. Why not befriend him?

Sam continued to search Grizz's face for clues as to why he had taken the chair next to him. Soon his bright eyes locked on Grizz's chocolatey ones...with a start Sam felt shy at the direct stare, as if Grizz had read some of Sam's imaginings, those eyes burned deep into his own.

Sam swiftly turned to look back at the crowded hall. Blushing, he snuck a subtle sidelong look at Grizz again.
Grizz was busying himself with adjusting his jogging pants string ties, picking at the knots nervously now.
Sam had a strong urge to reach over and grab one of the strings. Maybe help him undo that tight belt for him...mmhmm.

After a loud swallow, Sam dragged his eyes away back to the prom madness in front of him before Grizz would notice that Sam had been spying at his sturdy frame and long legs.

Sighing, Sam resigned himself to his inner voices and turned back to Grizz, mustering up the courage to ask if Grizz wanted to go out for some air.

'Y-yeah, sure! It's so loud in here, my head is killing me right now!' Grizz jumped up fast before he could chicken out.