The Sweetest Thing
Chapter Three
It was the longest twenty minutes of my life. I felt awkward and hated myself for hurting him. When the bell finally rang Randy grabbed his back pack and stormed out of the class room. I could hear people whispering as the rest of the kids in the class started making their way out. I didn't look up, not wanting to see their questioning expressions. I waited until the class was empty before I got up. I knew I wouldn't be able to escape the questions and gossip but I wanted to put it off for as long as I could. Kyle waited with me and then we walked to our next class. It was at the other side of the school but luckily the halls were mostly empty since we waited so long to leave homeroom.
The thing that I didn't think about was that our next class would already be filled with kids when we got there. Kyle pushed open the door and as soon as I stepped inside everybody started to whisper. I knew it was going to happen but it still shocked me a bit. Did they have to be so blatantly obvious about it?
"Don't worry about them, they'll soon find somebody else to talk about," Kyle whispered as he led me to my desk. He sat down beside me and took out his books. Randy was sitting behind me and I couldn't stop myself from turning to face him.
"Hi," I said, praying that he would reply but he didn't. He just stared at me as he tapped his pencil on his desk. I turned back in my seat and looked down at my hands. That's how I stayed for the rest of the period. As the day passed the news travelled and by the time the bell rang announcing break, the whole school knew. I could tell by the way everybody was looking at me.
Usually Kyle and I sat with Randy, Craig, Olivia and a bunch of our other friends but today was different. I didn't feel like walking into the cafeteria and being stared at all through brake and I wasn't sure if I'd be welcome anyway. I told Kyle that he could go sit with them but he looked at me like I was crazy and then led me out onto the sports field. I knew Kyle wouldn't abandon me to be with them but I had to give him the option.
"Do you really think I would choose them over you?" Kyle asked as we sat down in the shade of a tree at the edge of the field.
"No, but I had to make sure. I've known you to do some strange things in the past," I answered, smiling at him.
"My middle name is strange Sweet Thing, but you'll always be my first choice," he said, returning my smile and then patting his legs. I was sitting next to him but quickly changed my position so that I was lying down with my head on his lap.
"There's a rumor going around about why you dumped Randy," Kyle said as he played with my hair.
"I figured so but I've been trying not to listen. What is it?" I asked, staring up at him. He waited a few seconds before answering.
"They're saying that you dumped him for me," Kyle replied. His words shocked me but I guess they shouldn't have. People like jumping to conclusions but that's the stupidest thing I have ever heard. Everybody knows that Kyle is gay. He doesn't act that way but he made it very clear two years ago.
A lot of rumors were going around about him and even though he had confirmed them over and over again people still didn't seem to believe them. I have to admit that even I was a bit shocked by what he did back then. He had a crush on this one guy that was a year older than us. He wasn't a jock but he was popular and always in the centre of a crowd. We had gotten to school that morning and the kids were still gossiping and staring at us. I guess he just had enough. He told me wait for him and then he walked straight up to the guy. He pushed through the crowd that surrounded him, came to a stop right in front of the guy and kissed him. I was stunned but couldn't stop myself from laughing.
The guy pushed him away and wanted to punch him but luckily Randy and Craig was nearby and stopped him before he could. People didn't stop talking about it for two weeks straight but nobody has ever doubted his sexuality again, that is until now.
"Are you for real?" I asked, sitting up and looking at him in disbelief.
"Yeah, that's what they're all saying. They are claiming that I just lied about being gay so that we could hang out together without people thinking that you were cheating on Randy," he answered. I shook my head and then grinned at him.
"I guess you're just going to have to kiss another random hot guy to prove that it's all a lie," I stated, making him laugh.
"I don't know, I kind of like the idea of getting together with you. You know I've never kissed a girl before," he replied,wiggling his eyebrows at me. I punched him playfully on his shoulder and laid back down on his lap.
"You could have if you gave Jenny a chance," I laughed, remembering how she threw herself at him. I couldn't blame her for trying though, Kyle is as hot as it gets. Jenny is really pretty and apparently very easy too. We were at a party a few months ago and even though she knew he is gay she sat down on Kyle's lap and tried to kiss him. It wasn't funny at the moment but thinking back about it now, I couldn't get myself to stop laughing.
"There is only one person I want to kiss," Kyle stated, staring straight ahead into the distance. I could tell that he wasn't joking anymore from the look on his face.
"Who's that?" I asked curiously. Kyle hasn't mentioned that he liked anybody in the last couple of months since he broke up with his last boyfriend. The guy was attending another school and they only dated for a few weeks so it was nothing serious.
"It doesn't matter, they're in love with somebody else," he answered, still not looking at me. Kyle has always told me everything and it made me feel a bit irritated that he didn't tell me that he had a crush on somebody.
"Are you seriously not going to tell me who this mystery person is?" I asked, feeling a bit dissapointed that he would keep such a thing from me.
"When the time is right, I'll tell you," he answered.
"That is so not fair, I told you about Craig," I stated stubbornly.
"You know I would have figured it out by myself. The way you look at him is a dead giveaway," Kyle said as the bell rang. We got up and started walking back to the school.
"I am so angry at you right now," I stated, trying to act like I was really pissed at him.
"No you're not," he replied, grabbing a hold of my hand.
I had history the next period. This was the only class that I didn't have with Kyle, Randy and Olivia. He walked me to my classroom door and then headed in the opposite direction. I walked inside and took my usual seat next to the window. I liked sitting next to the window, it made me feel a bit more free then being cramped up in the middle of the class. I was still trying to figure out who Kyle's mystery crush could be when I heard a familiar voice next to me.
"Hi Luce," he said, taking his seat in front of me. I looked up and into those beautiful eyes I've been dreaming of.
"Hey Craig," I replied, trying to act normal. I couldn't let him see the way he affected me.
"So what is really going on with you and Randy? He won't talk about it and I know the rumors going around aren't true," he asked.
"It's a long story," I answered, feeling awkward. I wanted to tell him that I dumped Randy so that I could be with him but that wouldn't be appropriate. I felt guilty just talking to him. Olivia wouldn't want to be my friend anymore if she knew what was going through my head every time I saw her boyfriend.
"I've got all period, Mr. Clarkson went home with some sort of a tummy bug," he replied,smiling at me and making my insides flutter like crazy.
I couldn't tell him, could I? No, it might ruin everything but this might also be my chance. I thought to myself. I had no idea what to do. Craig and I have always gotten along well, he was easy to talk to and fun to hang out with. I wasn't sure if I could risk our friendship. What if I told him how I felt and he didn't want anything to do with me ever again?
"I love Randy but just not in that way," I said, trying to find a way to explain it to him without giving myself away.
"That doesn't make sense, you've dated him for two years, why the change of heart now all of a sudden?" Craig asked curiously.
"I just didn't want to lead him on, if I stayed with him longer it would have hurt him more when I left him," I replied honestly. He thought about my answer for a second and then continued questioning me.
"Are you sure there isn't somebody else?" he asked, still smiling.
"Oh, ok. I get it now. Randy asked you to talk to me, didn't he?" I asked as understanding and disappointed washed over me.
"He's a mess Luce. He doesn't understand why you left him," Craig replied.
"I told him why and now I've told you why too. I didn't want to hurt him. I love him and care about him but I can't offer him anything more than friendship. I wish I could, but I just don't feel that way." I said before getting up from my desk, grabbing my back pack and storming out of the class room.
I never skipped school or any of my classes but since the teacher wasn't there I figured that it didn't count. I just had to get away. The guilt and the false hope was killing me. The hope I felt when Craig started talking to me. I thought that maybe he wanted to know what happened between Randy and me because he felt the same way about me that I did about him, but I just got my hopes up for nothing. He was just trying to get information out of me for Randy's sake.
I ran down the hallway and got about half way to the school's entrance when I heard footsteps behind me. I kept on running but whoever it was, was catching up fast. I had almost made it to the exit when I felt a hand grabbing me and pulling me to a stop. I was about to turn around and scream at whoever it was when I heard his voice.
"I didn't mean to upset you, I just wanted to understand too," Craig said from behind me. What exactly was that supposed to mean? I wondered as I took a deep breath and turned around to face him. He was looking at me in the way I always wanted him too. In the way he always looked at Olivia.
"Why did you dump him?" he asked, his voice soft and caring. My insides turned to mud and I just couldn't lie to him.
"Because I'm in love with you," I answered. A look of pleasant surprise washed over his face and then he did the one thing I wanted more than anything in the world. He leaned forward and kissed me.