Some of this chapter is written by _OnceUponTheEnd , our newest recruit. We're hoping to have regular updates for you now!
[Jamie Peters]
It was a boring Friday afternoon and I was absolutely exhausted. This week had been a very long week. I've been driving myself crazy and wondering why all of a sudden the king of tennis wants to talk to someone like me.
He actually approached me before he went for his practice again, and he wanted to hold the conversation for longer if it weren't for Coach Marks, or should I say Cock Marks.. Hahaha.
I only say that because the guy was a major asshat, and though he was very good at leading the tennis team, he didn't like me. He didn't like how I just hang around the tennis court almost every practice. What's it to him? I'm only sketching, and these bleachers are for everyone!
However, the last thing I wanted to do was get reported to the principal, so as he told me off today, I quietly exited the tennis courts without hesitation and made my way to my locker so I could put my sketch pad inside.
Lexi approached me and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. "'Sup Jamie. What are you doing hanging here after school hours?"
Lexi didn't know I liked to hang behind school just to watch Xavier, I don't think anyone did. Only the people in Xavier's practice knew, but they don't care, so the word doesn't travel around.
Sometimes the cheerleaders would practice near the courts too because there was a big field and the gymnasium would be taken up by another after school programme like basketball, so they'd have no other choice but to practice outside. The cheerleaders weren't bad though, I wasn't disliked by them or anything, but it wasn't as if we were best friends either.
It was cool to watch them do awesome things like create a human pyramid and do a bunch of front flips, so I did sit closer to their practice sometimes so I could sketch them and genuinely amuse myself.
They were a lot more kinder than the jocks, so they'd approach me during the break and talk to me. They'd ask for my opinion on their routine and I'd naively just say that it looked incredible.
"Oh nothing, I just forgot my.. Sketchbook." I said, taking my sketchbook back out and stuffing it into my bag.
"Alright." She said, smiling. "I have swimming, so I need to go. See you tomorrow!"
"See ya." I said back and put my sketchbook back inside the locker once she was gone.
I shut the door and fixed the strap of my messenger bag before making my way towards the school gates. I caught sight of English lit teacher leaning against his car in the car park and smoking a cigarette. I didn't understand how people can smoke that death stick.
I waved to him and he waved back before standing upright and approaching me.
"How do you feel about an after school activity?" He asked. I cocked my brow and was perplexed at his words.
"Like what?"
"Your grades are amazing, Jamie, but I have high hopes for you to get into a brilliant college, so I'm suggesting for you to take part in sports. Something easy, like swimming, perhaps? Colleges like to see these things."
"I'm not that into sports." I shrugged, "I used to play soccer a lot, but I've lost interest now."
"Maybe starting it here will make you enjoy it again?" He said.
"Oh no, sir. I'm not comfortable with getting too close to the popular dudes who are on the team. I don't want to get in their way."
"Come on, you know our school's soccer team sucks." He commented with a light snicker. I had to agree with him there, our team was all brawn and no talent, or brains for that matter, but if I join, it's not like it's going to be any better.
"I don't know..." I sighed. "I'll think about it."
Join the school's soccer team? Is he kidding?
I walked over to the bikes and took my key from my bag before unlocking the chain. I was probably the one person to use a bike chain, but it looks like I was the only one using my brain because bikes from here got stolen every single day.
I shoved the chain into my bag and hopped on my bike before pedalling out the car park and down the road. A couple months from now, and I'll be able to get a car, I couldn't wait.
Part of me wanted to live wild and get a motorbike instead. I mean, how awesome would that be? Then again, what would everybody think? I'll probably be a laughing stock.
I got home and went over to the side of the house to chain my bike up before heading over to the front door, only to see it open before I could even turn the key in the keyhole.
I ended up being dragged in with my arms flailing about and I stood upright here facing towards the flaming ball of evilness.
Both mom and dad were out for today, so it could only be one person.
"Jamie!" She exclaims, fake smile on her face. I roll my eyes and continue up the stairs of our house, past all the family portraits that line the walls, and into my room. She trails up the stairs after me, only for me to slam my room door in her face.
She rolls her eyes and glares at me as she walks into my room, face caked in makeup, hair flowing carelessly down her back.
"What do you want?" I groan out, flopping face first on my bed and soon afterwards, I feel it dip as she takes a seat next to me.
"Well, mom and dad are leaving for a trip this weekend and -"
"No." I cut her off.
"But you've never been to one of my parties and what kind of a sister would I be if I let you miss all of my parties?" She exasperates, adding emphasis to the word 'my' while throwing her hands in the air dramatically.
"I said no." I say walking into my en suite bathroom. A party sounds fun and all, but I have enough trouble with jocks at school, I don't need them to trouble me at home as well. Besides, it's probably just her way of not having to worry about cleaning up afterwards.
"Sarah!" I yell as she storms in after me, me turning so she doesn't see my private area.
"Listen here Jamie" she spits, her voice like venom, "mom and dad are leaving for business on Saturday, and you aren't going. We are going to have a party and you are going to have fun for once. Kay?"
Fun? Since when do people associate me with fun?
"If I say yes will you please leave?" I ask, looking over my shoulder at her. She smiles innocently, as if she didn't purposely burst into the bathroom while her brother was occupying it, and all for the sake of a party.
Sighing, I agree to stay home when our parents leave. I don't even know why she cares. She's never wanted me at any of her other parties, so why does she want me at this one? It was a real mystery. Last time she did something like this, she embarrassed me in front of a guy I've had a crush on since sixth grade, let's just hope we don't have a repeat.
I finished my business, this time without any interruptions, and went back inside my room. As I fall back onto my bed, I can only think of one thing; I agreed to attend my sister's party. Ok, well, two things because I still can't get over the King of Tennis wanting to talk to someone like me. It's mind boggling.
-- -- -- Saturday Morning -- -- --
I wake up soaking wet, my sister standing at the foot of my bed with her evil grin plastered across her face.
"Wake up!" She shouts, her irritating voice just centimetres from my ear, "time to go shopping!" All I could do was groan and make my way to my bathroom to dry off.
After a day of shopping for party snack and drinks, Sarah and I spend the rest of our day at the mall. It doesn't take her long to find something for her to wear, as she's probably been planning this for the longest now, but me, on the other hand. Well, I'm a different story. I like to dress comfortably--loose, but not too lose, jeans, a nice t-shirt with a light jacket (because it's always jacket season here in Colorado), or a casual button down with a jacket, but unbuttoned.
She, however, wants me to dress like the stereotypical gay guy--skinny jeans and tight shirts that outline my body in all the right places. I really didn't appreciate the entire stereotypical thing, but she's very stubborn so I had to just go with the flow.
"How about this one?" She asks, holding up a shirt the exact opposite of what I said I liked. It was white with a floral pattern on it, the buttons were on the wrong side too, I think it was a woman's shirt that somehow ended up I'm the men's sector.
"No." I sigh. "Why do I need new clothes?? What's wrong with how I look now?" I say, referencing to my current outfit.
"It's ugly and outdated. You need something new" she picks up a pair of black skinny jeans and hangs it over her arms. It's not bad, so I let her keep it.
After shopping for hours, my arms are filled with multiple outfits of different colors: purple shirts here, gray shirts there, black jeans, blue jeans, light blue jeans, red shirts, white shirts, blue. She bought me a enough colors to fill a starving rainbow.
"And who are all of these outfits for?" The, admittedly, cute cashier ask, flashing his pearly white teeth, no doubt flirting with my sister. She acted so cool about it, I reckon it was because her and Tiffany, her best friend and the headmaster's daughter, liked to do this on a weekly basis.
She sighs, and looks at me, smirking. "They're for my very tasteless little brother." She says, still glaring at me for not letting her choose anything too flamboyant.
"Really?" The cashier ask, directing his gaze over to me, "they don't look like him."
"Don't worry," she says, "he's a real rainbow underneath."
The cashier laughs a deep, masculine laugh, and Sarah invites him to her party before we leave. I just sigh and walk out. She just invited a stranger to our party? Why would she do that? Oh wait, don't answer that, it's just Sarah being Sarah.
We get back home and set up for the party, Sarah insisted on making a punch that's basically all alcohol and no juice and I just put some chips and party snacks into a few bowls.
The party didn't take long to begin, the loud music blaring as people grind against one another, others downing drink after drink, the jocks playing some drinking game, my sister in her room with some guy, but not after trying to introduce me to some guy that only wanted sex. I just waited for her to leave so I could sneak into my room and sketch.
She forced me to wear one of the outfits she bought; a pair of light blue skinny jeans, a black shirt with a tad bit of grey, and black converses because I refused to not wear my converses. I suppose I didn't look absolutely terrible, and even though I hate my shoes, I quite liked the jeans I wore because they were so skinny at the bottom that I was a lot less likely to trip over.
The shirt was kind of questionable, even though there wasn't even a design on it, I still wasn't sure wether or not a black shirt and grey collars went well. Sarah said two tone shirts were in fashion, but I could only wonder how.
I was midway through sketching a piece I had been working on for a couple days now when suddenly, the door to my room opens and, of all people, Xavier stands in the door with a goofy smile and an outfit to make you just swoon.
"Could I come in?" He asks, drink in hand.
I nod yes and he enters, outstretching his hand as he offers me one of the two cups.
"No thanks. I don't drink." I reply, and he smiles.
"It's apple juice. I don't drink either." I smile back, taking the cup and pat the bed beside me for him to sit. He insist on standing though, walking around my room to examine the many decorations: hot guy models, school awards, song lyrics, Aang (not Ung) from Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Eventually, he makes it to my X-box and fawns over it. Did he not realise those hot guy models? Maybe he did, but didn't care all that much. Wow, what a game changer that would be, right?
"Do you not have a system?" I ask and he looks to me and bites his lip in thought.
"Richard thinks I need to spend all my time focusing on tennis and my studies, no time for fun." He explains. My heart feels sad for him, everyone deserves a game, guy or girl. Too much pressure isn't good in any way, but obviously I can't voice my thoughts, not when they could be offensive to him and his father.
"I'm sorry about that, but the practices do pay off." He smiles at my compliment and then the game comes on. He decided to play Call of Duty: Black Ops and, even though it's not my favorite one, I agreed to play this one with him instead of the newer one because, HE'S XAVIER! And he wants to play it with someone like me.
He looks at me and smiles as he shoots a zombie sneaking up behind me, and I smile a thank you back. We play all night, continuously playing just one more game before he had to go. It's cute how happy it makes him, the way he shouts in rage and whines when he gets hit all the while jumping up and down excitedly.
After the clock strikes 2 am, I insist that he stays and takes my bed while I sleep on the couch. After all, who would want to be driving at this time?
"No, I can't steal your bed from you." He argues.
"No. I insist. You're the guest, it'd be rude of me to make you sleep on the couch." I retort and he sighs in defeat.
"Fine. I'll sleep in your bed, but only under one condition." He says, and I prepare for the 'you can't tell anyone about this speech.'
"Okay." I sigh.
"You have to sleep in it with me." He smiles, flashing his pearly white teeth. My heart stops and my cheeks flush red.
"O-okay." I agree and make my way over to grab my Mr. Peabody and Sherman Pajamas and him a pair of sweats that I, mistakenly, purchased to big. He took the sweats and muttered a thanks before crawling into bed and making himself comfortable but leaving a massive gap for me as he lay as close to the edge as possible.
I crawl in too and mentally facepalm myself at noticing the poster stuck directly above us on the ceiling. It wasn't just any poster, it was a poster of some shirtless dudes surrounding a motorbike, they looked liked a typical biker gang too. Dear god.
I place my hands over my face so he doesn't see the red that stains my cheeks, but he just comes closer and laughs a little before moving my hands. "So that's what turns you on? Biker hunks? Huh, who knew, right?"
"Shut up." I hiss, placing my hands back over my face I'm pure embarrassment. He just chuckles and it's the most beautiful chuckle I've had the pleasure of hearing.
"I honestly don't mind, I trust that you aren't going to jump my bones during the night." He said, moving my hands, "If it's any consolation, I have a gay cousin."
"Hmm, and what about you?" I ask out the blue, this time actually face palming my self for the stupid word vomit that leaves my lips.
"Me? Well, I don't know.. I guess I'm open to new experiences. Don't knock it 'til you try it, right?"
This has to be a dream.