Authors note~
Hey guys! I'm currently going through some stuff and I was contemplating whether or not I should write today... but I decided to anyways. And I'd like to thank Nicole and Sarah for making me feel better when life gets shitty. Love you guys.
Anyways, on with the story ^-^ (ps, I'm changing POV in this chapter a little, let me know if you like it?) ~Neek xoxo
pps, I feel like this chapter is kind of short and I didn't get to points I wanted to, so I'm going to update again tomorrow! Hooray for story line!
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Alan's P.O.V.
Okay, I'm not even gonna lie, when I saw Tino approach us with Phil by his side, I immediately thought he was hot. His long flowing brown hair, sparkling hazel eyes, and slightly bulging muscles underneath a simple black long sleeved shirt, made it impossible to stop staring at him.
I guess you could say I'm gay, but I'm not into labels. Gender is just another thing to describe a person.
There's something about him, besides his extremely good looks. There's something there that makes me feel the need to throw myself at him. But I can't pinpoint why exactly.
When he sat down I instantly worked my "charm" on him. And it seemed to be working. After a few minutes I noticed everyone was here but Austin. Where is he?
I shrugged it off and zoned back into Tino's hysterical laughter at a corny joke he probably said himself. Austin came up to the table then, with a slightly pained expression. I knew he was trying to cover it up too, even from me. Even though he knows damn well I see right through him.
I know Austin Carlile like the back of my hand. I have since we were kids. And when he sat down next to me, I sensed some tension with him. But I shrugged it away, for now, because Phil was my number one priority right now. He gives me an almost flirty smile, showing off his glowing white teeth.
"Austin," Tino starts. "This is Phil. I met him in Chemistry class today! He's new here." Phil and Austin shake hands, but Austin barely says a word.
When the bell for lunch to end sounded, I stayed back with Phil and asked him for his number. He gladly gave it to me, and I gave him mine back.
Finally, all classes were over and school was out. I honestly don't know why I still go to school. It's not like I learn anything that will get me anywhere in life. And it's such a drag. But I know my parents and even Austin want me to get an education. Something about "moving forward in life" or some shit like that.
I'd much rather just go out, get booze, and hang out with my friends until the sun comes back up.
I stuff my wooden pencil, the only thing I have for school, into my jean pocket and walk briskly out of my class and out the front door. The hot California air immediately fills my entire body with a familiar warmth. I sit by the stairs and wait for my friends to get here.
Soon after, I see a face I really could live without seeing. Justin. He's alone this time, walking down the stairs and stopping right in front of me. "Hey fire crotch," he starts, making a pigheaded smirk on his retarded face. "Tell your little fuckface friend that there are plenty of my friends that would let him such their dicks."
I chuckle dryly and get up. "Get the hell out of my face, Justin." I say angrily. I sniff slightly. He's definitely been drinking today. As a frequent drinker, I can tell there's alcohol on a person from a mile away. "And by the way, no one likes a drunk before 5 o'clock." Justin looked like he was about to reply, or punch me in the face, but one of his jock friends called him from the other side of the grass. He gave me an aggressive look before catching up to his friends.
I fucking hate that guy.
A few minutes later, Aaron shows up. "What's up, man?" he greets me. I nod once. "Where's Tino?" Grinning, Aaron points up the staircase by the main door and I see him with a girl I don't recognize. she has caramel colored skin, layered and dyed blue hair, and long legs. She's wearing a Blink 182 shirt, skinny jeans, and green vans. Tino and the girl burst out laughing, most likely at a joke or something. They look into each others eyes smiling and she waves goodbye as she trots down the stairs. Tino looks over and when I follow his eyes I see Austin. Tino gives him a small wave. He doesn't go up to him because he's talking to his girlfriend.
Tino walks down to us, a big smile on his face. I raise an eyebrow. "Who was that? Was that the friend you were telling us about?" Tino runs his fingers through the long half of his hair. "Oh, Ashlyn? Yeah, she's in a couple of my classes." Aaron and I exchange glances and I smirk. I was about to make a witty remark but I saw something out of the corner of my eye.
As if on cue, when I looked, I saw Austin and his stupid girlfriend, Janis or something, and she brought up a hand and slapped him across the face. I could tell from here that it wasn't a hard slap, but seeing Austin's face I could tell it hurt him internally. She immediately stormed away after that.
I almost ran up to her and pulled her precious blonde hair out of her head. She's so lucky she's a girl.
Austin's eyes met mine, and he started walking slowly down to us.
"Oh boy," I mumbled to myself. "I'm gonna need a drink after this.
Austin's P.O.V.
"Fucking choose, Austin. Do you love me or those idiots?" Jessica asked. I don't even know how this fight started. She was just fine with me earlier today. I never know anymore. And I didn't say anything. I didn't know whether to lie or tell the truth, but either way, I hesitated. She took a gasp and then smacked me across the face. The impact wasn't bad, I am a lot tougher than she is, but it still hurt nevertheless. The fact that someone would actually do that to me. I almost couldn't believe it.
She left right after that. I looked down to the bottom of the school staircase and my eyes instantly locked onto Alan's. He was the only one who saw the whole thing. Feeling like a puppy with my tail between my legs, I walked down the staircase to join my friends.
Aaron and Tino greet me and I give a small smile. "Shall we?" Tino asked, motioning for us to walk forward. We all walked side by side on the sidewalk we always do down the road. Alan, who walks beside me, gives me a look of questioning. I shake my head slightly, hoping he gets what I'm trying to say, that I don't want him to tell the guys. Not now. He seems to get the message.
"Am I the only one that doesn't get any of Of Mice And Men?" Aaron asks everyone. "Yeah," Alan says teasingly. "You really are." T his gets a nudge from Aaron. "Are you guys reading it in your English class too?" he asks Tino as he pushes up his glasses. "Yeah, I really don't understand some of it. But it seems interesting."
"I think we should all study about it together, because we have a test next week and I can't afford to fail." Aaron suggests. Tino agrees with him.
"I'm in," Alan and I say at the same time. We give each other weird looks.
"Let's go to my place," he says. No one disagrees and we turn down the road that leads to the Ashby's house.
We get there in about ten minutes, and Alan points upstairs, meaning we all go up to his room. He separates and heads to the kitchen. Most likely to get beer.
Once in Alan's room, I swing my book bag down on his floor and get out my copy of Of Mice and Men that the teacher issued us. "Oh shit," Tino said. "I think I left my book in my locker." Aaron plopped down in Alan's desk chair. "It's cool, man. We can share mine." he waved his book back and forth. I chuckled slightly.
Sitting on Alan's bed, the bed I've known ever since he got it in 5th grade, I remember all the times we've slept together on it. The late nights where we'd do nothing but lay there are talk about random crap. And how much more crowded the bed got when Aaron and Tino joined the picture. All the times I wished I could snuggle Alan into my arms and fall asleep that way. But I never did. God, I love him so much. Thinking about him made every problem go away. Chris, Jessica, Justin, my self esteem, all of that was gone.
Alan comes through the door, four beer bottles in hand, disrupting my thoughts. "Your poison." he says as he hands us all a bottle. "Okay," he says as he gets on the bed beside me. "if you don't understand the first chapter, you're basically brain dead..."
For the next 40 minutes we discuss the first four chapters of the story, which is how far we've come in the book in class. "Wait, so when do the mice come in the story?" Aaron jokes. We all start laughing. That was too terrible, I just had to laugh about it.
A loud ringing noise sounds then and I jump slightly. I realize it's Alan's phone because he takes it out and smiles before answering it. "Phil?" I hear him say. My heart instantly drops. Alan's smile widens. "Yeah, I have time." he excuses himself from us, grabs his bottle, and leaves the room.
"Thanks for ditching us!" Tino calls playfully after Alan. I manage to laugh a little, but I actually agree with him. A lot more than I should. Why is Alan so into this guy? He just met Phil. What's so great about him? What does he have that I don't?
'Oh yeah' I remind myself in my head bitterly. 'A healthy heart, probably stable past, and a clean wrist.'
After about 20 minutes, Alan still isn't back yet, and both Aaron and Tino say they have to go. I fist bump them goodbye. "Dude," I say to Tino. "Shave your knuckles." Tino rolls his eyes and laughs along with Aaron and I. When they leave, I wait with my head in my knees after they leave for Alan to come back. The pills are progressively making my drowsiness worse. I practically doze off when Alan enters the room again. "Hey," he says a little too happily, and sits down beside me on his bed.
I nod hello and ask. "So how's Phil?" He shrugs. "He's cool. I like him. I think he should hang out with us sometime." A part of me wants to yell no, but I force it away. "Maybe he should." I make myself say. Alan smiles, but it fades away and he looks at me with big eyes.
"Why did that bitch, bitch slap you? And what is the matter with you? I know something's going on." he says, getting climatically upset. I stare down at the empty beer bottle in my hands. "It was nothing." I murmur. "Oh don't give me that. I know you better than that, Austin." And he's right. He knows everything about me.
Except the fact that I'm in love with him.
"Fine. She asked me if I loved her more or you guys and I hesitated. So she slapped me." I replay the memory in my head. "Ugh," Alan groans in disgust at her. "What the literal fuck is wrong with her? Has she gone nuts? Oh wait, she was probably born that way. Or hatched." I can't help but let a chuckle escape from me. Such an Alan thing to say.
He doesn't bring up our kiss, even though I was really hoping he would. But no, we hang out for a few more hours playing video games from his Game Cube and I ask him for a ride home. We both get into Squidgy and he drives down to my house. When we get there I start to climb out the door. "Hey Austin?" Alan slurs, he's had at least four beers. "Yeah?" I ask him.
"If I don't fall in love with Phil, remind me to, okay?" he says, a toothy grin flashing. My eyes scream wanting to go wide and I feel my heart explode in my ears. In love with Phil? What? "See you later." he declares simply as he backs up before I can fully get the door closed. He drives off.
What the hell just happened?