Chapter Twelve | Opening Up
"The flyers came out cute, right?" Elena smiles as she hands me a stack of freshly printed flyers. I looked down at the warm stack of papers, ours schools colors which consisted of white and baby blue being the most prominent part of the flyer along with an animated picture of our mascot.
This is ugly as hell, and as Elena stared at me awaiting a reply, I just decided to send her a tight-lip smile instead of opening my mouth and answering because there is no telling what would come out. After seeing my force smile, Elena mirrored with one of her own before making her way over to the other girls. Following behind, I exhaled a sigh and shook my head.
I am such a nice person.
"Okay let's grab all the flyers and head to the gym to meet Gray and the rest of the boys helping out." Elena said, and I noticed how her cheeks grew a faint pink at the mention of her boyfriend name. I'm assuming the two are back on good terms. Good for them, it must've been so hard getting clocked in the eye by an earring.
Making our way into the gym we easily spotted the basketball team in the middle of the court lounging around. Armon Dixon, one of the well known players seemed to be instructing a set of younger looking players with some warm up stretches, and Grayson seemed to be doing the same with his own set of players.
They didn't seemed to notice us until Elena called out Grayson's name causing all the players to turn their head in her direction. All the eyes on her didn't seem to bother Elena as she ignored them all and skipped her way over to her man, tackling him into a embrace. Elena's eyes locked on her man, who's eyes were oddly enough trained on me.
He's probably wants answers about last night considering I never gave him any, but honestly it's none of his business.
"Are you guys ready to pass and hang up the flyers?" Elena asked, her voice becoming higher than normal as she looked around at all the other players.
They all smiled and nodded at Elena's words and I almost vomited from how they all seemed to be practically drooling for her. One boy had his mouth agape as if Aphrodite herself was before him, but she's always had that effect on everyone. I wonder how Grayson feels dating a girl who everyone wanted a piece of. It must be tiring considering he's lacking in the sex department and he knows she can get that from anyone without hesitation.
"These are the flyers?" Armon spoke as he walked over to Elena and grabbed one of the flyers. "These are nice. Who designed them?" He asked.
"Me and Spencer." Elena answered, and Armon nodded his head, a sly smile showing from the corner of his lips. "Magnifique," He kissed his fingers letting out a terrible French accent.
Elena laughed aloud and I couldn't tell if it was forced or not. Armon was the probably the corniest and most overrated person at this school. He was unnecessarily loud, childish, and a complete tool, but for some reason the girls here seemed to love that about him. Maybe it's his dark skin and large build that have all these girls and a few boys mind gone, but I'll never see him as anything other than a try hard. He seems like the type of guy to cum in a span of five minutes, don't ask me how because I don't know, but I get that vibe from him and I wouldn't be surprised if it was true.
"We'll let's start and get this show on the road." Spencer said as she walked around handing out flyers and posters for everyone to pass around.
"We should get up in groups so we can get the word out there faster." Pocket Grapes suggested, her arms locking with Spencer and Elena.
Grayson gasped, his brows furrowing. "Who am I suppose to partner up with?" He asked, and Elena could only laugh as Pocket Grapes dragged her and Spencer away.
"I don't know. Armon, Aries, somebody!"
Grayson's eyes wonders over to Armon who was already looking a him with a furrowed brow glance. Grayson turned around and our eyes met, an unpleasant gaze brushing over his face before he exhaled a sigh. "C'mon." He said, grabbing ahold of wrist and practically dragging me out the gym behind him.
"Woah. If only you were this aggressive with Elena in bed." I told him, immediately breaking away from his grip when we got outside the gym.
Grayson frowned at me, his strong arms crossed over his chest. I stared at the boy, his forehead drenched in sweat, and the navy tank top he wore soaked as well. Honestly, it's weird seeing Grayson in anything other than the usual letterman jacket and jeans I'm so used to him being cladded in.
Our eyes locked and I was expecting for him to quickly break the gaze, but he didn't and his stare grew harder, his bushy brows furrowed.
"Like something you see, sir?" I joked, sending him a playful wink. Rolling his eyes, Grayson lip upturned at me. "Why are you acting so calm?" He whispered in a harsh tone.
I looked at him confused. "Am I supposed to act like I'm on crack? Is there something I missed?"
Grayson's eye wonders around us as if he was inspecting to see if anyone was around us, before shoving me over into a corner. "You vandalized someone's car last night and I was a witness. If the police finds out we're done-"
"Oh my God," I cut him off with a laugh. "You're seriously not freaking out about last night are you? So I vandalized a car? So what?"
"So what?" He repeated, his tone more serious than mine. "We could end up in jail, Aries!"
"We? You didn't even do anything so why the hell are you freaking out?" I asked him. Unable to reply with an answer, I rolled my eyes at him. "And the police aren't going to get involve with any of the stuff that happened last night."
"And how do you know that?"
Annoyed with Grayson's interrogation, I pushed myself out the corner, causing the boy to stumble as I pushed past him. "Because I know everything. Now stop talking to me about the past and let's hurry and pass around these flyers."
I turned around to see Grayson just standing there staring at me, his expression complex and lost. I exhaled a sigh before rolling my eyes at the boy once again. "C'mon!" I felt like a parent as I gestured to him with my hand instructing that he hurry and rush beside me, and it took him a while but like a child, he soon followed.
Grayson had suggested we go out to the student parking lot and ask the people out there if they would like to join. I didn't have an idea myself so I just did what he said. When we got out there Grayson didn't waste anytime before he was going to people asking and persuading them. It didn't really take much convincing for him though because everyone at this schools loves him, and he's really good a talking to people. He makes it seem like he actually likes everyone here which is something I'll never be able to do.
"Hey, are you guys instead in joining the homecoming committee?" Grayson asked as he walked up to a group of boys, who I could easily tell were underclass men.
One of the boys fixed the wide glasses on his face before he decided to speak. "Homecoming committee?" He repeated, a clear uninterested tone in his voice.
"Yeah. You can help plan homecoming and it's actually really fun-"
Another boy held up his hand. "Sorry but we are not interested in pandering to your social high school norm activities that does nothing, but fuel the social stigma that high school is nothing but a social construct taking over the youth."
I blinked, my brain or my ears retaining nothing the kid had just said. I turned to Grayson to see him with the same lost expression. He blinked at the boy before saying, "Huh?"
The boys than started to laugh. Their snorts and heavy breaths making my face frown in a unpleasant manner.
"Typical high school ball player. Clueless as ever." One with braces said in between laughs making the other two laugh even harder.
I turned to Grayson to see a frown now placed on his lips. His brows raised in a confused manner at the boys as they continued to laugh at him. Annoyed, I reached out and gripped one of the boys shirt with my fist, yanking him towards me, silencing them.
"Join the committee before you and your friends find out what it's like to have a size eight shoe up your ass." My grip on his shirt grew tighter, the boy eyes practically about to pop out his sockets.
"I don't wanna join-"
"It ain't about what you wanna do, it's what you're gonna do! Now sign up, all of y'all!" I looked up sending a glare to glasses and braces who stared at me with just as much fear as their friend was.
I let go of the boy shirt pushing him onto his ass, and he hurriedly got up from the ground, him and his friends quickly scurrying off back into the school building.
I turned around to see Grayson looking down at me with a smug look on his face, shaking his head soon after. "You didn't have to do that."
"They were annoying," I said, my arms crossing over my chest. "And plus they were trying to call you dumb."
Grayson shrugged his broad shoulders. "I know, but I know I'm not dumb. That's why I didn't say anything. Every action doesn't need a reaction Aries."
I rolled my eyes at his words. "You sound like my therapist."
Grayson let out a laugh, before fixing the few flyers he had left in his hands. We decided to head back to the gym after that. However, we didn't plan on being one of the first ones back but we were. The gym was empty, the sound of Grayson's and I shoes squeaking against the polished gyms floors being the only sound.
"Do you think anyone else managed to hand out as many flyers as we did?" I asked him, following him to have a seat on the bleachers.
Grayson shrugged his shoulders. "Probably." He answered quickly, his eyes roaming over to me only to freeze at chest.
"Hey, you're wearing pink!" He pointed at the palish pink T-shirt I had on, and I quickly tired to cover it with my jean jacket. "So what?" I snapped.
Grayson smiled at me, ignoring my tone. "I just remember you going so hard the other day about how pink is a color you like, but wouldn't wear because it's not considered a "boys" color."
"And your point?"
"I don't have a point. I just think it's nice seeing you in a color other than black or red." Grayson pulled at my T-shirt playfully before chuckling to himself. "It looks nice on you. Pink really suits you Aries."
It was hard to fight the smile that was threatening to creep up on my face after he said that, but I managed and instead of smiling, I let out a sigh before crossing my left over my right as I leaned back on the bleachers seats. "Yeah, well everything looks good on me so . . . "
Grayson soon followed my actions and positioned himself the same, the two of us in the still bleachers looking ahead at the empty court. The silence that consumed us wasn't an awkward silence, but more of a comforting one. It lasted for only a while, because I felt the need to get something off my chest.
"The car I vandalized was my boyfriends . . . well, ex boyfriend." I let out into the air, my attention still straight ahead at the court, unable to turn to Grayson and see his reaction.
"Oh," Was all he said at first. I could tell my words had caught him off guard, but after a moment he caught on. "Why did you guys break up if you don't mind me asking?"
"Cheated on me with not one but multiple people."
It felt weird, being this open, this emotionally vulnerable. I hadn't talked to anyone about my breakup, and that mostly had do with the fact that I barley have anyone to talk to, but with Grayson it didn't feel too weird sharing this with him. Probably because he shared something personal with me before, but whatever it was — it just felt good to finally get that off my chest.
"That sucks." Grayson said, I could see from the corner of my eye he had shifted over so he was facing me now. I still couldn't look him in the eye though.
"If you ask me, the guy is dumb because for one, you're bat shit crazy and will literally ruin his life without a second thought. And two, you have a good heart, even if may no want to admit it. It's his loss honestly."
I smiled then.
It wasn't a big toothy grin, but it was a smile to say the least, something genuine.
I was about to finally look at him and tell him thanks, but the sound of the gym double doors shooting open beat me to it. "Guess who gave out all her flyers!" Elena cheered as she walked into the gym with Spencer and Pocket Grapes behind her.
"What? That's great baby." Grayson instantly jumped up from his seats on the bleachers and rushed down to embrace Elena in a hug.
I could only watch from my view on the bleachers, a soft chuckle escaping my lips right after.
••••
Excuse any mistakes or errors
Finally updated I'm so sorry it took so long