Chapter Twenty-One | Why Are You Running?
That kiss.
I was completely unprepared. You would think that after all the hours I'd spent with Aries - watching him talk, laugh and frown - that I would know all there was to know about his lips. But I hadn't imagined how warm they would feel pressed up against my own. It was different from what I'm used to, and I hate myself for not being upset about it.
I can blame on it on alcohol. The exotic taste was on both our lips when they touched and Aries had way more to drink than me. I like to think that he had no control behind his actions, but the way his lips felt against mine just felt too real, too full of passion and lust that somethings telling me I can't blame it on the alcohol.
My fingertips have been lingering on my lips since the incident. It's Monday morning now and I still can't remove my fingers, and as I'm sitting in first period listening to my history teacher ramble on about some ancient Chinese dynasty, I couldn't stop looking back at the empty desk diagonal to mine.
It's no surprise that Aries Lockhart was never on time for class. It was like some routine of his where he's ten minutes late everyday, bursting through the door with the late slip between his two fingers, before he nonchalantly hands it to the teacher who would scold him, but he never cares and just rolls his eyes as he'd walk towards his seat.
However, today wasn't like that. Twenty minutes into the lecture and Aries still wasn't here, and I couldn't help but think it's because of the kiss we shared this weekend.
Maybe it was too awkward for him, but he was the one that kissed me first. If anyone should be feeling some type of way about this it should be me. I was completely caught off guard by the kiss, but the thing is — I'm not mad about it. I know I should be, and there's a part of me fighting the urge to be, but I can't find it in me to be upset. That kiss was something unexplainable to me, something I never experienced before.
It might the fact that I was kissing another boy, but I know that isn't it. There's something more to it, and yet I can't bring myself to say it aloud.
Looking up to the front of the classroom, Mrs. Suewell rambled on about God knows what. I had tuned her out so long ago. I couldn't focus, which is so unlike me, but my mind was on one thing and one thing only.
I glanced towards the door for only a quick second, something dark quickly catching my eye. I squinted, leaning forward in my seat a little bit to see a pair of familiar brown eyes peeping through the door.
Aries.
His eyes widened when he noticed my stare on him, before quickly turning around and rushing away from the door. I slammed my pencil on my desk, sky rocketing my hand to the ceiling for Mrs. Suewell to see. It took her a while, but after a few seconds she finally acknowledged me.
"Can I go to the restroom?" I asked, my eyes darting between her and door.
Mrs. Suewell pursed her pruned lips up at me, her gray brows raising upwards. "I'll let you go if you can tell me who was the main threat to the people of the Chinese Dynasties."
Exhaling a breath, I rolled my eyes. "The Huns were major threat to many dynasties. Their ruler was Atilla who was so ruthless he killed his own brother for the title – blah, blah blah — I have to go pee!"
Hurriedly, I jumped out of my desk without even giving Mrs. Suewell a chance to speak. I rushed out the class and into the hall. I looked around, spotting Aries at a water fountain nearby drinking away.
"Aries!" I called out to him. Instantly, his eyes widened as he began to choke on the water in his mouth, before making a run for it down the hall. Out of instinct I began to chase after him. The sound of our shoes squeaking against the marble floors of the school sounding off.
Aries was surprisingly fast for someone who claims to hate running. His long extended legs giving him a boost I never knew he had. However, he wasn't a match for me.
"Why are you running!" I shouted at him as he quickly cut a corner.
Unknowingly to Aries, he had turned to the corridor where there's no way out expect for the way you came. He was cornered. Catching up with him, I tried to catch my breath as I walked towards him. However, when I got to him he froze in a running position, closing his eyes tight. Confused, I raised a brow up at him.
"Aries, even though you're frozen I still can see you."
He slowly shifted into another pose and froze.
"How about now?"
I kissed my teeth at him. "Aries."
Rolling his eyes, he shook away the frozen persona and exhaled a heavy sigh. "What? What do you want from me?" He asked, walking over to a row of lockers to lean on and I followed.
"I just want to know why you're running away from me. Are you avoiding me or something? I told you text me that night when you made it home but you never did. I was worried."
Folding his arms across his chest, Aries avoided my gaze, his eyes landing elsewhere. "It's just weird. That's all." He mumbled.
"How so?"
He narrowed his brows at me. "What do you mean how so? We kissed Grayson, and it wasn't one of those little pecks you see the white peoples doing in movies. It was straight Pornhub, tongue all down the throat, private parts rubbing together, kissing!"
"We were drunk." I reminded him. "And you had a lot more than me. You weren't in control so don't sweat it too much."
Aries finally met my gaze, his brown ones sinking into my own for a moment. "But the thing is I wasn't too drunk. I knew what I was doing. I'm just regretting it more than ever now." He admitted and I frowned a little at his words.
"Why do you regret it?"
"Because I kissed sweet little Elena's boyfriend," He pushed him off the lockers. "I kissed you and now I feel bad, which is so unlike me because I never feel bad for kissing other people boyfriends!"
I placed a hand on his shoulder in a comforting manner, meeting his gaze. "Well don't be. I'm not telling her what happened because it's not as big of a deal as you're making it. What happened that night is between you and me only."
Aries exhaled a sigh. "Fine but it's going to be so awkward working with her on the homecoming dance knowing I tongued down her man." He laugh and I couldn't help but join.
"Technically, we were kind of on a break that night since we got into that whole big argument before and she told me not to talk to her again."
"Oh damn. Y'all still fighting?"
I shrugged my shoulders. "We haven't talked since that night, but it's for the best. We both needed some time to cool down and let each other breathe. We'll be back on good terms soon."
He chuckled to himself, before he walked up to me slowly and pulled me closer to him wrapping his arms around me. His embrace was warm, and his skinny, surprisingly strong arms seemed very protective when wrapped around my muscular body. The world around me melted away as I squeezed him back, not wanting the moment to end.
"Thanks Grayson." He mumbled and I raised my brow up at him. "For what?"
"Just for being there for me. I appreciate it a lot."
"No problem. I'll always be there for you Aries."
Breaking the hug, Aries fixed the bag on his shoulder. "We should probably head back to class, before the bell rings."
I nodded, letting him lead the way.
••••
After my talk with Aries it seemed the day flew by and next thing I knew it was after school just finishing practice.
"Great practice, man," A rookie player said, clapping me on the back.
"Thanks, you were good too. Go on ahead to the showers, I want to practice by myself for a while," I replied, picking up the basketball. I like to shoot a couple of times, just enough for the rest of the team to have cleared out.
Shrugging, the boy ambled off with the rest of the basketball team, leaving me alone. I really disliked showering after practice with everyone in the room. It's not that I'm uncomfortable or anything, it's just there's never enough showers and sometimes people have to pair up and shower, and that's just not my thing. I prefer to be alone so I can have time to myself and think while the water hits me.
I grinned happily. I really couldn't wait.
"You not hitting the locker room?" A familiar voice spoke from behind me. Rolling my eyes, I turned around to see Armon picking up and places the basketballs on the rack.
"I am. Just waiting for it clear out." I told him, returning my attention back to the goal.
Why does he think he can talk to me? I'm still not fucking with him for that little stunt he pulled telling Elena about Aries and I. He's so weird. He's always worried about the wrong thing, and I'm the wrong thing.
When ten minutes had passed, I decided it was enough time. Surely the team wouldn't be fooling around in the showers. They'd want to get in and get out as soon as possible.
Making my way to the showers I strip down and step slowly into it, turning the water on high and letting it beat over my head in steamy rivulets. Closing my eyes to the water as the heat soaks into my skin, I lean against the cool tiles as my tired legs threaten to buckle. The sensation of the steamy water calms me; it takes my mind of things. All the things I honestly don't care about. It's the water. My mind swirls, and it's like I'm standing under an everlasting waterfall.
I began to think about Elena. Am I obligated to tell her about the kiss Aries and I shared? A part of feel that I need to, but then there's the part of me that feel it's none of her business. I mean, she did technically cut me off this weekend, but we never officially said it was over either. God, relationships are confusing.
I don't know how long I was under the shower, but when my fingers started to prune I figured it was time to get out and go home.
I finished drying myself off, tossing my damped towel in the dirty hamper, before I opened up my locker and stuffed my workout clothes inside. Closing the locker and turning around, I was startled to see Armon leaning against the wall.
"What the fuck?!"
He laughed, throwing his hands up. "What? Why the hell are you jumping?" He cackled as he made his way over to me.
"Because you just snuck up on me. I didn't even see you there." I told him.
Armon chuckled to himself, pressing his strong back against the row of lockers. "I'm sorry," He apologized, before reaching into his sweatpants pocket and pulling out his phone. "I just really had to show you this new play I've come up with and I need your input."
My raised a brow a him. "You want my input? Seriously."
Armon nodded. "Just watch." He said, practically shoving his phone in my face. Sending him a strange look, I removed my glare on him and placed it on his phone as he searched for whatever he was trying to show me. I don't know why he couldn't just text it to me.
"What do you mean how so? We kissed Grayson, and it wasn't one of those little pecks you see the white peoples doing in movies. It was straight Pornhub, tongue all down the throat, private parts rubbing together, kissing!"
My heart sunk as I heard Aries familiar words coming from his phone. My eyes widened as I looked to see a video of Aries and I whole conversation out in the hallway earlier this morning. A devilish grin cracked on Armon's lips and I desperately tried to snatch the phone from his hands, but he was too quick and swiftly stuffed it back in his pocket.
I exhaled a heavy sigh. "What do you want?" I asked.
He smirked, his bushy brows raising up at me in a teasing manner. "Drop out of the homecoming race to else I might be tempted to send this to Elena."
"You want to be homecoming king that fucking bad, you would do that?"
Armon blinked at me, his dark eyes meeting mine, before he shrugged his broad shoulders at me. "Yeah, pretty much. Just back down and I won't ruin you're already weird relationship that you have with Elena and Aries."
Every word stung only fueling the fire that burned inside of me. Every sentence was like gasoline to it, my fists began to clench and my jaw rooted. I watched as he turned on his heels and started to make his way out the locker room.
"You got till Wednesday, Gray." He reminded, sending me a playful wink before exiting the room.
••••
Excuse any mistakes or errors
Finally, Armon has a purpose lol.