The sign turns out much better than I had originally thought it would. Werewolf takes it home with him when he leaves because he has practice in the morning, so he'll be able to leave it in the office without having to navigate hallways filled with kids. I'm not too worried that he might break it or something, because I gave him a look as he left that I'm pretty sure effectively communicated that I will kill him if anything happens to it.
Now that he's gone, though, I'm having a hard time distracting myself from what happened earlier. And Levi's noticed.
"Chase!" He snaps in front of my face a few times, and I startle.
"What?"
"You keep zoning out. Wake up."
"Right, yeah, sorry."
"What's going on? Is this about Ashley?"
"No."
"The project?"
I hesitate. "No."
"Jordan?"
I press my lips together and contemplate lying.
Levi sighs. "What about Jordan? Is it something to do with whatever fight-slash-almost-fight you guys had four seconds after sitting down to work?"
I sigh. "I mean, kinda."
"How kinda?"
"Like, it's not... just about Werewolf."
"What else, then?"
I press my lips together and run my fingers through my hair. "... My sexuality."
He blinks. And then a moment later, he gets it, and his face goes completely blank from shock. "You're gay for Jordan?"
I groan a little and lean forwards so the heels of my hands are pressing into my forehead, and my elbows are digging into my knees. I squeeze my eyes shut, but I should know better- the sight of Jordan is imprinted on the back of my eyelids. Jordan, lying in the grass with a faint, content smile painted across his face, eyes closed, hair spread across the grass, the sun practically making him glow...
I open my eyes quickly as I get the funny feeling in my stomach, the same feeling I got when Cute Guy from seven minutes in heaven talked in that seductive tone, right before-
"Well, on the bright side, at least you know the first time wasn't a fluke?" Levi says, though it sounds like he's questioning his own logic.
I sigh. "Out of all the guys I could have liked, though- my rival? My arch rival? Who I also have to see every day due to the punishment we have because we can't stop fighting with each other? Does that not sound like the worst possible choice?"
"It's not a choice, Chase. And maybe, I don't know, maybe it's just because you're confused because of all of the stuff you're going through right now. Breaking up with Ashley, wondering if she ever really cared about you, trying to figure out your sexuality..."
I shake my head. "I don't know. Maybe?"
"Tell me why you think you like him."
I press my lips together. "He bumped into me, and..." I shake my head again, trying to clear it. "When he tried to take the X-Acto knife from me, it felt like fire. Like an electric shock, but... ugh, I don't know. And then when he was lying in the grass..."
Levi is watching me intently. "You really do like him."
I glare at him. "You're a big help, thanks loads."
"What do you want me to tell you? You're blushing, Chase."
He's not wrong. My cheeks are very warm. "Thanks," I say sarcastically.
"Really, though. I don't think it has to be a huge problem. Just so long as you don't antagonize him extra to try and hide it."
"I'll use any excuse I can get to attack him extra," I snarl, and Levi raises his eyebrows at me.
"Like that. You don't need to be ashamed of it, Chase."
I avert my gaze, because while I haven't been feeling explicit shame, I'm fairly certain it's mixed in with the rest of my knot of emotions somewhere. "I know."
"No, you don't. Is it because he's a guy?"
"No, it's just... he's Werewolf. My nemesis. We hate each other. What would people think?"
"It doesn't matter what people think."
I glare at him again, because yes, it does matter. I'm not a vulnerable person, and it was easy to date Ashley and other girls because I never really had to chase after them, pursue them. They came to me. Jordan? No way.
"Chase, really. Nobody's going to look at you differently just because you had feelings for someone and-"
"Yes, they will," I insist. "I'm seen as cool and chill and chasing after someone- anyone- would make me look weak and emotional."
"Is that what you think about the people who chase after you?"
"No, but they're not the captain of the basketball team and therefore constantly in the spotlight of high school."
Levi sighs. "Chase, you'll never know what could have been if you don't at least try-"
My eyebrows pop up so fast I'm afraid they might actually fly right off my forehead. "Try? You actually want me to pursue him? I'm going to have enough trouble just hiding that I like him at all- I'm definitely not going after him. Nobody besides you and me is going to know anything about this."
"Chase-"
"No. No, no, no."
He sighs. "Fine. Have it your way. But believe me when I tell you that pining for someone really, really sucks."
I narrow my eyes at him. "Wait- who are you pining for?"
"No one. I was speaking from past experience."
"How did I never hear about this?"
"Because I never brought it up."
I pout. "How come you get to know all about my love-life, but I don't get to know yours?"
"This was a while ago, Chase. Before we were close."
I huff a little. "Fine. But if you ever find a guy you're interested in, I'd better hear about it."
"And you will. Basketball?"
I jump up immediately. "Yes."
When we get to school the next morning, I consider seeking out Jordan to make sure that the sign is unharmed and where it's supposed to be, but decide to just wait and ask him in bio, which is first block anyways.
He's already in class by the time I get there, looking freshly showered from what I can see of him (his head is in his arms which are on his desk. It looks like he's sleeping). I walk past his desk, which pretty much everyone who's currently in class takes notice of. I flick his ear, and he slowly lifts his head, eyes wide and tired-looking. When he sees it's me, he gives me a bored look with a barely raised eyebrow. "Oh, it's you."
"Try not to sound so thrilled, Werewolf, it's overwhelming."
"Yes, I got the sign to school safely, and it's in the office, they said they'd give it to the chess club at lunch hour." He lowers his head back down to his desk, his slightly damp hair falling across his forearms in strands.
"Good. I'll see you at lunch."
"Yeah, yeah," comes his muffled reply as I walk across the classroom to my desk. Class starts a few minutes later, and he's forced to give up on his nap. His lazy, exhausted note-taking is very entertaining, though.
At lunchtime, I spot the undamaged sign en route to wherever the chess club is, and I can't help but smirk to myself a little. Of course, I'm given a rude awakening when the PA system crackles to life and orders Jordan Wolf and Chase Jackson somewhere, where we're forced to do something that's definitely tedious and tiring, and Jordan looks so exhausted by the end that there's a little twang of pity for him in my chest. On our next task, I offer to take over the really strenuous part. He narrows his eyes at me.
"Why? It's not like I could mess it up."
"Yeah, but you look like you're about to drop dead." He looks even more suspicious at hearing that my motives are sympathetic, so I quickly add, "You'd probably take too long."
At that point, he seems to be too tired to argue, so he doesn't. He looks a little less horrible after that. Finally, the lunch bell rings so we both start towards the other side of the school. I glance at him sidelong, and accidentally ask, "Why do you look so horrible?"
He gives me a flat glare, or maybe he's just so tired that he can't keep his eyes all the way open. "Morning detention and morning practices. Add in the stuff that we have to do during lunch hour every single day, and I'm exhausted. I can't wait to sleep in again."
"Tomorrow?"
"GSA car wash."
"Right. So, Sunday."
He nods. "Hopefully."
"Have you tried napping?"
"Since when are you so invested in my physical well being?"
"Since you look like you're about to pass out and we're on call for anyone in the school who needs something done."
He waves a hand at me (tiredly). "Detention's done. I'll be fine."
At the beginning of the week, I was glad to hear he had morning detention.
Now, I'm glad it's over.
What did you think of Chase's conversation with Levi? Do you think Chase's argument is rational or is he over-complicating things? Who do you think Levi was pining for? Do you have any predictions for what might happen at the GSA car wash?
I hope you enjoyed this chapter! If you did, please consider voting or commenting to let me know your thoughts! Thank you so much for reading!