The Outside Lines (boyxboy) - Chapter 35: Chapter 35

Noah's POV
I ran. I ran through the blistering air for hours, hoping the mess of emotions overwhelming me would subside, even if just a little. But I had no such luck. Unlike usual, running didn't help, not even in the slightest. My heart still felt like it was going to burst in my chest. The pain threatening to destroy me was growing unbearable. Despite realizing this I kept on running, hoping for something to change, that's all I could do in the end.
My seemingly aimless stride took me to the town of Windir. I was running nowhere in particular, though the fact that this of all places is where I ended up must've meant I was thinking about my destination subconsciously. I stopped under a street light, taking in the midnight scenery while I attempted to catch my breath. Despite this place feeling so familiar it almost took on a whole who life during the night. It was a sight I rarely ever got to see. The cold began to set in once again when my body came to a rest. I held my exposed knees and tilted my head to the cloudy night sky, exhausted. The realization that no matter how hard I tried, I could never run faster than the problems in my life.
"Why is this happening?" I choked up, a feeling of helplessness swallowing me whole.
My sore legs continued to carry me just a little while longer. I ended up near a small pier that stretched out partway across the vast ocean painted in front of me, but I was too tired to cross it, not an ounce of energy was left in my legs. I tumbled onto the ground below me, just near the edge of the water and sat there, staring blankly off into the dark blue night sky reflecting off the water.
The gentle sound of the ocean waves drowned out my sniveling. I listened to every possible bit of my surroundings in attempt to distract myself from my own sobs. My small frame shook, attacked by the brisk autumn air. The built-up emotions finally beginning to spill from my eyelids, staining my cheeks.
Several hours came and went with me just sitting there, letting my emotions drain from my exhausted self. I lost track of time, it had to be at least one-am by now. I had nowhere to go. I had to find somewhere to stay, somewhere to get away from this blistering cold. My natural instincts kicked in and I grabbed my phone from the pocket to called Taylor, confused as to why this wasn't the first thing on my mind.
The light of the small screen of the phone faintly illuminated my surroundings as it rang. My huffs of breath became visible reflecting off the new light source. While I waited for Taylor to pick up I tried to warm myself once again, but my attempts were fruitless.
"Noah Noah Noah." Taylor answered, using our signature greeting.
"Hey Taylor." My voice was weak. So much so that it even caught me by surprise.
"Noah, is everything alright?" Her concern easily translated over the phone.
"Can you pick me up?" I asked, a sniffle caught in between my sentence.
"What happened, are you okay? Where are you?" She questioned. I wanted to lie and tell her I was fine but I couldn't, nothing would come out.
"I'm at the Windir pier." I replied, doing a quick double take of my location.
"...You know I'm out of town, right?" She sighed. My eyes widened at the realization. It completely slipped my mind. She had mentioned it several times already but I'd forgotten. I hung my head low feeling more like a fool.
"Oh." Was all that come out of my mouth as I turned to stare at the dry ground beneath me.
"Why don't you call an uber or something? I can do it for you if you want." She offered.
"That's... alright." I declined. "I was hoping to find... a place to stay."
"Did... something happen with your parents?" She hesitantly asked. There was no way I could respond without breaking down over the phone, so I remained mute.
A sigh echoed from the phone. "Well have you tried any of your other friends?"
"No. I'm not comfortable enough to ask anyone besides you." I shyly admitted. I had a lot of contacts on my phone, but I didn't feel close enough with any of them to ask if I could stay the night. It would be odd having someone you barely know ask to sleep over at your place out of the blue.
A year ago this wouldn't have been an issue for me, but seeing how quick everyone I thought to be my friend turned on me made me realize none of them were really my friends.
"Dammit Noah." Another sigh escaped from Taylor. "Hang on, I'll call someone to pick you up." "W-" she hung up before I could even get another word in.
Taylor's POV
My family and I arrived at my grandparents' house only an hour or two ago to celebrate an early Thanksgiving. They aren't able to visit us during the time Thanksgiving actually takes place, so my parents always drag my brother and me along to our grandparents' house.
The food was fantastic. The three slices of pumpkin pie were sitting in my stomach pretty cozily. If there's one good thing about coming to visit it's grandma's cooking. The way she handles the kitchen is really impressive. She's pretty much useless at everything else in life though, well maybe aside from her wicked sense of humor. She's stuck in the past and has a very specific way of looking at the world. It's a chore trying to have any type of discussion with her. She was cussing me out for wearing my black graphic tee to the dinner table. She went on and on about how I should be more dignified as a "growing woman". My grandpa is the same way, though on a much more tolerable level. I do my best not to pay them any mind and go about my business as usual but sometimes it can get unbearable. Mom and dad refuse to intervene cause they know grandma will flame them. Jeremy has already had every possible insult know to man thrown at him by grandma so she just sees him as a lost cause and doesn't bother him anymore. Lucky him...
Mom and I had our annual movie night, this time with dad, grandma and grandpa joining in. It was seriously late for us but grandma insisted that we watch a movie anyway. Like the emo loner he is, Jeremy would rather sit outside on his phone than join the family.
Grandma's crude comments about the happenings on screen had mom and dad in tears. Not gonna lie, I was cracking up from time to time myself. It was a nice feeling seeing everyone enjoying themselves.
Right during a scene that had my stomach churning in laughing my phone went off. Both myself and my phone sunk into the cushions as if it were made of pure cloud. I pulled the phone from under me and lifted it to my face to see who was calling.
Noah?
"Keep it playing. I have to answer this." I told my family. Mom nodded and I took my leave to find a quieter room in this old-timey looking house. The kitchen seemed to fir the bill.
"Noah Noah Noah." I answered leaning up against the spotted countertop.
"Hey Taylor." He replied. By the sound of his voice I could tell something was up...
"Noah, is everything alright?" I asked him, grasping my phone with a second hand.
"Can you pick me up?" He asked, his familiar tone going shaky.
"What happened, are you okay? Where are you?" I continued questioning him, hoping everything was alright with him, though deep down I knew better.
"I'm at the Windir pier." The reluctance in his response basically spoke a thousand words.
"You know I'm out of town, right?" I reminded him. I'd pick him up in a heartbeat if it weren't for the dozens of miles between us. I would've dropped everything to help him out, but in my current situation that was an unrealistic idea.
"Oh." Was all he said after a lengthy pause.
"Why don't you call an uber or something? I can do it for you if you want." I offered.
"That's... alright." He declined in a soft tone. "I was hoping to find... a place to stay."
I breathed a deep sigh at the difficult predicament. "Well have you tried any of your other friends?"
"Did... something happen with your parents?" I cautiously asked, but he didn't respond. So that was the situation then, huh. I didn't bother pressing the subject any further. Based on our some of our previous conversations I kind of got the gist of what was happening.
"No. I'm not comfortable enough to ask anyone besides you." He replied, a slight shyness piquing his tone.
"Dammit Noah." I sighed again, expressing my disappointment in the 'both of them'. "Hang on, I'll call someone to pick you up."
I immediately hung up the call and began scrolling through my contact list. I told myself I wasn't going to get too involved in their relationship, but the time to intervene is long overdue. I should've been completely straight forward with Noah during the party when he oversaw Nathan and Amber's kiss. Though to be honest I was having second thoughts about Nathan's sexuality at the time myself.
"Nathan?" I called. He picked up immediately as if waiting for someone.
"Hey Taylor, what's up?" His gentle tone swept through the phone.
"Noah's in trouble. He needs someone to pick him up and possibly somewhere to stay for the night, think you can help him out?" I asked, already knowing full well of what Nathan's answer would be.
"Yes, definitely... sure, I can do that." His flustered response was adorable. He tried to play off his excitement but it was waaay too obvious.
"He's at the Windir pier. Take care of him, alright?" I implored him.
"I'll do my best." The determination underlining his short response filled me with a sense of relief. I could rest easy knowing Nathan would treat Noah well.
Nathan's POV
I was sprawled across my sheets reading a novel, about to get ready to turn in for the night when the phone laid just inches beside me went off. Not a moment of hesitation struck as I hastily grabbed and answered it.
It was Taylor.
"Noah's in trouble. He needs someone to pick him up and possibly somewhere to stay for the night, think you can help him out?" Her sudden request caught me off guard.
"Yes, definitely... sure, I can do that." My quick response filled with excitement had me up and pacing around my room at a lightning pace. I tried to contain myself, but I was failing miserably.
"He's at the Windir pier. Take care of him, alright?" She asked, the seriousness in her tone getting me slightly worried.
"I'll do my best." I assured her.
I wasted no time running down the stairs, out the front door and stepping into my car. I made sure to grab a sweatshirt on my way out before traversing into the freezing night, though I was still exposed downwards, wearing nothing but shorts. I needed to stop doing this, but right now I was in a hurry. I didn't have time to change. If Noah is in some kind of serious trouble I didn't want to be wasting time playing dress up at home.
I pulled out of the driveway and headed towards the town I'd only ever been to a couple of times now. Once out of the old town my high beams broke through the dark, casting a comfortable light on the road ahead.
An infinite amount of lights graced my sights as the town panned into view. The roads obscured in darkness was no longer an issue. I had never been to Windir at night before. It felt as though I was suddenly transported inside of a Christmas movie with how many fairy lights loomed above the streets.
I drove around the part of the neighborhood I had been to when hanging out with Taylor and Noah in hopes of locating the pier, but I was unsuccessful. Finding someone to ask for directions was also tricky since it was so late at night. Most of the shops were already closed, though I did eventually end up finding a middle-aged man helming the night-shift at a corner store. The barely audible music coming from the cheap speakers screwed to the ceiling and the cozy temperature of the room almost put me to sleep. I wasn't the only one fighting off the sleep either, the man behind the counter looked like he'd just been tranquilized. When I approached him he came off a little grumpy but I sympathized with his situation. Working this hour would bring out the worst in anybody. In the end he did give some useful information so it all went fine.
I rushed back into the cold, in a hurry to find Noah. The man told me the pier is located a few neighborhoods away. I drove north as instructed and the ocean eventually came into view.
"There." I announced to myself pulling into an empty driveway like area carpeted with gravel and stones. The pier was visible just off in the distance. It was much smaller than I was initially expecting. I unbuckled my seat belt and quickly exited the car. Despite my haste, I took extra precaution navigating through this neighborhood. It looked pretty sketchy with the occasional run down building and lack of lighting around the streets. It was a total one-eighty from the neighborhoods over. It still wasn't as sketchy as the one I live in though.
A hunched over silhouette caught the corner of my eye as I was passing some sort of storage building. I stopped to study the figure for a moment but still couldn't make out if it was a person.
"Noah?" I called out as I approached the shadow. I was slightly shaken by its sudden movement, but when the soft, adorable face that was revealed by a small light source happened to belong to Noah my heart calmed.
It was his turn to be startled. He inched away from me, eyes wide. "H-how did you know I was here?" He asked.
"Taylor told me where you were." I explained, walking over to his side.
"No... Why did it have to be you." He croaked, sounding like he was on the verge of tears. The utter look of defeat swimming in his eyes was unsettling, heartbreaking. "I should've known it would be you." He turned back to face the ocean.
Dang, well that took a blow to my self-confidence, not gonna lie.
"Were you... expecting someone else?" I asked, taking a seat on the ground beside him. He didn't respond. He wrapped his arms around his legs and hid his head from the world, looking just as defeated as before.
"Are you alright?" I asked, leaning over to get a better view of him.
"Is everything okay?" I tried again, hoping I could help or comfort him in some way, but he remained unresponsive.
Noah's POV
Why did things have to turn out this way... The help I was so desperately hoping for has arrived... but it just so happened to be Nathan, of all people. I know you're just trying to look out for me, but curse you Taylor!
"You must be cold. We should probably get going." Nathan expressed his concern, but I ignored him. He was probably saying that just so he could get out of the cold.
"My legs are freezing." He said in an almost gasping manner. I knew it, he was just worried about himself. I took a quick peek over to him with my head still hidden. His muscular, semi hairy legs were just within my range of sight. Despite being obstructed in darkness the paleness of his skin was very notable.
He willingly came out here in shorts? What's wrong with him. The sound of his hands brushing back and forth on his legs to warm himself up became super distracting.
"Well if we're staying out here for a while longer you could probably use this more than me." He said, but I couldn't see what he was referring to, my sight still hidden in between my legs.
After listening to his shifting and rustling around beside me a warmth wrapped over my body, catching me by surprise. It felt like I was enveloped in the coziest blanket retrieved from the fireside. I could feel the chill fleeing from my nearly frozen skin.
The fabric, the armholes, the zipper. It's a jacket... His jacket. It smells like him... a lot. "Are you okay? Is there anything you need from me?" He started again, placing a hand on my shoulder.
Was I wrong? Does he actually care?
I removed my head from in between my legs and looked over to the boy sat beside me. Our eyes locked and he offered a soft, reassuring smile. If the jacket wasn't already doing its job by keeping my body warm, the fire of my blazing red cheeks would've been the next best thing. Everything about this was romantic, not taking the blistering cold into account that is. The gentle breeze coasting across the ocean, the peaceful quiet, and the eerie yet relaxing darkness. Nathan's gentle stare resting on me lit a small fire inside my stomach. I found myself getting lost in his eyes, even though I could barely see them.
Noah... You know you can't have this. He's just leading you on. Stop this... before you get hurt, again. That's right... I can't forget about him and Amber.
I stood up sharply, the reasons for why I didn't want to see him came flooding back in my head like a defense mechanism.
"Go back without me." I demanded, turning my back towards him.
"Noah." He called out my name and continued to do so as I walked away, a hint of confusion mixed in his tone. It didn't take long for him to start following me though.
"Please, just... just leave me alone." I demanded, gripping onto the jacket I'd received moments ago.
"Did I do something wrong?" There was an innocence in his voice.
"Please, just stop."
"Stop... what?"
"Look, I don't know if you're doing it intentionally but you leading me on like isn't doing either of us any favors."
"I don't understand Noah, what you're talking about?"
"I already know you and Amber have a thing going on. Trying to appeal to me isn't helping in any way so please... just leave me alone from now on." I begged him, losing control over my emotions. I got my hopes up when Taylor's father told me Nathan was into men. I thought hey, maybe he might have a thing for me? I've been afraid of making the first move since I didn't want to strain our friendship, but all of my hopes were shattered when I got front row seats to the makeout session between him and Amber.
"I-is that what you think?" His pitch rose, getting defensive. At this point I had already toned him out though. I ignored anything else he had to say, in order to protect myself. Life has already become such hell, I didn't need to feel any more heartbreak.
I walked with haste in my step, hoping to out-pace the boy trailing close behind. I've never longed to be alone any more than I did right now, which is ironic seeing what kind of situation I'm in.
My stride soon became a dash as I attempted to put some distance between Nathan and I."Noah please, just hold on a second!" I barely managed to hear him say over the pumping of the blood and wind at my ears.
"Noah, it's dangerous to be running through the dark in an area like this!" He scolded, his voice still the same volume as the last he spoke... which meant I wasn't going to lose him. The cold and exhaustion plaguing my limbs must have been greatly reducing my trademarked running speed.
"Dang it!" I grumbled, shutting my eyes and putting every ounce of energy into it. The street up ahead was mostly a straight line encased by aged buildings and mom n' pop shops.
"Noah!" Nathan called out repeatedly. I was beginning to feel bad for making him chase me this far... but that was his choice. He should've just left me alone.
Lost in my head and completely unaware of my surrounding I ran into something face first, falling to the rock tiled street beneath me. A grunt escaped me as I reached for my aching forehead.
I almost wet myself when I opened my eyes to the tall dark figure towered above me. I sat there watching in shock for a good few seconds before scrambling onto my feet. I was barely able to make out the person's features. He had messy hair, slightly aged skin, and a bit of facial hair. He was holding some kind of box full of an assortment of items. Upon broadening my terrified gaze I noticed he had cohorts gathered around a black vehicle with the trunk opened up. From the way they were sneaking around in the dark I could tell they were up to no good.
"What'a you lookin' at? You wanna die?" The guy who I had just bumped into threatened, pulling out what looked to be a... gun?
"I-i..." The terror running through my mind had me at a complete loss for words. My body was stiffer than a pack of frozen peas. The lack of response from myself prompted him to inch closer. I can tell you my heart was beating faster than a machine gun's fire right about now. The nervous bullets of sweat chilled by the cold sent shivers across my skin as they drained down my face.
Amid my fright, a large body positioned its self between me and the weapon. A sense of security and safeness washed over me like a sudden downpour of rain. My natural instinct was to grip the back of the wall, the one protecting me from the lump of steel pointed my way.
"Sorry, he's with me. There was a misunderstanding and he ran off." That voice... it was Nathan! Knowing this my grip on his shirt tightened and I pressed my head up against his back.
"C'mon, we should head back. You need to listen when I'm trying to tell you something." He scolded again as he turned around to look at me. I just stared at him, my eyes wide, still in shock.
"You two ain't seen nothin' here." The man's voice went deep and dry as he threatened one last time.
"I actually have no idea what's going on here and I'd like to leave it that way." Nathan said waving them off and guiding me away with a hand on my shoulder. It baffled me how he could stay so calm and level headed in a situation like that. The other guys seemed to be left confused by his relaxed demeanor as well as I.
Somehow we got out of that unscathed. I couldn't remove my eyes from sculpted face belonging to the man who potentially just saved my life. I watched his features intently, my mouth partially agape. Despite his gaze flat and focused he squeezed my shoulder reassuringly, taking notice of my shaking body.
(Play the song)
We continued to walk in silence, Nathan not speaking a word. He was dead quiet the entire time. The sound of our footsteps echoing across the dark streets, the occasional stone kicked up from the ground, our heartbeats, I was anxiously listening to it all.
Suddenly, just before we reached the pier Nathan let out a long sigh and pulled me into an alleyway. Next thing I knew I was pinned up against something solid. I could feel the creases of a brick wall at my back as my arms were held on either side of me. My widened eyes rose to the man in front of me.
"Noah, I told you it was dangerous." Nathan said with another sigh. "I was nearly pissing myself." He admitted hanging his head low. To say I was caught off guard would be an understatement it. He seemed calm and collected the entire time.
"Before you decide to go and run off again I need to clear some things up." I could feel him tighten his grip around my wrists, his tone getting more serious.
"I'm not dating, nor do I like Amber. I was completely wasted when I kissed her. Heck, I did a lot of stupid stuff I wish I could take back, but that's usually how things turn out at parties... isn't it?" He explained, still seeming unsure himself.
"I'm exhausted chasing you around like this, I need you to be upfront about everything, otherwise... I won't know what I did wrong." He continued.
"Well... you don't have to keep chasing me, you're doing that of your own accord." I stubbornly responded, ignoring the last part of his sentence and averting my gaze towards the many bags of trash lined up at the end of the alleyway.
"Noah..." There was another sigh, one of disappointment. "If you could just tell me, maybe... maybe I could do right by you..." A tinge of pain caught in his voice. It made me feel a little bad for acting the way I was, but I couldn't help take my frustration out on someone. I was in a horrible mood right now. My life has fallen apart so fast, I've barely had any time to digest it all.
"You don't have to lie about Amber, it's fine. It really doesn't matter." I responded dull and dishonesty, not looking him in the eye. "I'd rather you not play with my feelings. So please, just drop it." I suppose I'm kind of at fault for getting my hopes after what Taylor's father said.
His grip on my wrists loosened and eventually let go entirely. My arms fell to my side, but I didn't move a muscle still staring off into the distance.
A sharp cold grazed my cheek, tilting my head gently. Nathan held my face with an unreadable expression plastered on his face.
"Wh-" was all I managed to get out before my mouth was captured by his. In pure shock, my widened eyes grew to the size of golf balls. We were surrounded by the grips of winter. The chilly winds occupying the streets and alleyways left no sense of warmth to be discovered... yet the heat generating from our connected lips blazed throughout my entire body, sending chills down my spine.
Nathan... kissed me? It felt unreal, almost like I was deep in a dream on the cusp of waking. That had to be the case, right? His lips worked gently against mine, but still held some dominance over my own. It was so sensual, I definitely did not want to wake up from this.
Nathan pulled away and looked into my eyes with what appeared to be... fear?"I-I'm sorry, I don't know if I was getting mixed signals or..." He nervously apologized, actively moving his hands around.
To be honest I had trouble paying attention to anything but his lips. I somehow became imbued with enough confidence and desire to grab the collar of his shirt and tip toe to re-initiate the kiss. It was his turn to be surprised. I held dominance for a little while, but Nathan quickly took control, pressing me back against the wall. I felt a light gentle warmth burning in my stomach. This unbelievable moment lit a fire inside of me.
Was this... not a dream?  Could it possibly have been real?
A good few seconds had passed, ones that felt like an eternity in heaven. A cold tingling on my skin broke the kiss. I pulled back to see snow flurrying from the dark, cloudy skies. Both Nathan and I marveled at the sight in awe. It was ironic that our first kiss was accompanied by the first snow. It appeared to be something on Nathan's mind to with the way he lightly chuckled at me. All the confidence welled in me a moment ago had been lost. I stood there bashfully shifting my nervous gaze.
I guess he wasn't lying... about... all of that then, was he...  Oh god, that fact made me feel over the moon but also beyond embarrassed. I was acting petty and childish, almost certain it was justified. I didn't want to admit otherwise, but clearly, I was in the wrong.
"God, I've been waiting so long for this." Nathan practically groaned, turning around in celebration. I watched his tall frame saunter through the falling snow. A gust of wind blew through the alley, sending shivers across my skin. Nathan seemed to notice and returned to my side.
"Come on, are you willing to go back with me now? It's freezing out here." He asked as he fixed his poorly fitted jacket on my body. I never took the time to put it on properly so he went out of his way to do it for me.
I nodded, finally accepting the proposal. My face turned all shades of red when I looked up from the zipper to the bright expression lighting up his facial features.
"Let's go." His voice went soft. He wrapped an arm over my back, guiding me as he had just moments ago.
This time there was absolutely no way I could peel my eyes off of him, so long as he didn't notice my stare. The longer my eyes rested on his appearance the more attractive he became. The more time had passed the more surreal the situation became.
Someone like Nathan... liking me? There's no way right?
"I parked just up here." He nudged his head to a shoulder hight brick wall. The blue car once belonging to Jerold became visible, lightly dusted in a flurry of snow. Very little time had passed since the snowfall began, but it already started piling up on an assortment of objects around the neighborhood. The air was so cold my legs were hurting. I could only imagine how bad it was for Nathan. He was in nothing but a t-shirt and shorts. I glanced down to the over sided hoodie enveloping me in warmth, a grateful smile growing at my lips.
It felt odd having Nathan being the one to pick me up, but I was thankful nonetheless. Him jogging over to the car door to open it for me made me realize how often he'd do things like that. He's always been overly courteous to his friends. This time felt a little more special though. I stepped in finally escaping the dreadful tundra-like weather. My attempts at warming my hands up were in vein, the air was still too cold. No matter how much friction I built up the numbing sensation wouldn't go away.
"Here, let me turn the heat on." Nathan said, joining me in the car. I watched him intently. When the car light turned on I got a clear view of the redness of his skin as he reached for the control of the heater. My guilt from earlier resurfaced. This was my fault...
The drive was really awkward. Neither of us said a word. We would just glance back and forth at each other every once in a while. I honestly didn't know what to say. There was so much going through my mind I couldn't focus on a single thing.
"We're here." Nathan announced almost as a whisper. He pulled into some kind of parking lot in the dingy looking city area. It took me a moment before the realization struck.
"I-is this your place?" I asked, hesitantly stepping out of the car.
"Yeah?" He answered, slightly confused by my question.
"Oh." I went silent and trailed behind him while he headed towards the familiar building that was his home.
He pulled out a key and unlocked the door, but instead of heading inside he waited for me. When I reached his side after pacing through the falling snow he placed a hand on my shoulder and lead me in. I didn't know how to respond, I just looked up to him, my face more than likely flushed.
The interior was dim and dingy looking. There were chips in the walls and furniture. Everything looked worn compared to what I was used to. That said, everything was in place and clean for the most part. None of this took me by surprise since I'd been here not long ago.
"Am I allowed to stay here? It'll only be for the night." I asked, unsure whether he intended it or not. He looked at me with that same confused look from earlier.
"That's why I brought you here. You need a place to stay, right?"
"Oh... I wasn't sure." I said playing with the zipper of my jacket, or his's jacket rather.
"And stay as long as you want, I'm sure my mom would be happy with the extra company. I'll still have to check in with her to let her know though. She didn't respond to well when she mistook me for an intruder." He chuckled, flashing a smile. I returned a weak one, thankful for his hospitality.
Nathan guided me up to his room and had me wait on his bed while he went to fill June in on the situation. The familiar scent of his covers graced my nose, begging for me to smell them. I lifted one layer and wrapped it over me, warming up while taking in the smell. It's an odd habit of mine that I can't help.
Just as I was getting comfortable the memories of my hellish decided to come back and haunt me. My chest tightened just thinking about it. Whenever I thought about Chad it felt like I was getting physically strangled. The sight of him alone just pisses me off.
...To think I once thought of them as friends. Chad, Haley and the rest. They're so caught up in themselves they'll do anything just to bring others down. The hierarchy running our school is so toxic, and the fact that I had to fall this low to realize it makes me extremely disappointed in myself. People like Nathan had to deal with it for the longest time...
The slightly drafty, dimly lit room wasn't doing much to lift my mood. It was still miles better than being outside in the snow though, so I'm not complaining.
I pulled the cover up over the lower half of my face trying to get comfy and pushing the negative thoughts to the back of my mind. My eyes wandered the intricate room, studying all of Nathan's possessions and interests. His DVD collection was super impressive. He must reaaallly be into movies. I've just started picking up on all of his movie references. He does it very subtly but I swear it's a thing, I'm not even sure it's intentional.
What's going to happen between Nathan and I now? Are we still... just friends? The fact that he kissed-... no, the way that he kissed me, it definitely means he likes me, right? Another guy returning my feelings was alien to me so I was still uncertain of everything.
The sound of the door handle turning pulled me out of my thoughts. I shot my head in the direction and in came Nathan.
"Mom seemed more than happy to have you staying with us." He informed wearing a warm smile as he shut the door behind him and walked over to the bedside. I shyly smiled back, grateful to him.
"Want me to make you something to eat? Are you thirsty?" He generously offered.
"That's alright." I declined, not wanting to overstep my welcome in his home.
"Did you already have dinner?"
"Errm... I didn't." I awkwardly admitted, shifting my gaze away from him.
"Let me make you something to eat." He insisted. "Hold on, it'll only take me ten minutes." And with that he was out of the room, leaving me no time to respond.
I shook my head staring at the door, a goofy smile plastered on my lips. On the surface, Nathan comes off as handsome and manly, but he has an adorable, sweet side to him as well. I feel like that's the reason I've grown to like him as much as I have.
Somehow I was feeling a slight sense of relief and resolution. I was going to be sleeping in an unfamiliar place without any of my belongings after being kicked out, but the warmth and hospitality from Nathan and June made things a little more bearable.