Change is Good - 3. Chapter 3 - Time Passes By

Chapter 3: Time Passes By

*Alex*

Now I’m not usually one who wastes a whole lot of time trying to figure out the perfect outfit to wear, but here I was rummaging through my closet, looking for something to make me stand out.

“The world must be coming to an end, Alex cares about his appearance in school,” Tiffany said while acting as if she was going to pass out landing on my bed.

“Shut up, you know as well as I do, why today I’m so concerned about how I look,” I said while pulling my new Aero shirt down. “You are such a label whore is everything in here branded?” I asked Tiff as she continues to roll around on my bed.

“Of course only the best for my best friend, I can’t have you cramping my style if you are going to hang around with this sexy bitch,” she says as she gets up from my bed and strikes a pose in my doorway. “Now come on or we will be late, oh and by the way you look ultra yummy today I can’t wait to see Shawn drool all over for you,” she ducks behind the door before I could hit her with my pillow. I grabbed my bag and keys and rushed out to her car.

I’ve never been so anxious to be in school, usually going about my day just getting by until its time to go home. Today is different I want him to notice me, but at the same time I’m afraid he will reject me. I’m a bundle of nerves getting my books out of my locker when I hear my name called from down the hall.

“Alex? Wow you look…uh…nice,” Shawn says to me. If I didn’t know any better I would say he was blushing, but that could just be wishful thinking on my part.

“You guys have fun I have to run and talk with Mr. Harris before class starts,” Tiff says with a wink as she sways down the hall causing all the boys heads’ to turn.

“So have you two been together long?” Shawn asks as we watch Tiffany stroll away.

“Me and Tiffany ha, we have been best friends since I moved here. She is more like a sister to me than anything else and she just really isn’t my type.”

“Oh so what is your type?” he asks.

Not expecting that question I look away from him, blushing hoping he hasn’t noticed. He presses for an answer when the bell rings and now I truly understand the phrase “saved by the bell”.

*Shawn*

As Alex hurries away before answering my question I can’t help but admire his figure. The way his clothes fit to his body and his cute little butt that is hidden under his jeans. Catching myself staring a little too long I discreetly rearrange myself before heading off to my first class. Not really caring where I sit I grab the first seat I find.

“Well I haven’t seen you around here before, you must be new. I’m Jessica” she says lightly running her hands up and down my arm.

“I’m Shawn, yeah I’m new here, and I just started yesterday.”

“Nice to meet you Shawn, you should come sit with my friends and me at lunch I’m sure you would get along great with them all.”

“Uh…yeah, sure that would be cool,” I say and try to turn my attention towards the teacher at the front of the room. Through the entire lesson Jessica “accidently” brushed up against me with her legs and arms, and even running her hands down my thigh as she picked up the pen that she “dropped”. I have never in my life been so happy for any class to end.

As I am walking to my locker Jessica interlocks her arm with mine.

“Hi Shawn where are you off to?”

“Just going to get a few things out of my locker while I have a free period.”

“In that case you should come to the courtyard with me and meet my friends.”

With that she pulled me along outside to what I can “only assume” are her group of friends all sitting around a large tree in the center of the courtyard.

“Everyone I’d like you all to meet my new boyfriend Shawn,” Jessica says.

“Wait since when are we…”

“Don’t be shy I told you my friends would love you,” she responds cutting me off.

While being unwillingly introduced to all of her friends I noticed Alex and Tiffany walking over, we briefly make eye contact before Alex’s gaze shifts to my arm locked in Jessica’s.

“Tiffany, Alex have you two met my boyfriend Shawn?” Jessica asks.

“Boyfriend?” Alex asks with a hurt expression, which quickly turns to a neutral one.

“Yeah we ran into each other earlier today, I didn’t know you guys were an item, well I’m happy for you guys, sorry I have to run. Big project to work on, you know me with honors classes and all.”

Alex quickly hurried away with what appeared to be tears in his eyes. I catch a quick glare from Tiffany before she runs off after Alex. I have to fix this before it’s too late, the last thing I want to do is hurt Alex.

“Looks like I saved you just in time from social suicide,” Jessica says in a bitchy tone.

“What are you talking about?”

“Isn’t it obvious, the little fag has the “hots” for you. I heard he moved here with his dad after some gay scandal got out around his old school, so you can thank me by taking me out on an official date.”

“I would never associate myself with a bitch like you who purposely tries to hurt people. I don’t care about things like sexuality, people like who they like. It’s people like you who make it so hard for others to just be themselves.”

I rush off to find Alex with two things on my mind; I want to undo the damage that bitch caused, and second if what she says is true and Alex really is gay I might just have a shot with him, if it is not too late.

*Tiffany*

Rushing off away from that crowd I head first for Alex’s locker. I have never truly seen him this upset before and I’m concerned that if I don’t find him soon he may find himself in trouble. Not seeing him anywhere around school I head outside to my car, Alex has always had the second set of keys but has never used them hopefully he is there. Running out to the parking lot I notice a figure near my car and my heart skips a beat.

“Alex are you alright,” I ask as I approach. Once I reached him I was surprised to find not Alex but Justin the star quarterback of the football team checking out my car.

“Justin? What are you doing?” I ask him.

“Oh yea Tiffany I was just checking out your car it’s a sweet ride I’ve always wanted to ask you about it, but you never seem to be away from that Alex kid for more than a few seconds. I swear its like you two are attached at the hip,” he says as he walks away from the car and closer to me.

“So now that I have the rare moment of your attention what do you say to a date this Friday night?”

Normally I would be jumping for joy having a stud like him ask me out on a date, but right now Alex was the first thing on my mind.

“I would love to, but right now I’m concerned about my friend. He ran off earlier and I haven’t been able to find him since,” I say to him while still looking around hoping to spot Alex somewhere around the school.

“I’ll help you look for him if that will get me a date with you,” He says before flashing me his million-dollar smile and running off to go find Alex or so I assume.

Not being able to find Alex has me worried, and my fears are only doubled when I get to my next class that I share with him and he is nowhere in sight. Alex has never been one to skip a class ever, “Excuse me Mr. Harris may I be excused to the bathroom?”

“Of course Tiffany, but please do hurry,” he replies.

I have one more place in mind that he may go, and with that thought in mind I head up to the roof of the school. I breathe a sigh of relief when I find Alex sitting on the roof, but surprised to also see Justin sitting with him. Maybe he is more than just a sexy jock there may be some substance to him as well.

*Alex’*

The rooftop is my escape, when I saw Shawn with Jessica my heart hit the floor. I’m not surprised he is straight, but I never thought he was the type of guy to get together with someone like her and so quickly. There are a bunch of things swirling through my head and I feel this void in my heart as I think about him and the connection I thought that we were making. I feel as if he was almost leading me on, but the truth of the matter is maybe I was only fooling myself and want someone to be with that I was blind. After all it may be too soon to start dating again, I don’t think I’m quite ready, not after what happened before.

I hear footsteps approaching and turn to find someone unexpected taking a seat next to me. Of all the people to find me up here on the roof I never expected the star quarterback to be one of them, on top of that he is being nice to me and seems to genuinely care about what has upset me.

“So little dude what has you sitting out here all by yourself?” he asks me.

“Just a lot on my plate right now, thinking about things from my past and some things that have come to light in my future,” I reply.

“I see, well this is a great place to reflect on those type of things. Usually after a hard practice I come up hear to escape the pressures of football and just breathe in the fresh air,” he says as he lies back getting more relaxed.

“You know there are those back down in the school that are worried about you,” he says to me after a moment of silence.

“Yeah probably Tiffany if anyone, she is the only one that I would have expected to finally find me out here,” I say.

“So what’s the deal with you two, every time I see her you are always there. Are you two dating or something?” he asks.

“Ha definitely not, we have been close ever since I moved here, she is my best friend and like a sister to me. I don’t think anyone will ever understand me like she does. I have to say though this is weird I never thought I would be sitting up here on the roof talking to the king of the school, no offense but we don’t really associate in the same circles,” I say getting up for a quick stretch.

“Truth is I never expected myself to be talking to you either…” I cut him off before he could finish and rush over to Tiff as I noticed her walking over.

“Don’t you ever scare me like that again, I searched all over the school for you,” Tiff says and she grabs me for a hug.

“I’m sorry I guess I just wasn’t prepared to face the truth, at least not this soon.”

“Aww babe it’s ok there are so many other guys out there, you will find the right one soon enough,” she says as she gives me one more quick hug.

“Now if you will excuse me I have one hot stud to thank for being a big softy,” she says as she walks off towards Justin.

And then it clicks why he was being so nice to me; he wasn’t concerned about me he had to be doing all of that just to get in good with Tiffany. I don’t voice my opinion out loud hopefully I’m wrong and Tiff has finally found a decent guy of her own.

To give them some privacy I make my way back down to the school only to literally come face to face with Shawn and fall flat on my ass. After picking up my glasses and dusting myself off I look up to see those gorgeous eyes that have captivated me from the first moment I saw them. Could this day get any worse?