Hey Stranger

Zaid POV

Today was a shitty day…No matter how much I wanted to be alone and said so as politely as possible, people kept talking to me asking me what was wrong. Then when I would tell them I was fine and just wanted to be by myself I’d get some remark about being a crab ass. At the moment I liked being a crab ass…it suited me. I don’t have to be the quiet nice guy all the time, and today I just wanted to tell everyone to fuck off. Maybe even knock someone out…mainly Jimmy.

Arden had been late to school today, yes I had started to pay attention to tardiness…I like him, so sue me. Anyway, he was late and he was more bruised up then when I’d seen him at the coffee shop. He was also limping and holding his ribs. It hurt to know that he had gotten beat up this morning and all Jimmy could do was make comments about the ‘little faggot’ deserving it. Nobody deserved to hurt like that…especially Arden.

I had decided I’d talk to Arden today…at lunch I was going to sit with him and then if we hit it off I figured I’d sit with him again in art. I really hoped we would like each other, I mean if not then I’d pretty much be taking shit from my friends for no reason and if that happened I might have ended up snapping on someone.

So as the end of 4th period English rolled up and my lunch approached, I was so fucking nervous I was literally bouncing in my seat. One of Sierra’s overly lip-glossed lackeys was staring at me like I was insane but also like she might eat me. They tended to do that when ever Sierra wasn’t around.

They were always gawking at me like I was a piece of meat…it’s disturbing as hell, even more so when they don’t keep their hands to themselves. Yep, my girlfriends minions groped me regularly and me being the nice guy I am, I’d smile sweetly and make a joke instead of ripping out their perfectly placed hair, which I found myself wanting to do more and more lately. All because I don’t particularly like being touched without warning…it was one more thing Sierra would bitch about.

The bell rang and I don’t know why but every time that stupid thing goes off I always feel like I’m going to bolt out of skin. I quickly gathered my stuff, not really paying attention to what the assignment was as I raced out of the room to my locker. I pretty much chucked my books into the little metal box that had been mine since freshman year and tried not to run out side.

Arden always sat outside at the same table…or at least that was what this goofy little freshman that had a crush on him had told me. Her name was like Stacy or Stephie, something overly cute like that, and when I’d spoken to her, her eyeballs had almost fallen out of her head. I don’t see why…am I not allowed to talk to the first years? Seriously, it like she was expecting me to suddenly burst into flames.

I sighed softly as I came up on his table…his stuff was already there…I could tell by the black hard cover journal and the black messenger bag on the bench. Okay this was going to be awkward…what should I do? Sit and the table and be like ‘Yo…’ when he shows up?

No…no I couldn’t do that…He’d think I was a creep if I tried something as 90’s-ish as that…I was usually smoother then this but I was suddenly very shy and self-conscious. It had never happened to me before and it was creeping me out.

“Um…can I help you?” A deep sharp voice said that was oddly soft-spoken said and I looked up.

It was Arden and I tried not to gape at him but he looked so cute with his black skinny jeans and Led Zeppelin tee shirt and matching hoodie. A pair of dark aviator sunglasses hid those gorgeous amber eyes and I wanted to ask him to take them off but I held my tongue. He was hiding a black eye and I knew it.

He suddenly cocked a dark eyebrow up at me as I just sort of looked at him for a moment. I hadn’t realized how short he really was until just then. He couldn’t have been taller than 5’6…and he was so skinny...but it worked for him. “Hello? Anyone home in there?” He said dragging out the ‘o’ in hello and it brought me out of my thoughts and I wanted to kick myself.

“Oh is…um anyone sitting here?” I said trying to recover so tact, though it didn’t really work.

“Um…just me, but I can move if you and your friends wanted my table…” He said and started to gather his things.

“No! I mean…no, I actually wanted to ask if I could sit with you…” I said and he stopped his mouth dropping open just a bit.

“You want to sit with me?” He asked sounding like I’d just said he’d won the jackpot

“Yes?”

“You’re not fucking with me, are you?” His voice was low and I felt a pang in my chest with the thought that he didn’t trust me…but I couldn’t blame him, he thought I was messing with his head and though I understood his mistrust a part of me was disappointed.

“No, I actually want to sit with you…I’ve wanted to talk to you since I saw you at the coffee shop on Sunday…I just didn’t have the balls to.”

“Because I’m a loser as well as a fag and your friends won’t approve?” He said talking a seat at the table. Whoa, I wasn’t expecting him to be so mistrusting. Then again, he was abused regularly by a lot of people so it not something I shouldn’t have expected. I just thought that the way he looked at me yesterday and at the coffee shop he might be open up to me…you know…not be so cold.

“No…” I said. “I was afraid because I didn’t know how to talk to you…after what happened at the coffee shop I was just a little nervous about actually meeting you.”

“And what exactly happened?” He asked leaning on the table with crossed arms.

“I…well…” Okay this was really awkward, why was he being like this? It was really unnerving me. I liked him but he seemed like he hated my guts. “Look…um…I’m sorry I bothered you. I’ll leave you alone. Just pretend I never bothered you.” I said and started to get up.

“No, please stay…” He said and reached out, his fingers wrapping around my wrist. A shock went up my arm and I’m sure he felt it too because he audibly gasped and his grip tightened on my wrist.

I looked down at him and he looked up at me. I don’t know what happened but the next thing I knew I had pulled him up to his feet and pulled him against me. It was such a strangest feeling. I almost couldn’t control myself as I leaned down and let my lips graze over his. His hand came up and curled in my hair and deepened the kiss.

I shivered as I kissed him back but then he was stepping back away from me, that same scared look on his face that he’d had two days ago. He was looking around at the other tables, no one else was out here it was just us and no one had seen us kiss. He took off his sun glasses and looked right at me but he kept backing up.

“Arden, wait...I’m sorry, I don’t…” I said and then he held up his hand for me to stop and did immediately.

“Don’t apologize.” He said and I didn’t know what to say back to that.

“Okay?”

“I liked it…I liked kissing you…it’s just, I’m a little freaked out right now.” He looked so lost, and as he’d said, freaked out. So he had felt the shock as well as the need to be physically close. That had been the weirdest part, I had felt like if I didn’t get close to him everything would fall apart…like nothing else mattered except pulling him against me.

“I am too…” I said.

“Then…how about later we talk about it…like at that coffee shop…” He said.

“Um sure…”

“6:30 then…after you get out of practice.” He said and I just nodded and then he grabbed his stuff and took off.

I never thought I was a great kisser but I didn’t think I was bad…I mean no one has ever run away after I kissed them..

I trudged back into the school with my head down. I had just gotten my first kiss from a guy and it was the best kiss I’d ever recieved. I was still light headed from it....This was was definitely not just a Bromance.