Gay Guitarist

AIDEN'S P.O.V

"Yeah, I think I'd fuck a girl before Aiden even KISSES a boy." Oliver laughed, pointing his fork at me.

Parker started coughing on his eggs.

I would've asked him if he was okay, if it was any other time than this. If Oliver had said any other thing then that.

But I instinctively knew that he knew.

I lowered my eyes to my plate as I listened to the small commotion on the other side of the table. Oliver asking if Parker was alright. Parker swallowing his coughs, and saying that he was.

I felt so ashamed.

Sure, I was drunk last night. But it was no excuse. I had so many people that I could have. Dozens upon dozens. But Oliver had never shown any interest to anyone until Parker. Oliver needed someone to hold, someone to love.

Especially someone like Parker. Someone so kind, and funny, and caring---

He's my best friend, I chanted internally, My best friend.

I cleared my throat awkwardly. They all stopped talking. I had never really got why they all listened to me instinctively. But I never questioned it.

"Time to get to school, guys." I said, standing up, leaving my half-empty plate on the table. They all followed my lead, looking around for a place to put their plate.

"Just leave it. Greta will get it." I murmured casually, waving my hand to the back door.

"Oh yeah, you're nice little maid. You're a lucky bitch, you know that, right?" Theo grumbled, walking to the front door.

3 hours later, I was exhausted.

Mentally, and physically. I hadn't gotten more than a few hours sleep, and my body felt like it was pressing in on itself.

Only four more hours, and I would be at home.

"Mr Tyler?" My second period math teacher, Mr Rodriguez said, standing at the front of the room. I realized that the whole class was staring at me, and that I had dozed off a little bit. No one laughed, as they would of if it had been someone else.

"He's so cute when he's asleep," I heard someone sigh from the other side of the room. I grinned tiredly as the class laughed at the girl, now blushing pink.

"All 'cuteness' aside," Mr Rodriguez air quoted, "you're not allowed to be asleep in my classroom. Detention after school."

"But, Mr Rodriguez. I have something important to do tonight---"

"What is it, that's more important then being in school?" He replied nastily.

I smiled bleakly. "It's a little hard to explain."

"Try it." He sat down on his desk, staring at me disbelieving sarcasm in his eyes.

"Alright," I began, and cleared my throat. "I have a meeting with my lawyer, and then we're going to go down to Morrisville to talk to my label, because our first show was a disaster. I have to convince them to give us another chance, and to not drop us, which would have been very difficult if I wasn't so exhausted, and is now just harder. If I can't persuade them to keep us, then the bands finished, and our prospects of a future are ruined. So Mr R," I smiled, "If you keep me after school, you ruin mine and three other peoples chances of a good future."

The room was quiet, and Mr Rodriguez just stared at me, surprise clear on his face. We stayed like that for a moment, before he shook his head, and turned back to the blackboard.

"--So charming! AND hot!"

"I didn't know he had a band. Are they good?"

"You didn't know about Reach? They're amazing. He's the guitarist. I went to their show, and that new kid got hurt crowd surfing---"

Whispers chorused through the room, and people glanced at me from the corner of their eyes. They all looked away hastily when they saw I was looking back.

I hate this school. I can't wait until June.

"Hey, Aiden?" I heard someone call from behind me. I was walking through the halls towards the cafeteria, dragging my feet. I turned to see Parker running towards me.

I felt my stomach clench, and my heart rate accelerated slightly. I forced a smile through my anxiety, though. For all he knew, I didn't know.

And that's how it's going to stay.

"Why'd you kiss me?" Was the first thing he said when he reached me.

"What?" I feigned shock and confusion. I started walking again, hoping he wouldn't see anything else in my expression. But he pulled me to a stop.

"I know you remember," He sighed exasperatedly. "This morning when I remembered, I looked at you and I knew you knew that I remembered. Don't lie to me."

I was quiet. I didn't know what to say. People don't usually pick up on body language. I do. Sometimes Oliver does. But no one ever picks up on MY body language.

"Well?" Parker said.

"Well. I think we should go and talk somewhere." I glanced around me. I was suddenly aware of what a scene we were making, with Parker practically screaming at me, smack in the middle of the hall. People were staring interestedly at us. Whispers ran through the crowd.

I walked quickly away, and I knew instinctively that Parker was following. I led us outside to a secluded spot away from anyone. "Now," I said nervously. "What do you want me to say?"

"I want you to tell me why you kissed me." He said bluntly, staring straight up at me. His strawberry blond hair looked more red out in the direct sunlight. He had a stereotypical gay lumberjack patterned scarf around his neck, and his clothes were all tight. His green eyes stared straight into mine, in a challenging way.

He was gorgeous.

I shook the thought out of my head, and sighed. Should I lie, or tell the truth...?

"I don't know why," I fibbed. "I was drunk." I didn't tell him how when he asked me how I knew, and his eyelashes danced around his cheeks, something slow and burning had replaced my feeling of dizziness in the pit of my stomach. About how I slayed there, burning on the inside, feeling more connected to this guy then I ever had to anyone in my entire life. How I couldn't not press my lips onto his.

It was a compulsion, one that I simply couldn't resist.

He glared at me, sensing my bullshit. His soft lips pursed slightly, and he breathed deeper.

We stood there in silence, him willing me with his beauty to tell me the truth, me willing him with my tired eyes to just back off.

He wasn't as practiced in getting what he wanted, and in manipulating people. I would always win in that game, because it was mine. I might as well have invented it.

He shook his head slowly, and tore his eyes away from mine. "Where'd Oliver go?" He asked, seeming more tired than I was.

"Doctor's." I said simply and unhelpfully.

"Oh." He looked back up at me. The challenge was gone from his eyes. Now, he just looked sad.

Something in those eyes triggered a protective part of me, much like the one I get with Abigail and leering guys. I wanted to pull him into my arms, and reassure him that it was okay, that everything would work out.

But, then he did something I didn't expect.

He kissed me.