HSAU: Homecoming Part 2

Alex

That didn’t go as planned. And neither did before school, he wouldn’t even look at me. I probably shouldn’t have said what I did, but I didn’t need to have that many issues on my plate at one time.  Homeroom went and I grabbed a bundle of homework and things for Max to take to him. Like he was going to do it. But I supposed I could help him. I stuffed them in my locker and went into science. Nox was already sitting there at the far end of the table we shared. He was busy jotting things down in his notebook.

He didn’t look up when I sat down. “Look…” I started to say.

He cut in. “I don’t want to talk about it. Don’t worry about me. I’ll do our project, you don’t have to worry about that either.” He never even looked at me.

“I tried to call you back to explain.”

“I turned my phone off, something about being needy and clingy I’m sure.”

I growled. “Nox, I’m sorry. This is just too much.”

“Like I said Alex, don’t worry about me. I’ll go be needy and clingy with some one else.” He looked up and smiled, “Don’t worry about me.”

The class started and that was the end of our chat. Not that it had gone well either. I rested my head on my hands and drifted off to sleep again. First period sucked. The bell woke me and Nox was already gone by the time I opened my eyes. So much for that.

The day went by great except every time I caught Nox in the hall he was chatting up some pretty girl and smiling and touching and being everything I knew he wasn’t. He was free to flirt with who ever he wanted now. Had he always been like that? Was I seeing things that weren’t real? Or was he doing it to piss me off.

Either way I was tired of seeing him around school and when lunch came around I did everything in my power to avoid him. And I was successful, except when Drew came up to me with a face that could chew gravel. He was shaking his head at me, “I don’t know why he bothers, but here are the notes you missed in Science.”

Drew handed me pretty boy’s photocopied notes. The only difference this time is there was no additional note on them. “I don’t know what you thought you were doing, but Nox isn’t like you or me. There are things you don’t know, things he doesn’t say to anyone. I wished you’d told me before you went up to his roof, I could have told you not to get physical with him.” Drew said and then he turned on his heels and walked away.

I hurried after him, didn’t figure we had much time to talk about anything but I wanted to know. I grabbed his arm and turned him to the wall it looked sorta like I was gonna bully him into giving me his lunch money but I was okay with that. He smirked at me, “It bothers you knowing that someone knows him better than you huh?”

“What happened to him?”

Drew shook his head, “Not for me to tell you Alex. But that needy clingy thing you got sick of after one day, I could have told you that if you’d asked. You ever think why he was more than happy to pretend to be dating Mia? Mia is safe. She loved him and he knew the limits of their relationship. He’s going to get broken, and you just put that first crack in.”

“Is that why you never, with him?” I asked.

“No, well yes, but no. By the time I realized he was into guys, I was with Mandy and he’s very not into girls.”

“You can’t tell by the way he’s acting.” I said.

“That’s his need to be with someone, Nox and Lucy didn’t start life off in the best place. They both deal with it differently.”

The bell rang and I let Drew go. I wasn’t going to get answers. “Is he going straight home?”

Drew shrugged, “I don’t know. Probably. He wants to go to homecoming pretty bad so he’s trying to stay out of trouble.”

“Like he’s in trouble.”

Drew nodded, “His dad grounded him for being gay, so yeah, there’s that.” He said then ducked into his next classroom.

I did my best to focus on the rest of my classes. Why was this pretty boy still on my mind, and why did he even care if I slept in class or not? He was an enigma at times.

At the end of the day I waited to see Nox, but I didn’t actually know the way he went home. So instead decided to wait a block before his house. I probably should have texted him, because when he walked up he was flirting with some girl. His smile was bright, his brown eyes sparkled and when he saw me I saw those lights dim. He was pissed at me still. He waved to the girl he’d been walking with and she smiled back at him. “Look Nox, I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

He walked past me, “I didn’t know how you’d react to something that was mildly sarcastic and I was just stressed out. Max is in the hospital. His dad is in a facility for drunks, and…”

“I get it.” He said as he stopped in front of his gate and opened it and stepped inside. He was home. “Don’t worry about me.”

“Drew told me that there are things I don’t know. Things I should have known. I wouldn’t have…”

“Don’t worry about me, Alex. You don’t need needy and clingy and I’m sorry if that’s what you think I am. I’m sorry that my childhood drama affected you. I’ll keep my fingers and my thoughts to myself.”

He closed the gate and leaned on it. He looked so good. “Let me make it up to you.” I said

He shook his head. “Thanks, but no. You have Max to deal with. I’m fine.” He turned around and went inside. And that was that. Drew tapped me on the shoulder and nodded for me to follow him. So I did. I didn’t know what else to do.