14: Promises

Zane

"Every year, Madeline pranks one of her birthday party guests. And usually it's Casper, Lester, and I who pull off the prank," I didn't know if he noticed the look of disappointment on my face, but I was very disappointed indeed. "It's usually a funny prank; throwing someone in the pool, or putting laxatives in their drink, stuff like that," he continued.

"And let me guess, I was the target this time?" he gave me a sheepish smile and mumbled a barely audible 'Yes'.

Anger was slowly building up inside of me. How could they be so immature? It was such a shitty thing to do to anyone, really.

"What do you mean by 'Usually funny'?"

He didn't speak and his face was blank of any expressions. I couldn't read him and I was very good at reading people. I hated it.

"Gavin, what were you going to do to me?"

"She wanted to tape you to the school's flag pole with only your underwear," he spoke carefully.

His words stung me as if they were ice cold drops of water being dripped into my ears. "But we didn't do it. I couldn't do it" his voice had conflict in it. Like he was struggling with himself. He moved from his seat and sat at the edge of the bed, fumbling with his hands as he averted my gaze. “I couldn’t,”

"I don't suppose your warm-hearted self stopped you from it?" I spat bitterly.

"I know I messed up a lot before, but she was my best friend and the only one who helped me during tough times. I didn't know why she'd pull such a terrible and mean prank, specifically over you when she knew-" he stopped dead like he said something he shouldn't have said.

"She knew what exactly? What difference would it make if it were me or anybody else? Do you not think?!" I yelled at him as anger took full control. I hated it but I was too frustrated.

"Well if I did not think, you would've woken up taped up to a pole in your underwear and not in my bed!" he yelled back and I could see that this was shaping up to a full on screaming contest.

"Gee, thanks for showing mercy and saving me, so now I should call you my hero?" I said sarcastically.

"You're impossible. I didn't mean it like that!" his frustration was starting to frustrate me further.

"Then what did you mean?!"

"Ugh, I was trying to do what's good for once and that's how I get repaid,"

"You shouldn't do good to get repaid. That's a whole different thing,"

He stood up starting to leave the room, "Well it doesn't matter anyway because no matter what I do I'm always wrong." and with that he was gone.

The silence following his departure was overwhelming. He looked hurt. He was hurt. But why am I feeling guilty? They wanted to prank me and I was mad about it. I still was mad even though the prank didn't happen, but who was I mad at more? Him? Madeline? Myself? I dropped back to the pillow and tugged at my hair.

It was weird. I was furious, but I was so distracted by the overwhelming realisation that I was sleeping in my underwear in another boy's bed. The covers, the pillows, the room, it smelt like him.

The same scent that invaded my senses when he pecked me in Art class that day. The same scent belonged to the body that gave me warmth last night. It was slowly unfolding. It hurt to try to remember what happened but it was coming to me slowly.

Gavin hugged me to his body when I was cold in the back seat of the car. It couldn't be  someone else. The scent is all and the same. I was starting to feel even more guilty for yelling at him. I was such a horrible person when I was angry. He not only just saved me from humiliation, but also let me sleep in his own bed instead of throwing me somewhere else or even dropping me at home, which I was thankful he did not because mum would've most definitely killed us then and there.

If there was one thing I couldn't get away with it's drinking alcohol. Mom despised it and not just because of our religious views.

Speaking of mum, I really hoped André had a cover story for me not going back home last night. I looked for my phone and couldn't find it. Great, now I lost my phone. Wallet and keys too. I shook my head and got up. I needed to leave as soon as possible.

Well, I couldn't leave in my underpants so I had to find something to wear. I looked for my clothes but it was in vain. I opened the first drawer of his dresser but found books and a few stuff and change.

I was lucky with the second one because I found his shirts. His shirts were big, of course they were. He had more muscle mass than I did. I was average at best.

I shuffled through them until I found the tightest one. On him, at least, it was tight-fitting. On me it was just fitting. It was a white shirt with red sleeves. Even though it was in his drawer, his scent lingered on it, too. And I was so not returning it. There were no pants in the dresser but I didn't have much time to look elsewhere because he was standing in the doorway looking amused. I felt really self conscious standing there in just my boxer briefs and a shirt, his shirt.

"I couldn't find my pants. There are none in the dresser," I mumbled.

He didn't say anything. He just walked to the closet and after a while of shuffling and rustling he pulled out what I assumed was his tightest pants. I put it on quickly and stood still in my place.

"Did you happen to see my phone or my other stuff?"

"Oh yeah, here" he walked to the nightstand. In the drawer were my phone, keys and wallet. A big sigh of relief made its way out of my mouth.

"André called." he paused, studying my face. "I told him you're staying at my place so your parents know you're safe. Don't worry," he explained. "Are you feeling better now?"

"Thanks, " I muttered. I didn't answer his question. I didn't know if I were feeling better or worse, but I wasn't sure if I should leave or stay or whatever. And me leaving meant I was gonna come across at least a member of his family and I didn't know if it would be okay for him to have half naked people in his bedroom. Plus, his mum would definitely notice his clothes on me. They always knew.

I walked to the door fully expecting Gavin to follow me and usher me out but I didn't hear any footsteps trailing behind me. I spun around and found him still standing in his place. I gave him a questioning look.

"Zane," he was rubbing his elbow again "Stay? Please?"

Why did he have to say it like that? It sounded like he’s been the last person on Earth for a hundred years and he finally found someone. I wanted to stay. I really did. It was Gavin. My torturer and my crush, asking me to stay after taking care of me when if it were someone else, they would’ve let me get taped.

But how could I stay when I didn’t know what we even were. We weren’t lovers, we weren’t friends, we weren’t even enemies. Staying would only make things more awkward so I can’t stay.

“Sorry, I can’t stay. I have to go.” was what I wanted to say but wasn’t what came out. “Okay, I’ll stay,” was what I actually said. Damn you hurt puppy look.

His whole face lit up. It was like I broke him out of a chain or something. He approached me then he took a few steps backwards. “I really am sorry,” he said. I was the one who should be apologizing. He was the one helping me.

“It’s okay, I’m the one who’s sorry,”

“It’s not your fault. None of it is,”

“Well it’s not your fault either,”

"Can't we just, I don't know, forget about last night?” I pleaded.

“All of it?” he asked, hopeful.

“Well, if you want to, you can keep a few parts,” I smirked. He kept looking at me weirdly. I shook my head gently “What?”

“Nothing. The clothes look better on you than they ever did on me” he said coyly. Gavin Ross was shy! Did I pass into a parallel universe of some sort? “I’ll go get us some breakfast” he said, rushing out of the room, leaving me stunned and lost in my thoughts.

He was back with food which made me realize how hungry I've gotten. We ate until we were stuffed and then played some video games. But before that I excused myself to the bathroom because I had to pee so bad.

We were having so much fun playing a game where we shot each other to death. The important thing was that we both had a good sportsmanship.

"I swear to God if you beat me one more time I'm going to shove the joystick down your throat." he said nicely.

"If you keep using the same weapon over and over again I'm gonna hit you with the joystick over and over again."

And then he used the same weapon again, and he lost. Again.

"UNFAIR!" He screamed and jumped me. My joystick flew out of my hand as I rolled across the floor from the blow. "You're a cheater."

"And you're a lousy player," I flipped him so he was underneath me, pinned against the floor.

"And you have a bad mouth!" he rolled us again, regaining his position on top.

"Then kiss it till it's better!" I said, what-

Before I even knew it, his lips took mine fervently, like a lion who's finally caught his prey. It didn't take me more than a second to return it, and soon enough we were lying on the floor behind the bed, our legs entangled, his hands around my neck, my hands across his back, and our lips melting into each other.

I didn't want to stop. From the looks of it, he didn't either. But something flipped. I could see it in his eyes. It was like he was cheating and realised how bad it was a little too late.

We broke apart, but remained in the same position. Too far to be one, too close to let go.

"What's on your mind?" I asked geniunely. I wanted to know what was upsetting him this much.

He couldn't meet my eyes.

"I think I broke a promise I made to myself."