Chapter Text
Their school was a few miles outside of Pelican Town. Taking a right by the bus stop would lead you down the road to Valley High, a name that made both Alex and Sebastian cringe. Some of the kids would take the transit bus, which could fit all the teens of the valley and then some in its little boxcar, while others would get a drive down from the straight road.
Alex usually took the bus, probably because he had no friends with a vehicle, let alone many friends in the first place…Him and Haley would huddle up in the back together and let Pam, fresh off a room temperature ale, drive them to school. Penny would typically take the bus, too, sitting right at the front next to happy drunk mom. Her sense of embarrassment and shame for her mother’s action rubbed off everyone on the bus, but they never blamed her. Alex had a real disdain for Pam, as he knew what it was like to grow up with someone who drank. Never knowing what version of them you would get that day, bills piling up as every fucking cent went to booze, not speaking up because what can anyone do for you, anyway? He sometimes felt lucky his dad abandoned him.
“Hey, what’s life if not a gamble!?” Haley joked to Alex, pointing at Pam as she gulped down a mystery liquid from her hot pink travel mug. The bus began moving down the empty stretch.
“Yeah, at least we’d get the day off…I have that stupid English test today and I can’t write for shit.” Groaned Alex, dreading the upcoming day. He didn’t have time to study last night because of stupid, dumb, perfect Sebastian, not that he would’ve ended up hunching down, nose-in-book anyway. Haley let out a girlish laugh as Pam fittingly swerved on the desolate road. Neither of them had any clue what she was writhing on…
Haley had a barbie disposition that fit pretty well against Alex's Ken appearance. It was easy to keep closeted in the town, they really did seem like the picture perfect couple who would grow up, get married, have babies and sit on the pastel porch swing until it was time. They never really addressed the way their friendship looked, maybe Hailey also liked how it shielded any suspicion of who else they were with. Alex didn’t know why, though, because he assumed she was straight…
At school they’d hang out, walking around hip-to-hip and stopping by certain people’s tables, one of them usually being Sebastian, Sam, and Abigail’s. It was more tucked away in the back of the school, Alex and Haley usually making it to them towards the last 10 minutes of their lunch. He savoured every moment, and felt his heart race with quiet butterflies that longingly lingered each step that inched closer to Seb. He’d wondered what hoodie he was wearing today—maybe a slightly different shade of black,—which cute game he was playing, hunched over and invested. If he was maybe thinking about when Alex would turn the corner, and they’d meet eyes and smile. Alex felt that way, at least, and the softest, tenderest part of him hoped Sebastian did too.
“So, what’s your English essay on, anyway?” Hailey asked, knocking Alex out of his flowery daydream.
“Oh, uh, Persuasive…or something. I’m doing why coming to one gridball game each school year should be mandatory. Was kinda surprised Ms. Caroline let me do that as a topic, but she knows I’m pretty shit at writing, and it’s also not that bad of a topic, in all. Like, showing school spirit is important, and it’s fun…and stuff.
Haley smiled.
“Ugh, you’re so lucky you got Caroline as your teacher. Mine is some random hardass from Zuzu.”
Alex’s laugh bellowed quietly. Haley was so funnily crude sometimes.
Caroline had begun teaching in a substitute role at the start of the school year, her quiet life rotting around the store getting too boring. The whole town kinda knew Pierre wasn’t much a partner, all of his energy going into running his mart. Not many people bought seeds, let alone a substantial amount, besides the new farmer who had moved in a bit ago. His grocery selection was pretty good though, and a lot of the stuff there was the only place you could find it nearby. Alex’s old English teacher has been on a pretty long sick leave, so he had been seeing alot of Caroline’s face and getting to know her more than he ever did a few houses away. She was really nice, and helped Alex as best she could. She gave him resources and easier versions of the assignments which were godsends for Alex. He never was made to feel stupid, like he had been in the past. Caroline always stressed that everyone learns at different levels and speeds, and there is nothing wrong with English not being his strength—but that she knew that it could be.
“But yeah, That’s a good point, showing school spirit is important, and coming to support the players and the cheerleaders is really great.”
“Oh yeah, come support the cheerleaders…“ Alex rolled his eyes jokingly, but not completely jokingly.
“Um, cheerleading is just as hard as gridball. You think you don’t have to work towards being thrown in the air, making human pyramids, and balancing whole bodies up with just your hands? And more? Ugh, don’t piss me off, you’re giving me the ick…”
Hailey shut him down immediately. Alex felt a little embarrassed, but knew Hailey wasn’t seriously mad. She was a cheerleader herself, coloured bows adorning her doorknobs and hangers since she was in elementary school.
“True, true, it does look hard, the flips, and stuff.” Alex corrected himself.
“They are, and stuff.” She mocked him, Alex laughing when Haley’s fist lightly tapped his shoulder. Haley smiled.
The fast moving bus made the conifers flash in long lines of passing green. This was the final stretch before the tall evergreen would be traded for industrial buildings and tall brick edifices. Whose brick would trail with moss and vines that grew and grew and grew. Pam hadn’t made any bumpy choices since her last little one, Alex and Haley seemingly winning the gamble placed before. He’d been happy about that. He remembered times where he would hope whatever bus driver would just make a little mistake on the road, fuck off a little. This was when he was younger, and a hospital stay would be better than staying at home with his dad. He imagined his mom coming to visit him, bringing by some chicken noodle soup and maybe getting some help for her own frequent injuries. Time pauses in the hospital, or at least Alex felt that way. Life moved quickly without warning, and he felt that passing of time was a scam robbing everyone in the absence of consent. Dreams escaping his grasp and people passing in the wind. Things were just temporary for him.
Pam turned in up the bend, the bus shifting up the windy hill and parking behind the other surrounding towns buses. Steam escaped exhausts and shushed the air, fumes blooming into the atmosphere. Alex and Haley sat up, grabbed their bags, and walked off the bus behind Penny, thanking a tipsy Pam. Cool air burned against Alex’s cheeks and shoulders, his green bomber jacket not doing a ton to help the chill.
“I’ll see you at lunch, sweetie.” Haley said in a way that weirdly reminded him of his mom. He couldn’t help but smile when she said shit like that, even if it was just to be funny. Sending her a wave and a bye, he made his way up the outside stairs, towards the back door which was closer to his first class. In the corner of his eye, nearer to the forests, he noticed a familiar guy in the smoking area, doing just that. His hoodie was a dark black today, cool blue jeans bringing some life to the outfit. His hair looked a little messy, just how Alex liked it, and his bookbag had the usual pins on it. Alex kept staring at his back, even helping himself to brief his ass, just for a moment. He filled out those jeans soo well. The former felt himself filling out his own now too, awkwardly. He started walking towards Sebastian, knowing he had something like five minutes before class. That wouldn’t be enough to satisfy, but what would? He could be with him forever, really. The distance became less with each step Alex took, he couldn’t speed-walk fast enough.
He smiled at Sebastian’s back, making his way to his guy.