Kieran & Drew (10 page)

“Wow is right.” Drew smirked and then kissed him softly. Kieran flushed, hardly able to believe everything he’d just done.

“Hey,” Drew said teasingly, ducking to meet his gaze. “No need to get all shy on me. You’re incredible.”

 

Kieran couldn’t think of a thing to say, so just shook his head.

“Yes, you are,” Drew continued, and then took Kieran’s hand and placed it over his groin. “Got me all hot and bothered and ready for round two.”

Kieran laughed, and decided to be playful and gently
squeezed
.

Drew hissed and then moved his hand away with a pitiful groan. “As much as I’d love to do every bit of that all over again, I have to get home.” He pressed a kiss to Kieran’s neck. “Are you going to stay here to actually
do
a bit of clearing up, or do you want to walk out with me?”

Kieran sighed unhappily. “I should probably stay and actually clear a bit up; I don’t want to be in any more trouble than I already am.”
“Poor baby,” Drew teased.

“You could always stay and lend a hand.”

 

“
Pft
, yeah, right.” He turned back to Kieran. “So, um… tomorrow?”

 

Kieran bit his lip. “Come here.”

 

Drew strode over, and when close enough, Kieran pulled him close by the front of his T-shirt and kissed him. Drew hummed happily.

“I have to leave and you keep making me want to stay.” “Then stay.”
“I can’t, I really have to get home, but tomorrow….”

“Just like I said,” Kieran murmured against his lips. “Anytime, anywhere.”

H
E WAS embarrassed at exactly how eager he was to see Drew. They were supposed to have met up two nights ago, but Drew hadn’t showed and Kieran didn’t have his cell number to text or call him. Art class wasn’t until tomorrow, and he didn’t think he’d be able to sleep without knowing what was going on.

He had to admit he was feeling particularly vulnerable, considering everything they got up to the last time they secretly met up in the storage room. He didn’t want to think it, but he couldn’t help but wonder if, after the heat of the moment, Drew wasn’t a little ashamed with what had happened between them and was now avoiding him. Just the thought of Drew avoiding him made him want to go home and curl up in bed. As it was, he stood in the hallway he believed Drew’s locker resided in, hands dug deep into his pockets and hovering nervously around the water fountain as he discreetly scanned the hall for any sign of him.

With a start he spotted him standing next to an open locker with Matt and… Matt and Adam Jefferson. They were laughing at something, and for a horrifying moment he wondered if they were laughing at him—the weird kid Drew had gotten to blow him. He dismissed the thought almost immediately. Not only was Drew not like that, but Drew wouldn’t want that sort of attention. He wouldn’t want people knowing about him being gay or at least that he let a gay guy givehim head. It was something they’d touched on, and they both agreed that they wanted it to be kept a secret, but just leaving him in the dark like this? He was beginning to have doubts.

Mustering up his courage, he strode over there, his steps faltering slightly as he approached them. He hesitated just on the perimeter of where they stood, all of them taller, broader, and louder than he was. He didn’t have a clue how to get Drew’s attention. They all seemed to be talking about some party at this kid Thompson’s house next week. It sounded like they were going. He never got invited to things like that.

He tried a quiet “hello” but went unheard. Feeling the beginnings of mortification, he’d just decided to turn and take off before he was spotted, but was bumped into by Adam, who was backing up as he laughed at something Drew had said.

“What the—” Adam began, turned, and spotted Kieran. The look in his eyes instantly shifted from amused to something unkind. “The fuck are you doing standing so close to me, huh?”

Kieran froze up and glanced helplessly to Drew and Matt. “Hey, I asked you a question, fag.”

Kieran jolted backward, his backpack sliding off his shoulder to the ground when Adam’s meaty hand pushed him in the center of his chest. Nearly tripping up on his own feet, he took several steps back, alarmed when Adam followed.

“Hey!” Matt gripped one of Adam’s arms and hauled him back. “Take a breath, Jefferson.
Fuck
.”

 

He felt an odd mixture of relief and betrayal when Drew snagged up the backpack.

 

“You okay?” Drew asked, sliding the backpack back on his shoulder for him. Kieran nodded, though he didn’t feel it.

 

“The little freak was creeping up on me!”

 

“
Hey
, Jefferson,” Drew said firmly. “Cut it out, alright?” “And he
knows
me and Drew,” Matt jumped in, gesturing between himself and Drew.

This seemed to not only stump Adam, but make him uncomfortable and pissed at the same time. “Fucking
whatever
, man.” He pulled his arm out of Matt’s grip and glared at Kieran. “Do yourself a favor and stay out of sight, reject.” He slammed the locker door closed and strode off, cliché asshole jock personality intact.

Kieran tugged on the straps to his bag for something to do with his hands, and glanced between Drew and Matt. He couldn’t quite read Drew’s expression, but it was a mixture of imminent discomfort, guilt, and concern.

“I’m sorry,” Kieran mumbled, feeling ridiculous. In fact, he suddenly felt stupid for approaching them at all. In what world would these guys want to be friends with him?

“Don’t apologize for that A-hole, seriously.” Matt lifted one shoulder, like it was nothing.

 

“Probably just forgot to have his juice this morning,” Drew tried to joke, but shuffled uncomfortably.

“You know….” Matt began, pulling a bottle of water out of the duffle he had sitting at his feet. “Sometimes he’s alright, and then sometimes I don’t even know why we talk to him. I mean, I don’t care how good his swing is, if he ever spoke to me—”

“He wasn’t speaking to you,” Drew interrupted impatiently, making Matt pause from taking a swig of water to frown at him. “You forget your juice too?”

 

Drew cut a quick glance at Kieran and then playfully shoved Matt’s shoulder. “Shut up.”

 

Matt shook his head. “Anyway, ’sup, Kieran?” he asked before taking a gulp of water.

 

Kieran looked at Drew and then quickly away. “Um….”

“Is, uh, is it that art thing?” Drew stuttered quickly, both brows rising as if he was eager for Kieran to agree. “I know I was supposed to meet you to work on our art… thing. I’m sorry I left you hanging, but I don’t have your cell number and….” He trailed off with a helpless shrug. “I’m sorry. I really was gonna try to find you today.”

“What art thing?” Matt asked, screwing the lid back onto his water bottle before yanking his duffel back over his shoulder. “Um, this project Trinder has us doing,” Kieran supplied. “We’re paired off….” He shrugged. “It’s dumb but, well….”

Matt looked between the two of them, eyebrow raised as they both shuffled uncomfortably. “Well,” he laughed, and slapped them each on the shoulder. “As riveting as that sounds, I gotta go.” He looked at Drew. “If I don’t see you before, I’ll see you at practice tomorrow night, yes?”

“Yeah, cool.”
“Bring your A-game.”
“You got it.”

“Later, Kieran.” Matt held a hand up over his shoulder and was gone before Kieran could even respond.

Silence lingered between the two of them. Kieran didn’t know if he should be apologizing for approaching Drew outside of the storeroom—they hadn’t really discussed boundaries in that respect— but he stood there feeling hurt regardless.

“Are youokay?” Drew asked.
He shrugged, barely looking Drew in the eye. “I’m used to it.”

“Just ignore Jefferson; he’s a jackass, probably dropped on his head as a baby.”

 

“If he’s such a jackass then why are you friends with him?”

Drew sighed, and Kieran didn’t know if he was imagining it, but it held a certain note of impatience to it. He shrugged. “He’s on the team; you kind of become automatic friends with your teammates, no choice about it, really.”

“That sounds kind of stupid.”

 

“Maybe it is, but when it comes to Adam? It’s just easier to be his friend than to not be his friend.”

 

“I don’t understand.”

 

“He’s an
idiot
. But he’s an idiot I have to get along with because we play ball together. Plus he’s… kind of dangerous.”

 

Kieran blinked in surprise. “What? What do you mean
dangerous
?” Should he be genuinely worried?

“Not dangerous as in violent. He’s mostly all talk. He’s dangerous because he’s ignorant and loud. And when he takes a disliking to something or someone, as you well know, he doesn’t let it go.” He cut a quick glance around them and lowered his voice. “He finds out I’m queer? Then the whole team’ll hear about it. Scratch that, the whole school will know, and he’ll have the potential to make my life hell. It’s not worth it.”

“So… your friendship with him is basically some ‘keep your friends close, your enemies closer’ bullshit?”

 

Drew nodded. “Basically.” He tilted his head, smiling slightly. “What, you think I hang around him for the sparkling conversation?” The corner of Kieran’s mouth lifted in a reluctant smile. “I guess not.”

 

Drew stepped a little closer. “I
am
sorry about not meeting you the other night. I really was going to come find you today to explain.” “Why didn’t you? Where were you?”

Drew took a deep breath and let it out as a deep sigh, as if he’d hoped Kieran would accept his apology without question. “It’s just family stuff, Kieran. I got pulled out of school and had to sort something out. I only came back today.”

Kieran softened, realizing that he knew next to nothing about Drew’s home life. “What kind of stuff?”

Drew regarded him unhappily, hooked his thumbs in his pockets, and hunched his shoulders as he looked away. “I don’t— I don’t really, uh….”

“I’m sorry,” Kieran said quietly, sincerely. “You don’t have to tell me.”

 

“You believe me when I say I didn’t deliberately stand you up, right?”

 

Kieran said nothing, just feeling him out, and then nodded. “Yeah, though… I have to say I was worried.”

 

“About what?”

Kieran glanced around them in the now mostly empty hallway. “I was kind of worried that you might, I don’t know, think badly of me or whatever.”

Drew frowned. “What do you mean?”

Kieran barely shrugged, embarrassed at even having to address it. “Maybe you regretted it, maybe you thought I was like… I don’t know, whatever the male equivalent of a slut is, or something.” He tried to smile and pass it off as something funny, but he felt too vulnerable and exposed to carry it off.

Drew’s voice instantly became softer, but no less sincere. “I had a
great
time. I don’t regret it for a second and I would never think that of you. Well—” He tilted his head and bit back a smile. “I know I said the word, but… we both know it was said as a heat-of-the-moment compliment sort of thing.”

Kieran did smile a little, his stomach fluttering at the appearance of Drew’s dimples. “Do you want to meet tonight?” he whispered hopefully.

Drew’s smile faded, his shoulders dropping. “I should probably head straight home tonight. Things aren’t quite settled there yet. But we have art class tomorrow. I know it’s not the same, but….” He shrugged.

“Tomorrow? I mean,
after
school?” he asked, hoping that he didn’t sound as anxious as he felt and all while telling himself that he was not being brushed off.

Drew lifted one shoulder in apology. “I’ve got practice tomorrow night.”

Kieran deflated. He knew it was true. He’d heard Matt mention it only a minute ago; he was just so afraid of whatever it was they had between them burning out. “Friday?”

Drew seemed to mull it over, and just when Kieran was becoming desperate, he finally nodded his head. “Friday should be okay.” Kieran smiled. “Great.”

 

Drew laughed a little, probably at how infatuated he sounded, but Kieran didn’t care.

 

“Oh, hey, give me your cell.” Drew held out his hand.

“Um, okay.” He pulled his cell out and handed it over. He watched Drew tap at the screen, and then took it when handed back to him.

“Now you have my number. Text me later, if you want.” He shrugged in a way Kieran guessed was supposed to be flippant. “I will,” Kieran said, trying to not look as relieved and happy as he felt.

 

“Great. So… Friday, then.”

 

Drew nodded, wetting his lip, and smiled in a flat-out flirtatious way. “Friday.”

 

Kieran bit his lip and nodded. “Friday.”

D
REWknew he shouldn’t, but he dragged his feet on the way home. It had been a bad week. Nay, it had been a fucking piss-poor week. He needed his uncle to come back home. Like,
now
. His mom just was not holding up. She called him a few days ago while he was in social studies—stressed, scared, and close to tears all because she’d burned her lunch, the mailman had posted a note through the door saying a package was waiting at a neighbor’s house for them, and telemarketers had called the house three times.

He’d skipped out of class and then school the next day. It wasn’t a severe brain disorder she had, she wasn’t dying, and she wasn’t a danger to herself or anyone else. She was just lonely and very easily unnerved. He knew that when things took such a turn, all that was required to set her back on an even keel was time and attention. Just a little time with someone she trusted, like her son or her brother, and soon enough all was well once more. Unfortunately, with his uncle away in the army, and with him attempting to finish high school, his mom sometimes faced lengthy periods of time with only the TV for company. And that made him feel guilty, it really did, but he’d hated standing Kieran up and had been at a loss as to how to get in contact with him. He was relieved that Kieran was okay now that they finally had managed to talk, but that didn’t really mean anything when he wasn’t even sure it wouldn’t happen again.

As if all that wasn’t enough, before he even got home to help his mother on Monday, his dad had called. Or rather, he called when he knew Drew would be at school and left a message. Drew was being blown off by his own dad, how pathetic was that? The anger this caused him was twofold, really. First, just hearing his father’s voice had upset his mother and probably contributed a great deal to her upset two days previous. It probably took just thirty seconds of his put-out, disinterested voice, and it weakened her. She shrank, and when he got home, Drew could see so plainly the heartache and pain that was still there, even after five years. Second, he hadn’t seen his dad in months, and was absolutely furious with himself for, however marginally, looking forward to this long-planned and previously postponed fishing weekend. Now it wasn’t happening at all, and he felt thirteen again, waiting by the phone for his father to give a damn and call.