perf*ct (boy × boy) ✔

seven: consolation prize

nathan dawson's pov

High school has never really been my thing and what had gotten me this far was waiting for it to be over. It wasn't like I hated it there, it just wasn't my thing. And as I mentioned earlier, people aren't either. 

I could hang out with Liam and I didn't mind Nicholas' company, if he felt like talking to me at school, but other than that I preferred to be left alone. The problem was that lately everyone seemed to be drawn to my company.

First it was Gray Eyes coming to talk to me after the English class. Although it's possible I freaked out about it, I didn't run away. I wouldn't exactly say that shaking your head and confusing the hell out of your adversary was much better, but it was still something.

He caught me off guard then, but I was positive that wouldn't happen again. I knew I couldn't keep avoiding him forever, but I was tempted to try. Which, of course, was completely ridiculous, but try telling that to my brain.

Nevertheless, my game of hide and seek started getting trickier once I had not just one but two people to hide from. Not being seen even by one person, who went to the same school with you, took some serious effort, so hiding from two was definitely no child's play. 

"Hi, can we sit with you guys?" I was worried Liam's eyeballs would pop out of his eye sockets when he saw to whom the voice belonged. Then he started nodding vigorously, even though I tried to signal him: Do. Not. Let. Them.

"How are you?" Audrey Grace ignored Liam altogether and turned to speak to me, a pleasant smile on her deep red lips. Her best friend, Harper O'Sullivan, sat on the seat next to Liam and opposite us.

"Fine." I glanced at her questioningly. The school's most popular girls — even if one of them used to date my brother — sitting at our table wasn't something that happened too often. Meaning that it didn't happen. Ever.

"How's Jonathan?" Audrey Grace continued, ignoring the obvious bafflement on my face. 

"Um, he's.. fine?" I muttered and glimpsed at Harper who was staring at me curiously. She was almost as beautiful as her best friend with her light gray eyes and plump lips. Unlike Audrey Grace, Harper barely used any makeup. 

"What happened to your nose?" Audrey Grace brought my focus back to her. It was making me uncomfortable when everyone was suddenly so fixated on me. 

"Uh, nothing much." I shrugged. By everyone I didn't mean just Audrey Grace, Harper and Liam, because the fact the most popular girls were sitting at our table was starting to draw attention amongst the other students. 

"Sooo, what brings you here?" Liam asked. I noticed how red his ears were, when he adjusted his cap.

"We just wanted to come say hello." Audrey Grace reasoned casually, like it was something they did every other day.

It would be an understatement of the year if I said the rest of the lunch break was awkward. While Audrey Grace was desperately trying to have a conversation with me, I was trying to figure out what she could possibly gain from it. Harper barely said a word, looking like she was doing her best to tolerate her company and everything that came out of Liam's mouth was more or less embarrassing.

"We had lunch with Audrey Fucking Grace and Harper O'Sullivan — and you look like you just ate a lemon. Are you gay or what?" Liam didn't seem to get my aversion towards the situation, and I wasn't sure if I could explain it to him, when even I didn't know why I was feeling that way.

"She's my brother's ex and she never paid any attention to me before, so excuse me if I have some doubts about her now." I sighed, using just a little too much force to shut my locker and making people stare at us again.

"You have a way too negative way to look at the world. Who knows, maybe it's finally your turn to be in the spotlight?" Liam pointed out, placing his arm around my shoulders.

"Well, that's not what I want." I frowned. "I just want to be left alone, is that too much to ask?" 

By the end of the day I was desperately trying to find a reboot button that would reset my life to its factory settings. I wanted to go back to being nobody and I wanted back my same old humdrum little world.. But as they say: you can't always get what you want. Which was perf*ctly reasonable and just, but what if you never got what you wanted?

°°°°

After school, when I wanted nothing more than to chat with Lava and Jacob, eat myself happy with Jeffrey's cooking and play games in the comfort of my room, I was yet again forced to communicate and, to add insult to the injury, with my least favorite group of all.

"Where's your brother?" Alex was the one stealing my question. He whisked a lock of long dark brown hair off his face while his hazel eyes studied at me curiously. Sometimes I wondered whether this twin thing was too much for him to fully comprehend or if he looked at everyone with the same intensivity.

"I was kind of hoping he would be here." I mumbled with a shrug.

"He's been all weird lately." Samuel pointed out. That earned an affirmative grunt from two of the other jocks gathered by the cars.

I was wondering whether I should make an excuse and disappear from the scene, when Alex placed his arm on my shoulders and pulled me into an awkward half-hug. He reeked of Axe Body Spray or something equally pungent, but who was I to judge.

The thing about Alex Crespo was that he was one royally good-looking guy, but he either didn't notice it or just didn't feel like using that virtue to get himself company. He had most of the school lined up to get his attention, but all he cared about was baseball and his friends.

I could understand why everyone was smitten by Alex's looks, but the way everyone drooled over Nicholas was more than I could comprehend. First of all, Nicholas looked like me. Secondly, he was my brother. To think he was handsome was just too weird. Besides, no one seemed to think I was handsome, so Nicholas' charm must have had more to do with his demeanor and assertiveness.

Speaking of the devil, there he was jogging towards us, his carefully styled caramel brown hair bouncing along his steps and his heavy looking gym bag pounding against his tight. Nicholas greeted his friends before acknowledging me in any way.

"Here you go." Nicholas handed me his car keys and leaned closer to whisper in my ear: "You can take Audrey Grace home, while I'm going out with the guys."

I just stared at him and the keys in turns, feeling anger rising inside my chest. I got hit because of that idiot, my nose was still bruised and aching because of him, and he still hadn't said he was sorry. And now he thought he was doing me a favor by pairing me to his ex?

"No." I shook my head, making Nicholas lift his eyebrows in bafflement. 

"Why not?" He huffed, not even bothering to hide his frustration.

"Come on, Nicholas, let's get going." Alex slammed his hand on Nicholas' shoulder. The others had already made their way to the black SUV. 

"I don't get it. You've had a crush on her since forever and now that it's your chance, you don't want her?" Nicholas quipped. I gave him the most poisonous glare I could muster and turned on my heels to walk to his car.

"What's the problem now?" Nicholas followed after me, a pained expression on his face. I could still feel his friends' eyes on us, but at least they couldn't hear what we were talking about.

"Do you really expect me to be some consolation prize when she can't get the real deal? Should that make m-me happy or what?" I snapped at him. Nicholas grew quiet when the realization dawned on his face.

"No, I didn't mean it like that." He denied.

"Yeah, but that's what you were thinking." I turned my back to him.

"Nathan, I —" Nicholas began.

"Here you are." Audrey Grace appeared behind Nicholas and gave me a cheerful smile, which failed to make me feel cheerful at all.