Reverse Rivalry

Sensual Understanding

Jale should have been happy.

Realistically, that was the most probable reaction that should have been elicited from his body when he was finally crowned quarterback after years of it being out of his reach.

But, he wasn't and that freaked him out.

He did feel something, a small tingle through his fingertips, up to his arm then straight to his chest but that was because of how tight he was gripping his right knee. Skylar was smiling, seemingly pleased with himself for doing whatever this was and it struck Jale completely dumb.

There was a certain spark in his eyes as he looked up to Jale like a dog waiting for a reward for being good, for being great but that was what was slicing into Jale the wrong way.

He could feel his head throbbing from hearing Mr Walter's voice echoing through his head and the teammates all in an uproar over the news.

He had to admit he wasn't thrilled. He wasn't, far from it.

Skylar's smile faded slowly the more they stared at each other as if he could see the conflict in Jale's eyes brewing under his skin. Jale stood up as he tried to calm himself.

"Bathroom, now," He managed to say as he turned towards the showers slowly moving his eyes away from Skylar's puzzled expression that was also increasing his warped emotions.

Fucking hell. He was fucked up. He was.  He wanted to be happy. He should be happy.

Jale wasn't angry at least. No, he wasn't. He just felt scalded like a hot iron slapped him in the face. Jale dragged his hands down his chest as he walked to grip the hem of his shirt and curled it into a fist.

He could feel Skylar's eyes tracking his back while following him. Jale stopped at the edge of the shower door when he entered and looked at him as Skylar crossed the threshold. Skylar arched his eyebrow at him in question when he stopped in front of him and then sighed.

Skylar stepped into his space and crowded him against the wall without a second thought. Not a single part of them was touching but their hands at their sides brushed. Skylar's finger touched his thumb and curled around it tentatively like he was touching a feral cat.

Jale felt like a feral cat that was high without a reason.

"You can tell me you know if I did something wrong," Skylar whispered while moving his head closer causing their foreheads to touch slightly. His smile was gone and only apprehension replaced it. Jale felt exasperated that his emotions were out of wack and he wasn't reacting like a proper human being who was finally given what they thought they had wanted.

But did he want the quarterback position? Why did he want it again?

Skylar was treating something he wanted all his high school football career as something he could just give and take and the fact that he could treat it as something he could give and take was even more alarming.

Jale had never accepted it when Skylar won the quarterback position two years ago. He had been irreconcilable. He had felt like the coach had heaved a comet at him and said suck it up and deal with it.

Jale remembered how smug Skylar was to his face when he won. Jale had thought he hated it. How the boy had everything so wrapped around his finger. The confidence, the certainty that he could have anything he wanted when he wanted it without fear pervading his every action. He had been jealous of it but deep down, he had lusted after it.

Now he looked back it was all too unusual that he couldn't see it himself. Skylar wasn't the only one holding someone on a pedestal. He also placed the boy on top of a mountain. It had been admiration mixed with want from a young age that spiralled into hate.