NO Love Club (Boy × Boy) ✔

32) YOU'RE CUTE WHEN YOU LIE.

X Bélizaire's POV 

I sat on the garage floor, landing heavily on my knees. I remembered the day I bought that motorcycle, how I was giddy with anticipation after all those months I had spent saving for it. It was pure love from the small dent on the otherwise smooth surface of the tank cover to the roar of the engine when I first started it. 

It had been my sanctuary, driving that bike mom loved to lecture me about. To put on my helmet and get on the road, the roar of the motorcycle like the sweetest purring in my ears. 

In the hospital I hadn't even remembered to trouble myself about the bike, there had been more important things to think about. But as I reached for the brand new carburetor and clutched my fingers around its cold metal surface, I was struck with a sudden urge to throw it across the room. Seeing the scrapes and the damaged parts made me grow angry at the bike.

Now that I looked at it, it couldn't have been further from a sanctuary. It was the opposite of safety and calm. It was the screeching of metal, screaming and the blue and red light reflecting from Cole's helmet. It was searing pain and a painfully throbbing heart, which had been, for a fleeting moment, certain that Cole was gone forever. 

I glanced down at my arm, still hanging uselessly in the sling, still aching. I let out a shaky sigh, feeling tears prickling my eyes. I wasn't sure if I was ever going to drive again. I wasn't sure if I would ever stop hating my bike for what it almost took from me and Cole. I cursed and let the tears come. There was no use holding them back anymore.

After an eternity of ugly crying, as in snot running down my chin and blabbering gibberish to myself, I peered at my bike one more time. I knew I needed to collect myself soon, before mom was going to storm into the garage to make sure I hadn't passed out or died.

I fished my phone from my pocket, opening the lock screen. My plan was to just text Cole I was home, like I had promised to, but somehow I ended up typing about my bike and pouring out every little emotion it brought out of me. Then I sent it, before I could change my mind. I was just about starting to regret doing so, when my phone buzzed. 

I almost dropped it when I realized Cole was calling me instead of typing an answer. Could he hear from my voice I had been bawling my eyes out? Except it wasn't just that.. Cole was video calling me. I dried my face and eyes, but he could still see I had been crying. There was no way I would take the call. No way in hell. 

"I knew it, you are crying on the garage floor." Cole's face appeared on the screen as I ended up accepting the call against my better judgement. He was laying on the hospital bed, his dark hair spread on the pillow around his head.

"Has anyone ever told you you aren't overly considerate?" I grumbled. Cole laughed softly, the sound sending shivers up my spine. "Why did you video call me?"

"Are you kidding me? You already saw me bawling my eyes out, so it is only fair I get to do the same." Cole explained, smirking evilly. Then he sighed, the smirk turning to a sheepish grin. "And it's possible I was too lazy to type back, so hopefully you're not one of those people who hate calling."

As a matter of fact, I was. But right then, looking at that grin on his face, hearing the laughter in his voice and getting back to the familiar hospital room, made me forget all about the anxiety phone calls tended to give me.

"So.." Cole began, knitting his brows in thought. "How is the bike?"

"Scrap iron?" I suggested gloomily, then turned the camera to let him see. It wasn't scrap iron, of course, and dad had even bought me the new parts, a decision mom surely didn't support. 

"I've seen worse.. I think?" Cole pondered when I switched the camera back to my face. Then he frowned, the frown turning to a scowl and back to a frown. I was afraid he was having some sort of a seizure, until I realized what was really going on: Cole was trying to come up with something reassuring. "I'm sure it'll be, you know, good as new at some point."

"Yeah." I chuckled and shook my head slightly. It occurred to me that he might not have video called me just to get an opportunity to ridicule me. I think he, Cole I-hate-everything Walker, was actually trying to cheer me up and checking if I was okay. "Do you think you'll be able to get on a bike anytime soon?"

"Hell no." Cole huffed, grimacing. "I'll be lucky if I can get myself into a car without passing out."

"Yeah.." I admitted. I had been holding my breath the entire way home from the hospital, and when we finally made it to our parkway, I practically leaped out of the car. I was afraid it would always be that way with my bike as well. "Honestly, I'm not even sure I want to get it fixed."

"Give it some time." Cole suggested, giving me a lopsided grin.

"You know, maybe you are a decent, considerate guy after all." I deemed, grinning back at him. "And yeah, I'll do that. It isn't like I could get it fixed while my hand is busted anyway."

"Exactly." Cole agreed. Then he asked, lowering his voice to a teasing one: "So, what do you think: are you going to miss me at school?"

Oh yeah, I'll miss you terribly.

"Nah, not at all." I lied.

"The corner of your mouth twitches every time you lie." Cole pointed out. "It's cute."

"So, you think I'm cute?" I asked, lifting my eyebrows.

One of the fortunate things about being black is that when I blush, it isn't as noticeable. Anyone could spot the redness of Cole's cheeks, whereas mine you had to really look for. But yes, I'm telling you this because I could feel blood rushing to my cheeks and ears the second I heard the word 'cute' from Cole's mouth.

"That's off the point." Cole muttered, clearing his throat. He was, despite all his big, harsh words, easy to render speechless. Or at least to fluster to the point where he stumbled with his words. "I was merely complimenting the twitching of the corner of your mouth, so don't get carried away."

"You are cute too," I told him, keeping my face deadpan. Then I continued, smirking: "When you lie."

And when you don't. 

"Ugh." Cole rolled his eyes. " I think you'll be okay now, and I have to get ready for my toe-wiggling session."

"A what?" I bursted out laughing.

"Physio." Cole said with his well-duh voice and gave me another eye roll, which told me he wasn't looking forward to it. "Have fun at school, X."

Then he ended the call, leaving me alone in the garage again. I chuckled and shook my head, taking another look at the bike. Ridiculing or not, talking with Cole had brought the smile back to my face. I didn't even want to throw things at my bike anymore, knowing I could just walk away for now and consider fixing it when I was ready.

****

Question of the day:
What was the last movie you went to? What did you think?

(Me: Spiral, a Canadian horror movie. It spoke out about homophobia, which I think made the movie stand out in the horror genre. It was pretty good.)