Touch Me (boyxboy)

13. Playing with the Big Boys

Joel

I walked down the corridor in a bit of a daze.

Was I dreaming? Did that really just happen?

I walked into the kitchen and dropped off the tray. Only without the extra weight, did I realise my hands were shaking.

Was he going to kiss me?

I wandered aimlessly down the corridor and somehow found myself outside my uncle's office.

The door opened and my uncle appeared on the other side.

"Come in Joel, sit down."

I walked in, my head feeling increasingly foggy as I sat down.

"I needed to see you," my uncle started, "because Miss Hartley has been invited for evening dinner tomorrow, and she has specifically asked for you to attend to her."

I stared at my uncle, not really processing his words, not that it mattered seen as I knew about Miss Hartley already.

Did Casper like me? Was he attracted to me? Or was he just messing with me?

"Joel, did you hear what I said?"

"Sorry, what?" I replied, having been snapped from my thoughts.

My uncle frowned at me, and I could feel his gaze giving me the once over.

"Are you ok Joel, you do look rather pale?"

"Sorry," I replied, shaking my head to try to clear some of the fog. "It's been a long day."

"Has Casper already spoken to you?" he asked, making me want to slide under the table.

"Errm, yes, he mentioned something about it. I don't know any details," I added quickly.

I could see my uncle's eyebrows knit together, and I avoided meeting his gaze in the hope he wouldn't ask me any more questions.

Actually I was finding it increasingly difficult to just sit here. I could still feel the pressure of Casper's body pressed to mine, and I couldn't stop seeing the image of his face hanging just inches from my own, his eyes flicking to my lips...

I stood up abruptly, suddenly feeling incredibly hot and bothered.

"Actually Uncle, can we talk about it later?"

"Well, seen as it's tomorrow, I'd rather talk about it now," he said, although I could see the concern on his face.

I sighed and sat back down. I would just have to deal with it.

"Go on then," I said finally paying attention. "What do I need to know?"

He stared at me for a moment, but was obviously satisfied that I was ok as he proceeded to tell me what I would be doing the following evening.

I probably took less than half of it in, but to be honest, I was impressed I even remembered that much.

I left my uncle's office in very much the same condition as I went in.

I quickly started walking home, wanting nothing more than to be able to shut myself in my room, but luck wasn't on my side.

"Hey Joel!" I heard a familiar voice call.

I looked behind to see Lyla running over to me. I rolled my eyes, but had plastered on a smile by the time she reached me.

"Hey, what did your uncle want?" Lyla asked.

"Oh he was just going over my duties for tomorrow evening." I replied.

"Why what's happening tomorrow?"

I sighed. Trust Lyla to want to know everything. I decided to give her as little info as I could.

"Miss Hartley's coming over tomorrow evening for dinner."

"Oh," said Lyla, looking a little crestfallen.

"Why the face?" I asked, slightly amused.

"Oh it's nothing," she said, and I was sure I saw a slight blush to her cheeks.

"No tell me," I said, glad of the distraction.

Lyla sighed. "Do you think Miss Hartley and Casper are like, a thing?"

"Not yet," I replied, maybe a little too quickly.

Lyla raised her eyebrows. "You seem very sure of that. Has he said something to you?"

It was my turn to hide my blush. "No, I just don't think they've seen each other enough to feel that way."

Lyla seemed to accept my explanation. "I suppose. But things might change tomorrow, don't you think?"

To be honest, I hadn't thought about it. Heck, I had so much other stuff stored in my head in a 'to sort through' pile, that I didn't think I could add anything more to it.

"I think it's what Casper's dad wants," I replied tactfully.

"Oh, so Casper doesn't?" Lyla said, suddenly looking a lot happier. "Why is that do you think? Do you think maybe she's not his type, or that he has his eye on someone else?"

I stopped walking, even though I was now very nearly home, and turned to look at her straight on.

"What's with all these questions?" I asked. Suddenly a memory jumped into my conscious. "And also, what did Casper say to you earlier? He mentioned he'd spoken to you?"

Lyla positively looked giddy. "He mentioned me to you?"

"Woah, woah, calm down girl" I said. "He was asking about what happened at training today. He said he noticed you still had your collar on at the end and wanted to know if you knew who the mystery wolf was."

"He noticed me!!" Lyla shrieked while jumping up and down.

"Yes but....." I suddenly trailed off. What could I say? He noticed her because she was with me earlier? That he was only interested in her because she was my friend?

Was that even true, or was that what I wanted to believe?

It suddenly hit me that I was probably being just as delusional as she was. Sure he talked to me, and seemed to like me, but it was probably just because he needed a friend, or someone to wind up. I was never going to be anything more than that. That's what the likes of 'Miss Hartley' were for.

So I said what we both needed to hear, "You're probably right about Miss Hartley. I'm pretty sure that after he turns 23, he's going to end up with her."

Lyla scrunched up her nose in disgust. "Uuuggh! Damn Miss Hartley and her perfect face, and her perfect hair, and her perfect status."

"Yep, sucks to be us," I said, suddenly feeling incredibly tired.

"I know, but I just thought......you know sometimes......in like films and stuff."

"Yes Lyla," I said in admittedly a slightly patronising tone, "in movies, not in real life. Just because he remembered your name, doesn't mean he likes you, just the same as how he acts with me, doesn't mean he likes me."

Lyla's shoulders sagged, and a slight frown appeared on her face. "There's no need to be so mean about it, and what do you mean, how he acts with you?"

"It's nothing," I said sighing and turning to walk up the path to my house.

"So what, you can't talk to me now?" Lyla called after me.

I carried on to the front door, not answering.

"Just because you're playing with the big boys Joel, doesn't mean you're one of them you know," she shouted.

I just closed the door behind me and leant back on it, slowly dropping to the floor.

Could today get any more exhausting?