Game, Set, Match

{19}

Nate

Since Chase didn't stay at my place like I wanted him to, I make him come over during the weekend. And every time I see him I'm reminded of how lucky I am that he likes me back and how better looking he gets everyday.

I still find it weird that I think a guy is attractive, and not in the way you find a celebrity attractive but in a 'I want to rip all you're clothes off' type of way and it scares me a little.

We have definitely not gotten to that stage of our relationship. I still need to wrap my head around that part.

Once I've packed my bag with my school supplies, I jump into the seat opposite his at the kitchen table. I smile at him eagerly as he rolls his eyes at me, taking another spoonful of his sugary cereal. And wonder why Mum never invited Rachel to have breakfast with us in the mornings.

"Good morning Nate. Nice to see you finally join us at the table." My mum says as she pours herself a tall glass of orange juice.

"Sorry. I overslept." I say, pouring myself a glass of the orange beverage too. It's true, I slept 15 minutes past my alarm. I was having a dream I didn't want to end. Chase scoffs and I glare at him across the table.

"Hurry up now, you two have 10 minutes until you have to leave for school. I don't want you boys being late." My mum says.

I hurriedly eat my breakfast then grab my backpack off the floor before saying goodbye to my parents.

"Have fun at practice." My dad says, reading his newspaper and taking the occasional sip of his coffee.

"We will." I reply, stepping out the house with Chase following close behind.

We walk to school together, not holding hands like how me and Rachel did every morning but just walking side by side with him is a whole lot better. I like this new routine. I could get used to it.

We get a couple of stares as we walk into the school grounds, talking and smiling. It must seem strange to the other students that Chase and I went from hating each other's guts to talking as if we've been friends for ages. Little do they know we're so much more. I say goodbye to Chase as he goes over to Niall and Stevie and I spot Josh staring at me with a surprised expression on his face.

"You told him didn't you?"

"Yep."

"You guys are together aren't you?"

"Yep."

"You guys have had sex haven't you?"

"Yep." Josh's eyes widen. "Wait! No! We didn't!" I say frantically as I realise what he just asked me.

Josh just laughs at me, puts his arm around my shoulder (even though I'm much taller than him) and walks me into the school building.

"Well, now that you and Chase are boyfriends or whatever you can talk to Stevie for me." I try not to blush at the word 'boyfriends'.

"Or" I peel his arm off my shoulder "you can talk to her yourself."

"Nate you know I can't. I turn into a blabbering mess when I speak to girls."

"You didn't with Kyra."

"Enough about Kyra. I'm not into her anymore and besides she did all the talking. Now that I think about it, she did a lot of talking."

I laugh as we step into our English classroom.

At practice after school Coach is incredibly happy with Chase and I's performance once again.

Even though the entire team knew about the bonding exercise we were forced into by Coach, they still look surprised at the fact that we're actually getting along. I don't think they expected Coach Ray's peculiar teaching methods to be this effective. I know I didn't.

"You know what I realised." I say as Chase and I pick up our school bags and duffel bags from the empty changing rooms.

"What?"

"That the only reason we got along is because of Coach Ray. If it wasn't for him-"

"And that fight in Killsbury" Chase adds.

"Yes, and the fight, we wouldn't have had to do all those bonding exercises which means we wouldn't have gotten to know each other which means that-"

"You wouldn't have fallen in love with me and I wouldn't have spared you the feeling of rejection." Chase jokes and I glare at him before punching his arm lightly.

"I'm kidding." He says as he passes me my water bottle on the ground. "As weird as it all was, I'm grateful for Coach Ray." Those words are enough to make me forgive him for the rude joke and frankly any rude thing he has ever said to me.

We step outside the school gates but before we're able to make our way home, I hear someone call my name.

Rachel is standing down the road, waiting for me with her friends a couple metres behind her.

"I'll be back." I say to Chase as I head towards my ex girlfriend.

She looks like a mess. Her usual straight brown hair is pulled into a messy bun and her makeup is smudged around her eyes which are slightly red. She's been crying.

"Nate, I was an idiot ok." She grabs both my hands in hers and I try my hardest not to flinch. "We've been apart for a while now. I know you're hurting too but I forgive you for making such a stupid decision. You and I, we're meant to be. I've given you the space that you wanted so can we please get back together now?"

"No."

"What?"

I turn around and ignore the whiny shrill of my name coming out of Rachel's mouth. I walk back to where I left Chase who was clearly watching our interaction but turns his head quickly as if he wasn't.

"Nate! You're going to regret this!" Rachel yells, stomping her foot on the ground.

"Come on, let's go." I say to Chase as I walk by him with a smirk on my face.

"Did she take it well?" He asks as he catches up with me.

"Not at all."