pretty boy

3.

Carrie^. Pictures in next chapter are of Zola, Aliyah, and JJ. ( I couldn't figure out how to put more than one photo up above :)

Carson

     Just as Carson had expected, Kell was absent from first period the next morning at school. He usually wasn't bothered by this, but he'd wanted to ask Kell why he was being jittery about football. His annoyance must've showed, because his second-best friend, Carrie commented on it.

      "You upset that your boyfriend isn't here?" She asked, snapping her gum and twisting a fiery red curl an inch from her eyes. Carson scowled at her.

     "No. I simply wanted to ask him a question." Everyone in town knows about Carson's bisexuality and the only people who don't accept him usually just give him a wide berth, which he is thankful for. His mother would prefer that he marry a girl and give her grandchildren, but there's always adoption. Carrie tossed him a wicked grin.

     "What, you finally got the balls to ask him out? About time." She said, ignoring Carson's spluttering in favor of taking out her phone and opening some game she was addicted to.

     "Who's Carson asking out?" Carrie's friend Emmie popped up out of nowhere, blond curls bouncing and hazel eyes gleaming. The girl was a gossip hound.

     "No one, Emmie. Don't worry about it." Carson responded. She frowned, but backed off and skittered away to another friend group.

      "She likes you, y'know. Thinks your fancy Italian accent is hot." Carrie said innocently, blinking her dark eyes at him as if she hadn't just given him a heart attack.

     "W-What??" Carson squeaked, nearly dropping his pencil. "Since when?"

     "A while ago, actually," Carrie said. Then the bell rang, and she stood. "Have fun thinking about that all day!" She called over her shoulder.

     "Pure evil, that one." Carson muttered under his breath before gathering his stuff and hurrying to second period.

~~~

     Lunchtime had finally rolled around and Carson was sitting outside the front office and sitting on the edge of the road, waiting for Kell to show up. When his truck finally careened around the corner, Carson smiled and stood up.

"Sorry I'm late." Kell said with an apologetic smile as he pulled up to the curb. Carson grinned.

"Don't worry about it. We just have less time to eat now." Carson responded as he settled into his seat. Kell cursed and pulled away from the curb.

"Damn, you're right. Fast food then? We don't have time to go to the diner."

"Sure." Usually the two of them would drive out to an old-fashioned diner just down the road and hidden away behind a big store for lunch every day. Zola, the owner, was a sweet old woman with a surprising lack of wrinkles in her cheeks despite her age. Her daughter Aliyah waited tables with her son JJ toddling along behind her and had the largest afro Carson had ever seen.

     "What do you want?" Kell snapped Carson out of his daze. He must've blanked out for a few minutes there, because Kell had already ordered his food at the fast food place.

     "Sorry. I'll have a chicken sandwich, thanks."

~~~

     Once they were back in the truck in the parking lot at school and were satisfied with their food, Carson brought up the topic of football.

     "So, what is going on with football this year?" Kell tensed. "See that?" Carson continued. "You tense up whenever you're uncomfortable." Kell hid his surprise well and smirked.

     "What, you looking at my muscles or something?" He teased. Carson turned towards the window to hide his blush.

     "What? No! I'm just saying that you have a tell! And don't change the subject, moron!" Carson said, patting his cheeks in hope that it would calm his blush. Kell chuckled and stole one of Carson's fries, the latter too flustered to protest.

     "Yeah, okay. I can't tell you right now though." Carson turned to him, annoyed.

     "What? Why not?" Carson said, stealing one of Kell's chicken nuggets as revenge. Kell pouted.

     "Well, I just don't feel comfortable with telling you right now," Kell turned to him, and Carson frowned. Kell looked fairly serious, and that was rare with his clown of a friend.

    "I won't lie, you're worrying me and I want to throttle the answer out of you-"

     "Aw, you're too small to do anything."

     "Shut up, I'm tall enough to bust your kneecaps."

     "Shutting up."

     "As I was saying, I'm worried and want to know, but I'll respect your decision. But promise you'll tell me someday?" Kell smiled gently at Carson, his eyes soft.

     "Someday."

Oof I'm running on adrenaline and caffeine.