Playing Rough

Chapter XII

Chapter XII ─ Mind Blazing

[ B R Y A N   C L A Y ]

Michael Griffin had set up camp in my head over the entirety of the weekend and I hated it. The fucker was probably doing fuck knows what, while I was obsessing over him every waking moment of my life. It's exhausting.

I had broken the number one rule in the homosexuality for idiots handbook; I fell in love with a straight guy.

The few years apart from each other had dimmed my feelings almost entirely, at one point I had almost fooled myself that I hated him, however, I couldn't quite say the same right now. The silence in my house didn't help my case whatsoever, I was a frustrated ball of emotions with no one to accompany my suffering.

When overthinking is your only way of thinking, that's when things truly get tough and, unsurprisingly, I had that issue.

I knew I was looming over the wet dream for way too long, but I couldn't help it, anytime my mind drifted to Michael - which it did often nowadays - that very vivid image of him on top of me was plastered all over my mind.

I could tell things were going to be awkward today, I was already on my to East Aredale High, it was a surprisingly breezy Monday morning, I had absentmindedly packed my duffel bag with general necessities last night and I was sort of ready for the football camp over the break. What I wasn't ready for was me inevitably sneaking glances at my least favourite ginger jock and turning into mush.

I'd have to avoid him at all costs, things were going to get even more frustrating than they already had been from this point on.

I knew I was ultimately setting myself up for confrontation from Michael. But bottling away my emotions and then absentmindedly inserting myself back into the situation was my speciality, just look at me now. I was going to ride the wave of my stupidity until I couldn't any longer.

It wasn't long until I reached the parking lot of East Aredale High, I could already see a bunch of guys from East's team and a few familiar teams from my own. Of course, I also spotted Michael Griffin laughing about god knows what with some of his friends. I glared daggers at him until Liam Dalley, a wide receiver from my caught my attention. "Hey, Bryan! How are you, man? Feels like I haven't seen you in weeks!" That's because you didn't you dumbass, I wanted to retort but stopped myself, there was no point in taking my frustration out on innocent people. 

"I'm fine, I guess, just needed some time off, you guys behaving so far?" I asked him, trying to make small talk. Liam Dalley wasn't exactly someone I was fond of, he was a douchebag on and off the field, always picking fights. But he was a damn good wide receiver so I had no complaints on that front. I'd do anything to take my mind off of Michael Griffin for a moment, and if it meant I had to talk with Liam, I'd do it in a heartbeat.