Caught In the Storm (boyxboy)

Chapter 15

Chapter 15

"Answer."

I shook my head, glaring down at my cell phone. My mom was calling me and all I could do was stare at it. Xavier sat next to me at the outdoor lunch tables while the rest of the team was inside. I couldn't face them right now. I felt bad for what I did to Cole. He may have been an asshole, but he was an innocent asshole. Besides, everyone was walking on eggshells around me. It was unnerving.

"Ashton, just answer the phone." This was the third day I'd been gone, choosing to stay with Ian, who was aiding Xavier in his persistence, trying to persuade me to go home. He says that my mom and I need to talk this out and get past it, but I just think he's tired of sharing his room.

"Ashton." Angrily, I huffed and pressed reject. Xavier and Ian groaned in protest.

"You can't stay at my house forever!" Ian complained, throwing his upper half over the picnic table dramatically. "I'm an only child. Your constant presence in suffocating me. You've disrupted the norms of my natural habitat!"

"So you're saying you're tired of me?" I asked. Ian, the bastard, nodded. "You're such a crappy friend."

"I'm such a bad friend that I'm your best friend." Ian replied. I rolled my eyes, but we both knew it wasn't true. Ian had let me stay over, regardless of what his parents would say. He stood by me while I acted crazy and supported me when I discovered I was interested in guys. He didn't even care about the stupid rivalry.

"Look. Can't you just talk to her. You don't have to go home-

"Yes you do." Ian interrupted.

"-but you need to fix this." Xavier finished, sending a warning glare at Ian. "She's our mom. I doubt she's even angry anymore."

I didn't reply because Kyle was coming over to our table. I felt a stab of guilt when he sat next to me and rested his arm over my shoulder.

"Hey." He said. "I feel like I haven't seen you in forever. I'm sorry about your mom."

"It's okay." I said slowly, avoiding the judgmental look Xavier threw me. "Hey, can I talk to you?"

"Yeah, sure." Kyle replied, if not a little hesitantly. "I actually was coming over to talk to you about something first. In private."

"Oh, um...okay." I said uneasily, glancing at Xavier and Ian. They said bye and moved to a different table so we could be alone, although Ian didn't even bother to hide how nosy he was being.

"I have something to tell you." I said. "You aren't going to like it."

"Me too." He said, to my surprise. "I want to go first."

"Ok?" Now I was confused. I hadn't expected him to have bad news as well. Is he breaking up with me? I was ashamed at the moment of relief that came with the thought. At least I could feel less bad. Maybe it would save us the-

"Danny is the one who gave the tape to your mom." What? I stared at him in shock before narrowing my eyes suspiciously.

"How would you know that?" I asked.

"I was there." Kyle replied.

"He wouldn't do that." I said.

"How would you know that?" He countered. "You and him haven't really been on the best of terms." Yeah, as far as you know.

"Danny can be an ass, but he wouldn't do that." I snapped. "He isn't that kind of person."

"Ashton, I know you still have feelings for him." Kyle said in soft voice, like he was speaking to a young child. "But I wouldn't lie to you. Why would I lie to you about this? What happened is too serious for me to joke around about it."