Pride

Chapter 14- Chase

The sign turns out much better than I had originally thought it would. Werewolf takes it home with him when he leaves because he has practice in the morning, so he'll be able to leave it in the office without having to navigate hallways filled with kids. I'm not too worried that he might break it or something, because I gave him a look as he left that I'm pretty sure effectively communicated that I will kill him if anything happens to it.

Now that he's gone, though, I'm having a hard time distracting myself from what happened earlier. And Levi's noticed.

"Chase!" He snaps in front of my face a few times, and I startle.

"What?"

"You keep zoning out. Wake up."

"Right, yeah, sorry."

"What's going on? Is this about Ashley?"

"No."

"The project?"

I hesitate. "No."

"Jordan?"

I press my lips together and contemplate lying.

Levi sighs. "What about Jordan? Is it something to do with whatever fight-slash-almost-fight you guys had four seconds after sitting down to work?"

I sigh. "I mean, kinda."

"How kinda?"

"Like, it's not... just about Werewolf."

"What else, then?"

I press my lips together and run my fingers through my hair. "... My sexuality."

He blinks. And then a moment later, he gets it, and his face goes completely blank from shock. "You're gay for Jordan?"

I groan a little and lean forwards so the heels of my hands are pressing into my forehead, and my elbows are digging into my knees. I squeeze my eyes shut, but I should know better- the sight of Jordan is imprinted on the back of my eyelids. Jordan, lying in the grass with a faint, content smile painted across his face, eyes closed, hair spread across the grass, the sun practically making him glow...

I open my eyes quickly as I get the funny feeling in my stomach, the same feeling I got when Cute Guy from seven minutes in heaven talked in that seductive tone, right before-

"Well, on the bright side, at least you know the first time wasn't a fluke?" Levi says, though it sounds like he's questioning his own logic.

I sigh. "Out of all the guys I could have liked, though- my rival? My arch rival? Who I also have to see every day due to the punishment we have because we can't stop fighting with each other? Does that not sound like the worst possible choice?"

"It's not a choice, Chase. And maybe, I don't know, maybe it's just because you're confused because of all of the stuff you're going through right now. Breaking up with Ashley, wondering if she ever really cared about you, trying to figure out your sexuality..."

I shake my head. "I don't know. Maybe?"

"Tell me why you think you like him."

I press my lips together. "He bumped into me, and..." I shake my head again, trying to clear it. "When he tried to take the X-Acto knife from me, it felt like fire. Like an electric shock, but... ugh, I don't know. And then when he was lying in the grass..."

Levi is watching me intently. "You really do like him."

I glare at him. "You're a big help, thanks loads."

"What do you want me to tell you? You're blushing, Chase."

He's not wrong. My cheeks are very warm. "Thanks," I say sarcastically.