I Want You To Like Me

Strangers With Benefits

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Written by Pink-Butterfly 

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Episode 2

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The rain was pouring outside, the students looking outside the windows of the classroom with frustrated eyes as they sighed.

Nathan was sitting with his friends in their usual table, showing them an imitation of his English teacher in a vulgar manner.

His best friend, Jeremy, laughed loudly tumbling over and clapping his hands making even a louder noise.

Another of his friends, Jordan, was laughing too while hitting his boyfriend, Hal, of seven months.

“It’s raining pretty hard”. Jeremy noted as he recovered from his fit of laughters.

“And there’s still an after activity “. Jordan groaned as his boyfriend stroked his back out of empathy. “I’m so tired”.

“Well I have no after activity, so I have the rest of the day off”. Nathan bragged to his friends.

“What are you going to do then? Throw a party ?”. Jeremy asked teasing him.

He rolled his eyes in return. “I’m never throwing a party at my house again. I had to clean up my house all by myself”.

“Well you are the host “. Hal reminded him. “And that’s what you are supposed to do. Besides, I’m sure you enjoyed the party having all those girls swoon all over you”.

“He most definitely did. I saw him locking lips with someone on the patio, didn’t get to see the person’s features”.

Nathan’s cheeks blushed red in embarrassment from what Jordan said as he remembered what happened during the weekend party.

The kiss with that mysterious boy.

He didn’t even get the boy’s name.

“Ohh. He’s smiling. So tell us, who was she?”. Jeremy asked poking him.

“You don’t need to know “.

And it was true, nobody needed to know that he kissed a boy and liked it.

“What a brat!”. Jeremy joked as he slapped the back of his head affectionately.

“I won’t come over for Mario Kart”. Nathan teased his friend as a punishment for the slap he got.

Jeremy apologized immediately making Nathan laugh as he grabbed his bag and left the classroom.

He walked down the hallways, saying his goodbyes to his multitude of friends and waving at basically anyone who smiled at him.

After all, he was Nathan Calloway.

Everyone knew him.

The hallways were empty, most of the school’s population in each their different activities, either dance class, or arts class or drama club.

Checking the weather outside, he smiled, happy to see the storm had calmed down.

It encouraged him to leave the school premises as he walked on the sidewalks.

Throwing his bag over his shoulder, he talked to himself reminiscing what he did in school.

Video games during free period, Sports during P.E, and the Girls.

His mind wandered to a particular girl who had asked him out this morning.

But he had declined her offer, lying he wasn’t ready for a relationship.

Although that wasn’t something he usually did, before, he might have said yes just to sleep with the girl but now he simply just said No.

Some of his teammates had said he was an idiot for refusing such a pretty and popular girl going as far to call him a gay ass.

The comment had stirred something in him.

He wasn’t gay.

Maybe he didn’t accept the advances because he was changing for good.

Or maybe it was because of what that boy at the party said.

He couldn’t seem to free his mind of the kiss he shared with the mysterious guy.

Big while pondering about it, his thoughts drifted to his sexuality.

He didn’t kiss the boy the first time, of course. But when the boy kissed him, he didn’t refuse.

Why?

Could he be gay ? Or Bi?

He didn’t know the answers to that question yet.

His thoughts were interrupted by a small drop of rain landing right in the middle of his hair making a chill go down his spine.

He looked up noticing the number of droplets increased in a short span of time.

Shit!

The rain started again!

Cursing, he started running to the closest bus stop he could find.

Getting there as he panted slightly, he took his blazer off leaving him in his white uniform shirt.

He sat on one of the seats provided looking up at the clear ceiling that rain poured on tracing the way of the water with his eyes, finding the movement amusing to watch.

A few seconds later, he heard a loud sound of feet splattering against puddles.

A boy was standing on the opposite of the street, his head tilted backwards facing the sky, as if he was welcoming the large amount of rain crashing on him.

Through the thick layer of rain separating them, Nathan couldn’t quite see his face, but he looked around his age.

Nathan scoffed finding it odd that someone would willingly want to get in the rain.

He sighed standing up walking towards the edge of the bus stop.

“Hey! You’ll get sick!!”. He shouted cupping his mouth with his hands so his words could be louder.

The boy jolted letting his head fall back straight and faced him. He ran his hands through his hair before crossing the road to join him.

He finally got to him, standing next to him at the bus stop under the shield.

The boy’s clothes were completely patted down flush against his slim body and his hair was damp falling messily over his eyes and dripping down his face covering him.

Then he pushed his hair backwards and Nathan realized who he was.

“Hey! It’s you!”. Nathan said with a smile pointing at the school uniform. “And look at that, you go to my school, so you were not lying about that. I thought you were just making a joke “.

The boy rolled his eyes. “I was in the same class with you today. We had the same timetable throughout but of course, you didn’t notice “.

Nathan was surprised by the very deep tone of his silky voice but then his kind registered what the rest of the sentence was.

“Oh you attended all of my classes! How embarrassing”. He chuckled scratching the back of his head sheepishly. “I didn’t exactly check out for you because I didn’t know you. But what’s your name ? So I wouldn’t miss you in class next time “.

“Ivan Carey”.

“Oh, nice to meet you”. He replied with a smile. “Mine is__”.

“Nathan Calloway, I know”. Ivan said with a hint of indifference in his tone.

Nathan’s smile faltered as an awkward silence weighed between them.

Judging by the tone of Ivan’s voice, Nathan seemed to catch on that the other didn’t like him.

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Next Day

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“Alright guys, let’s take a few breaks “. Nathan yelled across the field as a few of his teammates fell back to the ground to rest.

“I’m so tired “. Jordan complained walking slowly before falling back on the ground to catch his breath.

Nathan scoffed. “You are always tired, I’m sure today isn’t an exception “.

“Oh sorry, excuse me for working hard and being the backbone of this team “.

He laughed knowing Jordan was right, he was really the backbone holding this team tight in other matches.

Nathan jogged past his best friend, Jeremy, who was busy giving out water bottles to the rest of the football team.

Like the great friend he was.

Nathan jogged down the hall apparently heading to the boy’s locker room, he quickly turned a corner and bumped into someone.

“Oh! Sorry!”. Nathan apologized stepping backwards then paused seeing who he hit.

“Hey, Ivan”. He smiled warmly helping him to pick the multiple tubes of paint he tried to balance in his arms.

“Good afternoon”. Ivan replied in a formal tone.

Nathan snorted. “You can drop the formal talk, we are classmates “.

“Says the guy who didn’t know who I was until yesterday “.

It made Nathan laugh eager to be in the good books of this mysterious guy.

“You are feisty, I like you”. He said attempting to continue the conversation.

Ivan rolled his eyes at him trying to walk away. “Well you are annoying, I don’t like you “.

Again with the cold attitude towards him.

“Wait!”.

Nathan blocked him, standing in front of him.

He wasn’t used to being rejected.

“I kind of told you that you shouldn’t judge me so fast. What if I give you a reason to like me ? Just wait for me after school and you’ll see “.

Ivan rolled his eyes again passing by Nathan to continue his way down the halls.

Nathan scoffed watching the boy leave.

He was a little mad to see he didn’t have any effect on Ivan.

That only made him want to impress Ivan the more.

***

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“I’m surprised you actually waited for me “. Nathan said with a smirk as he found Ivan standing by the school main gates.

Ivan looked at him with his beautiful honey colored eyes, partially hidden away by his black bangs.

He shrugged looking down at the ground kicking pebbles on the sidewalk. “I wanted to see what dumb stuff you had in mind “.

“It’s not dumb stuff! Oh, you’ll see “. Nathan laughed trying to lighten the atmosphere slapping Ivan’s back as he chuckled.

But he jolted more than necessary, stumbling slightly forward as if afraid of the slap.

“Sorry !”. He mumbled an apology noticing the boy’s discomfort.

It wasn’t like he was going to hit him, it was a friendly pat but then why did he flinch ?

After a few more minutes of heavily awkward silence between the two, Nathan finally had enough and decided to spark up a conversation.

“So do you have any friends at school ?”.

“No! I only have a friend, his name is Nate”.

“What grade?”. He asked wanting to know more.

“Grade 11, we met in Arts club”.

“Well if you need more friends, I’m available and I’m sure my friends would love to meet you “.

“No thanks, one annoying midget is enough for me. Jeremy is kind, I know him, he’s my neighbor, we live in the same apartment building. Hal and Jordan seem nice too but they are too involved in their relationship to pay attention to their friends. And your other friend, Sal, he’s okay too but he’s too cold, he doesn’t know how to be a friend “.

“Oh”. Nathan nodded not knowing how to continue the conversation as Ivan just described everyone of his friend correctly.

“That’s my house “.

Nathan said grateful to have reached already, climbing up the patio as he was bored of the silence.

“Yeah, I remember this house from the party. But why are we at your place ? Do you want me to play video games with you as a way to make me like you ?”. Ivan asked as they walked into the house.

Nathan didn’t answer as he closed the door then turned to Ivan slowly backing him against the wall.

“Too close “. Ivan muttered.

Nathan still moved forward. “I know “.

“So what’s this plan to make me like you ?”. He asked with a neutral expression on his face.

Nathan smirked placing his head on the wall next to the other’s head to pin him against the wall.

“Well this is the plan “. He whispered capturing his lips not missing the look on surprise on Ivan’s face.

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TBC

Written by Pink-Butterfly