Second Chance

PART 1: [Kyle]

The day had finally arrived. My first day at Wilkins High, supposedly the best high school in the town I had just moved to a week before.

Starting high school is tough enough as it is. But when you're an 18-year-old boy starting at a new school in the middle of grade 12, who's been a social outcast his entire life (my straight black hair, bright blue eyes, black clothing, and various piercings tended to scare people off), now there's a challenge.

Oh, did I mention that I'm gay?

Well there, I said it. Hi, I'm Kyle Johnson, and I'm gay. It never really bothered me, due to the fact that I was smart enough not to tell anyone. The closest my secret got to getting out was in 9th grade. A rumor had started that I was gay, but I quickly ended it by lying, and telling everyone that I was in love with a girl named Renée Swanson. Because of this, she moved away a week later.

Anyways, back to the story. I had dreaded the arrival of that Monday. The Monday my mom forced breakfast down my throat and pushed me out the door. We had found a house only a block away from the school, so I could walk there every day.

This school wasn't anything like my old high school. I had come from Chicago, so my old school had just over 2000 students. In my new small town, whose name I had already pushed out of my mind, the biggest high school had around 1000 students. Mine had only 450.

I pushed through the crowd of people gathered at the front of the school. I got weird looks from most, which I expected.

When I finally stepped inside, I was shocked. Everything was completely different from my old high school. Wilkins High was only one floor, and had long wide hallways with blue lockers along both sides. I pulled out my schedule to figure out what classes I had. I finished the entire first semester at my old school, so here I only had to take the second semester (which was only 4 classes). My schedule was English, music, lunch, biology, and gym. Not the most exciting classes, but they'd have to do.

Despite being a small high school, it was very crowded. It took me about 10 minutes to find my locker, and another 10 to open it. My combination, 49 13 28, was nearly impossible to remember, so I had to write it on the back of my arm.

The moment I closed my locker and turned around was when I knew things would be bad.

Girls. Everywhere.

They had actually formed a semi-circle around my locker. Most turned and walked away, covering their faces, when I turned around. Some giggled and turned red. I even heard a "Wow, he IS as hot as everyone says!"

Now for any 'ordinary' (yes, I do believe that I'm not ordinary) teenage boy, this would have been a dream come true! For me, however, it was awkward and uncomfortable.

I pushed through the crowd of girls (earning a 'He touched me! He actually touched my arm!'), and that's when I saw him.

Shaggy blond hair, bright blue eyes, muscular body. Perfection. From the time I laid my eyes on him, I knew I needed to get to know this boy.

I watched as he opened his locker to get his books, and he walked off to class. I was intrigued, not only because he was attractive, but I was confused why girls were surrounding me instead of him.

The rest of the day passed slowly, and luckily I had found out that the gorgeous man I'd met in the hallway was Chase Andrews, captain of the football team. He was in 3 out of 4 of my classes (I was Chase-less in music class), and for reasons that defied every single scientific law…we immediately bonded (the goth kid and the football captain? That HAD to be illegal).

But for some reason, we clicked. Chase and I sat beside each other in all of my classes (other than in English, where our teacher had assigned our seats), and I really got to know him. I learned that he was 19, older than most in the school, because he was held back in 8th grade for behavioral issues. He told me how he hadn't been able to graduate with his friends, and how his entire 'second grade 8 class' was scared of him because he was older. Over the summer, his mother had sent him to a 'devils day camp', as he called it, where kids with anger issues were taught how to stay calm. She'd also made Chase take football in high school, to help channel his excess anger. After spending all of biology telling me his life story (and not learning a single thing from the boring teacher), I really started to feel bad for the poor kid. He had been through so much.

We instantly became best friends, despite having little in common. I had no idea why, but he obviously saw something in me.

The more time I spent with him over the next week… the more I fell for him. Not just his looks, but also his amazing personality. He was surprisingly smart as well (he kept his intelligence a secret, because 'if they knew that our school's football captain was smart…it just wouldn't be the same').

The only problem: from what I could tell, there was no way he was gay. He was the captain of the football team! Not only that, but outside of class, he always had a girl clinging to his arm (a different one each day, it seemed). There was no way he could be gay.

Well…things can change!

PART 2: [Chase]

He was amazing.

Kyle Johnson was the most gorgeous guy I had ever met.

Now I know you're thinking, 'The captain of the football team…gay!' I had always used football to hide my dirty little secret…let's face it, no one ever suspects the football captain!

I had a bad habit of using girls as well. I'd 'date' a girl as a cover-up, then end the relationship if things got too serious. That's why I'd ended up with a new girlfriend every week…or day.

But Kyle, he was worth keeping for a lifetime! He had everything I looked for in a guy: HOT, really nice, cute, really smart, gorgeous, and relatively outgoing. Did I mention how amazing he looked!

There were only two obstacles in my way.

One: girls. He had at least 10 girls around him at all times. They were naturally attracted to him…and the worst part was that he didn't seem to mind.

And if that last part was true, that made my second obstacle even worse…

Becky Lawrence.

Some called her 'the hottest girl in school'. I just called her…well, I'm not going to say what I called her.

Back in grade 10, before I knew for sure that I was gay, Becky and I had dated. We had a pretty strong relationship, until the first time we kissed (which was 3 weeks in; we took things really slow). I was almost repulsed, and I knew then and there I was gay.

I kept her around for another two weeks (I didn't want to seem insensitive and break up with her too early). The breakup came hard, and since then, she had never gotten over me.

I figured she'd be interested in Kyle, and I definitely knew that she wouldn't be right for him. I had to warn Kyle right away, just in case she decided to make the first move.

Finally biology came (even though I loved science, I hated the teacher, and I soon came to hate the class). I didn't care whether I missed anything important or not, so I figured it'd be the perfect time.

"Hey Kyle!" I said as I sat down beside him.

"Hey Chase!" he replied cheerfully.

"So, there's something…err, someone…I wanted to talk to you about," I started. I watched him nod attentively. "I don't know if you've heard of Becky Lawrence, captain of the cheerleading squad. Well, I just wanted to warn you about her, because most guys end up falling for her, and I hear she's a real b-…err, a jerk." I managed to catch myself and prevent myself from swearing.

"…Uh, thanks Chase! Although I don't really think I'm gonna fall for her anyways…"

"Why's that?" I asked a little too excitedly. "Err, sorry, that's none of my business…"

"Aha, it's just that…cheerleaders were never my type…" he replied, looking straight down at his desk, appearing as if he was hiding something.

"Oh…okay, well that's good." I concluded, beginning to work on today's worksheet.

What did he mean by what he said? 'I don't really think I'm gonna fall for her anyways…' Could that mean…he was gay?

I figured I'd have to do a lot of work to find out!

PART 3: [Becky]

Two words: Kyle Johnson. Another five words: I needed to have him.

Even though he was new to the school, Kyle had quickly become the hottest guy anyone knew. Being the head cheerleader, making Kyle my boyfriend would've drastically boosted my reputation!

The first problem: he barely knew me. I had to get to know him first.

The second problem: we had absolutely no classes together. The only times I saw him were before school, at lunch, and after school. I had to make my move then.

The following day, I hadn't been able to find him before school or at lunch, so the minute the last bell rang, I dashed out of the classroom and began pushing through the halls to find Kyle.

I had finally found him walking home from school. Luckily he was headed in the direction that I had to go in anyways, so I ran as fast as I could to catch up to him.

"Hey Kyle!" I exclaimed when I reached him, throwing my arm around his shoulders. Surprisingly, he was only a few inches taller than me.

"Um…hi?" he replied. I could feel him inching away from me. "Who are you…and how do you know my name?"

"Oh, I'm Becky Lawrence," I said, and with a giggle I added, "and everyone knows your name!"

I saw his eyes widen. "Huh…well I really should be going now."

As he began speeding up, I attempted to keep up, but my flip-flops made me trip a few times. "Well where are you going? Don't you want to chat for a bit?"

"No…no thanks. I have to get going." And with that, he took off with a full-on speed walk.

I smirked. "Well, it's a start!" I said to myself.

The following day, I was approached at my locker by Chase, my ex boyfriend. "What do you want?" I asked as I rolled my eyes. I pretended that I had completely moved on from him, but deep down, there was a part of me that wanted him back. He had broken up with me a year ago because 'I was too clingy'. I had never really gotten over him.

"Look, I heard you were flirting with Kyle," he replied bluntly.

"Why do you care?" I asked, truly confused. If he had broken up with me, why did he care who I was interested in?

"Just…just stay away from him, okay? He's not your type."

I was still confused about why Chase was butting into my personal life. I could only think of one clear reason why he didn't want me with Kyle: he wanted me for himself!

"Maybe you're right. Maybe he's not my type!" I replied. Besides, I was more into the athletic, muscular type….

"Alright, good!" he said happily.

"So I'll see you around?" I winked at him as I closed my locker.

"Uh…yeah? Sure, okay," he muttered as I began walking away.

By then, I had completely forgotten about Kyle. And I figured Chase was right; Kyle wasn't my type. The only person I wanted for myself was Chase…and I'd do anything to make him mine again!

PART 4: [Kyle]

I had decided to go to one of Chase's football games.

As much as I HATED football (and I mean hated. I think it started when I was 10. I was hit by a football twice in 10 minutes: once in the head and once…well, I'm sure you can guess where. Let's just say I couldn't walk properly for the rest of the day…), I figured it'd be a great way to get closer to Chase. Plus he had used his charm, and his gorgeous puppy-dog face, to convince me to come.

On my way home from school, millions of thoughts swirled in my mind: "Who exactly was Becky Lawrence? Why was she so interested in me? Why wasn't she following me home today? Why did Chase warn me about her? Did the two have something going on at one time?" One that stuck out in my head, though, was my love for Chase.

As much as I didn't want him to know, I had to get this weight off of my chest. I figured we'd stay friends even after he knew how I felt.

I had been examining his behaviour for the past week, and despite being a tough, muscular football player, he definitely had some feminine traits.

For one, he did his hair (hairdryer and all) every day. Second, I had learned that he owned three cats, and they were practically his life. And if that wasn't enough: he went for weekly manicures.

If he wasn't gay, then neither was I.

I had daydreamed about how it would all go: after the football game ended, I'd rush onto the field, give him the rose, and he pick me up in his giant arms and carry me off into the sunset. I knew it wouldn't go exactly like that, but at least I'd be with the man of my dreams.

When I arrived at home, I tried picking out what I was going to wear. I didn't think my 'black band t-shirt and black skinny teans' outfit would go over too well if I was telling Chase I loved him, so I figured a 'blue graphic t-shirt and dark blue skinny jeans' would be an improvement.

I spent the next hour pacing around my room nervously, planning out exactly what I would say and how I'd say it. By the time I had to leave to go to the game, I was feeling really nauseous; I almost wanted to back out. Unfortunately, it was too late, and I had to do it, or live with the guilt forever.

I quickly ran to the local flower shop to pick up a single rose. I knew it'd be a romantic thing to do, and hopefully Chase wouldn't think it was cheesy.

When I arrived back at school, I hid the rose in my backpack so Chase wouldn't see it. I had done it just in time, too, because the second he saw me, he rushed over to me and gave me a bear hug.

"Man, I'm so glad you could make it!" he said as he let go of me. I took a deep breath after nearly being suffocated to death.

"I-I'm glad I could make it too!" I smiled, looking up at him. I was a mere 5'7", no match for his 6'2" body.

"Well, the game's about to start, so just go and sit down on the bleachers," he said as he began walking away.

I found a seat away from everybody else. As I looked around at the weird looks people were giving me, I figured they were thinking that I was the last person they'd expect to see at a football game.

The game started about 10 minutes after I had sat down. Throughout the time the teams were on the field, I attempted to follow what was going on. It got so bad that I had to ask the closest person to me, who happened to be a 'football nerd'. He spent 20 minutes explaining every rule and guideline, and all I could understand was 'get the ball. Keep the ball away from the other team. Throw the ball over the pole thing to score points. Try to get the most points.' I could tell immediately that it would be a long 2 hours.

I nearly fell asleep four times, but I kept myself awake with thoughts of Chase and how terrible I'd feel if he caught me sleeping.

About halfway through the game, I remembered that I had my iPod with me, so I took that out of my bag and began listening to it. I had around 1000 songs on it, and most were screamo. When listening to music loudly, I had been questioned about my sanity…on multiple occasions.

The music made the rest of the game go by very quickly. As the bleachers began clearing out, I shoved my iPod back into my pocket, and I took the rose out of my backpack.

This was it. The day Chase would find out how I truly felt about him.

I was nervous. No, that wasn't even close. I was TERRIFIED. I couldn't stop thinking about 'what if he's not gay? Will we still be friends?'

But I had a feeling he was. And if he was, he definitely had a crush on me (he acted like it, at least).

I waited a few minutes for the other team to leave the field. I finally noticed Chase being carried around by his teammates. I assumed that our team had won.

I walked out onto the field, and out of the corner of my eye I saw Becky Lawrence heading out onto the field as well. I rolled my eyes at her; after our little encounter, I didn't want anything to do with her.

I then stood and watched as she walked over to Chase. She began talking to him, they laughed…

And then they kissed.

My heart dropped to the ground, and I nearly threw up. He wasn't gay. I was wrong. I had spent hours finally deciding to tell him that he meant the world to me; it seemed he didn't actually care about me.

And to make it worse, he had spent the time to convince me not to go near Becky, just so he could have her for himself.

Dropping the rose, which contained my now-broken heart, I ran off. I didn't care where I went, as long as I was as far away from Chase as I could get.

PART 5: [Chase]

As Becky threw herself upon my lips, I saw Kyle running away. I pushed her off of me as I yelled, "What do you think you're doing!"

"What…don't you love me?" she asked.

I was so confused. "What are you talking about? I broke up with you a year ago!"

"But…" she stuttered. "…but you told me to stay away from Kyle. You told me he wasn't my type! Didn't you…"

"No, no, I don't want you back!" I yelled angrily. "You're so stupid…I wanted Kyle!"

I turned around and began running in the direction Kyle has taken off in. I noticed something on the ground where he had stood a few minutes earlier. I stopped to pick it up, and what I saw shocked me.

A single rose. Kyle…he loved me.

At that moment I knew I had to find him right away. I had to clear everything up.

I took off at full speed to the front of the school (where I assumed Kyle was headed). I searched everywhere, even ran down the street, but still no sign.

At that point, Kyle could've been anywhere. And besides, I was probably the last person he wanted to see.

Giving up, I slumped down in front of the giant oak tree in the front of our school. I failed in finding Kyle…and by then I knew it was too late. He wouldn't ever want to see me again.

I began hearing a noise…like someone crying. I knew there was a good chance that I had found Kyle! I held my breath; I tried being as silent as possible to figure out where it was coming from. I soon realized that it was coming from directly above me.

I was never good at climbing trees, but after trying my best and getting as far as I could without fainting (I was deathly afraid of heights), I found a sturdy branch to sit on. And sure enough, I found Kyle perched upon a large branch two feet away from me.

"Kyle, I-" I tried talking to him, but as soon as he looked at me with his tear-filled eyes, he turned away.

I got up and sat down on the same branch as him; I was surprised that it could hold us both. He tried getting away from me, but I grabbed his arm to stop him. As soon as I showed him the rose I had clutched in my other hand, his mouth dropped. "I believe you dropped this…?"

"That's actually…" he started. His voice was shaky. "That's…for you…"

I smiled slightly; I knew he'd say that. "Really? Because I-"

I wasn't able to finish my sentence because Kyle cut me off. "But it's not like it matters anyways! You love Becky!"

He tried jumping out of the tree, but I grabbed him by the waist just before he could. "Why are you doing this to me? You're just hurting me more than you need to! You'll never love me; you hate me! I'm just a stupid gay boy who will never find anyone!"

I stopped him in the middle of his rant. I grabbed his chin and looked into his sparkling blue eyes. "I don't love Becky. I love you. I've loved you since the day I laid my eyes on you. I don't care if you only wear black. I don't care of you listen to music that would give old people heart attacks. I don't care if you're gay. Because you know what? I am too."

And with that, he burst into tears once more. But this time, instead of running away, he threw his arms around me, nearly knocking me out of the tree. After letting go, he looked back up at me. "But…Becky and you…I saw you-"

"Becky kissed me, not the other way around. When I convinced her not to hang out with you, she took it the wrong way and thought that I wanted her for myself. Trust me Kyle, I have no feelings for her…" I explained.

I stared down at him. I wiped the tears that were still flowing down his cheek, I pushed his long black hair out of his eyes, and I kissed him passionately to prove how much he meant to me.

We shared this moment for another 30 seconds, before he finally pulled away to stare at me once more. "Are you gonna give me a second chance?" I asked jokingly.

He laughed, hitting my shoulder playfully. He quickly jumped out of the tree, and 5 minutes later when I finally got down, he tackled me to the ground.

"You're a foot taller than me, AND you're wearing football gear, but I can still knock you down?" he joked, still on top of me.

"You caught me by surprise there!" I replied.

He kissed me once more, before resting his head on my shoulder. "I'm so tired…" he told me. "I hate to say it…but the football game was kinda boring…"

I laughed. "That's fine, I didn't think you'd be into it. Here, I'll carry you home…" He wrapped his arms around my neck and his legs around my waist (I wouldn't have even called it 'carrying him') and I began walking towards his house.

We probably looked like two idiots to everyone watching, but I didn't care. I had gotten my second chance with Kyle…and that's all that mattered to me.