Decode
By: KellyCRocker59
Chapter Seven
This chapter is really dialogue heavy, so I hope it still flows well. Trust me, there won't be so much relationship drama in the future, so I'm sorry if that's kind of off-putting right now. Anyway, I hope you like this chapter, and please let me know what you think :)
They parked on the side of the road, a back road that didn't look as though it saw more then one or two vehicles a day tread down its path. Harrison hadn't spoken for the entire trip, which didn't really surprise Holden. Harrison didn't play sports, instead opting for clubs and such, known mostly as the resident man-whore of the high school; if there was a pretty girl, it was almost certain that he had slept with her. Holden rarely saw him, and when he did it always seemed a bit uncomfortable for him.
"Look, I've talked to maybe once or twice, Holden, so I don't really know what's going through your head…" Harrison turned more in his seat, facing the other boy, "but Sean is kind of going crazy. He's always on edge; most people might not see it, but I know him front and backwards, and you're on his mind all the time. It's kind of disgusting, and really pathetic."
"Well he's the one that doesn't want to talk to me; I've been going crazy too." Holden replied, a bit perturbed that Sean had told someone about them when he had believed they had a firm agreement against it.
"He wants to, trust me. He just doesn't know how to. I'm actually really surprised that he's been as open with you as he seems to be. Sean is usually really closed off; I suppose that it's all or nothing with him, and he was the former with you."
"Why doesn't he just text me or something then? I've been miserable for the past week; the least he can do is put my mind at ease." Holden was leaning against the side door now, finding it difficult to look directly into Harrison's deep gaze and settling instead upon the dashboard.
"He can't; it's just the way he is, Holden. You need to make the first move, or else both of you are just going to go on being all pathetic and lonely."
"So what, just call him? What if he doesn't want to talk to me?"
"Don't be a girl; just call him, it's no big deal. He wants to talk to you, trust me."
Holden sighed, readjusting himself in his seat. "Did you know about Sean…"
"I've known Sean was into guys for a couple years," Harrison said, cutting him off, "I come from a pretty liberal family, so I didn't think it was any big deal. Still, I don't want to see him getting hurt; he's my boy. So don't go breaking his heart."
It was then that Harrison started the engine, and they were returning to Holden's house.
He scrolled down to Sean's number nervously, becoming unsure as his finger guided the list of contacts toward the other boy's name. Then, he was there, and with a quick breath he pressed 'call'. The dial tone sounded once, then twice, and then…
"Hello?"
Holden coughed suddenly, choked by the catching of his breath, unable to reply.
"Hello?" Sean asked again, more questioning now.
"H-Hey." Holden managed out, coughing more quietly a few more times before getting his lungs under control.
"Hey; what's up?"
This was what Holden had called for?
"I think we have more important things to talk about then what's up." Holden replied, lying down on his bed, attempting to get comfortable but unable to with the atmosphere of the conversation so heavy.
"It's just a thing to say; I know we need to talk, I just…don't know what to say."
"How about you wanna try having a relationship?" Holden asked.
"Yeah, I guess that's a start. I don't know, though; I'm worried about people finding out." Sean's voice sounded more cautious then Holden had ever heard him.
"Well you seemed pretty eager to tell Harrison about us." Holden replied before he could extract the tang of bitterness from his voice.
"He talked to you? What'd he say?" Sean was anxious now, and Holden kind of liked having a bit of control over the other boy.
"Just that you've been a mess without me." This wasn't completely untrue.
There was a long pause on the other end of the line. "He's won't shut up about how pathetic I'm being."
"Well don't feel too bad; I'm kind of in the same boat." Holden replied.
"So what…we're just supposed to be together or something? We haven't even been broken up for a week, and we're both a mess."
"Well why should we have to be apart? I mean, I know we were only really together for a week, but I feel like we just connected." Holden replied.
"Yeah, same here; but honestly, if this gets back to my parents…"
"Mine would probably kick me out, so I feel the same way. We're just going to have to be really careful."
Sean didn't speak for a while, and Holden wondered if he had lost the connection.
"How about we just go for a drive?" He suggested.
"That sounds really good, actually." Holden replied, smiling to himself.
"I'll be at your house in a bit." Sean said, and then hung up before Holden could even get in a response.
Sure enough, Holden had barely managed to pull on proper clothes before Sean was driving up to his house. A quick goodbye to his parents, both of them fairly well attached to the television, gained him a quick escape. He rounded the side of his house, this time sure of whom would be there, and it was as he expected; Sean, looking incredibly sexy with a smile plastered to his face. Holden pulled the passenger's door opened and climbed in, pulling his seat belt on. However, Sean didn't move. Holden looked over at him in curiosity, and found the other boy staring.
"I'm sorry; I should have stuck by you." He said, verbally what his more solemn expression now showed.
"No, don't; I don't know if I could have if I was in your position." Holden replied, shaking his head.
"Yes you would have. You say you care, Holden, but you don't; you're braver then I am."
Holden sighed, "Can we just drive? All of this sad talk is getting me down."
"Yeah." Sean replied, and he pulled out of Holden's driveway and toward the road before them.
The radio hummed quietly, and Holden was unsure what to say now as Sean drove.
"We really need to start thinking of new places to hang out. Your truck hasn't always yielded the best results." He finally managed, and Sean chuckled.
"Yeah, we should; I guess we could hang out at my house, if you wanted. My parents wouldn't think anything of us. I just don't want anyone at school spreading anything."
"It was Reed, just so you know. He's the one that started the rumor." Holden added, feeling a tremor of anger sweep through him before dissipating.
"Why the hell would he do that? He had our backs at the last game." Sean questioned, brow furrowing.
"He said he doesn't think you're good for me, said he's just looking out for me and that I can do better. I don't see it, but whatever."
"It's not any of his damn business whether or not we're together." Sean mumbled, but Holden could tell there were thoughts being processed beyond what he was verbalizing.
"What are you thinking?" He asked, attempting to obtain the workings of the other boy's mind.
"Just that I'd beat the shit out of him if he didn't have this over us." Sean replied, and Holden wondered if profanity was just his way of expressing his rage without getting violent.
"Calm down; he didn't really mean anything by it." Holden said, defending Reed despite himself.
"Whatever, Holden; if this gets out, don't expect me to go easy on him."
Holden sighed, and silence ensued.
"I'm hungry; you hungry?" Sean asked.
"Yeah, actually I am." Holden said, feeling a gnawing in his stomach.
Sean drove into the town nearest Holden's house, away from the school and that town. People rarely commuted between the two, so it was unlikely for them to see anyone they knew. They stopped at a Wendy's, this one seeming to be a more prestigious restaurant from the chain.
Sean ordered a burger and fries, and when Holden ordered a burger and chili, he realized he didn't have any money on him. However, Sean stepped in front of him and paid the bill, handing the cashier a twenty.
"You didn't need to do that." Holden mumbled as Sean grabbed their tray and headed for a table.
"Well call me old-fashioned; I'm not going to make you pay when you're my date." Sean replied nonchalantly.
"Oh, so this is a date?" Holden asked as they sat down.
Sean shrugged. "I guess so."
The larger boy unwrapped his burger and began to take a bite, but then he noticed Holden bowing his head, eyes closed. He waited for him to look up before speaking.
"What was that?"
"I was just praying; it's kind of a habit I have before every meal." Holden answered, trying not to be self-conscious about his faith.
Sean nodded, easing Holden's nerves of his behavior. "That's cool."
They ate in silence, Holden too preoccupied with the process of eating to speak. Then, when he moved on to his chili, Sean spoke up.
"Is that stuff good? I don't think I've ever had chili at a fast food place."
Holden nodded, "Yeah, it's amazing; you wanna try it?"
Sean shrugged, and Holden passed his the plastic cup and spoon. The football player took it, and scooped up some of the meat and beans from the liquid onto the spoon. He took it in one bite, and then sputtered painfully. Holden bit back a laugh at the incredulous expression upon the other boy's face, looking as though he had been fed lard.
"Man, that's frigging hot!" Sean gasped, "Not to mention it tastes like shit!"
"Watch your mouth." Holden corrected, and Sean eyed him in a curious manner, seeming to both take note of his offensive remark as well as Holden's expression.
Then, Holden realized that there was residue of the food on Sean's upper lip, caught in the hair that he let grow there.
"You have something on your face." Holden said and absentmindedly leaned forward, thumb moving over Sean's face to wipe it away. Sean's eyes caught his, and Holden immediately realized what he was doing, closed hand against the other boy's face, thumb rubbing his skin.
Sean's eyes held that intensity that Holden had seen before, the first time they had driven in Sean's truck and again after the football game. Before he could move away, Sean was leaning forward and kissed him squarely on the mouth, a fast yet firm kiss that made Holden's heart constrict. Sean was back in his seat before Holden even realized they had parted, and Holden leaned back against his as well. Sean was smiling now, a big grin that made Holden's heart beat back to life.
"You look like you just got slapped in the face?" Sean explained.
"I just…wasn't expecting that." Holden replied, grabbing his cup of chili from Sean's side of the table as Sean stuffed a few fries into his mouth.
"What, you didn't like it?" He questioned.
"No, actually; it was kind of amazing."
Sean chuckled, and Holden wondered if they could just stay here forever, in a fairly well deserted Wendy's where no one knew them, where they were free from the weight of the opinions and judgments of everyone they knew. He knew they couldn't, but it was a blissful thought nonetheless, as Sean's knees adjusted comfortably against his beneath the table.
