EDITED VERSION!
Schroeder had a great start to the day. He got ready in record time and played the piano with a little extra finesse before he headed out. He was over the moon, he was free of his bindings to Lucy, and he could go on without her holding him down. Freedom had a wonderful ring to it, the freedom to be with the perfect guy.
Schroeder got the bus and seen that Linus had picked the right day to sit with Charlie Brown. So he happily plopped into the seat he had shared with Alex yesterday. Humming happy ditties while waiting just made his fingers impatient to find keys of ivory. Grabbing his satchel strap he tapped impatiently, he hated waiting. He was never good at it not to mention it made him nervous.
Schroeder was deep in thought when he was abruptly jostled and looked over to see his brown haired cutie. "Hey, Schroeder. How are you this morning? Glad to see you here," Schroeder just loved the sound of Alex's voice, it was like Beethoven's best composition.
"I'm great," Schroeder sighed. Had anyone ever been happier? Suddenly a funny thought ran through his head. Lucy once argued the fact that Beethoven 'had liked girls' as one of her many attempts to gain his affections. Sorry Beethoven, I like boys. A laugh escaped his throat. Schroder blushed and covered his mouth out of embarrassment.
"That good, huh? I'm glad, I'm ecstatic too. I nearly always sit by myself, but walking up and finding you waiting was a very pleasant surprise," Alex said in a soft voice. Schroeder shifted in his seat, he knew his face was beet red. Alex's mild flirting was just so sweet.
"I'm glad you enjoy my company, I was hoping you would," Schroeder murmured. He was still incredibly shy, but at least he could talk today. That in itself is an improvement on yesterday. Not to mention this was his first time he had really ever flirted.
"Why wouldn't I?" Alex chuckled, "I really enjoy your company." Alex scooted closer to Schroeder making it where their bodies were pressed together. Schroeder had nowhere to go. He should have been freaking out, he should have Alex to give him space, but he was comfortable. This was a good thing. His face was burning, his stomach was tight, and his body was reacting to being touched. This was all so new. Schroeder had lost the ability to speak and just swallowed around the lump in his throat. "Are you okay?"
"I-I'm fine, g-great actually," he managed to choke out. Alex smirked and leaned in close. There goes the ability to speak again. Alex's smiled widened, and he leaned in about an inch. Schroeder's eye's widened, but he didn't move.
"Do you like me, Schroeder?" Alex inquired out of the blue. His grin had softened making his features appear angelic. Schroeder definitely liked this guy. He readjusted his satchel to sit directly on his lap and started to tap nervously on it. Schroeder's chest had tightened from nervousness.
"L-like you how, exactly?" Schroeder stuttered.
"Ya know, like me?" Alex emphasized his statement by tracing a heart on Schroeder's nervously tapping hand. Schroeder felt his heart, brain, and body simultaneously short circuit. He had lost the ability to speak altogether, and his hand was frozen underneath Alex's finger. "Can I take your constant, adorable blush as a yes?" Alex poked Schroeder's nose, causing him to blink. Schroeder simply nodded, not trusting his words. Oh, sweet Beethoven. "Well, if you likeme," Alex leaned in close, "Will you be my boyfriend?" What? Schroeder's mind reset again. This couldn't be happening! Forget not being able to function, he couldn't breathe. "So?" Alex raised an eyebrow. Schroeder forced himself to swallow and then was finally able to breathe again. He swallowed again hoping to calm his racing heart, but it didn't work
"Y-yes. Tha-at would be awe-awesome," Schroeder stuttered like the dork he is. Smooth. Alex was going to think he had a speech impediment. Alex let out a sigh of relief.
"For a second there I thought you were going to say no," Alex chuckled nervously. He cleared his throat and continued, "Glad you didn't." He then wrapped his arm around Schroeder, his boyfriend. Schroeder feared his heart was going to explode at this rate, too much stimulation. If his heart did explode, he would die happy, it seemed He let out a sigh and leaned into Alex's embrace. Alex smiled, and Schroeder smiled back, and they stayed like that until they arrived at school.
"That was nice, I'm glad you liked me enough to be my boyfriend," Alex smiled and ruffled the blonde's hair, and Schroeder blushed, but this time from embarrassment. Even though Alex was almost three years older than him did not give him that right. Schroeder fumed as he realized he was going to have to fix his beanie.
"Hey!" Schroeder waved his hands, shooing Alex's away, "I'm not five!" Alex let out a laugh and tried to ruffle his hair again. Schroeder once again shooed his hands away and frowned. "Great, now I have to fix my beanie!" Schroeder tried to keep his face straight as he started to remove the bobby pins and took his beanie off. He put too much effort into maintaining his crazy, curly hair for it to be messed up before school even started.
"So that's what you look like without that damn beanie," Alex smiled and roared into laughter after Schroeder shot him a death glare. "I still like it, though. I've just never seen you without it," Alex shrugged. Schroeder put the pins in his mouth as he put his beanie on and started to replace the bobby pins. He was also hoping the gel was messed up.
After Schroeder was finished, he said, "Wanna head to the band room?"
"Never been, show me the way," Alex smiled while he shrugged.
"Come on then! I wanna play you the piano!" Schroeder gathered up all his nerves and grabbed Alex's hand and led him towards the band room. Schroeder couldn't wait to share his truest passion with Alex. Ales had invited him to football practice. Schroeder felt like he could take Alex to the band room.
They arrived, and Schroeder sat down at the piano and opened the lid and, not even waiting for Alex and started playing. It felt so good as his fingers danced across the keys. Alex had, at some point, sat down next to him. Having his boyfriend sitting next to him at his favorite place in the world was marvelous.
"Wow, this is amazing!" Alex said dazed, "it's lovely." Schroeder couldn't help but smile and blush, he felt his chest swell with pride.
"Thank you," Schroeder muttered shyly. Then Alex's arm was wrapped around his shoulders, and he pulled Schroeder closer to him. Schroeder's hands stopped working for a moment, and he dropped a beat or three. Wow, Schroeder loved the warmth of being held, but quickly shrugged out of Alex grasp for the fear of Mr. Haylen walking in. Schroeder had to force his heart to slow down from a strange wave of anxiety that had washed over him.
The boys stayed in the band room until they had to leave for first period. They didn't need to be late, it wasn't the first day of school anymore. Before they could leave Mr. Haylen had shown up and was astonished to see the two boys at the piano. It wasn't a bad surprise it was more of him not understanding why. Schroeder was all right with leaving his favorite teacher confused, he could figure it out on his own.
The rest of the school day was average, Schroeder seemed to like all of his teachers so far. His opinions hadn't changed since yesterday. Schroeder only got to see Alex during lunch because Alex was a senior and he was a sophomore. Lunch, for that reason, was becoming Schroeder's favorite part of the day, next to band that is.
Today at lunch a long time friend of the gang's showed up unexpectedly, Peppermint Patty. She was a loose cannon and a half when she loudly approached the table and scared Charlie Brown into choking. Schroeder couldn't help but laugh, it was almost the exact same incident that had happened to him yesterday. Schroeder didn't listen to their conversation. He still couldn't believe Peppermint Patty, the rough and tumble, tomboy had grown into looking like a supermodel who wore sandals. Charlie had made the mistake the mistake of mentioning that to her. He got a black eye from it. She always complained about them getting in the way.
After lunch nothing else eventful happened, until after school that is. Schroeder was eager to get out on the football field. He gathered up his things quickly and headed towards the band room. It was on the way to the football field. He didn't make it there, though. He saw Linus all ready for Cross Country practice and decided he wanted to talk. It almost looked like Linus was waiting for him.
"Hey, Linus!" The death glare he received surprised him, a lot. Huh? "What?"
"Having a nice time chasing jocks?"Linus spat. Schroeder stopped in his tracks, a feeling of dread settling in his chest. Lucy, fuck!
"What?" Schroeder said feigning innocence.
"Oh, ya know, with you being gayand all. God, you're such a clique," Linus rolled his eyes. Schroeder was dumbfounded and overwhelmed with anger.
"Linus! What the fuck?" Schroeder growled. Linus stared at him hard and then a smiled broke out on his face and burst out laughing. Schroeder wanted to punch him, "Again, what the fuck?!"
"God, your face was priceless!" Linus paused to breath, "You looked at me like I grew a second head. Do you think I'd really care?" Schroeder frowned, Linus was actually the only one of his friends he was worried about telling, besides Lucy. He let out a breath, he hadn't known he was holding. That was cruel!
"Actually. I thought you were serious. You know I don't cuss often," Schroeder hissed in exasperation. Linus started to laugh again. Schroeder punched his arm, probably a little harder than required. "Asshole!" Linus sobered up and then looked straight into Schroeder's soul. Schroeder paused, that was Linus' lecture face.
"It was surprising to have my stone hearted sister come crying to me," Schroeder cringed, "But honestly it makes a lot of sense now that I've really thought about it. I'm glad you can start to find romance," Linus grabbed on to Schroeder's shoulders, "but, seriously! The quarterback! He's like three years older than you!" Schroeder felt small being scrutinized, but he really liked Alex. Schroeder knew this argument wasn't over, but he was going to drop that.
"Yeah, so? I really like him," Schroeder crossed his arms.
"I hope he doesn't take advantage of that, but hey only time will tell, right?" Linus shrugged, Schroeder felt odd hearing that Linus believed Alex might try to take advantage of him. It also terrifiedhim. He didn't need that fear, so he needed to stay away from that idea.
"Have you even been in a relationship?" Schroeder said his tone dripping in sarcasm.
"Yeah, I dated Emmie from the track team for a while, you should know that."
"Yeah, now that you mention it," Schroeder paused, "wasn't that like, in seventh grade?"
"She was nuts, I really just want to wait for the right girl."
"I don't blame you," Schroeder said pushing Linus. They arrived at the track and Linus ran a little bit ahead.
"Charlie Brown! Come here!" Linus shouted to their friend in the bleachers. Charlie Brown got up and quickly met up with them.
"Hey Linus," Charlie Brown said and then looked surprised, "Hey Schroeder. Whatcha doing here?" Charlie Brown asked, and Schroeder blushed. Damn, he really didn't need this right now. Why couldn't he think of Alex and not blush?
"I'm here to watch football practice," Schroeder said avoiding eye contact, football was not something he would normally spend any time with, except for in pep band. Charlie would catch that little detail.
"Hey, guys, I need to head over to the team, on the other side of the track y'all can hang out here. Schroeder the football team will be out in about five minutes," Linus explained giving Schroeder a devilish smirk. He glared back and suddenly remembered he never made it to the band room because of his 'spat' with Linus.
"I need to go to the band room for a minute, I forgot my trombone, so I'll be right, Kay?" Schroeder said as he waved. He turned around and headed back to the band room. When he got there and noticed Mr. Haylen at the whiteboard drawing out a drill chart. Huh, must be setting drill at marching band practice tomorrow.
"Hey, Mr. Haylen. Drill looks nice," Schroeder said as he was heading towards the brass room.
"Hey Schroeder," Mr. Haylen said and jumped and turned around, "Oh!"He ran up to Schroeder, who was currently a deer in the headlights. "Why was Alex in here this morning? He wasn't bothering you or anything, right?" Schroeder laughed, Mr. Haylen and Schroeder were pretty close, his worry was expected.
"No, absolutely not. He's actually a pretty good friend of mine. He just wanted to hear if I was good as people say I am," Schroeder said only half lying.
"That's good I was surprised, to say the least, when I saw him sitting with you. But it's whatever. I'm glad I don't have to worry," Mr. Haylen smiled as he returned to the board. Schroeder quickly gathered up his trombone and music and headed back out to the track. Nothing could have prepared him for what was waiting for him.