CARTER'S SHADOW
Chapter 23 - By Christopher Patrick Lydon
"Good morning, class." Mister Greenwood was unusually
spry that morning, which meant one of two things--either he had a surprise
test planned, or something far worse.
West was seated where he normally sat, but Jenny-Lynn was avoiding
him, sitting further up the back next to Brad. He gave her a glance, but she
was pointedly ignoring him, as she had been doing for days. He sighed and
turned back to pay attention to Greenwood who was still grinning like a maniac
up at the front of the class.
"This'd better not be another test," Mel murmured
from beside him, chewing on the end of her pen as she tapped her long fingernails
against the spine of her binder.
"We just had one," West reminded, shifting in his
seat.
"Damn..." she murmured, knowing now it was something
far worse than a test.
"Gatineau park," Greenwood said leaning on his podium.
"Sun, trees and a bit of geological history." He smiled at the startled
expressions of the students around him, "You can consider it a field
trip, I personally consider it a day off with your friends before the madness
of graduation."
There was a burst of excited conversation from the room, and
West looked at Mel, who in turn was contemplating how she could use a day
off to her advantage.
"And don't think you can stay home," Greenwood said,
anticipating exactly what Mel was thinking. "Participation is mandatory
and will count as five percent to your final grade, and some of you can't
afford to lose five percent."
Mel was still chewing on her lip, considering.
"Hey, it's a free five percent," West whispered to
her.
"I could blow him and get ten," Mel murmured acidly.
West held back his laughter; somehow Greenwood didn't seem the
type of teacher to be so easily manipulated by a student. Even one as determined
as Mel could be when she put her mind to it.
"Come dressed for hiking; it's warm out so dress appropriately,"
Greenwood continued.
"What day are we going?" Brad asked from the back
of the class.
"Friday," Greenwood replied. "I am going to round
up a couple of other teachers and see if we can get more of the seniors out.
But I want a list of things people can bring; I think a pot luck lunch in
the park would go over well."
"Oh no, not hippy bean dip," Mel groaned quietly,
remembering the last of Greenwood's pot lucks and how badly she had reacted
to Greenwood's infamous bean dip.
West winced at the memory; they had ALL suffered that day.
"All right," Greenwood said holding his hands up to
calm the class down, "we still have a play to study."
* * *
Peter picked at the black short-sleeved shirt as he stood uncomfortably
exposed in the middle of the lobby. Blake wasn't about to let him sequester
himself away during their lunch hour, even going so far as to confiscate the
brightly coloured Hawaiian one he had turned up in that morning and handing
Peter something from his own wardrobe.
"Stop picking at it," Blake admonished looking up
from his notebook and sitting back on the steps to the auditorium grinning
at the uncomfortable artist who couldn't seem to stand still.
"Sorry," Peter apologized, letting his hands fall
to his sides, only to fidget again a moment later, this time with his golden
hair that desperately missed the visor cap that had been confiscated along
with the shirt.
"You look fine," Blake said reassuringly. "Now
try to stand still and relax."
"Why am I standing here?" Peter asked self-consciously,
glancing up towards his windows and the sanctuary of the art room high above
them.
"Just 'cause," Blake replied mysteriously, bending
back to write in his notebook. Occasionally he would glance up, his eyes sweeping
over the lines of his shirt that sat well on Peter's small frame, as if studying
him a moment.
Peter sighed again; Blake was simply weird sometimes, and he
had been acting like he was on a mission all day, issuing orders that he expected
Peter to obey, always answering Peter's questions with vague "Because
I said so's".
He glanced around him at the lobby, at the other students. Were
they looking at him, were they laughing at him standing there feeling foolish
in Blake's clothes? They weren't; as usual they were too wrapped up in their
own lives to pay much attention to him. It didn't stop Peter from being paranoid,
however.
Blake glanced up from his notebook and smiled. "West's
coming," he said with a nod towards the corridor that led through to
the gym.
Peter turned to watch West ambling through the far doors, Matt
following along with him. The pair of them were talking and laughing, caught
up in their own conversation and seemingly unaware of anyone else.
"Captain Condor and his trusty sidekick, 'Oh boy',"
Blake murmured.
"Huh?" Peter asked, turning.
"Does nobody in this school read comic books?" Blake
marvelled aloud. "I mean come on, look at them. West is like Batman..."
"How so?" Peter asked curiously, coming to sit down
on the steps beside Blake as West and Matt angled for the cafeteria and the
line there.
"Well he's a super hero that doesn't need super powers,
that's what makes Batman so cool over, say...Superman," Blake commented.
"Superman employs a whole might-makes-right philosophy, whereas Batman
uses his mind to win..."
"So that makes Matt Robin?" Peter grinned, trying
to picture the short Condor winger in tights. Not a wholly unpleasant thought
considering that Matt was attractive for a short guy once you got past his
annoying clowning around.
"Nah, Dick Grayson is cool in his own right..." Blake
shrugged. "And there was always the underlying sexual tension between
him and Batman, and... well, could you just picture Matt and West in a hot
tryst after hockey practice in the showers?"
Peter shook his head, "It'd be like bad porn..."
Blake licked his lips, "No, good porn... but anyway...
it's not as if it would ever happen. You and I have more chance of hooking
up than those two have."
"What's wrong with me?" Peter asked in surprise looking
down at himself.
Blake grinned, "You're in love with another man and you're
in total denial?"
"I am not!" Peter folded his arms.
"I rest my case." Blake grinned and went back to writing
in his notebook.
Peter sighed. "What do I have to do to convince you I'm
not in love with West? He's a total asshole sometimes, all we do is fight...and..."
He caught Blake grinning at him, "What?"
"I just think you're cute," Blake replied. "Not
cute in a boom-boom kind of way, but cute in a shy, I'm-in-denial kind of
way."
"I'm not in denial," Peter repeated.
"What's that river in Egypt?" Blake asked suddenly.
"Uh, the Nile?" Peter replied.
"'Xactly," Blake retorted crossing his legs as he
stretched out on his step. "So, even though you are 'not' in love with
him, if you were to find him attractive, what do you like about him?"
Peter shrugged lamely. "I don't know," he moaned.
"It's not like I sit and fanaticize about him, he's just..." He
sighed again louder this time, "Ok," his voice dipped to avoid being
overheard, "I like that he has grey eyes."
"Yeah," Blake nodded, a grin spilling out onto his
face, jotting something into his notebook. "Go on, what else?"
"This game's silly," Peter protested again, staring
hard at West. West was still in line laughing with Matt, who was horsing around
and harassing one of the other students. "Well, he's not wacky,"
Peter admitted. "He's very reserved when he's not being a total..."
Peter shrugged, "And he's got nice legs... and the way his jacket sits
just above his...the jeans...and the..."
"You mean he has a nice ass," Blake grinned, nudging
Peter, smirking.
Peter blushed bright red, "I didn't..."
"So, when you dream about him, is he on top?" Blake
grinned again.
"Yeah...wait...no...I mean..." Peter turned in shock.
"You tricked me!" he accused, pushing Blake.
"Yep, set you up, knocked you off balance then went straight
for the kill," Blake nodded, proud of himself. "I knew you had a
thing for him."
"But..." Peter shrugged, "don't you have a thing
for him too?"
"Oh yeah," Blake admitted, "totally; he's the
handsomest guy in school, he's got the looks, the talent and he's not the
asshole you think he is." He grinned, "Remember, I went on a date
with him. He's really sweet."
Peter watched as West collected a tray and proceeded down the
cafeteria line selecting something to eat and turned to look for a place to
sit. His eyes immediately locked onto Peter's and he smiled.
Peter's eyes went wide as he blushed and looked away.
"Busted," Blake murmured, smiling and beckoning West
over.
West ambled over, Matt as ever hurrying along to catch up, looking
surprised at where West was heading but not saying anything. They commandeered
a table right by the auditorium steps, setting down their trays as they sat.
"Hey," Blake greeted with a grin and a nod.
"What's happening?" West asked as he picked at what
was supposed to be a fish burger, except it was oozing an excessive amount
of grease.
"Nothing much," Blake replied, "just tormenting
Peter a bit."
"Nice shirt," West observed, nodding to what Peter
was wearing.
"What's wrong with it?" Peter asked defensively, glancing
down, worried.
"Nothing," West replied, backpedaling. "I just
meant it's a nice shirt... geez can't a guy give you a compliment?"
"It's mine, actually," Blake interceded, hoping to
stop them fighting.
"That explains it," West nodded.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Peter looked up, hurt.
"Well, you don't normally wear anything so... so..."
West again backpedaled.
"So what?" Peter folded his arms and glared. "What's
wrong with the way I normally dress?"
"Nothing," West threw up his hands. "I was just
saying, I thought your shirt looked good, and when he said it was his I was
just agreeing that it isn't something you would normally wear... man."
He shook his head and rolled his eyes, "Learn to chill!"
Peter stood up sharply. "That's it," and turned and
stalked away, muttering and glowering darkly.
West shook his head as he looked up towards the ceiling, "What
the hell did I do this time?"
Blake was laughing lightly, as he and Matt exchanged knowing
looks.
"Why is he always so emotional?" West demanded to
both of them, finally looking down at them. "I go to pay him a compliment
and...and it's like I'm talking to a chick!"
Matt choked on his burger, as Blake just continued to laugh.
"What?" West asked folding his arms and looking at
both of them. "Is there something I'm missing?"
"Nope," Blake giggled as he sat back on his step.
"It's just funny to watch you two fight..."
"It's like they're married," Matt interjected. "My
parents fight like that all the time."
"You should go after him," Blake gestured to the door
Peter was stalking through.
"And say what?" West complained. "Every time
I try to apologize it only makes things worse..."
"Still," Blake said, "he was pretty upset."
West rolled his eyes and got up. "Someone watch my burger,"
he muttered under his breath as he set off to catch up to Peter, leaving Matt
and Blake to look at each other.
"Am I the only one seeing the sexual tension between those
two?" Blake mused aloud.
Matt cocked his head to one side and grinned, "Nope, they
both want each other bad."
"They either want to sleep together, or kill each other,"
Blake agreed. "Either way it's still funny as hell to watch."
"West's got a point though--lil' Petey's way too emotional,"
Matt shrugged.
"Yeah, but West's the one pushing buttons." Blake
suddenly grinned, "Think they do it just to put on a show for everyone,
when in reality it's just an excuse for them to get some alone time?"
"Could be," Matt agreed, "though if there's sex
going on in this school and I'm not invited, I'm gonna be upset."
Blake turned his head slightly, a smile beginning to play across
his face. "Oh really?" he asked, as he suddenly forgot all about
West and Peter.
* * *
West caught up to Peter as he stormed into the deserted art
room. "Hey, wait up!" he called as he followed Peter inside.
"What?" Peter rounded on him. "Come to insult
my taste in shoes now?"
"No!" West insisted. "Look, I didn't mean to
insult you, I like the shirt, I like solid colours on you, no visor... you
look great!" He shook his head, "I'm sorry, I guess it came out
wrong..." He took a few steps forward and caught Peter's arm, "I'm
sorry."
"Get off me!" Peter shrugged to get free of West's
arm, but that just caused West's grip to tighten. "Why do you have to
be such a bastard all the time?" he demanded, looking up with his blue
eyes.
West shook his head, "I'm not trying to be a bastard, I
just don't know how to talk to you; you make me nervous, I say the wrong thing
and we're fighting again... and I don't know how to apologize to you. It's
like everything I say to you upsets you!"
"Well don't say anything at all then!" Peter tried
to yank his arm free, but West caught him by the other shoulder. "Let
go!"
"No!" West replied firmly. "Not until you stay
still and let me apologize..."
"No!" Peter insisted, pushing against West more insistently
now. West stumbled back a step, as Peter lost his balance and tilted forward....
They kissed.
It started as their heads bumped together, but they both turned
their heads at the same time, their lips meeting and instincts taking over.
A language that bred no misunderstanding, and spoke in a way neither of them
expected, nor could they deny. A rough kiss--both of them were angry--but
as West straightened up and set Peter back on his feet they were still kissing
oblivious to the room around them as Peter stumbled back, his arms going up
inside West's jacket, pulling the taller man against him as his back pressed
against a desk. Hungry for more, needing more of the release both of them
so desperately needed.
Mister Greenwood's cough caused both boys to suddenly realize
where they were and what they were doing in the midst of the overturned art
room. Both turned to face the surprised English teacher who was carrying a
stack of papers he was dropping off to Mrs. McGorlick and was now standing
in the doorway staring at them.
West backed up a step, as Peter just gaped in shock
"Sir..." West looked terrified.
"I...was looking for Mrs. McGorlick," Greenwood said,
still looking surprised. "I...what's..." he gave his head a shake,
"you two shouldn't be in here unsupervised."
"It's not what it looks like," West began.
"I am going to put these papers on that desk," Mister
Greenwood pointed. "I didn't see anything, and when I leave this room
had better be straight..." he corrected self-consciusly, "cleaned
up."
"Yes sir." Both boys looked at each other nervously
as they began to pick stuff up.
West straightened a couple of chairs as Peter ducked towards
the door and darted out into the school proper. Greenwood watched him go and
looked over at West, "You too, Mister Harding."
The old English teacher waited until West had left before sitting
down on the edge of one of the desks and scrubbed his face. Why was it always
him walking in on students making out in the weirdest places in the school?
He chuckled that he was getting too old for that kind of stuff.
