Hey Guys! Here's the eighth chapter of Back to You. I have one last chapter in store for Matt and Ollie, so look out for that in the coming weeks. I also had this idea for another series I'd like to work on, as well as toying around with reviving an old one- so check back to see which one writes itself first. Hope you guys like it. Please let me know what you think- I really appreciate it.
Chapter 8: A second chance at that old life
Matt had been sitting in the driver's seat of his Four Runner for the past ten minutes. The car was off, keys out of the ignition and yet he sat there, hearing only his subtle breath as if waiting for some sign that the coast was clear. He knew he had to face the world today, and as he looked at his watch that read, 7:45, he knew that his time avoiding it all was running down. Building up the courage to open the door, he heard a knock against the passenger seat window. He looked to find Oliver, standing there with a shit eating grin, as if he just walked in on Matt touching himself. He felt equally embarrassed at his sign of weakness- the entire student body of James Monroe High School.
Opening the door, Ollie sat beside him, "Nervous?" he asked.
Matt nodded as he gripped the steering wheel. He barely looked at Oliver, keeping his sight straight ahead at the cluster of trees just past the parking lot. He didn't need a visual. Just knowing Ollie was next to him did wonders to set his mind at ease. "It took me twenty minutes to get dressed this morning- every shirt I tried on just screamed, 'notice me."
Oliver reached over and slipped his right hand between Matty's and the steering wheel. Leaning in closer, he placed his palm on Matt's face and turned the boy towards him. Face to face for the first time that morning, Oliver pulled him in for a kiss as he ran his finger along the boy's jaw. He could feel Matt's trembling lips stop dead in their tracks as he pressed in. Both of their tongues stayed well in their mouths, each set of hands restrained in places deemed 'PG' and yet the two were able to share an embrace as passionate and as intense as what they did behind closed doors.
As they pulled away, Matt breathed out, shaking off the tension that stockpiled inside him. He finally smiled, asking, "How are you so calm about all this?"
Ollie simply shrugged his shoulders, "The way I see it, Stevens. I'm crazy about you and now there's nothing stopping us from being together. Nothing we have to hide, no one we can't tell, just you and me, kid."
Nodding, Matt exhaled, "I think I'm ready to go in." The two got out of Matt's car and stepped into the bright sun. Matt adjusted the straps on his backpack until they were tight on his shoulders, like he was about to embark on some expedition. Oliver came around the car and saw that Matty was beaming from end to end.
Matt pointed out, "I just noticed that you're wearing my sweater. Out of everything, why that?" Oliver adjusted the sleeves with his fingers, "It's OUR sweater, lover boy. And even though no one else but you knows that, I wanted it to be a reminder." Ollie covered the bottom of his face, feeling slightly embarrassed. With the sleeves right under his nose, he inhaled the black cotton. It smelled like him. Like Matty was somehow stitched into the fabric even though he only wore it for a few hours. He'd make sure that he wouldn't dirty it, hoping he'd never have to wash it ever again.
As they walked towards the main building and through the maze of parked cars and bustling students, Matt reached over and took Oliver's hand in his. He interlocked his fingers too, so their palms were perfectly pressed against each other, transferring heat. Oliver turned slightly, so not to react too heavily. "We don't have to-"
Matt cut him off and instead, squeezed tighter, "I want to, Ollie. You always seem to take away the nerves. " Oliver nodded and held on. He looked to Matt as if he was a different person- like the scared and insecure boy was fighting a losing battle against himself. If Matt Stevens was able to push past his fears and hold his hand at school, Oliver knew he'd do anything he had to in order to make sure that boy knew he was just as invested.
The boys made their way through the front doors and through the sea of students, moving their way around each other like every other day of the school year. They stopped for a second, looking around as if checking their surroundings for potential threats. But other than the few confused looks and steady stream of knowing faces, everything seemed normal. Despite Matt's fears, the world didn't implode around them.
***
It was sometime after his third class that Oliver found himself at his locker, swapping out books and gathering his things. He was met by a familiar voice calling out, "There he is, ladies and gentlemen, the talk of the town."
He turned to find Peter Kline, beelining through the crowd towards him. Peter always had this eccentric quality to him, like everything about the world was exciting and worth celebration. He'd liked Peter from the get-go and even considered him a good friend. But with everything that happened with Bryce and the revelation of how he treated Matty all those years, Oliver just didn't know who to trust anymore. As he got close, Ollie saw he was trailed by Jess, yet another one of his friends and Peter's girlfriend. She wore a pensive smile along with her bright blue top and Oliver wondered which of the two stood out more.
Shoving the last of his books inside, Ollie called out, "Hey Pete, Jess."
Jess stood there with her feet firmly planted. Crossing her arms, she raised an eyebrow, "Wanna explain why I had to hear from Abby Winters that my friend was not only dating someone, but a guy nonetheless."
Oliver swung his backpack over his shoulder, "Don't give me that, Jess. I don't need to take shit from you two right now." He pushed past the two of them, ready to storm off in a rage that felt all too familiar. But he felt a firm hand on his forearm, pulling him back.
"Stop, dude." Ollie shrugged, trying to shake the other boy off, but he was equally matched. Sighing, Oliver turned back with an expression on his face that read, "talk before I kick your ass."
Peter softened his voice, "What Jess was trying to say is that: we don't care that you're gay, Oliver. Or that you're dating someone." He shrugged his shoulders and released the boy's arm, "We just hoped you would have come to us first before it turned into the latest school gossip." He returned a warm smile on his face, the kind that held no threats or false pretenses.
Oliver shook his head, nervously running his palms along the front of his jeans, "I'm sorry- I just, I guess I didn't want to make a big deal out of it. I like Matt and he likes me, and we want to be together. It's simple." He looked up to find eyes fixed on his blushing face. He turned to Jess, "When you and Pete got together, there wasn't a big declaration or an announcement of any kind, it sort of just happened. Why should it be any different for me and Matt?" He looked back after letting all of his thoughts roll off his tongue. He knew the answer to his own question. Things were different because they simply were. And yet, among that, he longed for a sense of normalcy.
