Just Because

Chapter 14: Declaring Silent War

My plan to dump Cooper and then get right with Alex isn’t as foolproof as I thought.

There’s a tiny little problem.

Word spread through the school like wildfire.

Alex has a girlfriend.

Not just a one day hookup.

No, he has a real girlfriend.

He asked her out on Friday after school. Apparently, she’s sort of a nobody. Her name is Marissa, editor of the school newspaper (which no one reads- explains the “nobody” part). She has straight A’s in almost all AP classes. She’s never uttered a swear word in her life. She’s pretty, modestly so- not like the bleach blonde sluts that nearly gouged her eyes out during passing period. They’re jealous that Alex is going out with her. And Marissa just took their criticism and told the office. So she’s brave, intelligent, pretty, and modest.

And totally not Alex’s type.

Of course, if you think about it, no girls are his type, because guys are his type. Cough cough. Read: me. He just doesn’t know that he’s lusting after me just yet.

But disregarding that....

For a girl, she’s not his type.

When I first saw her (who knew that she was the teacher’s aid in my history class? What a loser. She’s worse than me), I instantly thought that if I was straight, I’d have a humongous crush on her.

But I’m not straight.

And I kind of want her boyfriend for myself.

So, naturally, I hate her.

And have declared war.

Silently.

“Hello, Marissa,” I say through clenched teeth, falling into step next to her as she walks to lunch in the cafeteria. She’s taking the scenic route- AKA taking the hallways that lead to Alex’s locker. Aww, how cute. They were meeting up for lunch.

Gag me.

“Oh. Hi. Parker, right?” she asks, smiling sweetly.

Psh. She should not be the one confirming my name. She’s the nobody. I’m the openly gay short kid with the unmistakable wardrobe and hair. She’s just being polite. And I hate her for it.

“That’s me. So, you’re going out with Alex?” I say, getting straight to the point.

Marissa instantly goes all dreamy on me, smiling at nothing and giggling a little. “Yeah. I don’t know why he asked me out. But I’m so happy about it. I’ve liked him for a long time.”

“I’m kinda surprised that he went for you, too,” I say, trying not to puke at how sickening her attitude is.

Marissa freezes and stares at me. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Oh, sorry!” I say quickly, feigning surprise. “It has nothing to do with you. It’s just that...well, Alex has never had a girlfriend. He usually just goes for one night stands with random sluts, you know? His sex drive is through the roof. You just don’t seem like the type of girl who’d be willing to fuck him every night after school or blow him during passing periods.”

Marissa stares at me with wide, fearful eyes. “W-what?”

“Oh, shit!” I gasp, clapping my hands over my mouth in mock horror. “Sorry. Shouldn’t have told you that. He’s just kind of...perpetually horny, you know?”

Marissa gulps and fiddles nervously with the straps on her backpack. “But I, uh...I’m a...virgin.” She whispers the last word like it’s a sin.

“Maybe he’s changed,” I say with a shrug. “But I’m just saying...get ready to lose that, just in case.”

I continue walking, smirking a little, but then I get pulled back. Marissa faces me with terror in her eyes.

“Parker, I can’t...I can’t date him if he’s going to start pressuring me,” she whispers. “I’m not ready for anything yet. I know a lot of girls who aren’t virgins anymore, but...I don’t want him to use me. He was just so sweet on Friday, I- I didn’t think that....”

“Aww, honey,” I say sympathetically, laying on the supportive gay best friend act thick. “Don’t worry. You don’t have to dump him now. Just see what happens. Maybe he’s different,” I remind her.

“Parker?”

We both turn to see Alex walking down the hall, glaring at me suspiciously.

“Hi, Alexander,” I say sweetly, smiling at him.

He slips his arm around Marissa’s waist and kisses her cheek quickly. “How are you, baby?” he asks gently.

Marissa blushes a little and smiles. “I’m fine.”

Too bad this disgustingly cutesy scene only lasts for a split second before Alex turns to me with a completely different attitude.

“Parker, why the hell are you talking to Marissa?” Alex snaps.

“What, I’m not allowed to talk to her?” I ask, still smiling. “Girl to girl?”

Marissa giggles a little, and Alex seems to relax. “Okay. Want to drive down to In ‘N Out, sweetie?”

“Why, yes I do,” I reply with a grin.

Alex rolls his eyes. “I meant Marissa.” He glances at her questioningly.

She nods, and Alex steers her away from me.

But I don’t miss the nervous glance that she shoots back at me.

Score.

-

After school, I walk out to Alex’s car alone. Whistling to myself, I hop onto the hood of the car and swing my legs in front of me. It’s not long before I see Alex and Marissa walk out of the C Building, his arm around her waist again.

When they get a little closer, I can hear Alex. “-so nervous?” he’s saying, a frown on his face.

“It’s not that. It’s just that, well, I know you have a...history with girls, and I don’t want to be just another chapter in that textbook.”

Alex shakes his head and smiles. “If you know about my history with other girls, you should know that I’ve never had an actual girlfriend, either. That alone should tell you that I’m not going to treat you the same as I treated all of them.” He kisses her cheek. “I like you. And I’m not going to pressure you or hurt you, okay?”

Fuck you, Alex. You’re such a liar. I think you need to accept yourself and come running to me now so you can pin me against the car and fuck me until I can’t walk.

Shit, I’ve got it bad.

Marissa relaxes visibly and meets my eyes as they near me. “Okay.”

“How’s the happy couple?” I say in a singsong voice, hopping off of the car.

Alex rolls his eyes and unlocks the car. “Get in, Park.”

I definitely don’t miss his use of a nickname for me. Park...I like it. I’ll have to ask him to keep it.

“Okay, sweetie pie,” I say with a grin. When I make to get into the passenger seat, though, Alex shakes his head.

“Back seat,” he directs. I pout and go around to the other side of the car, snatching the keys from Alex.

“What the...what are you doing?” he snaps. I bet he censored himself there, took the “fuck” out of his sentence. Aww, he’s trying to be polite around his girlfriend.

What a fake little douchebag.

“I can drive,” I suggest. “That way you two can make out in the back seat or whatever, since I know you probably can’t keep your hands off of her.”

“It’s not like that,” Alex says irritably. “Just get in the fucking car.” Ooh, he slipped up.

“Sorry,” I say happily, getting into the back seat. Marissa slides into the passenger seat, and Alex gets in and starts up the car.

“Alex, can I stay for dinner?” I ask, leaning my chin on his seat and dragging my tongue slowly over the shell of his ear. Alex shudders, and Marissa eyes me suspiciously.

“Um, sure,” Alex says, a little weakly.

“Oh. I didn’t realize there was an open invitation for dinner,” Marissa says brightly. “Could I come over, too?”

Wow. What a bitch. I wonder if she’s on to me....She must be. You don’t just invite yourself over for dinner at someone’s house.

Alex opens his mouth to reply, but I butt in with, “Nope.”

“Parker!” Alex snaps. “Stop it.”

“Oh. I, um...,” Marissa says quietly. “Never mind.”

Alex squeezes her hand gently. “Sorry about him, Marissa. But, um, he’s right. As much as I’d love it for you to come over for dinner, I’m not sure that’d be a good idea. My parents, um, don’t want me to date. I don’t think they’d like it if I brought you home.”

What. A. Fucking. Liar. Well, they probably wouldn’t like the fact that he has a girlfriend. Since they know he’s just as gay as I am.

Marissa nods. “Oh.” She pauses then, and looks at me. “So your parents don’t mind if you bring a gay guy over, but you can’t invite your girlfriend for dinner?”

Alex laughs nervously. “Weird, I know. I don’t think they realize Parker’s gay. Though it’s kind of hard to miss it.”

At least he’s making excuses for me. Score for Parker!

“I’m offended,” I say, faking sobs. “Are you telling me that I’m flamboyant?”

“Yes.” Alex turns back to the conversation with Marissa. “I’m really sorry, baby, but I just think that maybe we should wait before introducing you to my parents.”

“You could come over for dinner at my house,” Marissa suggests hopefully.

Alex shakes his head. “I’d love to meet your family, but Parker and I have to work on our project, and I don’t know when we’ll be done.”

Marissa sighs, but nods. “Okay.”

Haha. What a lie. We already finished our project. Alex just wants alone time with me. Oh baby.

We park in the driveway in front of a medium-sized cream colored house, and Marissa unbuckles her seatbelt. Alex leans across the center console of the car to give her a peck on the lips, and then smiles at her. Eww....

“See you tomorrow, gorgeous,” he says. Marissa blushes and climbs out of the car. I crawl into the front seat once she’s gone.

“Oh my fucking God. You douchebag. Her?” I snap when we pull out of the driveway. “Are you serious? You don’t think you could pick a fake girlfriend who at least has the nerve to ask why the fuck I licked your ear?”

“Who says she’s fake?” Alex says defensively. “And wait. So you were doing all that on purpose? Are you trying to piss her off?”

“What the hell do you mean, ‘who says she’s fake’?” I retort. “You’re gay, Alex. You can’t have a real girlfriend. It doesn’t work that way. You’re fucking leading her on and you know it. I thought you were over the denial.”

Alex is silent for about a minute as we turn down the street that his house is off of, and I sigh and roll my eyes. “Who am I kidding? Of course you’re not going to accept that you’re gay. It’s you. I thought maybe you’d get over it, but I guess you just want to stay in the closet for the rest of your life, hmm?”

“Would you shut up, Parker?” Alex growls, turning onto his street. “I’m not in denial. I’m not going to stay in the closet for the rest of my life. It’s just that...my friends were asking me why I sort of dwindled down with going out with girls, and I panicked. Thought people would start to see through me. So I asked her out. I told you. I’m afraid of people knowing.”

I snort and shake my head. “You make me sick.”

Alex doesn’t respond as I get out of the car and slam the door.

When I get inside his house, Lauren greets me cheerfully.

“Hello, Parker,” she calls, drying a glass bowl and setting it down on the counter. “Where’s Alex?”

“Your lying, manipulative son is just outside,” I say, trying to be chipper.

Lauren raises both of her eyebrows just as the door opens and closes, signaling Alex’s arrival. “Lying, manipulative- what have you been doing, Alex?”

Alex stops in the kitchen doorway and stares blankly at his stepmother.

“Huh?” he says intelligently.

“Well, he’s not going to tell you, so I will,” I decide, turning to Lauren with a smile. “Your homosexual son has a girlfriend.”

Alex pushes my shoulder and glares at me. “Gee, thanks for just telling my mom about Marissa without considering if I want her to know.”

I smile sweetly at Alex while Lauren stares at him, openmouthed.

“You have a girlfriend, Alex?” she exclaims. “Have you suddenly decided that you’re bisexual? I mean, I knew that you slept around, but you were always afraid of commitment like that....”

Alex looks so, so dreadfully uncomfortable. “Mom, I’m not bi,” he mumbles, looking a little embarrassed. “I’m still gay, I just...I don’t know. I don’t want to come out and I didn’t know what to do....”

Lauren purses her lips and crosses her arms. “You’re afraid of what other people will think of you, so you decided to lead a girl on.”

Alex’s shoulders sag. “Ugh, it sounds so much worse when you say it.”

“Hey!” I say indignantly. “I already gave you this talk. Kinda.”

“Except you were just being whiny,” Alex argues. “My mom actually has an effect over me....”

Hmph. I’m offended.

I just cross my arms and glare haughtily at him.

Lauren sighs loudly. “Alex, you have some serious rethinking to do.”

Alex slams his head against the refrigerator. “Fuck!” he moans. “I already told her all that crap about how I’m gonna treat her differently than all those girls I date once and forget about....She’s gonna freak if I just dump her....”

I love how chill his mom is. She doesn’t even care that her son’s a player and that he yelled “fuck” in front of her.

“Alex, if you were with a girl who wasn’t really interested in you, how’d you feel if you got lead on?” Lauren asks gently.

Oh, shit. Why does everything wind up circling back to situations like me and Cam? Damn it.

Alex stares hopelessly at the table. “I...I’d feel like crap.”

Wow, his mom is so good at making him feel guilty.

“I’d probably wind up a lot like me,” I pipe up. Alex gives me a puzzled look, but then he nods.

“Right. Cam. I forgot he did that to you,” Alex mumbles. “That makes it worse. That one of my friends got lead on.”

“Why do you think I was so irritated about you and Marissa?” I snap. Even though that’s not true. Because I was really just annoyed that Marissa had made it more difficult for me to get Alex all to myself.

“Alex, honey,” Lauren says softly, “you really shouldn’t do this.”

Alex sighs and nods. “I know.”

But for some reason, I don’t think he’ll be dumping Marissa and coming out any time soon.

-

A/N: Not much to say about this chapter. But I do have the rest of the story mostly written from here on out...it’s just the next three chapters that I’ve got to write the bulk of, and after that I have most of it done.

One of my friends made a Facebook for Parker. No joke. You should add him as a friend :D I’m friends with him. Just search for Parker Daniels. He only has 3 friends and he’s lonely. I want to see how popular he can get....www[dot]facebook[dot]com / parker[dot]daniels1. (the Parker . daniels1 is his username, apparently xD)

Yeah. Sorry for those of you who read my other stories and wish they’d update....I’m too busy and this is my main story, so. It gets my attention. Also, sorry for those of you who have stories that I’ve stopped regularly reviewing. I feel awful, but I’m too busy...I need to catch up...the only reason I posted this is because I’ve had it written for months.

Thanks to all of you who reviewed last time in response to my author’s note about my confusing section leader...AKA the root of my boy troubles. It was really helpful in getting over him to see everyone telling me that he’s not worth it :D

View and review!

-Ryette

P.S. Miss Mysty- I will totally catch up on your stories. Soon. Just watch. Haha.