The Cameron Hotel Chapter 16
The Cameron Hotel Chapter 16 -- Something More
Alex's tray clacked down on the table in the lunchroom, the same table he'd always sat at, except today, Jasyn wasn't here.
Summer was over, and it was back to school for Alex, Jasyn, Riddick, & Luke. Jasyn, still 17 was starting his Senior Year of high school. Alex, still 16, was starting his Junior Year, Riddick, only a month from turning 16, was only starting his sophomore year, and the just-now-15-year-old Raccoon, Luke, was on the high school campus for the very first time...a freshman.
Alex sighed as he picked up his slice of pizza, and waited for the only one of his friends who he shared this lunch period with, Luke, to show up.
Soon enough, he did, and smiled over at Alex before he sat down, "Hey Alex! Where's Jasyn?"
"I checked the class schedule. He's in government this period, so he has second lunch...with Riddick actually." The fox smiled, "So it's just you and me, here. How's your day been, so far? Any good classes? What do you think of high school so far?"
Luke smiled and took a bite out of his cheeseburger, "I really like it! So much better than middle school! There's a lot more to do and more people to talk to."
"God, I remember when I was a freshman." Alex looked up at the ceiling, "I was so scared! But it ended up not being so bad. I mean, when I came into school I was already friends with TWO sophomores, so I handled it pretty well. And it must be even easier for you. You've got a sophomore, a junior, AND a senior for friends already." He chuckled and went back to eating his pizza.
The raccoon nodded and sat down the burger, "Yeah, Jasyn's advice is really paying off actually." He nodded and waved to a passing horse before looking back at Alex.
Alex looked at the horse walking by, "I know that guy...and he is NOT a freshman."
Luke chuckled and shook his head, "No, no. He's a junior, but he's in my English class. We sit next to each other and, worked on a little in-class assignment earlier. He's actually really nice."
"A junior's in English with you? Why's he taking freshman English?" The fox smiled, "Maybe you can help him through it and he can pass it this time! That would definitely make you a new friend."
Luke smiled and sipped down some of the soda he bought, "No, it's not like that. It's not that he's not good at it or anything. He just wanted to get some other classes done first." He paused and narrowed his eyes, "...at least, that's what he said anyway."
"Oh!" Alex snapped his fingers, "So what advice has Jasyn been giving you?"
"A while back, after..." The raccoon paused, "Well...y'know...he told me that I didn't have to roll over for people just so they would like me. And he's right! By this time last year I had already made a total fool of myself, trying to make some friends...but now I'm just sorta'...going with it I guess. And it's already working out a lot better!"
"If you'd like...I have have some advice for you too." Alex tapped the table, "Not any that you can make use of, this year...but advice nonetheless."
"Oh?" Luke perked up, "And what's that?"
"Make it a point to make friends with a freshman next year." The fox tilted his head, "Some poor, lonely kid who doesn't seem to have many friends. You know, kind of like you're keeping the tradition going? Jasyn and Duncan have been my upperclassmen friends ever since I got here. And now you've got me, Jasyn, AND Riddick...and probably Duncan before the year's out." He took a big bite out of his pizza, struggling for a second to swallow, "Just thinkin' it might be nice to...spread the kindness."
Luke smiled and nodded, "I plan too!" then popped the last bit of beef into his mouth and leaned back. He extended one claw to scrape over the edge of the table, and looked down at it. He wanted to ask who Duncan was, but he had a more pressing concern, "Hey, Alex?"
"Yeah?" Alex finished off his pizza and picked up a fry.
The raccoon looked up, "After you and Jasyn graduate...we'll still be friends...right?"
"Of course we will!" Alex smiled reassuringly, "Jasyn's gonna' take a year off before college and stay here in town." He scratched his neck, "I'm not sure what I'll do, myself. I may go straight on to college, but there are good ones right here in town and nearby. We became friends when we weren't even in school together. What made you think us graduating would change that?"
Luke rubbed his arm a little, "Nothing really...I just wanted to make sure, is all..."
"No need to worry." The fox shook his head, "So other than that horse, have you made any other potential friends today?"
Luke tilted his head, thinking for a moment, "There's this really pretty tigress in my math class...she and I talked for a little while." He nodded, "She seemed nice, too!"
"A pretty girl, huh? You're not thinking about switching sides on us are you?" Alex chuckled.
The raccoon smiled with his tongue out just a bit, "No-no! In fact," he craned his neck a little, looking over at the horse sitting with his other jock friends, before looking back at the fox, "He's sorta' cute..."
Alex looked over at him too, "Yeah, horses are BIG too..." He looked back at his friend, "Though, neither of us would have a chance. He's straight."
"So were Jasyn and Chris." Luke smiled sinisterly, "But either way...nothing says I can't drool over him every so often, right?"
The fox shook his head with a laugh, "You sure have changed a lot. What ever happened to the shy, cute little guy I met in the mall, way back when?"
Luke grinned proudly, "He grew up!"
"Well, at least he's still cute." Alex shrugged, "So what classes have you been to so far?"
The raccoon blushed at the beginning of that comment and then began counting on his fingers, "Let's see: English...Math...and Art. I have history after lunch."
"And after history?"
"Uhm...after history, comes...science and German!"
"German?" Alex raised his eyebrows, "Nice! I took French. Got it out of the way last year...also finished up my Science then." He paused to remember his own classes for the day, "So far...I've had Math, History, and then a useless little computer class you'll have to take when you get to 11th grade. And then, after lunch I have English, sociology...and Drama."
"Drama?" Luke's ears perked up, "Are you going to be in the play this year?"
"I just might!" The fox nodded happily, "I'm hoping they go traditional and predictable and do Romeo and Juliet. I LOVE Mercutio and Tybalt, and I'd make damn sure to play one of them." He tapped his fingers on the table and tilted his head in though, "I'm sure I'll find some role to play, not matter what they do, though."
Luke giggled, "Too bad it isn't like it used to be, WAY back when...or you could have been Juliet!" He held back a laugh at that comment and then calmed down a bit, "After all, I bet Jasyn would make a great Romeo."
Alex stopped and just kind of looked down at the table, "He did..."
The raccoon blinked and stopped laughing, "I-I'm sorry...I shouldn't have..."
"No no! It's okay. I know how much you wanna' see us back together." Alex offered a timid smile, "Don't worry, you didn't say anything wrong."
Luke stayed silent for a moment, looking at the table, and then looked back up, "He'd do anything for you, y'know...even now..."
"I know he would...a-and you know I love him. I'm just...I'm confused I guess." The fox shook his head and forced a bigger smile, "L-look: let's talk about something else."
Luke flattened his ears back, "A-alright..."
"Like you!" Alex tapped the table hard one time and pointed at his littler friend, "How are things going with you and Riddick?"
The raccoon shrugged a little and sighed, "I guess they're alright. Can't complain about having a, uhm...friend with benefits." His eyes were unsteady and he was obviously uneasy with that assertion, "There's nothing wrong with that...right?"
The boy was nearly begging for reassurance as he asked the question...and neither of them were under any illusions to the contrary.
Alex took a deep breath, "I thought something was weird about this. The way you ran off the other day." He leaned forward, "Talk to me Luke. What's the deal with this whole, 'just friends' thing? I mean...it looks like you two would make a really cute couple."
Luke smiled reluctantly and shook his head, "No, he...he's not interested. But that's okay: I'm more than happy just being friends."
"Are you?" The fox narrowed his eyes, "It seems to me like you'd...I dunno, like a little more than that?"
Luke shrugged defeatedly, and just shook his head again, "No: really. I'm alright with how things are. Besides...we've only known each other over the summer...it's not like..." He stopped, sighed, and shook his head again, "Regardless..." He looked back up and forced a smile, "It really doesn't matter anyway." He began to stand, taking his tray with him, "Uhm, you wanna' walk with me to my next class? I don't think they'd mind if I went in early, right?"
"Lu..." Alex opened his mouth to say something else but then he just looked down, "I...yeah, I guess." He picked up his tray and stood up too.
After dropping off both trays, the boys made their way out of the lunchroom and commons area and were now walking through the empty halls. Luke adjusted his backpack a little and looked down as Alex rubbed his arm...neither one having said anything for the past few minutes. Alex, at least, wanted to talk. He could even be heard taking a breath every few moments like he was about to say something, but he kept stopping himself.
The raccoon stopped at his history class and glanced in before smiling at the fox, "Well...this is where I get off."
Alex looked up and finally spat it out, "Luke, look, if you need someone to talk to, you don't just have to go to Jasyn. I-I mean, I'm here too."
"I know Alex...I know..." Luke nodded, "And there actually might be something that I need to talk with you about fairly soon."
"Then...please be honest with me, Luke." The fox sighed, "Maybe I shouldn't be so nosey, but I just...you're not okay with the way things are with Riddick, and we both know it. You're not so hard to read, Luke; you...LIKE him don't you?"
Luke just blushed a little and rubbed his arm, but didn't say a word.
"Maybe...even more than just 'like,' right?" Alex put a paw on Luke's shoulder for a second, then smiled, "It's...it's okay if you REALLY don't want to tell me...but you really should tell him, because..." He paused, "Now...I might be reading him wrong...but I don't think the feelings are one sided."
The raccoon tapped the toe end of his shoe on the ground. For a moment, Alex could see his friend's face light up with hope, but it was only for a moment, before the boy shook his head, "No...he's not interested. Wh-why would he be...? It's silly of me to even...I mean, we've barely known each other that long, at all..."
"If you say so Luke...I guess you'd know him better than I would." Alex rubbed his paws together, "But if you're right...are you sure it's all that healthy for you to be fooling around with him? I mean...if you care about him, but he doesn't share those feelings...it seems like that would be torture right? Just getting to play and nothing more." He huffed, "I...I know I'd hate it."
Luke shook his head and laughed aloud, being his most honest about this, yet "Oh no. You've got that all wrong. It's not the fooling around that hurts. That...that's just lots of fun..." His smile and chuckling died out and he grew silent before clarifying, "No. It's...it's being around him every other time that hurts..."
The fox took a breath, remembering recent moments with Jasyn...the hugs after the trial, and the kisses at the beach, "Cause when you're playing with him...when you're touching him...at least it FEELS like there's something more..."
"Like things are okay, and we're together." Luke agreed, "At least for a bit."
Alex smiled and shook his head, "You love him..."
The raccoon just shrugged, but didn't argue, and Alex stepped closer, wrapping his arms around his littler friend in a hug. Luke blinked, surprised at first, but made no attempt to back away. He hugged back, and laid his head on his friend's shoulder.
Months ago, Luke would have been terrified of hugging another guy like this in public. That wasn't the case anymore, but Alex didn't know it had changed. Out of respect for the 'coon's assumed timidity, Alex broke the hug vey shortly, smiling down at him.
"Look:" Alex ruffled his friend's headfur, "Don't you worry about it, right now, okay? Just make the best of what you two have. He's a good friend, and you're having fun." He shrugged and smiled playfully, "But if something more could come of it, then that's just all the better! Right? So don't miss your opportunity."
Luke nodded with a smile, "Right!"
The fox put his paw on Luke's shoulder, "You head on to class, now! And remember I'm always here to talk. I like being helpful."
Luke nodded again, "And I'll need it, too..." He smiled and turned around, "After all...I'm coming out to my parents Friday."
As the raccoon disappeared into his classroom, Alex simply stood motionless in the hall. His arm lingered in the air, still stretched out where it had been while on Luke's shoulder, and the fox could only stare blankly at open door.
~
There we go! The soap opera, Forbidden, continues!!
* Starring: F. R. Borealis as Alexander Collin Moen Cecil B. North as Lucas Joseph Trammel *
Cecil was a writer here as well, back in the Yiffstar days. If you want to check out the stuff he wrote back then, go ahead and look him up. His username on here is: Cecil_88
Oh my! Luke has changed a bit, hasn't he? Comfortable with publicly hugging another guy...planning to come out to his parents and (presumably) the world at large...and has anyone noticed his old tendancy to ramble has kind of...faded away? Alex certainly didn't seem pleased with the final revelation, though, did he? Is this a sign of bad things to come? Is Luke making a mistake? And might it be up to Alex to stop him? Or...perhaps it's someone else's job. Maybe his panthion love interest? Or the wolf charged with protecting him? Find out next time, as the story continues!
Anyway, thanks for reading!
I welcome any feedback! Comment or PM me here, or email me at frostborealis[at]gmail.com
See you for the next 23 chapters of Forbidden! ^.^