Another Jock Story

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(Gabriel POV)

When history class was over, I didn’t want to go to the cafeteria crowded with a starving loud bunch of teenagers. And to be honest I wanted to finish my book. I read a couple more chapters in class and boy it was amazing. I decided to go to the back garden to read . Nobody goes there, so it’s like my special place in school. I couldn’t even put the book in my backpack and wait till I got there so I was reading and walking at the same time when I bumped into something. I thought it was a branch fallen from a tree so without looking up I moved to sidestep it when I bumped into it again. That’s when I looked up and saw it was a leg. Oups, I seem to bump into people a lot today, first it was Adonis and now it’s... Adonis?
Funny how I didn’t see him for a whole two months and I keep bumping into him again. And he seems to wear his ever present amused expression. Either this guy is a happy go lucky guy or for some odd reason I seem to amuse him. Maybe I have something in my face? I raise my hand to my face to see if there’s something weird, nope. Face clean, check. Glasses in their place, check. Hair in place,check. So then what is it? Oh well I don’t really care.
And ... I spaced out again. So I got back to the real world and said : “ Sorry I didn’t see where I was going.”
“It’s ok, but you know it helps to actually look up to see where you’re going.”
Is he angry? I look at him and, nope, not angry, he was teasing me. He has a nice smile, kinda warm and friendly. I haven’t seen that smile directed at me for quite some time. So it gave me a funny feeling in my stomach. I’m really hopeless if a stranger’s smile make me turn into mush. Oh wait, his lips are moving.” Sorry, can you say that again? I didn’t hear you?”
He laughed “ You seem to zone out a lot. What is it you think about?”
“ Oh, you know , stuff.”
“What kind of ‘stuff’ ?”
“Anything, I'm sorry if I offended you.”
“No, it’s alright. So what are you reading that you can’t take your eyes off of the book.”
I showed him the book, he read the title then gave it back to me. Saying “ I don’t read books that often, I like outdoor activities more.” He was the first person I met not to pretend to be interested in books, and he didn’t seem apologetic about it either. He looks like a guy who has nothing to prove. I like him already. Or I would have liked him if he wasn’t sitting under my tree.


Oh, I didn’t tell you about my tree. Willow, that’s its name. Willow was the first and only tree I sat under. The first time I came here, this tree was the biggest and the most beautiful of all. Majestic, was what I thought. I was very lonely and depressed that day, so I let my frustration out, talking loudly about unfairness and injustice of life , etc. When I looked up, the leaves of the tree were moving softly up and down like they were agreeing to what i was saying. I know it was the wind, but it made me feel good all the same. So from that day on, when I went to the garden I would go straight to Willow. But not today, it seems. And since I don’t sit under any other tree, I decided to go back. I turned around to leave when a hand caught my arm. And then Adonis came into my view with a worried expression in his face. “ Hey, man, did I do something? Did I say something that hurt you?”
What is he talking about? I tilt my head quizzically and he said “You just came and you’re leaving”
“Oh, that? No it’s nothing. It’s just that I only sit under Willow.”
“Willow?”
“This tree.” I said pointing at the tree he was sitting under.
He looked confused, kept looking from me to the tree a couple of times then he stared at me like I was some puzzle he was trying to put together. I was becoming a bit uncomfortable under his stare when he said:”Willow? hein? How about we share? It’s big enough for the both of us”

I shrugged my shoulders and I sat down after patting Willow(That’s our usual greeting). I don’t mind the company. As long as I have Willow and my book I’m happy. And if he’s some sort of hyperactive talkative guy, I can always tune him out. But after a few seconds, I just laid down next to me and for the following minutes the only sound that cut through the silence was the sound of me turning the pages of the book as I kept reading.
It was a new feeling for me. I never felt so...... content maybe. To have someone next to you, feeling this calm and strangely not lonely at all even though I barely know the guy. But I liked feeling him next to me. It has been such a long time, that I felt such a comforting presence next to me.

I finished my book, and I looked up to see Adonis sleeping sprawled on his back on the ground with his hands linked behind his neck . He looked so strong yet so peaceful. A few strands of his blond hair kept moving like an invisible hand of the wind kept playing with them. And I found my hand itching to touch those gold locks, it looks so soft and pretty. Would it be so bad to touch them? I know I would like someone to play with my hair, not that anybody would. But maybe he wouldn’t like it. My treacherous mind kept saying:’ He’s asleep, he wouldn’t mind. Look at the beautiful hair. It looks so smooth and soft. Go on, touch it.’ Did the song of the mermaids sound like that for Ulyss because I found myself fighting to keep my hand from touching that hair.

Fortunately, the bell rang, it was time to go back to class. I stood to leave, but Adonis didn’t even stir. So I knelt down again to wake the sleeping beauty.


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