Chapter 3: Archie's Apology And Confession

We talked and made our way into the gym where we sat down on the red bleachers and I noticed that Archie and Robert also had this class when they walked in and sat with a group of guys that I didn't know. Seeing Archie makes me so nervous and what happened yesterday is so fresh in my head as if everything that he was was a dream.

I was sitting with some of the dance girls and we all started a conversation about the routine that was happening this afternoon.

"Hey, how long have you been dancing?

" Some girl who I think is named Tyler asked me.

Everyone looked over at me, immediately making my cheeks heat with the attention I was given. "Uh, I started when I was very young, about nine because I didn't like any sports so my parents put me in dance. I did gymnastics the last three years to focus more on my flexibility to better my dancing."

"Wow, so you're the most experienced out of all of us," someone else said while everyone else looked a little admirable at my experience. I noticed that Coach Erixon was one of the gym teachers, which made me feel good to have a familiar face thrown into all of these new ones.

"We're your teachers for your senior year. This is Coach Erixon and I'm Coach Gordon. We are just going to go through safety and using the equipment and sports teams, then we will play an optional game,' The man said.

We listened as the coaches talked until it was time to play the optional game of two-hand touch football and they announced that it was optional for everyone but football players just to get in some extra practice before the game on Friday.

Archie and Robert got off the bleachers and went to play, which surprised me because they never once mentioned football, even Robert, who surprisingly talks quite a bit once he gets comfortable with you.

"They're football players?" I asked Jenny, who nodded as she watched her boyfriend participate in a game that looked pretty competitive.

"Yeah, Archie was the quarterback last season until he stepped down at practice during the summer because of some personal stuff," she told me.

Jenny and I started a conversation with the dance girls and Coach Erixon about the routine because a lot of them were very confused about some of it. While some girl named Cara was asking a question, Jenny hit my shoulder and pointed over to Archie, who was waving me over to the locker

room.

I shook my head at him, definitely not wanting to be alone with him. "Hey, maybe he wants to apologize for everything that happened yesterday". Jenny said

I shook my head at Jenny. "I doubt it.

"Just trust me, if anything goes wrong, I'll step in. I promise you" she tells me and I looked down at her with her soft smile that was silently telling me to do it.

I sighed as I got up, making sure that neither of the coaches was watching me. I crossed my arms as Archie walked into the locker room to wait for me to join him. Even after all that happened yesterday, I was still majorly attracted to him. He was wearing some tight dark jeans, an orange t-shirt with a picture of some waves printed on it, and some Converse. I admire him so much.

"This is so stupid" I muttered to myself as I pushed the door open. He stood against the wall with one foot pressed against it. As soon as the locker room door shut behind me, he stood up fully and opened his mouth to say something but nothing left it. He averted my eyes and didn't try to talk

again, I wanted to leave, but he finally

caught my attention.

"I like you," he blurted out. I slowly turned around again to look at him and he was fidgeting with his hands while looking to the side.

"But you told me yesterday…" I started

to say, he shut me up immediately by talking about it.

"Everything I said yesterday was complete bullshit, just forget that ever happened," he said, finally looking up to meet my eyes.

"Just forget it?" I asked, starting to feel that anger rise inside of my chest because everything he did to me yesterday wasn't just something I could easily forget. It was very scary and something I've barely ever had to deal with, so having to deal with it with a stranger at a new school is not something I had mentally prepared for.

"Yeah, it didn't mean anything," he said, but I knew he was just trying to play it off like it wasn't a big deal when it was a huge deal, at least to me.

"Do you not understand that I had to go meet my family at a restaurant when I was utterly scared for my life?" I snapped at him and his face shifted into a guilty expression that told me that I might be getting through his thick head and that he truly scared me.

"I didn't mean to do that, I didn't, I just didn't know what to do about what I was feeling, and it all just-"

"And what were you feeling?" I asked, crossing my arms to show that I was still mad about the whole situation. "I felt like I liked you and wanted to have a connection with you," he softly whispered.

"I thought you were straight," I whispered, my voice breaking from shock and embarrassment because I didn't think l even moved throughout the last few seconds.

"I thought so too."

I cleared my throat. "You don't get to do this, Archie, you don't get to hurt me and then think you can make it up to me by saying that you're questioning your sexuality when you're just another one of those straight guys that will never act on his feelings".

"But I want to, I want to act on them. I promise you. I've never felt this way, never felt such a strong attraction to someone without ever even talking to them" he said, running a hand through his fluffy hair that flopped every time he would move his head too quickly.

"Then why don't you?"

"Because I'm scared. All my life I've

been known as one thing and I think

completely changing it will mess a few things up and I don't know if I'm ready for it" he told me and I could see the genuine fear building up on his face.

I cleared my throat again, feeling it getting dry every time I looked up into his eyes. "You'll have to do it at one point or another, so why not now?"

He crossed his arms before leaning into the wall. "I don't know."

I don't know why the hell I'm helping this kid because he physically hurt me yesterday and I could still feel it on my neck. There was just something about him that made me drawn to him.

It wasn't even that he's godly attractive, even though that's a plus.

"You gotta make a choice at some point, but for now, leave me out of it," I tell him even though it physically hurts me to tell him to forget about me because I don't know how I would even react without him because there was something in my head telling me to get to know this boy and I wanted to.

"Friday, uh, is the first football game of

the season, would you want to come? He asked me and I noticed how nervous he was by the way he fidgeted with his hands and tried to not make direct eye contact with me.

I completely forget about what I just told him because if he's asking me to do something for him, then obviously he's willing to do something about the way he was feeling. I know how hard it can be to finally decide to act on your sexuality or come out because it puts so much pressure on your chest the entire time you're even thinking about it. When I came out, I was off for months because l couldn't find the courage to just get over it.

I nod my head at him, immediately seeing his demeanour change into a form of confidence that I hadn't seen inside of him the entire time we were here. "I'll be there."

"Alright, cool"' he tells me before we sneak back into the gym. He goes back to the game while I go back to sit next

to Jenny. She gives me a look like 'what's going on' while I pretend like I don't see her to make her continue to wonder for a few more seconds.

"You better tell me what just happened or I'll slap you," she threatens and I chuckle, leaning over to her ear to start to tell her all about what was just discussed.

Once I'm done, she reaches over and grabs my arm with a huge smile. I chuckle at her huge expression. "You look so creepy right now, I don't even know what to do."

She giggles. "How do you feel about it? "I mean, I'm still mad about what happened, but I understand more of why he did it now. I'm willing to stick with him and see what happens, but I think he knows now that if he pulls something like that again, I'm gone.

She nods her head. "Yeah, but I do

want you to know that he does care

about you. When we got home yesterday, he asked so many questions about you and felt bad about what had happened. I've seen him struggling for a while and now that I know that it's because of his

sexuality, I think he just needs to find his outlet and that might be you."

Did she just say 'home' as in they live together? "What do you mean you

got home? Like do you live together or

something?"I asked.

I notice the panic in her eyes before

she pushes it down to shake her head.

"No, I just spend a lot of my nights at Robert's house who is neighbours with Archie."

I know she's hiding something, but I push it to the side to take in what she's just told me. "So you don't think that this is just some straight guy trying to experiment? You think that this can be real, right?"

She nods her head. "I know it's real, Henry. The way he talked about you is not how he's talked about all the girls He once dated. He truly likes you and I've never seen him like this with anybody else."I nod my head. "Okay, well, Friday it is, then."

"We'll plan everything out later, but right now, let's just prepare for the routine later today," she tells me as she gets up to join all the rest of the dance girls who are talking with Coach Erixon.

After dance practice, Jenny and I walk out of the gym to see Robert and Archie standing there waiting for us. They're wearing athletic shorts and jerseys while sweating profusely.

Archie's hair is an absolute mess probably from him running around during football practice and running his hands through it.

"How was dance practice?" Robert

asked Jenny who wrapped her arm

around his waist.

"It was good, " she says and starts to tell her boyfriend that I can't hear where I was. Archie walks behind me as we walk out through the back door to the parking lot before he comes back next to me in silence while the other two are whispering stuff to each other.

"How was the dance for you?" Archie asks, finally saying something to me since

earlier today in the locker room. l clear my throat before looking up at him to see his soft expression, which is different from how he looks at everyone else that I've seen.

"Good, pretty hectic, but good," I say, not knowing how else to explain it because it was so hectic with all the groups performing the routines, and a lot of the girls got lost halfway through a difficult part and had to step out.

"Uh, excuse me, it was more than good for you, you got the lead' Jenny said with a confused look along with a playful smile.

"You got the lead?" Robert asked in bewilderment because l don't think he quite understood how much dance experience I had. After all, I didn't talk about it too much to not seem like I was bragging at all.

"Yeah, the male lead," I tell him. He reaches his hand out for a high five as he tells me 'congratulations' and 'good job, man' while Archie pats me on the back in a silent way of telling me 'congratulations' Jenny comes over as we reach her car to hug me. "I'll see you tomorrow, all right?"

"All right," I tell her as I continue my walk to my car along with Archie who was following me, probably not wanting to be with Robert while he says bye to Jenny.

"You have a nice car," Archie tells me as he lightly kicks the tyre while l unlock the doors to put my bag in the back, he looks inside to probably see what the interior is like.

"Oh, thanks, I got it two years ago for my 16th birthday," I told him before walking back to the front where he stood and leaned against my grey car.  

He comes to stand next to me and leans on the car as well. I can't help but be fascinated by his handsomeness. I can't wait to get a kiss from him after a long while.