Working Boy

Chapter 16

"You sure you wanna do this?" Samuel whispered to Chase as they stood right in front of the doors of the cafeteria. It was lunchtime, so there were students shoving past them, piling into the lunch room.

"Yes. I don't wanna be ashamed anymore," Chase looked back at Samuel- a newfound determination in his eyes.

The blonde blinked widely before scoffing, turning away with a smile.

"You really are something else, Island-Boy," a hint of pink tickled his cheeks. "You do realize that this might cause more problems, right?"

"Isn't that what you're all about?" He snorted.

"Pfft... whatever. Let's go inside," he returned his sights back to the double-doors. He held out a hand for Chase to take.

The Trini took his hand into his, both taking a deep breath before walking in.

The cafeteria felt so big- bigger than usual. Chase set his sights on the table where Jace sat which was /all/ the way on the other side of the room and right across from the jock table.

He looked down at Samuel who was staring straight ahead, his face hardening. Chase could tell from the way his hand tightened its grip that he was nervous. He couldn't help it-he was too. There was no telling what might go down for being openly gay at a prep school like this.

Samuel's cool, blue eyes locked with Chase's bright, hazel ones. Nodding slightly, they both began to walk toward the table.

The tension was thick- it hung heavy in their chests, almost suffocating them. Despite this they opted to keep their cool, holding their chin up and focusing on the table ahead of them. As they continued to walk, the cafeteria grew silent. There were light snickers, probably coming from the jocks.

Samuel paused, his eyes glued to the floor.

"Sam?" Chase paused, still holding the other's hand. However, he wasn't responding. In fact it almost looked like... he was crying?

"Samuel," he sighed, coming closer to him. He crouched down slightly, reaching up to touch his cheek.

"S-Sorry," he grumbled, shaking his head. "I… just got a little nervous is all. C'mon…"

He gently grabbed the Trini's hand, though this time it was very clammy and wet. Chase never imagined that this would be such a big deal for him. With the amount of confidence he exuded, one would've thought that Chase himself would be the nervous one.

After what felt like an eternity, they finally reached the table. A gust of air left both mouth's as they sat, each pulling out their own dish to eat. Jace eyed both with a slight hint of a smile.

"You guys look like you just dodged the bullets of war on your way here," he mused.

The couple exchanged glances, then looked at Jace with a smile.

"We might as well have. Sounds better than the damn agony I'm feeling right now," Samuel replied with a hint of amusement.

"It's not often- or ever- that you can be openly gay at an all boys' school. Especially one like this one," Chase added, matter-of-fact.

"-I'm not gay," Samuel blurted, almost instantly.

The other two exchanged glances, then looked at the blonde, quizzical.

"Don't start your s**t," Jace warned.

"S-Sorry-"

"It's fine, Sam," Chase sighed.

"Dude, are you or are you not attracted to another dude?" Jace interrogated.

"Jace, it's fine. Just let it go. It'll… take time okay?" Chase sighed.

He was already happy that he at least got to hold hands with him in school today, so he was careful to not push anything more on Samuel. It wasn't like Samuel had grown used to the discrimination like he did.

"Fine," Jace spoke after a while.

The tension was at least clear for a little while as they ate and spoke like friends would. But Chase would notice a hint of worry each time Sam's eyes flickered to the jock table behind him. Chase sighed.

"You miss them, don't you?" Chase wavered.

"I uh...," Samuel looked away.

"I understand, Sam. If you wanna go and still talk to them, I'm not gonna stop you," he forced a small smile.

"That's a horrible idea," Jace interjected. "They already saw you guys hold hands, so they're just gonna bully him. Not like that'll be a bad thing anyway…"

"Jace…" the Trini grumbled.

"What? It's true!"

"I get it," Samuel mumbled.

"Hey, you said that you accepted it-," Chase spoke up.

"I said I accepted it. But it doesn't mean I've forgotten what he did," the albino pointed out. "I know you remember all those nights back in freshman year when you used to cry about being bullied over something you couldn't control."

"I know Jace, I know. But I forgave him, alright? He's good now. I trust that he wouldn't hurt me again," his honey eyes flickered over to Samuel, his mouth curved into a soft smile.

"Well I don't," Jace mumbled under his breath.

Samuel caught Chase's eye and smiled back, though it was a nervous smile. The island native could tell something was on his mind. Hopefully he wouldn't make the wrong decisions.

However, his worries came to surface when he saw him approach the jocks just as they were leaving the cafeteria…

"GIVE IT UP FOR... BLACK MAMBA!" The audience roared as Chase took his last bows and strutted backstage. As soon as he was hidden safely behind the velvet curtains, he let out a deep exhale before trudging backstage.

"Hey Mamba, looking good like always~" Zayn did his usual flirting, slipping an arm around the Trini's waist.

"Thanks Zayn," he mumbled, looking off.

Zayn flashed him a quizzical look right before Ken ran up to Chase, lightly shoving Zayn away to wrap his arms around the island native.

"I'M SO SORRY, CHASE!" He cried, burying his face into his chest.

"Wait, what do you mean-?"

"I'M SORRY YOU HAD TO SEE ME IN SUCH-" his arms tightened around him. "-A HORRID STATE!"

Oh. He must've been talking about the party.

"It's okay-"

"NO IT'S NOT!" the ginger pulled his face away to peer up at Chase through watery eyes. "I MUST make it up to you!"

"Oh gosh. Ken it's okay, really," he lightly blushed, smiling a rather nervous smile. His eyes shifted over to Zayn for a split-second. He could see him c**k his head, though he instantly returned his attention back to the redhead.

"Alright, c'mon. You got a club to run, remember?" Chase murmured, lightly pushing him back.

"You're right, you're right," Ken pulled away, wiping away a tear before smiling sweetly up at Chase. "You just looked like you needed a hug."

"Oh geez, thanks Ken," he blushed, scratching the back of his head.

"Hey Chase, you hungry?" Zayn called out from the break room. Chase didn't even notice he moved.

"Well..." He motioned to his growling stomach.

Oh yeah. He had forgotten that he didn't eat any lunch today. He bolted out the door right after the incident. He couldn't bear being there.

"I can use a bit of food," he answered with a small smile.

"C'mon then," he motioned with his head to come inside.

Him and Ken exchanged glances before he followed Zayn inside the break room. He plopped down on the plush sofa as the older male rummaged through the refrigerator.

"We have leftover buffalo wings from last night, you want some?"

"Sure, I'd love some!" He grinned, swaying gently from side to side.

"Heh...cute," Zayn murmured to himself, pulling out the box and warming them up in the Nu-wave. "Any drinks?"

"Oh um...I'll have some Coke."

"Aight," he set aside a can of Coke and a bottle of Budweiser for himself.

Chase breathed in deeply, savoring the spices that tingled his nostrils. It really did smell wonderful.

Zayn brought a tray full of wings with a side of ranch and celery sticks along with the drinks to the table for them to share.

"Ah, thanks a lot!" He piped up, reaching for a wing to eat.

"No problem, kiddo," he smiled, also reaching for one.

They ate in silence for a moment. However, Zayn broke the silence.

"Heya Chase, are you okay?" He asked, taking a swig of his beer.

"Mmm...," The Trini looked down, lowering the wing that was in his hand.

This must've caught Zayn's attention because he rose an eyebrow. He lowered his head to catch Chase's eye, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Chase?"

Chase averted his gaze. He couldn't bear looking at him right now.

"Hey, kid," his hand glided smoothly from his shoulder to cup his chin, turning it to face him.

The curly-haired male stared back at him, almost unsure where to rest his eyes.

"Talk to me, babe."

His honey eyes now gazed into Zayn's deep, chocolate orbs. Those amber eyes were filled with a sea of insecurity and vulnerability. A feeling of heaviness sat in Chase's heart as Zayn read him. It was as if he was reading him like an open book. It was almost...unsettling.

"Who did it?" Zayn asked after a while.

"I...I don't wanna talk about it," Chase attempted to turn away, but was forced to face him once again.

"Chase," Zayn sighed. "Holding it in isn't gonna do you any good. It's gonna eat at you until you-"

"Burst?" He finished it, his lower lip trembling.

The male moved the fingers that grasped the island native's chin and rested it on his lap.

"If you don't wanna talk about it, it's fine-"

"No!" He exclaimed before shaking his head, bringing himself back to reality. "Sorry Zayn, I..." He trailed off, trying to think of the proper words to say. "I haven't been having a good day today."

"I can tell," he mused, picking up another wing and taking a bite.

"Yeah," he chuckled lightly, mimicking Zayn. "It's just... I really, really like this guy-"

"Is it about that blonde guy? 'Samuel' was it?"

"...Yeah. Samuel..." his smile dwindled.

"What's up? What he do? Want me to kick his ass?"

"No, nooo," he chuckled again. Would be nice, though. "He didn't do… anything wrong per se."

"Wrong, per se?" He repeated. "So… what happened?"

"I mean...we were official for like, a day. I figured that we were both ready to come out, y'know? I was so ready and... I thought he was too..."

"Come out? In what way?" Zayn rose an eyebrow.

"Well, we were gonna hold hands in the cafeteria-"

"Awww, so cute~" he mocked, squeezing his cheek.

"Oh cut it out," he swatted his hand away with a smile. "He was nervous- we both were. I mean, everyone practically stared us down. Even the jocks..."

"Isn't he a part of them?"

"He is! Or was. His own friend outted him," he sighed.

"Damn..." He hissed, shaking his head. "Forced out of the closet, huh?"

"Pretty much," Chase frowned. "He was still trying to figure himself out."

"So when exactly did you guys get together and decide to do this?"

"...Pretty much the same day come to think of it," Chase answered, rubbing his chin.

"Think it was far too soon for him?"

Chase sighed. This was moving a bit too fast. But they had s*x before they could even truly get to know each other. Surely it should've been okay, right?

"Maybe but-!" He stammered. He bit his lip to stop himself. He could already feel warm tears welling up in which he quickly wiped them away.

Zayn furrowed his eyebrows. He probably thought he was a total weirdo at this point.

"He… went back to them…" He trailed off.

His eyes widened in shock, an expression Chase would never have thought he would witness from Zayn.

"Wait- but why?" The older male spoke, accentuating each word.

"I... I don't know okay?" Chase's voice wavered.

"Hmm, that's very weird. I think he misses them," he scratched his chin, pensive.

"Well yeah but..." He sniffled, more tears spilling over like an overflown tub. "I don't know if I want them to still be around. And, like, I don't want to seem controlling or anything; but I just don't want them to come between us, y'know?"

"Aww, c'mere Angel Eyes," he cooed, wrapping his arms around the boy.

Chase buried his face into his chest, his tears of anguish wetting up Zayn's tank top. Chase himself couldn't understand why he was taking this so hard.

"It'll get better, okay babe?" Zayn murmured with soothing words. He planted light kisses on his forehead, his free hand roaming up and down his exposed back.

Man, it was something about his husky voice alone that made him feel so much better. He always knew the right things to say.

"Rodeo! Mamba! Group meeting!" A deep voice was heard from the dressing room. Sounded like Chief.

Zayn's chest swelled with air then fell with a sigh. It seemed as if he was comfortable. Chase tilted up his head, peering up at Zayn doe-eyed with his cheek still pressed against his chest.

"Thank you, Zayn," he smiled gently. "God, it feels like whenever we take two steps forward, we take five steps backward with this guy," he sighed.

"Maybe it's time to find a new staircase," he mused with a smirk. "See you out there, kiddo," he rose and left before Chase could even been utter another word.

A week had passed since that day. Samuel hadn't showed up to school or to the club since then. Even though Chase was very upset, he couldn't help but worry about him. There had to be /something/, right? He just wanted to talk to Sam. He even went up to the house but no one answered. It was hurtful, really.

He knew had his family knew what this boy was putting him through, they would raise all bacchanal up in here. But although Chase had that Caribbean temper, he had a gentler side to those he cared about. And, unfortunately, he really did care about Samuel.

Chase was rolling back and forth a single sweet pea on his fork from a full dinner plate. Normally he'd eat, but hunger was the least of his worries right now.

"Chase, you've been playing with that blasted pea for the past 10 minutes. Are you not hungry?" Antwon asked after a while.

"Right," the young male snapped back to reality. "Sorry uncle. I was just thinking."

"Better belly buss than good food waste," he gestured to Chase's full plate with a fork.

"Right. Sorry uncle," he scooped the pea into his mouth and began slowly working on the food.

"Wuz de scene?"

Buzzzzzzzzz!

The sound of the doorbell echoed in the small adobe-like home that was the Machalle household.

"Who is it?" Antwon boredly responded, trudging toward the door.

"It's the Champions~!" A woman's voice sung through the wooden oak.

Antwon and Chase exchanged glances before going to the door to open it. Right before them, there stood a short, brunette woman in bootcut jeans and a frilly white button-down. Her hair was pinned into a loose bun in the back- her relaxed, mahogany brown eyes juxtaposing her bright smile. She was holding a basket full of scones and bearclaws wrapped in a red checkered cloth. Samuel was right beside her, standoffish.

"Hi! How are you? The name's Melinda," she thrusted the basket aggressively into Samuel's hands to extend a handshake to Antwon.

"Oh hello, Melinda," Antwon switched to his proper dialect, shaking her hand. "What brings you here?"

"Well, I figured that since your son and my son are friends and that he's been coming over to my house, I was interested in meeting his guardian," she smiled sweetly at the tall man.

Chase's face went a little pale upon seeing them both there. He was not expecting them to be there. s**t, what was she gonna say? More importantly, what's the real reason they're here?

"Oh, I see," Antwon glanced at Chase, then back at Melinda. "Uh, come in," he stood aside and allowed the two guests in.

Chase blushed out of embarrassment. It wasn't like he wasn't proud of where he lived, but the thought of two upper-class people entering his adobe home made him uneasy. But the bright positive energy Mrs. Champion was giving off eased his worries. Samuel entered after his mother, his eyes focused on the feet before him. Chase was going to say something, but the sound of Mrs. Champion's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Oh, how marvelous! Is this Chase as a baby?" she gasped at a little picture behind the glass door of their media cabinet. The picture in question had a gold frame and depicted a toddler Chase with a large, dimpled smile sitting atop a giant 'A' block. His wild, curly hair was pushed back and his fists were held cutely to his cheek. "Such a cute boy~"

"Yep. Came to me when he was just four," he smiled faintly. Chase blushed in the distance.

"Mm, I see," she rubbed her chin, pensive.

"Here, would you like to sit down?" Antwon pulled out a chair for the small woman in the kitchen.

"Oh yes, very much so. Thank you!" she glided over to sit as the others came to sit with her. The only person who stood was Samuel, but his mother lightly tugged the corner of his hoodie to motion him over. "But anywho, not only am I here to introduce myself- but my son has something here to say to Chase here."

"Really?" he rose an eyebrow, his eyes slowly panning to Chase. Even the boy himself didn't exactly get what was going on.

"But mom-," he began to whine just before he hissed from a sharp pinch. "Fine," he turned away, his face reddened.

Chase's eyes were steady on Samuel now, waiting for what was gonna come out of his mouth. This wasn't about the cafeteria thing, was it? Geez, why did this have to happen in front of his uncle? Or his mom? What if he accidently reveals their relationship? This whole thing was risqué as it is.

"S-Sorry for… treating you like crap and stuff," he muttered, averting his gaze.

"Look him in the eye," she lowly hissed, serious.

He blinked a couple of time before turning to look Chase in the eye. The curly-haired boy could sense his anxiety.

"And ignoring you. You mean a lot to me… as a friend," he rushed the last three words. "And as a brother. I hope you can forgive me and stuff because… I hate seeing you upset-"

"It's fine," Chase quickly spoke over him. Didn't want the gay slipping out, ya know.

"You sureeeeeee?" Mrs. Champion drew out with a little playful smirk. "Is there anything my son can do to make it up?"

Samuel turned to his mom, wide-eyed.

"Oh no no, it's fine really, Mrs. Champion," Chase held up both hands, defensively. He could practically feel the heat from his uncle's stare boring through the side of his face.

"So what is this I'm hearing about my nephew coming over to your place?" Antwon changed the subject, much to the boys' relief.

"Oh! Well they've been playing nicely since peer mediation, so I guess he feels comfortable coming by- right Chase?" she smiled.

"I uh…." Chase flushed a deep shade of red. "Y-Yeah..."

"Hmm…" the man narrowed his eyes at his nephew.

"Yeah, I usually invite him over though," Samuel spoke up quickly. "We've been… alright."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah, I think we've reached some sort of understanding," Chase responded, calmer. "I just wanted to be at peace when I come by. And fighting can only take us so far, y'know?"

Antwon narrowed his eyes again. It didn't look like he bought it, yet he seemed to have let it go for now.

"Well alright. If it's alright with his moms here, then I guess it's alright with me. Just be careful and be safe," he spoke after a while.

"Thanks Uncle," Chase smiled, softly. His mother seemed quite pleased.

"How wonderful! I'm so glad we can all come to a sort of understanding!" she clapped, happily. "Now, with that being said- I was wondering if I can steal your, er nephew, for the weekend."

"Huh? For what?" Antwon furrowed his eyebrows. Chase's furrowed as well. What exactly did this lady want? It seemed that Samuel didn't quite know either judging by the look of confusion on his face.

"Welllll~" she sung. "There's a family event that I would absolutely love to take him to. And since your nephew's such a sweet boy- I wanted him to meet them."

"Really?" all the males spoke in unison.

"Of course, hun bun! You know you're my favorite boy, right?" she spoke the last words lowly, a smile plastered on her face. Chase felt a pang of nervousness. She was so unpredictable for her own good.

"I am…?" he answered, weakly.

"Besides, I'm sure my little Junior here wouldn't mind, right?"

"Uh- I guess but-," he was cut off by his mother once again.

"So what do you say?" her eyes flickered to both of the Caribbean males.

Antwon flashed her a look of disbelief before sighing and turning to Chase.

"It's on you, boy. You're old enough to make your own decisions," he answered.

"I uh…." The Trini sweated a little. I mean, he was sure this woman wasn't going to hurt him, but what was happening exactly? He was 100% sure what she said was a lie, but of course he wasn't going to hint that to his uncle. "Alright, I guess I'll go."

"Goodie! It's gonna be so much fun~" she squealed, drawing a raised eyebrow from the Caribbean man. For someone who was deemed as a "no nonsense businesswoman", she certainly was acting like a prepubescent teen.

"Be safe, man," Antwon murmured, his eyes still locked onto the woman.

There was a sense of uneasiness within Chase- maybe it wasn't a good idea for them to meet like this?