6: THE FIRST MEETING

Alex had always been the type to stick to the sidelines, especially in high school. It was his first day at his new school, and he had no idea what he was doing at the football game. He didn't even understand the rules, but the pressure to fit in was too much. So, there he was, standing by the bleachers, awkwardly trying to blend in.

As he shifted uncomfortably, a group of loud, obnoxious bullies noticed him. They circled him like sharks, their eyes gleaming with the excitement of an easy target. One of them shoved Alex into the steps, laughing. "What are you doing here, newbie? Think you can just casually shift in and watch the game?"

Before Alex could even respond, a voice rang out behind him. "Hey! Leave him alone!" Dave stepped in, a tall, effortlessly cool figure with his trademark smirk. He wasn't intimidated by the bullies, standing tall between Alex and the group of aggressors.

"Go bother someone else," Dave added casually, as if he were asking them to hand him a pen. "Or I'll report you to the coach for skipping practice."

The bullies exchanged glances, clearly unsure of whether to challenge Dave. Finally, they muttered some insults and walked off, leaving Alex in stunned silence.

Dave turned to him with a grin. "You good?"

Alex blinked, still trying to process the scene. "Uh… yeah. Thanks. I didn't know what to do."

Dave shrugged, unaffected. "It's cool. I don't like bullies." He flashed a quick smile before nudging Alex with his elbow. "Just… don't stand so close to the bleachers. You never know when a football's gonna come flying at your head."

Alex laughed, the tension melting away. In that moment, he felt something shift inside him; a connection, maybe. It didn't make sense, but he could tell Dave was someone who would always have his back. And from then on, they were inseparable.

Months passed, and Alex and Dave's friendship grew stronger. It wasn't until one quiet afternoon, when they were sitting in Dave's room, that things took an unexpected turn.

Dave's mom was bustling around downstairs when she called up to him, "Dave! You in your room again?"

"Yeah, I'm doing homework!" he yelled back, though his books were scattered on the floor, untouched. Alex sat next to him, fiddling with his phone, when Dave's mom knocked lightly before entering.

 "Could you come help me with the dishes please?"

"Coming", he then turned to Alex. "Give me a minute"

Alex nodded.

"You know, I've noticed you hanging out with Alex a lot lately," Dave's mom said while rinsing the dishes Dave washed, raising an eyebrow. "He's a nice boy. Is he your… friend?"

Dave groaned, running a hand through his messy hair. "Mom, please. We're just friends."

She was having none of it, crossing her arms and giving him a knowing look. "Are you sure about that? I mean, I've seen the way you look at him. It's… not very 'just friends' if you ask me."

Dave froze. For a moment, the kitchen felt suffocating. "Mom, stop."

"Dave," she said, softer this time, "I'm not blind. If you like him, it's okay. You can tell me."

Dave couldn't bring himself to respond. He wasn't ready to confront those feelings; those feelings for Alex. He was his best friend. He wasn't supposed to like him like that, was he?

But Dave's mom wasn't about to let him off the hook. "You know, if you like him, you should tell him. Don't waste your time being scared of it."

"I don't think he likes me back, though," Dave mumbled, feeling a pang in his chest.

"Well," she said, grinning, "you'll never know unless you try."

It wasn't long before the issue of other girls came up; something that made things even more complicated for Dave. One day, after a particularly exhausting class, a girl named Jessica approached him in the hallway.

"Hey, Dave," she said, nervously fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. "I was wondering if… maybe I could give you something?"

"what's that?"

She blinked, then pulled a white paper from her bag pocket.

Dave hesitated at first, then he grabbed it and tried to open it...

"Hey! Are you crazy? Don't", Jessica snapped.

Dave blinked, caught off guard. He was about to open his mouth when he noticed Alex walking up behind her, casually making his way to his locker. Dave, without thinking, blurted, "Oh, uh, actually, If you like me, Alex already knows. He said you're not my type."

 Jessica's face faltered, but she nodded and smiled awkwardly before walking away. Dave let out a relieved breath, but guilt gnawed at him. He wasn't sure if he had done the right thing.

Later that day, Alex confronted him. "Dude, what was that about?" he demanded. "You really told her I said that? What the hell?"

Dave sighed, looking anywhere but at Alex's face. "It's just… I didn't want to hurt you. You know, I don't want you to think I like her more than you."

Alex paused, his expression softening. "Dave, you're an idiot. You could've just told her the truth. You don't have to lie to protect me. What are we? boyfriends?"

Dave was startled for a bit, 'how could he say that?' he thought.

"I didn't want to hurt you…" Dave muttered again, his voice quieter this time.

Alex, exasperated, let out a laugh. "You're so messed up. But fine, we'll talk about it later. I get it."

They spent the rest of the day in silence, the weight of Dave's words hanging in the air between them. But by the time they met up after school, everything felt like it had gone back to normal, or maybe it did?

Despite all the confusion, the truth was simple: Dave was protective of Alex, maybe even a little too protective. And as much as Alex wanted to understand, he knew that some things just couldn't be explained; not yet, anyway.

That evening, Alex and Dave met up at their favorite arcade, joined by Max, a new friend they'd made. Max was loud, unpredictable, and had a knack for being way too excited about everything.

"I'm gonna crush your high score!" Max yelled at Dave, already halfway up the neon-lit steps to the game console.

Alex watched, amused, as Max proceeded to fail spectacularly. "I don't think that's how you crush a high score, dude," Alex joked.

Max gave him a cheeky grin. "Hey, I'm just warming up!" He ran off, crashing into a few bystanders as he dashed to another game.

"Is he always like this?" Alex asked, shaking his head.

Dave, who was staring after Max with a resigned expression, finally spoke. "Yeah. Worse."

Alex laughed, his eyes meeting Dave's for a second. In that brief moment, the world seemed to fall away. Max might have been the loud third wheel, but the quiet connection between him and Dave was undeniable. And maybe, just maybe, things didn't have to be explained right away.