SOULBOUND
By Wes
Leigh
This is a work of fiction (or
is it?) intended solely for the entertainment of my readers; any resemblance to
any real people or places is purely coincidental. Readers who would like to chat are encouraged
to contact me at weston.leigh@protonmail.com.
This story is the property of
the author and is protected by copyright laws.
The author retains all rights. No reproductions are allowed without the
author's consent.
If you enjoy this story,
please support the Nifty archives today with a thoughtful donation by visiting https://donate.nifty.org/.
Of more utility to humanity is the natural enmity between
these two creatures of the night. If you
would kill them without losing your own life, simply set them at each other's
throat. They will do the job for you,
for there is no greater hatred than that of vampires for werewolves, and of
werewolves for vampires.
-- From `Methods of Destroying Vampires and Werewolves" by
Fr. Ignatius Benedictus and Sir Alfred Baskervylle
Daniel pulled his journal out of his desk and unlocked
it. He'd been so busy the last week that
he hadn't written a word in it for days, and he felt almost guilty about
neglecting his journal. Taking out the
pen, he began writing.
August 30
What an
amazing week!
I guess I
should start with the campout Connor took me on.
The guys made
me a little nervous at first. They're
not the kind of dudes I normally hang with.
They're all jocks. Huge, muscular
athletes. And they work on their family
farms or at the hunting lodge, so they're all used to working hard and spending
time outdoors. I'm a short, skinny,
bookworm who's never been camping before in my life.
You'd think we
wouldn't get along, but they were all super cool with me. Caleb taught me to use tree branches to build
a shelter that will keep you dry, even in a heavy rainstorm. Donny and Ethan showed me how to catch fish
in this weird, funnel-shaped trap they made by weaving strips of wood
together. Then they showed me how to
cook the fish. Maybe it was because I
was hungry and we caught them ourselves, but I've never tasted anything so good
as the trout we cooked over that open fire in just aluminum foil and butter.
Connor was the
best. He took me on hikes and showed me
how to sneak up on a family of white-tail deer without them noticing us. It was righteous! We were right there, probably twenty feet
away. They had babies with them and
everything. Connor and I knelt behind
this rock, watching them. He put his
hand on my back and just left it there.
Like we were buddies or something.
Then an eagle screeched, and the deer took off. Connor laughed and hugged me.
I don't know
about Connor. The entire time, he was
incredibly friendly. And physical. He must have hugged me a hundred times. He was always throwing an arm around me,
squeezing my neck with his hand, slapping me gently on the back. The second night, we slept in the same
sleeping bag again. It was toasty warm in
there with both of us inside, so we took off our clothes and slept in our underwear. We were pressed up against each other, and it
felt so nice having his soft, furry chest against my back. He didn't get a boner at first, even though I
had one, feeling his huge cock pushing up against my butt. I kind of wanted him to reach around and feel
me sticking out, but he never did. He
wrapped me in his arms and snuggled against me the entire night.
The next morning, he DID have a boner. Dude, it was huge! I felt it pushing against my back when I woke
up. I reached behind me and there was
this massive hard-on between us. I
squeezed it. It was thick, lots thicker
than mine, and probably a few inches longer.
Connor started laughing softly, then took my hand and pulled it off his
cock. He leaned in and brushed his lips
on the back of my neck and whispered, "Looks like I gotta
pee. Didn't mean to poke you like that,
Big D."
I whispered
back, "Feels like I should be calling you Big C."
That made him
laugh even more. He slid out of the
sleeping bag and stood there in front of me, pulling on his jeans and
shirt. He didn't seem to care one bit
that his hard cock was tenting out the front of his boxers. Didn't care at all. Once he finished dressing, he walked off into
the trees, leaving me in the sleeping bag alone.
So now I'm
really confused. I mean ... he seemed to
be so friendly with me the entire time, but he never took advantage of the
situation. I know I dropped a lot of
hints, and he did too, flirting with me every now and then, but he never let it
get too serious. Is he interested in me
that way or not? If he's not, I'm kind
of worried that he might say something to the other kids about how I
acted. I'm not sure I want anyone to
know about me yet, so I'm panicking here a little. I guess if he did say something, I could tell
everyone he was poking me with his boner, so he was the gay one, but I really
don't want to do that either. I mean,
it's kind of a special moment we shared, and I want to keep it just between the
two of us.
I'm really
confused.
Okay, so when I got back from the campout, I
spent a few days exploring the town. I
know I've written this before, but this place is WEIRD.
How do I explain
this?
Okay, first of all,
there are three different kinds of people in Agony. I've decided to call them the Wolves, the Ravens,
and the Rabbits.
The Wolves are
the people like Connor and his family and the guys I went camping with. They're all a bit wild. Even Connor's mom and dad were that way. I met them at their hunting lodge before we
drove down to the campsite. The Wolves
are fun but a bit rough. They laugh a
lot, and the guys my age tell jokes that would make a sailor blush. They're very physical with each other,
hugging and pushing each other around.
And they're all in great shape.
Strong, fit, muscular. I suppose
that comes from working outside, running the farms and ranches around town.
The second
group would be the Ravens. I've
nicknamed them that because of the clothes they wear. They're always dressed in black or dark
gray. And their eyes remind me of
ravens for some reason, with the way they stare, unblinking. I've noticed that a lot of the business
owners in town are Ravens. They seem to
be the wealthiest people in Agony, but they don't look happy. I guess it's true that money can't buy you
happiness, but it can buy you nice cars and fancy black suits.
Finally, there
are the Rabbits. I know it's not a very
flattering name, but I don't know how else to describe the rest of the people
in town. They're like scared little
creatures, peeking out of their houses and looking around to be sure no hawks
are diving down to snatch them up and eat them. I don't understand why they're so
afraid. Another mystery for me to solve.
My mom took me
shopping for new school clothes. Guess
who we ran into. Xavier and his mom, the
head Raven. I guess that would make her
the Queen of the Ravens, ROFL.
Oh, before I
forget, that was one strange store. It
was like half the clothes were black or gray.
Guys clothes. Girls clothes. It didn't matter. All in shades of black or gray. I guess the Ravens all shop there.
Anyway ... we
ran into Xavier and his mom. They were
shopping too, picking through dress shirts and ties. Xavier nodded his head at me and motioned for
me to join him by the shoes while our moms shopped.
We pretended
to look at shoes while we talked about what our week had been like. I told him mine had been boring for the most
part, though I didn't mention the campout.
He said his was too. He hated
family gatherings and this one had been "especially tedious". Xavier talks strange sometimes, almost like
he went to one of those schools where they teach you to talk all proper. It's not bad or anything, just different, you
know?
Anyway, Xavier
and I decided to get together that afternoon, at my place, and play some video
games. So there
we were, sitting on my bed, racing each other in Mario Cart, trying to mess
each other up knocking into each other by bumping shoulders. We were having a great time, laughing a lot,
when something kind of odd happened. I
won a race and gave Xavier a hug. I
guess I held the hug a little longer than normal. With all the hugs I'd been getting from
Connor over the weekend, I guess I felt like hugs were what you did with a
friend. Xavier looked over at me and his
eyes got this sad, but hungry look. We
stared at each other for a few seconds, then he leaned over and kissed me. Right the fuck on the mouth.
His lips were
cool, almost chilly, pulling the warmth right out of my mouth. He breathed out and my lungs filled with icy
air, like being outside on a winter day.
I know. Bizarre.
It surprised
me, and I let him go, pulling back from the kiss. His eyes got wide, like he'd just made a huge
mistake. He jumped up and ran into the
bathroom.
I stayed on my
bed, wondering what the hell just happened.
The toilet flushed and the sink ran, then the door opened, and Xavier
came out. He looked at me and said, "I
apologize, Daniel." Then he ducked his
head, and he actually blushed. His cheeks were incredibly red, and sort of
cute, to be honest.
I shrugged and
said, "It's okay, Xavier. I kind of
liked it." And I realized I was telling
him the truth. Something inside me
wanted to pour out every bit of warmth in my body and give it to him, emptying
out everything I had to give and leaving me ... empty? I've never felt this way before. Is this what it feels like to be in love?
When Xavier
heard that, he slowly looked up and met my eyes. "You liked it?" he asked.
I nodded and
shrugged nervously, trying to make it sound like it was no big deal. "I think we're becoming really good friends,
and I don't mind getting a hug and a kiss from a friend."
"Even if your
friend is another guy?" he asked me.
I shrugged and
said with a grin, "Well ... I wouldn't do it with just any of my friends, but for
one or two, I'll make an exception."
He smiled and
sat down next to me, picking up his game controller. We didn't do anything else that day. Not kissing or hugging anyway. We just played some more video games and ate
a snack, then he went home.
I'm really
confused. For years, I haven't told
anyone how I feel about other guys. I
haven't had any friends who were close enough to let in on my secret. Now ... here I am in Agony, North Dakota ... a small
town where I really, really, really need to keep this part of my life a
secret. And I've slept almost naked in a
sleeping bag with a guy who's a real hunk and I grabbed his cock through his
underwear. Then in the same week, I've hugged
and kissed another guy on the lips, and I'm wanting to do it again. The worst part of all is I don't know which guy
I like better. The truth is I like both of them. Am I
sick or what?
What the fuck
am I gonna do?
Daniel locked up the journal, slid it in the desk drawer,
and jumped face down on his bed. He
hugged his pillow to his chest and thought about Xavier's chilly lips touching
his own, making his body burn. Then he
remembered the feel of Connor's warm arms holding him tight through the cold
night. Seriously, what the fuck was he
going to do?
͠ ͠
͠
Judy pulled up in front of the school to let Daniel
out. "Have a great first day, sweetie."
"Yeah. I will. Thanks for the ride, Mom."
Daniel slammed the car door and turned to look at the school. Crap.
Starting at a new school really sucked.
Being a freshman in his first day of high school sucked even more.
"Daniel!"
"Big D!"
He heard two different voices shouting at him. He saw Xavier waving at him from the covered
walkway just ahead. Gregor, Regina, and
several other kids stood there with him. Xavier waved again. "Hello, Daniel." He motioned for the group he was with to head
over toward Daniel. They were all
dressed, like Xavier, in dark clothing.
A flock of Raven kids.
To Daniel's left, standing next to a large cottonwood, were
Connor and the Byrne twins, Jacob and Joshua.
Connor began walking toward him, too, grinning, " `Bout time you got
here, Big D. We've been waitin' for you."
Daniel was torn with indecision. Now what was he supposed to do? Glancing back and forth between Connor and
Xavier, he immediately saw tension building.
Xavier and the kids in black clinched their fists. Conner and the Byrne boys tilted their heads
down, no longer smiling.
Xavier glared at Connor.
"What do you think you're doing, Finnigan?"
Connor grinned, but it wasn't a pleasant grin. "Mindin' my own
business. Something you might try, some
time."
Daniel felt chills running up his spine. What was going on? One minute into his first day, and he felt
like he was about to be in the middle of a fight.
"Ummm, hey guys. Let's be cool, okay?" Daniel asked, trying
to settle things down.
Xavier nodded at him.
"No problem, Daniel. You ready to
find your homeroom?"
"Yeah, uh, sure."
Connor reached out and put his hand on Daniel's
shoulder. "Big D, when I said I would
watch out for you and keep you out of trouble, I didn't think I'd have to do it
on your first day."
Daniel frowned.
"Trouble? I'm not in any trouble,
Connor. Everything's cool."
Connor shook his head.
"No, it isn't, D. Not if you're
hanging out with this bunch."
Xavier snarled, "Daniel, how do you even know these ...
creatures?"
Daniel shook his head, confused by the sudden venom in
Xavier's voice. "We, uh, met in the
park, while you were away with your mom at that family thing. They took me camping. They're great guys, Xavier. Really."
Xavier shook his head and wrinkled his brow. "Seriously, Daniel, you can do so much better
than these stupid brutes." The Raven
kids began snickering.
"Hey!" Daniel exclaimed.
"What the hell, Xavier?"
Jacob and Joshua growled, curling their hands into fists.
Connor put his arm out in front of the twins, pushing them
back. Then he turned to Daniel. "Big D, I ain't tryin' to tell you who you can be friends with, but I will
warn you ... be careful who you choose.
And come see me if you get in a bind."
Xavier laughed coldly.
"He'll be just fine. I'll show
him around."
"No one has to show me around!" Daniel snapped. "Thanks, guys. Thanks a lot, but I've got this." Daniel pushed his way past everyone and
stomped toward the front door of the school, furious and embarrassed and
confused.
͠ ͠
͠
After geometry, Daniel headed for the restroom. The events of the morning had left him
feeling queasy, so he hoped it would settle his stomach to take a dump. The restroom was empty, so he walked down to
the last stall. While sitting there, he
heard the door open and two voices talking.
One he recognized right away as Xavier.
"I don't want to talk about it," Xavier was saying.
"And when the great Xavier decides a subject is closed, then
that's the end of the matter, right?" the other voice asked.
"Damn it, Gregor.
Enough already!"
Gregor. The douche
from the theatre. Daniel gritted his
teeth. Why was this dude always hanging
out with Xavier? What kind of hold did
he have over Xavier? Another mystery for
Daniel to figure out.
Gregor started talking again. "Sooner or later, you'll have to deal with
him."
Daniel heard a body slamming against the wall, then Xavier's
voice, cold and harsh. "Gregor, you
violated the Ordinance with that stunt you pulled at the theatre, and I kept
quiet about it. But if you push me on
this, I'll see to it that the entire incident is discussed at the next Conclave. Am I clear?"
Gregor's voice was scratchy, his breathing haggard. "Perfectly clear. Now let me go."
Daniel heard Gregor gasp and take several deep breaths. Then Gregor spoke again, his voice icy. "Since your Confirmation, you've been a huge
dick, you know that?"
Xavier chuckled.
"Whatever, Gregor. My mother
always said the Executorship isn't an excuse to be cruel, but cruelty is a
necessary qualification for the office.
I see what she means by that."
"Funny how that applies only to your own kind, but not to
humans or those filthy animals."
Xavier sighed.
"Gregor. Look ... I will deal with
Connor Finnigan in my own way in my own time, no matter what the Ordinance
requires, and nothing will stop me. Is
that good enough for you?"
"Yeah. But as your
cousin, I cut you more slack than the rest. Just remember, Xavier. Others are watching."
Xavier laughed bitterly.
"How could I forget?"
The door opened and closed.
Silence fell. Daniel shook his
head, baffled and upset by all he'd just heard.
͠ ͠
͠
At lunch, Daniel picked up his tray and turned to look for a
place to sit. The tables along one side
of the room were occupied by Xavier and the gang in black. On the opposite side of the cafeteria, he saw
Connor sitting at a table with Donny, Ethan, and their friends. In the middle were the other kids. The Rabbits.
Daniel shook his head. This was
getting ridiculous.
Daniel decided to eat lunch alone. He walked past them all, not looking at the
Ravens, the Wolves, or the Rabbits. It
was stupid to have to choose what you wanted to be. He took his tray outside and found a patio
table under a tree where he could be alone, eat his meal, and think.
Okay. This was a
mess. Without knowing it, he'd walked
into a fucking minefield. He'd made friends
with two guys who obviously didn't like each other, and he had no idea
why. He'd kissed one of them and slept
almost naked with the other. He was
beginning to develop a crush on both of them, and if
he wasn't deluding himself, they had feelings for him too. But they hated each other. What a fucking mess!
He finished his pizza and his drink, then carried his tray
back into the cafeteria to dump it.
Connor watched him the entire time, looking worried and a
little sad.
Xavier stood and walked up behind Daniel as he was dropping
off his tray. Xavier leaned in and
whispered, "Sorry. Really. I'm ... sorry."
Then he turned and walked away, leaving Daniel staring after him, even
more confused than before.
The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch and sending kids
scrambling for fifth period. Daniel
checked his schedule. Fuck. PE.
He hated PE. Physical
Education. Talk about an oxymoron. Who was the idiot who decided to name it
Physical Education, anyway? Either it's
physical or it's educational, but it can't be both. And as far as Daniel was concerned, it was
neither. PE was simply torture. He sighed.
Might as well get it over with.
͠ ͠
͠
As expected, PE was a pain in the ass. The weather was decent, so the coach made
them head outside and play soccer. What
Daniel didn't expect was that most of the class was made up of Wolves. They were all fast and agile, moving the
soccer ball all over the field. Daniel
gave it a half-hearted try, kicking at the ball whenever it came near him, not
really caring where it went. He wasn't
paying that much attention, because Connor was in the class, and their eyes
kept connecting. Connor was all over the
place, of course, laughing as he made sliding tackles and ran around the other
guys, showing off his speed and athleticism.
At one point, the coach blew a whistle and told them to pair
up and practice passing a ball to a partner.
Because he was tired of the stupid games, Daniel ran up to Connor and
stood in front of him. He stared at
Connor until the bigger youth looked down, nodding his head in acceptance as
his shoulders slumped. They walked off
to a spot by themselves and began kicking a ball back and forth between them.
"Why?" Daniel asked, punting the ball to Connor.
Connor caught it on his foot and kicked it back. "Why what?"
"Why do you guys hate each other so much?"
Connor shrugged.
"Long story, D."
"We've got time."
"Time is not what we need right now," Connor replied.
Chills ran up Daniel's spine. Connor's words were eerily similar
to something he'd heard Xavier say not that long ago.
Daniel stopped the ball and stood on it with one foot. "So you won't tell
me?"
Connor frowned. "I
can't tell you, Daniel. I would if I
could."
Daniel poked the ball with his toe, sending it rolling back
to Connor. "You can't? Or you don't want to?"
Connor stooped over and picked up the ball. He walked forward and stopped in front of
Daniel. "I really like you, Daniel. Camping with you was great, and I hope we can
be friends. But if you decide to be
friends with Xavier ... " Connor paused
and looked around. "I've got to be
honest with you: it's gonna be a problem.
Not for me. But for a lot of
other kids. I wish things were
different, but that's just how it is."
"And you won't tell me why it's that way?"
Connor sighed.
"Sooner or later, you'll understand.
You're a smart guy, and it won't take you long to figure it out. But I'm not the one who's gonna
tell you."
The coach blew his whistle, motioning for everyone to head
in.
Connor began walking toward the gym with the ball tucked
under his arm. Daniel followed him,
trotting to catch up. They walked side
by side, not talking. Inside the gym,
they followed the other kids into the boy's dressing room and headed for their
lockers, where they silently stripped off their clothes. Finishing at the same time, they picked up
their towels and looked at each other sadly, frustrated with the tension
between them.
Daniel couldn't help himself. He glanced down and saw that Connor's cock
was thick and long, hanging down over a pair of large, hairy balls. Daniel looked down at his own thin cock and
light blonde pubes. He was proud of how
his cock was finally filling out, but when he saw Connor, there was no
comparison.
Connor noticed. Deliberately glancing down at Daniel's groin,
he grinned and said, "Not bad, Big D.
Not bad."
Daniel snorted and shook his head, finally allowing a smile
to break out. "Connor, you're so goofy."
Connor nodded his head at the showers. "Let's get cleaned up. I smell like a horse that's been ridden hard
and put away sweaty."
Daniel laughed. It
wasn't true. Connor smelled incredible.
͠ ͠
͠
Sixth period.
Drama. Daniel shook his
head. He wasn't sure how he'd ended up
in this class. Probably all the other
classes he'd asked for were full. Maybe
he could learn to write scripts or something.
He sure as hell couldn't act.
He walked into the dim auditorium and looked around. Other students were standing around on the
stage. Daniel sighed. Almost all of them wore black. Of course, the Ravens would sign up for
Drama.
A slightly overweight woman was standing with them. She wasn't dressed in black, oddly
enough. When she saw Daniel, she called
out, "Drama?"
Daniel nodded, so she waved him up onto the stage. He climbed up the stairs leading to the stage
and noticed Xavier standing behind some of the other kids. Terrific.
The woman started speaking.
"Welcome, everyone. I'm
Trudy. You can call me Your Highness."
They all laughed.
Trudy said, "This is Drama.
Life is drama. Especially when
you're a teenager." More laughter. "But on this stage, we will explore a different
type of Drama. We will learn to place
ourselves in another world, where we will explore and investigate and
share. We will make others feel what we
are feeling. We will be stars in the
making." She giggled, then added. "Or maybe we'll just have some fun. What do you say?"
The other kids laughed and shuffled from side to side.
Daniel studied Trudy.
She wasn't a Raven. She didn't
look like a Wolf. So
she had to be a Rabbit, but she wasn't scared of her own shadow like all the
other Rabbits. Maybe there was a fourth
category in Agony? Badgers perhaps? Or maybe she was new in town, like Daniel and
his family, and hadn't found her proper place in the animal kingdom.
Trudy looked around at all the students. "As most of you know, this is my first year teaching, though I've worked with a few of you in
the community theatre. I want to get to
know a bit about everyone, but first, before we do anything else, we need to
get to know our territory. Who here has
been in this class before, or been in a school production?"
Everyone raised a hand except Daniel.
Trudy glanced at him, smiling encouragingly. "Well, then.
You are?"
"Daniel. Daniel
Anderson."
"Welcome, Daniel. As
a theatre initiate, I think I'll assign you a mentor." She glanced around and smiled. "Xavier, you're a seasoned veteran. Would you mind showing Daniel around? Explain where everything is and how it all
works? While I get to know the rest of
these aspiring actors and actresses."
Xavier appeared uncomfortable with the assignment, but he nodded
his head. "Certainly, Trudy. This way, Daniel."
Xavier led Daniel to the side of the stage. "This is where the head of the stagehands
works during a play. You can control the
curtains, run out backdrops, other stuff, all from here. We store the backdrops on the side of the
stage here and over there." He pointed
across the stage to the other side. "They're
nothing more than rolling walls. We
repaint them for every play, depending on what we need."
He pointed at a dark window high above the audience in the
back of the auditorium. "The lights are
controlled from a booth up there.
There's not much to see. Just a
simple control board in a cramped little room.
I can show you if you want to see it."
Daniel shook his head slightly, so Xavier said, "We can go
there another time. We'll stay down here
for now." Walking through a door at the
back of the stage, they entered a narrow hallway with a few doors opening along
it. "The dressing rooms are back
here. The girls usually use those two. The guys use this one."
"The girls get two dressing rooms?" Daniel asked.
Xavier shrugged.
"There are usually a lot more girls interested in acting than guys. We boys don't need as much space." He opened the first door and walked inside,
spreading his arms out. "Not much to
see, but this is our space." Daniel
followed him and looked around. There
was a rolling clothes rack with male costumes hanging from it. A mirror filled one wall, with stools in
front. Xavier opened a drawer, showing
Daniel the brushes, tubes, and pens inside.
"Makeup is kept in here. We don't
have makeup artists, so we have to know how to apply our own."
Daniel frowned. "We
have to wear makeup?"
Xavier nodded, finally relaxing enough to make a joke. "Makeup is the bane of all teenage actors. With my pale skin, I need it. Otherwise, the lights make me look like a
ghost."
"Yeah, I guess you are kind of pale." They both laughed.
Xavier shrugged. "I
don't get much sun. So, yes ..."
Daniel grinned. "You
don't need a tan to look good, Xavier."
Xavier glanced at Daniel, hopeful. "You think I look good? Without a tan?"
Daniel nodded, blushing.
"You're very handsome, Xavier."
Xavier stared at Daniel for a moment, then walked forward
and placed his hands on Daniel's elbows, gently pushing
the smaller boy back against the wall.
Xavier leaned down and kissed Daniel on the mouth, tentatively,
carefully. Then he pulled back and waited.
The chill wasn't as pronounced this time. Daniel's lips tingled where Xavier's had
touched, but the heat in his stomach swelled up just as it had the last time
they'd kissed. Daniel took a deep
breath, then reached up and pressed his lips against Xavier's, forcing his warm
mouth onto Xavier's. Their tongues touched,
unsure at first, then gaining confidence as they explored. Their breaths mingled, hot and cold, merging. Their tongues danced. Xavier moaned, causing Daniel to shiver.
Finally, Xavier pulled away.
He stared down at Daniel. "Are
you sure about this?" he whispered.
Daniel simply nodded, pulling Xavier in for another kiss.
͠ ͠
͠
Daniel pulled a couple of textbooks from his locker and
stuffed them into his backpack to take home.
He felt a large body bump him from behind, pushing him into the
locker. He turned quickly, ready to lash
out at whoever had smashed into him, and saw Connor
grinning at him.
"Homework the first day?" Connor asked.
"Yeah," Daniel replied, rolling his eyes. "Essay for English. Chapter to read in History."
"You do all that and you'll get good grades. Then they won't let you hang out with the
likes of me."
Daniel chuckled. "You
could be right about that, but I have to live with my Mom, and she expects
these things called good grades. A
stupid demand from a dictatorial parent, but what can I do?"
Connor put his hands on each side of Daniel's head, pushing
the smaller boy back against the lockers.
"Keep on her good side. I don't wanna hear you've been grounded. Makes it tough for me to take you out after
school and show you a good time."
Daniel snorted. "And
what makes you think I would run around with a big brute like you?"
Connor looked both directions and seeing no one in the hall,
leaned forward and kissed Daniel on the lips.
A short, gentle, sweet kiss. Then
he stepped back and stared into Daniel's eyes.
"That would be up to you, Big D." He winked at Daniel, smiling coyly.
Ethan and Donny came trotting around the corner.
"There you are, Connor!" Donny
shouted. "We've been lookin'
all over for you."
Ethan grabbed Conner's shoulder. "Get your thumb outta
your ass," he said with a laugh. "You're
gonna be late for practice."
"Yeah, don't wanna be running laps
`cause we're late, do you?" Donny added.
"We won't be late," Connor said. He turned to look at Daniel, waved, and said,
"See you around, Big D."
Then the three of them jogged down the hall, leaving Daniel standing
in front of his locker.
As they hurried down the hall, Donny turned to Connor and
asked, "What are you going to do about Xavier?"
"Don't have to do anything," Connor replied. "Any time it comes down to a competition with
me, he loses and I win."
Ethan laughed and gave Connor a high five. "Just don't take any of his shit,
Connor. He's an arrogant prick."
"Let it go, guys," Connor said. "Xavier's no threat and no challenge."
They began running, heading around a corner and disappearing from sight.
Daniel followed them and peeked around the corner. His mouth dropped open when he saw the three
pushing open a door at the far end of the corridor. How the hell did they get down there so fast?
͠ ͠
͠
September 2
First day of
school.
What am I
doing?
I think I'm in
love. With two different guys. Who detest each other.
The end of SOULBOUND, Chapter
Four