What Never Was

Chapter 2

It had been a week and one day since school started. It was after school Friday at soccer when Nick noticed Veren once again watching him from the bleachers. The coach was with him this time. Marko poked fun at him for being gay and a weak fag. Honestly he could probably kick Marko’s ass. Nick couldn’t stop staring at him. He was wearing white khaki shorts with a blue and black short sleeved button up over a black shirt.

“So sexy.” Nick whispered to himself. He kept staring until he was hit in the head with a ball. Marko ran jogged up to him and picked up the ball and held it against his bare side. The team was split shirts and skins. “It’s the fag! Wonder what he's doing here. Probably wants to take turns sucking our cocks.” Marko says.

Nick rolls his eyes while internally wishing he could do that to Veren. “I don’t know. He might be here for newspaper or something. He has been coming to our practices, taking pictures and notes. Just let him be man, I mean it. He is actually a nice person… me and you aren’t.” Nick says as he grabs the ball from Marko and throws it out to the field.

The two shirtless friends run onto the field and practice for a bit. After a few minutes the coach and Veren come out to the field. The coach makes everyone gather around and he starts to explain things to them about why Veren was there. He was doing a story on the team for the newspaper for the school and they would be featured on the front. He asked that each of them give a few minutes to Veren for an interview.

The guys all went back to practicing and Veren watched. He took pictures occasionally. Time went by and no one stopped to see Veren who was getting annoyed. Nick eventually ran up to him midway through practice. He was sweaty and his body glistened in the light. Veren blushed and looked away. Nick grabbed a drink of water.

“Has anyone come over?” Nick asked.

Veren turned back to face Nick. “No. Marko or you are to thank for that I’m sure.”

“Well, interview me then.” Nick offers.

“No, I have to do a full length page article on you, Captain. We need to schedule something for that.”

“Sounds good to me. You can come over tomorrow if you want, maybe like one?” Nick asks.

“Yea. Can you please help me and get your team to talk to me?” Veren asks.

Nick smiles. “Yea and I look forward to tomorrow.”

Veren gives Nick a confused look. The star captain of the soccer team walks off. The soccer team started to one by one give Veren time for his article. At the end of the practice all of the guys took a picture. Nick and Veren met out in the parking lot of the school. The two talked for a few minutes. Nick was still shirtless. He threw his clothes into his jeep.

Veren thanked him for his help and agreeing to his interview tomorrow. “I told you I want to prove that we can be friends. Haven’t I shown I’m a different person?” Nick asked.

Veren scoffed. “One week of good behavior doesn’t mean you are changed. Keep on trying though. I have to put up with you all year.”

“Or we become really good friends.” Nick offers.

Veren grinned and rolled his eyes. “You wish soccer boy.” He says as he heads to his car. Nick watched him walk away and smiled. “I will have you as my boyfriend.”

Nick drove home and talked with his parents for a little bit about practice. They were proud of him but only as long as he was successful. He mentioned Veren was coming over to interview him. Nick’s father recognized the name and called Veren a fag and not wanting him to corrupt his son.

“It doesn’t work that way Dad. I’m not gay and he can’t turn me gay. Just be nice to him when he comes over.”

His father grunt and Nick went up to his room to clean it before he took a shower. He made his room as clean as possible and made it smell better with some spray. After he was satisfied with his room, he took a shower. The young teenager found himself thinking of Veren daily and he couldn’t help but take care of a problem that krept up in the shower.

For Veren he was at home along with his four dogs, Zeus, Hades, Athena and Helios. He loved the greek mythology and his first dog was named Hercules, Herk for short. He was playing Star Wars Battlefront 2 in the nude. Veren had a desire to be in the nude when he could.

He liked his life now. His parents won the biggest lottery in Missouri History, 1.4 billion dollars, several hundred million after the taxes. He came out to his parents and they abandoned him. They loved their son but at the same time couldn’t accept him. They gave him half of the lottery winnings and let him keep the house he grew up in while they retired down south with family.

Veren spent the summer after getting the winnings fixing up the house, expanding it, having a pool put in and many other things. He also worked out heavily and lost all the weight he had. He became toned and fit. His life was now the ideal life but he was also lonely. He had his friends but no family. He longed for a love that would shine light in his life.

He turned off the game and stretched. Veren was tired and went to his room to sleep. His four dogs followed him. The dogs each took turns sleeping in the bed with Veren. Tonight was Athena. She hopped into bed and slept on top of the blankets. Veren was under the blanket. He turned on his TV and put on a show that was on Hulu. Veren flipped on his stomach and closed his eyes.

The universe though made him think about Nick. His feelings were stirring again. Veren hated himself for it. He couldn’t let himself fall for him again. The pain he went through liking Nick tortured him through all of High school. Veren banished the thoughts from his mind. He swore that he would never allow those feelings to surface again.

The next morning Veren woke up and cursed the light of the sun. He wanted more sleep. Veren loved sleeping and he was not a morning person. He threw the covers off of himself and they fell on Athena. Veren got up and went to his shower in the master bed room first thing. The warm water greeted his already naked body like an old friend.

The shower was rejuvenating for Veren. He lamented the fact that he had to go over to Nick’s but there was nothing he could do about it. The teacher in charge of the paper wanted the soccer team to be the front page for the first paper with a full page story on Nick, the star captain. It wasn’t early in the morning so there wasn’t long before he had to leave to meet Nick.

Veren finished his shower and dries off as best as he could before putting clothes on. He went with silver fitting jeans and a black button up that he left unbuttoned a little which showed his chest a little. Veren grabbed his ring necklace that has been in his family for generations. It was an intricate beautiful black ring with a small diamond that had a black coated silver chain.

Before he left, Veren fixed his hair. He grabbed his keys and said bye to his dogs before going to Nick’s. The entire drive over Veren kept wanting to call Nick and cancel. He hated the idea of going to see who he still believed to be an asshole. Veren pulled up to the house he once longed to visit as a boyfriend.

Nick was in the yard doing some work for his parents while they were out. Veren got out of his car and walked over to Nick who smiled and greeted him. “Why are you always shirtless? Do you have a thing against clothes? Are you like Tyler Lautner and have it in your contract to be shirtless every ten minutes?” Veren asks.

Nick laughed lightly. “I think that was a joke from a movie but no, I don’t get paid to be shirtless. You just catch me at bad times. Let’s go in.” Nick says.

The two walk into the house. Nick grabs his shirt he left on the couch and put it on. They went to the kitchen so Nick could get a drink and he offered one to Veren. The young journalist thanked him and took the coke Nick offered.

“Let’s go to my room so we can do this comfortably.” Veren wasn’t sure what that meant exactly but didn’t question it. They went upstairs into Nick’s room. The smell of the room was surprising to Veren, it smelled familiar.

“Is that vanilla and Lavender? Didn’t take you for that kind of smell.”

Nick blushed and thanked the Lord that he wasn’t facing Veren. “Yea, I’m not sure but I smelled it somewhere and just loved it so I make sure I get that scent for my room.

Nick sat on the bed and Veren grabbed a chair and wheeled close to Nick. He pulled out his notebook and pen from his bag. Nick was disappointed that they couldn’t do small talk before business. The interview took about an hour before Veren finished but that was due to Nick trying small talk to extend their time.

“Cool, last thing is I need a picture of you for it. I was thinking of you kneeling by a tree with a soccer ball on your right knee with your hands folded on top of the ball. You have a tree in your backyard?” Veren asks.

“Yea, let me change.” Nick says as he goes into the closet to find his uniform. Veren was writing more notes and didn’t even think about Nick possibly changing in front of him but when the journalist looked up he saw Nick in his boxers.

“Thanks for the warning dude. Really didn’t need to see your junk.”

“I’m wearing boxers and I figured you’d like the view.” Nick says with massive regret.

Veren ignored him and walked out of the room. Nick hurried with putting on his uniform and went after Veren. He was downstairs at the sliding door that went to the back yard. “Veren, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. I wasn’t thinking and I swear-”

“Let’s get this over with.” Veren says as he opens the door. Nick walks out. “Veren please let me ex-” Veren is holding a soccer ball. He tosses it and smacks Nick in the face.

“Sorry, thought you would catch it with your hands, not your face. Do as we discussed please.”

Nick checks to make sure he isn’t bleeding, first, but then picks up the ball and walks over to the tree and poses. Veren takes a few pictures. He finishes and Nick walks up to him. “Please listen to me. I didn’t mean to offend you or suggest something like that.”

“Nick, I don’t care really. I don’t get offended by every little thing. What I don’t like is you. This desire to make me like you as a person is never going to work and I am tired of playing along. What you said just confirms what I already knew. Jokes like that or what you and Marko always did. I’m going, please leave me alone from now on.” Veren says.

Veren turns to leave but Nick grabs him by the hand and pulls him back. They are both surprised by this action. Veren looks Nick in the eyes. They stare at one another for a few moments.

“Veren please. I want to get to know you and be friends. Please stay here a little longer with me.”

Before he can protest, Nick drags Veren inside and up into his bedroom. He pushes Veren on the bed and grabs his controller to his PS4. He turns the system and his TV on. Nick passes a controller that was sitting on his TV stand to Veren who takes it.

“What do you think you are doing? I have no desire to play a game with you.” Veren says.

Nick starts up Star Wars Battlefront 2 and sets it up for them to play online together. Veren sighs and decides one round couldn’t hurt. However, one round turned into ten rounds and before Veren knew it, he spent a large portion of his day with the guy he hated most on earth.

During the time the two played the video game, Nick’s parents came home. Mrs. Morass asked Veren if he would like to stay for dinner but the young teen politely refused the offer. It was fortunate for him because it allowed Veren to finally leave. Nick was disappointed but figured it was for the best because of his dad. He had the hours the two spent together even if forced.

Veren on the other hand was angry about the whole thing. He was playing into what he believed to be one big trick. He knew he couldn’t allow Nick to have his way and come Monday he intended to let Nick know. Though he thought this, Veren failed to see just how much Nick wanted to be with him. It was probably because he couldn’t see himself with anyone. He may have only been 17 at the time but he was cynical about love already.

Veren went home and called his friends Megan and Holly. He invited them over to enjoy a swim and just have fun. They came over and went to the backyard where Veren was already floating in his pool in an inflatable chair. They got down into their bathing suits and jumped in.

Veren’s friends asked him what he had done today and he told them about his day with Nick. Holly teased him knowing that some part of him still yearned for Nick. Megan just laughed and told Veren he needed to trust her and give Nick a chance.

Veren rolled his eyes and slipped off the chair and into the water. He started doing a few laps and while swimming he said no to trusting Nick. If there was one thing he learned with Nick, it was that nothing is as it seems.

The friends relaxed in the pool until the sun set and went inside. They hung out for another hour or so before Veren’s friends had to leave to go home.