7. Perry

Chapter 7

Perry

I am so fucking glad Coach Phillips picked a Caffeine Daydreams song. If we're going to have to listen to a song played on repeat for two hours a day, multiple times a week, I'm glad it's a good one.

I wonder if Beau likes Caffeine Daydreams? He has to. It's like a queer rite of passage.

I should concentrate on the fact I am being tossed twelve feet in the air.

The feeling of escape and exhilaration when I'm doing stunts is something that I hope everyone gets to feel when they are doing something the love.

We finish the routine and coach looks at each one of us in turn.

"Again."

We go again, and I don't know what it is, but as we move through the routine, I know that we are nailing it.

Three minutes later and Coach is obviously on the same wavelength.

"Yes. You've finally got it," Coach breaks into a smile. "I'm cutting practice short. Get some rest and bring that energy back here tomorrow."

I don't participate in the whooping and hollering that the others partake in, but I'm cheering on the inside.

I head straight to my bag and pull out my phone to text Beau.

"Ooooh, who has got you smiling like that?" Wyatt says a few minutes later, walking over to me with Luke and Bradley trailing behind him. "What's the guy's name?"

"The isn't a guy. I was just texting Beau," I say haughtily.

"Hey Luke, is Beau a guy?" Wyatt asks not taking his eyes off of me.

Luke nods enthusiastically. "Yup, Bradley asked him about his pronouns the other day."

"When did you see Beau?" I demand

"The other day. We both got home at the same time. I think he had been for a run. You are a lucky man, Perry. Beau looks hot when he's all hot and sweaty." Bradley smiles at me serenely and if it wasn't for the fact I know he isn't going to ask out Beau, I would want to wipe that smile off his adorable face.

"Beau isn't my man," I start saying calmly. Wyatt snorts and I zero in on him. "Why aren't you annoying Hudson?"

Wyatt's whole demeanor drops and I feel like the shitest of shitheads.

"He's hanging out with Nate again."

"I'm sorry, Wyatt. I shouldn't have said anything." I pull him in for a cuddle, and he wraps his big arms around me.

"You're fine, man. He has other friends that aren't mean. I need to remember that."

"Have you told him how you feel?"

"No, he-he disappears whenever I try, so I stopped asking."

"Oh, Wyatt, I'm sorry. Want me to bake you some cookies tonight?"

That perks him up. "All the yeses."

"Perfect. As soon as I'm home from Beau's, I'll make some."

Suddenly, there are three matching smirks, all aiming at me.

"It's not what you think. I have an assignment he's helping me with. I'll be hanging out with him a few times a week until we get it done."

Bradley snorts. "Is it a biology class?"

"It's marketing, actually."

"Is Beau marketing your ass?" Wyatt says, and the three of them dissolve into laughter.

I throw my hands up in exasperation. "That isn't even funny."

I'm glad my friends are all amused and shit, but did it have to be at my expense? My preference will be to laugh at one of them if I'm totally honest.

At least I know with these guys it's harmless ribbing.

"Okay, I'm leaving now." I grab my bag and head out.

"Say hi to Beau for us," Wyatt calls out loudly, catching the attention of everyone in the gym.

I know what I should do is turn around, say something sassy, and try and quell the rumors.

That isn't what I do though.

Because that scenario would take time and I really want to see Beau.

The quicker I get to his house, the quicker we get this assignment done, and then I don't have to see him as often.

Yeah, I can't even lie to myself. I have a full blown crush on my next door neighbor.

I am so fucked.

"Okay, that stomach rumble was at least a seven on the Richter scale," Beau says with a chuckle. "Let's call it for the night and go get you fed."

I am so tired and hungry; I don't even have the energy to argue with him. He isn't wrong. We've done a shit tonne of work this evening. I swear if Professor Gordon doesn't give me a fucking A with all the bells and whistles, I will riot. At the very least, I will figure out a way to redirect all of his mail to the Dean.

That might be illegal.

"Beau, is it classed as tampering with mail if you don't physically touch it?" I say. I stand up and stretch my arms over my head. Classes, followed by my cheer practice, followed by two hours sitting at Beau's kitchen table, have given me some serious muscle ache.

"Um, that's random," he says, not making eye contact with me. "I-I think it probably is illegal. Is this about your professor?"

"Yeah," I sigh, flopping back into my seat. "He absolutely hates me and I don't know why."

"Stick with your key idea. I could take a few when I next go visit my mom? Really branch out," Beau says, looking at me again.

He really is the perfect man.

"Are you okay? Your face looks a bit weird. Let's go get you some food." His faces scrunches up in concern.

Wonderful. My, I have feelings for you, face makes me look weird and hungry. Super. That's exactly how I want it to look, obviously.

Ugh, no.

Not feelings face.

I need a break from my own goddamn brain.

"Let's go get food. I'm thinking burgers." I say with pep I do not actually feel.

I follow Beau out to his car which looks slightly familiar, but my fluency in cars extends to my baby and that's it.

Ten minutes and I totally understand why Beau's cars do not last long.

"I am so fucking glad you never got the chance to buy my baby if this is how you treat all of your cars," I tell him.

His response is to roll his eyes. "I'm driving like any normal person does."

"Our defination of normal are definitely at odds."

"You are exaggerating," he looks over at me and snorts. "You do not need to be white knuckling the oh shit handle."

"Eyes on the road," I screech in a manly way.

"They are. I barely glanced at you."

"At least you have some flaws," I mutter.

I watch a smirk slowly overtake his face. He opens his mouth, but I cut him off before he gets the chance to say anything.

"Turn left here."

Horns blare behind us as he takes a sharp left without even flicking his blinker on.

I am way to young and to hot to die.

"I think you just aged me twenty years."

"It wasn't that bad. The other drivers are just being dramatic," he says, pulling into the drive thru.

We order tacos and head back to Beau's to eat them. It was a stupid idea in hindsight. His bunny hop style of driving meant that the tacos will probably end up as delicious mush. We will need spoons.

"Were you thinking I was as perfect as you, angel?" Beau said as we pulled up outside his house?

I swallow hard. "Angel?"

"Yeah, isn't that wat you said? You are my silver angel, here to solve all of my problems. It's definitely working. I have permits pending and a newsletter. With actual subscribers."

I should really remember to tell the cheer queers I signed them up to that.

"You are a smart and capable man, Beau. I have every faith that you could have done all of this, eventually."

He huffs out a laugh. "I'm not sure I agree with all of that, but I am definitely smart enough not to argue with you."

Beau locks eyes wih me, determined sincerety on display.

"You really are an angel."

I don't know if it's the nickname or the conviction his voice held. Maybe it's the heady combination of the two that leads me to what happens next. Either way, I find myself leaning across the center console, ready to taste his smile.

This kiss never comes.

Beau leans back, eyes wide in horror.

"Shit," I whisper. "I'm sorry. I-I got to go."

I throw open his door and make the speediest exit I have ever accomplished.

He shouts something out behind me, but my brain feels like it's full of cotton wool, so I hear nothing he says. Probably just letting me know I've left my food in the car. It doesn't matter. My appetite is gone.

I stumble into the cheer house, race up the stairs, and slam my bedroom door behind me. Thankfully, it's empty, so I guess Gio is staying with Tucker tonight.

I don't bother to get undressed, I just crawl into bed, pulling my sheets over my head.

Maybe if I hide here forever I will forget the look on Beau's face.