Chapter Thirteen

"No, no, no," Casper chanted, panicked. He grasped Daniel's arms tighter. "Stop, stop!"

"Look at me Casper," Daniel said calmly and softly. Casper did and saw his brown eyes full of assurance. "I won't until you are ready, don't worry"

Casper nodded. He felt out of breath. He trusted Daniel though, he would be fine. He was just scared.

"Okay I'm just going to..." Daniel shifted and Casper cried out as it moved beneath him, he pulled Daniel closer in fright.

"You are such a pussy Cas." Darla commented from where she was sitting looking on.

Casper glared at her. "Why is she even here?"

"Daniel asked me." She said simply, looking at her nails smugly.

Casper rolled his eyes and turned back to focusing on balancing on this stupid skateboard that wouldn't keep still.

"Sorry." Daniel mouthed. Casper shook his head in response and smiled, Darla would've somehow invited herself anyway.

Daniel had phoned him that morning, waking him up from what he could remember was a pleasant dream.

"Hello?" he grumbled into the phone, his eyes still blurry and his mind foggy.

"Good morning." Daniel chirped. Anyone in that good of a mood in the morning on a Sunday was criminal. "I was just wondering if you wanted to go to the skate park with me today."

Casper woke at that. "Yeah, that would be awesome."

"I could even teach you how to skate?"

"Yeah, yeah. Awesome. I'll meet you at the station in an hour."

An hour was not enough time for Casper to get ready and run down to the train station, even if he did only live a few streets away from it. So Casper was not at his full potential in dress sense but it was only Daniel, he wouldn't care about that stuff but Casper couldn't help but be self conscious.

He wasn't the only one that hadn't dress up today though.

Casper noticed that Darla wasn't wearing her usual get up. She was even wearing a pair of black converse, Casper wasn't even aware that she owned any footwear under a foot. She had a baggy jumper on, which Casper had never seen her wear in his life. She hadn't even done anything to her hair put tie it in a simple ponytail where it hung in natural messy waves, nor had she applied that much makeup. He hadn't seen Darla wear jeans- actual jeans, not those weird thick tights things- since roundabout the time he met her. Don't get him wrong, she still looked gorgeous, but in comfortable and natural sort of way that unnerved Casper.

Casper wondered if Daniel woke her up at the early hour of ten too and she couldn't have been arsed to doll herself up. Considering the amount of boys that were here she should have been regretting it but she looked as if she didn't care in the slightest. Maybe it was because heads were turning in her direction just as it usually was with Darla.

"Ugh!" Casper groaned for the millionth and last time that day before getting off the damn plank of varnished wood with wheels." I can't do it. I give up."

He'd fallen so many times now he was certain every part of his back side were black and blue.

Daniel sighed and nodded while Darla laughed at him. He hated the both of them.

"My turn!" Darla got up and skipped over to Daniel. Both boys were surprised, Casper especially. Darla would avoid any kind of physical activity, especially those that would definitely cause some sort of harm- or break a nail.

Casper sat where Darla had, just on the concrete floor a little away from the large dips where people actually could run down it and not kill themselves, even look fucking impressive whereas Casper would literally put himself in a coma for the rest of his life.

The skate park had been a gift from the local council to our "youths" a few years back. It had been an idea to get kids off the street and all in all it worked, a lot of people used it and more were taking up skateboarding all the time, or so he heard. The problems that were happening before with so called youths had mostly stopped on the streets but now all happened here instead as the customers and helpers all swarmed this place like bees to honey. Casper supposed there was never any good without the bad.

He watched as Darla squealed on the board and clutching at Daniel as Casper was just before but Darla pulled Daniel in ever closer and made herself put all her weight onto him, acting absolutely hopeless and seriously clumsy. At least Casper could actually hold the board in place even if he was using Daniel as a support most of the time. All the time. Darla was making it skid this way and that.

When Darla once again fell back into Daniel's arms, she gave a laugh at herself looking up at him while still around his waist. Daniel blushed deeply.

Ahh, Casper thought, that's why.

Once again Darla was using her magic to break another ones heart. Casper would stop it before it got too far but for now he let Daniel have the attention and Darla have her fun. He watched as they totally forgot about him, until Darla ended up getting bored of the facade and going for a more levelled tactic by getting so miraculously good on the board that she couldn't just balance on it or go in a straight line but now she literally skated circles around Daniel and praised him for his teaching skills and batting her eyelashes without mercy at him. Conniving little shit.

He had to admit it though, the girl has game.

Just then his phone rang. He fished it out of his pocket and checked caller ID. It wasn't a number saved to his contact or one he recognised. Curiously he answered.

"Hello."

"Erm... Casper?" came a family voice. Casper's heart leaped and he forgot how to breathe for a second.

"Uh yeah."

"Oh thank god," James sighed in relief." For a minute there I thought it wasn't you. You can never trust Logan to give to the right number first time."

Casper didn't trust Logan with his left shoe never mind giving him a number.

"So...em what did you call for?"

"Oh, well. I realised when you left last night that I didn't have your number and you didn't have mine so I figured I'd just get it off Logan but turns out he took an early night in so I didn't get it until now when I woke up. Then I thought why not call now?" James said hurriedly.

Casper laughed. James' voice through the phone was weird.

"At least someone sounds like they had a good long sleep."

"Why? Where are you?" James had obviously picked up on the back ground noise of plastic on concrete and the sound of rowdy teenagers. Casper didn't understand why people were here so early. It couldn't even be twelve yet.

"Daniel dragged me out of bed and too the skate park to hang out and teach me how to skate."

He heard a grumble of James' end. Casper realised that he hadn't asked James why he was horrible to Daniel the night before when they talked and he was more collected. It was a bad idea to ask now so he left it.

"I'm fucking horrible at it." Casper said.

He heard James snort."Of course you would be. You have no balance whatsoever. I'm surprised you can even walk at all."

"I hate you."

"It's true and you know it."

It was. Casper would rather it wasn't mentioned though.

"Turns out Darla has excellent balance and even has a few tricks up her sleeve." He subtly implied while watching Darla pretend to fall over into Daniel.

"Darla's there too?"

"Oh yes," Casper said, squinting at the sun's sudden glare." In fact, I don't even think they remember I came with them."

"What do you- ahh. Darla on the prowl?"

Casper sighed. She was way too obvious. "It was only a matter of time."

"You want me to come down?" James asked.

Casper was sort of startled by that. Sure, less than twelve hours ago he had his tongue down James' throat after agree to be sort of friends but he didn't expect James to want to spend time with him straight away.

"I don't have to if you don't want," James said hastily to the silence."I was only-"

"No." Casper quickly cut off." I mean- yes. Yeah. It would be totally cool if you want to come down."

"O-okay." James stuttered."Awesome. I'll be down in about an hour?"

"Cool."

"Right."

"Okay."

"Bye?"

"Bye."

And James hung up and Casper wanted to die.

He let out a great amount of air into his knees getting over just how awkwardly embarrassing that call was until he got over it and lifted his head with a small smile on his lips.

He gave a shout- scream- when he saw Darla was next to him and backed away a little.

"What the fuck Darla." He said, clutching at his poor heart, it had gone through enough.

"Who was that?" Darla asked, a predator smile played on her face.

"Who was who?" Casper played dumb.

"On the phone, dumbass."

Casper blinked."Oh- oh that." He laughed."Just James. Where's Daniel?"

Darla pointed quickly at a figure travelling rapidly down one of the big ramps and up another as if it was no big deal, Casper would surely kill himself. The two teenagers sat and watched him for a while showing off when Darla turned with a huge grin and to be honest he was sort of terrified.

"Since when were you and James so friendly to exchange numbers never mind talk over the phone?"

Technically Casper still didn't have James' saved onto his phone but whatever.

"What happened with you guys yesterday, eh?" She said slyly, a glint in her eye. Casper hadn't told anyone about what happened at James' house, he didn't feel the need to because he wasn't confused about it, he went with what he wanted and what he wanted was to do whatever he wanted with James. He wanted to kiss him, feel skin on skin. He wanted to make him blush and mark his skin.

"We worked it all out. Decided just to give up on fighting all the time." Casper shrugged. If worked it all out meant make out on the couch until Casper's mum had phone for the fiftieth time and had to, regrettably, leave before his mum decided to call the police and have every single officer out looking for him because no on could be more convincing than his mother when she was worried and scared.

Darla made a noise like she didn't believe he was telling the whole story, which he wasn't and probably never would.

They sat in another silence, the sound of moving plastic wheels on concrete, the slaps as the boarders landed safely and yelps and clatters of those who failed. Daniel was doing all kinds of things with his, so much so that Casper could hardly keep up. Darla gazed, deeply impressed.

"Don't do it to him Darla." Casper said, eyeing her.

"Do what?" She asked innocently, not taking her eyes of the prize.

"You know what," Casper sighed," screwing him around. Break his heart. Toss him away. He's a friend not a toy."

"One can be both." She said breezily.

"Not when you're concerned," Casper muttered under his breath. He wanted to convince her further but Daniel was coming back, skateboard tucked his hand, his curls poking underneath his beanie even more wild than usual with a healthy glow on his cheeks and a wide smile on his face.

"Want to try again?" He asked. Casper went to refuse but Darla jumped up before he could say anything and dragged Daniel away saying she wanted to try the ramp. Casper glared at her and sighed again.

He stayed a while, plucking the grass that poked through the cracks before he got bored and lonely of sitting by himself when it was obvious that they had forgotten about him yet again.

He was kind of irritated not just for Darla and her whore-ish ways but he wasn't an idiot either, he was so ignorant to not see that Daniel had come up to him at the Bowl for a reason and he could tell friendship was not on the mind, or was and then something more. It was the whole reason he had went right? He's went to get a guy and that so called guy walked him to his door and got his number. That guy was now blushing more than he ever had with Casper with his girl best friend who was touching him way more than was necessary.

Casper was sure that Daniel had been gay, like 70% sure when he first met him now it was descending rapidly as he watched on. He was angry at himself mostly, for thinking of the possibility of... something? Casper didn't really know. Maybe because he thought that Daniel liked him was a nice feeling? That a guy like Daniel liked him liked him was sort of a boost of confidence that he needed but thinking that wasn't the case anymore, or at all, was kind of a bummer.

He didn't even like Daniel like that, never had. He was a good looking guy and all but no.

Casper probably being a selfish bastard that was getting annoyed at someone liking someone else that wasn't him for some reason. He cursed his inner self for being such an ass.

He was in a self hating state, glaring at some skater dude who was beginning to freak out at his intense gaze when his whole vision was suddenly cut to black as hand clamped onto his eyes and the smell of a familiar aftershave filled his senses.

"Guess who?" James sang slightly, chuckling at himself.

Casper grabbed the wrists of those hands and pulled them of his eyes, he lifted his head so his vision was filled with James. Casper narrowed his eyes, partially from the sun shining down and going in James' favour. Attractive bastard.

"You know I hate that."

"Yep." James smiled and Casper was almost blind.

The two boys stayed like that for a moment, staring at each other. And Casper wanted nothing more than to reach up or for James to just lean in and kiss him silly. Unfortunately this was reality, and a public space.

"Fags!" some stoner/ skater shouted from one side of the park.

Casper instantly reacted with a middle finger. "Get with the fucking 21st century, you prick!"

The guy however was smiling and not in a vicious way and laughed at Casper's response. Casper rolled his eyes. Some people had turned to look at what the whole thing was about but Casper and James had left their suggestive position and sitting respectively now and so turned with a shrug.

"So where's Darla and Daniel?" James said after a short space of silence.

"Over there," he pointed to the pair, Darla was currently about to attempt the ramp by her position. They watched as she successfully got over but fell in a heap once over. Casper laughed as Daniel rushed over while Darla cheered at her achievement while sitting on her ass and a bloody rip in her jeans. "How did you get over here so fast?" It couldn't have been an hour already.

"My mum was coming in anyway so she gave me a lift."

Casper gave a noise of response then he thought. "Where were your parents last night?"

James' blush made Casper blush. It was a reasonable question though, his house had been completely empty when Casper arrived and when he left and that was at the back of one in the morning.

"They all went to my cousin's wedding party, Maureen too."Maureen was his older sister," My cousin hates me so I wasn't invited." He said with a shrug.

Casper laughed knowing what cousin it was without asking. He remembered all too well of the screams coming from his neighbours house one night that went on for hours. He and Casper had come into school the next day with bags fit for tea cups, James was worse though. James had been at an age of discovery at the time - when he said discovery he meant sex- and had somehow seduced his cousin's younger friend and broke her heart was he had done the deed.

"All too right."

"Fuck you, it was ages ago."

"It was half a year ago." Casper stated with a side look of disbelief and humour.

"Really?" James said, surprised."I swear it was longer than that."

"Any longer and it would've been a crime."

James belted out a laugh and Casper smiled. He could really get used to the sound. He liked it. He liked the way it made him feel conflicted between making the sound louder and last longer or diminish it altogether by kissing the life out of it.

After yesterday Casper had come to the conclusion that, if James let him, he could do whatever he wanted. He liked it, he liked being close to James and he liked kissing him. From last night it was very apparent that's what he wanted. He was tired of fighting and would rather just live in the moment. He didn't know if it was his own inexperience or something else but why not enjoy it while it was there. James didn't seem to be objecting at all so he could guess that James was the same.

When it was obvious Darla and Daniel weren't going to remember his existence anytime soon he got up.

"Wanna go to the cinema or something?"Casper asked, offering a hand to help James who took it with a smirk. He totally knew what he meant.

"What's on?"

"Well there's Turbo." Casper suggested merrily.

"How interesting can a movie be about a snail? Seriously."

"A snail with powers!" He exclaimed.

"Oh obviously."James teased, smirking.

Casper noticed he hadn't actually said no and he grinned.

Without saying goodbye they left snickering between themselves thinking they were being sneaky or somrthing.

It took half an hour to get to the cinema and they did actually end up seeing Turbo. The place was filled with kids squealing and squalling mostly near the front so they hid in the far back.

And if they missed the whole movie being preoccupied with each other then well, that was nobody else's business but theirs.

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So you know how I said I was going to upload on friday. Haha. I lied. Unintentionally I assure you but it's up now so please accept my apologies. I'm not even going to list my excuses.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. It annoyed the heck out of me.

If I missed anything o something doesn't look right please tell me as it is almost seven in the morning over here and not in a exact thinking mind.ut

Thank you so much for the amount of reads and votes, it's crazy. And the responses are amazing. Truly I love you all dearly.

Now that's me off to bed, night everyone x