Not All Who Wander Are Lost

Chapter 12 - A Step Too Far

I think Alec is my new favourite person. I don't really know how he can stand to be around me after what I've put him through, but he's doing it. It was a little bit awkward between us for a few days but now it's almost as if we never dated in the first place. I feel a little bit like we've been friends all our lives.
    "Alright, enough moping. Time for school," Alec throws my blanket off of me as he barges into the guest room where I've been staying whilst avoiding my dad. I groan loudly and bury my head under the pillow as sunlight streams into my room for the first time in three days. Alec scoffs lightly and snatched my pillow away from me. "Michael. This is getting out of hand. You haven't showered, you've barely eaten and you've barely left this bed since everything happened with him,"

He puts his hands on his hips, glaring at me.
"It's Thursday, Michael. The next game is tomorrow. Your team needs you. I know it's hard and I know Sam is an ass and he's hurt you really badly but I can't just sit back and watch you shut down. C'mon Mikey, even if it's just for like two hours, can you please go to school?" Alec sits beside me on the bed, his eyes pleading. Very slowly, I nod and force myself to sit up. Alec's face breaks into a smile of relief and I can't help but feel a little more motivated, knowing that I've at least made one person happy. I get up and shuffle towards the bathroom. Alec follows me, a bundle of clothes in his arms. Yesterday, it shocked me to find out that he actually went to my dad's house a few days ago and retrieved a bunch of my clothes whilst my dad was at work.

He places the pile of clothes next to the sink and leaves me alone to shower. I shower quickly and begin to get dressed. I survey the clothes Alec has brought me. A pair of black jeans, a faded graphic t-shirt that I don't remember owning and converse. I put them all on. Then I notice the hoodie. Sam's hoodie. The navy blue one he leant to me all those weeks ago;
"Can you just get in the car? Mum will kill me if I let you walk to school in this weather," He looks desperate. I roll my eyes and climb into the car, shivering slightly from the rain. My hoodie is completely soaked through. Sam notices. He reaches into the back seat and grabs a hoodie from a small pile of clothes that he evidently keeps in here. I don't want to know why. He hands me the hoodie. It's navy blue. His favourite. I feel a small pang of sadness.

I shake my head and shove the hoodie back towards him. He frowns,
"Just take it, Michael," He tells me before starting the car back up. I sigh and pull off my soaked green hoodie before replacing it with his. It's a bit big on me, I'm taller than he is but he's got a lot more muscle whereas I, to put it simply, am an absolute stick. The hoodie smells like Sam, like his house, it's a familiar scent, one I associate with my life before I came out.

The hoodie I'd kept because he told me to;
We sit in silence for the rest of the drive. When we pull up at the front gates of Amerfield, the rain has stopped and I almost trip as I hurry to get out of his car. I'm already standing outside when I realise I've still got his hoodie on. I turn back to the car and knock on the window. He rolls it down.
"Um- your hoodie," I gesture vaguely at myself before starting to tug it off. Sam shakes his head.
"Keep it, you can give it back later," He tells me. Then he just drives off, leaving me standing alone outside of school, wondering what the actual hell just happened.

I burst into tears.
I sink to the floor, clutching Sam's hoodie to my chest, tears rolling down my cheeks. I can still faintly smell Sam on the soft fabric which just makes me cry even harder. I feel so pathetic, how did things end up like this. And why the fuck do I have to miss him so much. There's been this constant ache in my chest ever since I left Sam's house. Every time I think about him it hurts more. I rock back and forth, letting out all my pent up emotions from the past three days.
    "I'm going to kill Sam," An angry voice says from the doorway. I look up in shock and see Amir's sister, Amita standing there, a furious expression on her pretty face. Shit. I forgot she was getting a ride to school with Alec today.