Feeling Faint (BxB)

Chapter 1

I stop at the corner, hands on my knees as I pant for air. A sheen of sweat covers my body and drips down my chest. I plop down onto a nearby bench and pull off my shirt to cool off. Glancing up, I spot wide eyes across the street. He blushes, then quickly hurries away. I grin a little to myself at his cuteness, but he gets away before I can think about starting up a conversation.

I run my fingers through my hair, trying not to think about the thoughts that have been hounding me. Football season is just around the corner, yet instead of exciting me as it usually does, I'm left feeling stressed.

Senior year of high school means college scouts and big decisions. My dad expects no less than the best colleges around to recruit me, but I'm not even so sure that I'm good enough to get a scholarship.

I sigh, getting up to start the run back home. I hesitate, remembering those eyes that fell onto mine. In a hasty decision, I turn the way he left and start to run. I know how slim the chances are. But I have to look.

Something about him hooked me. Maybe it was his soft brown hair or the jean jacket that hung just right on his slim shoulders.

I've known for a while that I'm gay. Heck, the whole football team has been aware since the end of last school year. It's not like I blurted it out to the whole school or anything. They're just... well, they're like my family. Except not my actual family... because my real family doesn't know. The team has my back though, and they keep my secret. They've supported me, no questions asked, and for that I'm thankful. I can't tell my real family though... I'm pretty sure they're homophobic.

I've nearly run to the end of the block when I spot a head of soft brown hair a few blocks ahead. He's across the street again but is too far ahead to spot me.

I'm about to drain myself with how fast my legs are pumping. Suddenly I'm struck with a thought. What did I even think I was going to do when I got up there? I feel like an idiot now.

Sweat drips down my bare chest, and this run has probably made me smell too. I can't just go talk to him now, can I? I'm running so fast that I'm about to collapse, but he seems so close. If I stop now, I'll never catch him. I really should have brought my water with me.

I'm slowly closing in on him though. I'm only about 6 feet away from being parallel with him. The only thing that separates us now is the street. I see him slowly turn his head, hearing the slapping of my feet on the concrete.

Just before I decide I should cross the street soon, everything stops. My head spins and everything goes black.

----------------------------------------------

I blink in confusion, trying to get a handle on my surroundings. Everything is swimming around and blurring together.

I try to sit up, but I feel dizzy again and start to tilt back to the ground. A hand on my back steadies me. It's then that I realize someone is trying to talk to me.

"Are you alright?" I barely make out. Everything sounds like it's coming from down a tunnel. I open my mouth to speak, but nothing comes out.

Another wave of dizziness hits me and I start to free-fall back to the cement, but the hand catches me again. I blink rapidly once more, trying to bring my vision back into focus.

Slowly everything clears up into my normal vision, but my head is throbbing. "Can you hear me?" he asks. I try to nod, but suddenly clutch my head and wince as a sudden bolt of pain rushes through me.

I look back to green eyes and suddenly realize- it's the boy from before. "What do you remember?" he says. I stop for a moment to think. "Running," I say, deciding on a one-word answer.