100 Ideas
Title: Everything You Don't Know Makes Perfect Sense
Author: AmericanAffair
Pairing: Natex
Rating: PG-13
POV: 3rd
Summary: There is probably a million things Nate Novarro didn't know. But there was one thing he wasn't even expecting.
Disclaimer: I don't own anyone. They belong to each other themselves.
Author Notes: I like the ending. I considered an epilouge, but it didn't feel right, and I didn't really wanna branch off into them making out and being in love and whatnot. So this is comming from my list of 100 things to write about, which I haven't posted. I was just kinda listing ideas of things I'm interested in to some point or another and I'm like "huh, I should do something about this". So here's the first one I'm posting.
The beach and high school were within a mile from each other. For this small mercy, Nate was thankful. His parents were almost never home, always working in neighboring cities that the small beach town was wedged between. So everyday, as he crammed his stuff into his backpack and grabbed his laptop, he avoided the road that would eventually lead him to his house. Instead he pushed through the crowds of people who he never noticed, and they never noticed him, and walked to the beach to enjoy his music until the sun went down.
It wasn't perfect, but at least he avoided the people he was trying to get away from the most. During middle school, he'd been the constant subject to the popular kids words and actions. Sometimes it was okay, they would just call him a fag. Other times they would punch him until he was bleeding, but the physical stuff had really gotten to their worst during these years.
The popular kids would never think to look for him at the beach, were he would blend in with most everyone. Or there would be no one there, and he would stick out quietly. Either way, being lonley became a haven he never wanted but couldn't refuse.
He didn't know what was wrong with him. Nate knew that he was short, and being of his age, would make it understandable to be made fun of for that. He knew why they called him a fag, and every other word of the same meaning. He doubted they knew for sure, but them saying it sort of worried him. Why they felt the need to kick him in the stomach and punch him until he was on the ground, he didn't know. By anyone's standards, he wasn't mean. He wasn't even one of those overly smart people. Just average.
Yet it seemed to be getting worse, and he was kind of scared. Scared soon their legs and arms wouldn't be enough, scared soon they would whip out a bat. Or something worse. So he sat in the sand, arms wrapped around his legs, humming quietly along with some song he couldn't stop playing in the current moment. For a split second, he was able to pretend it wasn't all happening.
Somewhere else, still on a beach, in his mind. Somewhere with the sun setting quietly on the water, casting fire to the waves. Palm trees swaying, Spanish style houses surrounding him. A place with happy people who he got along with. A place of peace.
But his imagination was shut off and fear replaced when he felt a tap on his shoulder. Even the small touch had begun to scare the hell out of him nowadays. "Novarro?"
Nate turned around slowly, a hand immediately covering his face. It didn't move when he saw who had tapped his shoulder. Alex Suarez. Jock, popular, everything he didn't really want to be around. Words couldn't come out from his mouth, not even a small yes. So he nodded his head, eyes still huge and pupils probably dilated.
"I'm not gonna hit you," Alex said slowly. "Mind if I sit down?"
Nate shook his head as Alex sat beside him. He didn't really want to run, he would seem weak. But sitting with him right beside him was making him more and more nervous.
"So, hows things?" Alex smiled.
"Fine," Nate said quietly. He didn't want Alex to make fun of something else he had been, until then, unaware was wrong with him.
"You can put your arm down," Alex laughed as he put his hand on Nate's arm to help him lower it.
"Oh, I, um, forgot I that I hadn't..." Nate looked scared, but he had managed to control his arm enough to move where Alex brought it instead of snapping down to his side.
"It's okay, can't say I blame you," Alex admitted.
"Why are you here?" Nate asked suddenly, finally looking in Alex's eyes. He was, nonetheless, surprised by what he saw. Sadness and happiness were somehow etched in there, like an apology and make up sex.
"I don't really know," Alex looked down before meeting Nate's gaze again.
"Oh," Nate bit his lip. They were looking at each other, sizing each other up by the looks in their eyes.
When Alex looked away, Nate knew something was completely wrong. When he followed to what Alex was looking it, it was none other than Gabe Saporta. "Fuck," Alex breathed. He turned to look at Nate, he who was starting to literally shake in fear. "Nate, don't mean to sound too Hollywood here, but run."
"I," Nate started but just grabbed his stuff, looking at his watch as though he was late for something and leaving. He tipped his head in a thank you, not saying it in fear Gabe would hear.
"Novarro? Where you goin' little buddy?" Gabe yelled as Nate started to run.
"Gabe is today really the day?" Alex looked up as Gabe grabbed his hand and pulled him onto his feet.
"Everyday is, what's gotten into you? Did that pussy turn you gay?" Gabe looked alarmed.
Alex laughed in response. "No, ew, dude I'm not gay."
"Good," Gabe said slowly. "Because it would really fuck shit up if you were."
"Why? Then you'd have competition with Beckett?" Alex wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and looked up to Gabe with a smirk.
"Don't even fucking joke about that," Gabe gritted his teeth. "I'm no fag, Suarez. And none of anyone we know would be happy to hear that you were hanging with one."
"Whatever man," Alex grabbed his stuff and walked towards his car. Gabe looked pissed off, and Alex knew better than to stick around and get beaten up by his so called best friend. Besides, friendship was over rated.
"Okay so repeat the entire last part," Victoria laughed over the phone.
"I don't know what the fuck happened," Nate said.
"You just said it!" Victoria whined. She loved helping out Nate, being like family to her. But sometimes he talked too fast then got embarrassed, which was a bad combination.
"I was sitting there listening to music, and then he was just there and he sat with me. So I put my arm up so I wouldn't get punched, then he put his. Hand. On. My. Arm. And helped me put my arm down. Then Gabe showed up and he told me to run before he noticed," Nate was still talking fast, but he knew that Victoria got it that time.
"Well he probably likes you, dumbass," she giggled.
"Vicky, why would Alex Suarez like me? Hes beaten the shit outta me before," Nate was talking slowly on the last part, wondering why she'd avoided that.
"Just because you do that doesn't mean you don't like someone," Victoria explained simple. "Girl stuff, Natey, you needa' learn it."
"I'm not a girl," Nate whined.
"You sure as hell act like one sometimes," she laughed again.
"Well enough with my screwy situation. How's Ryland?" Nate laughed, taunting her.
"Still a prick. He's like convinced the tough guy thing is cool," Victoria sighed.
"He'll get over it. Seems the toughest ones are actually the hidden nice guys," Nate replied.
"I know," Nate could tell when she said that Victoria was biting her lip.
"Heard from lovesick puppy?" Nate asked, referring to William.
"Nope. I guess he's still visiting his friends in Vegas."
"I kinda miss the too tall skinny freak," they both laughed at that comment.
"I don't miss his complete fear of Gabe though. Or his huge crush he'd never admit to. Seriously, either they're made to be or they're gonna kill each other," Victoria sighed again. This time, it was more humorous.
"I second that," Nate agreed before looking at the clock on the wall. "Shit... I gotta go, g'night Vicky-T, see you tomorrow."
"Yeah, night Natey," she laughed again before they both hung up.
Time passed, too fast for Nate. That little glimpse at something with Alex was gone, turned back into whatever it had been previously. Nate was sitting at the beach again, today it was overcast so he tugged the warm hoodie closer to his body.
"Cold?" Alex looked down, sitting beside Nate.
"Slightly," Nate was again quiet and rigid.
"Why are you afraid of me?" Alex's voice was quiet, like he was afraid if he was too loud Nate would shatter.
"I don't know," Nate looked away, unable to see the hurt in Alex's eyes. Like he cared. This was probably another stupid prank they were pulling, Gabe would jump out with a video camera and laugh in his face before posting it to the web for everyone to see. FAG GETS HEARTBROKEN.
"I'm not like them," Alex was still so quiet, and it was beyond strange.
"Alex, please, don't," Nate whimpered.
"Don't do what? Don't apologize? Don't try and make you feel... better?" Alex looked down at his hands, like they were foreign to him. "I've changed, Nate, I know you won't believe me."
"There's nothing to make you change," Nate said angrily as he put his stuff away and started to leave.
Nate was too far away, too furious and hurt, to hear Alex whisper, "There's you."