Chapter 1
the school bell rang, a sound that had become all too familiar to James.
He looked around seeing his teammates packing up around him preparing to leave the school. He smiled at the thought of arriving home after a long day at school, putting a gameboy into his atari and eating pizza rolls.
His locker made a creaking sound as he opened it, something he had gotten used to after months in the football team. A singular note sat in the locker with a heart sticker attached to the front
—
it was getting late, so late in fact that lightning didnt know if he could still call it daytime. His wheels were planted firmly on the green grass below him, cherry blossom petals from the tree fell onto his windshield which he hurriedly wiped away.
Lightning slowly felt himself losing hope, the most popular boy in school would never want to go out with him. He was a loser, someone nobody wouldnt notice even if they were looking.
He felt like the only person who saw him sometimes was his best friend Mator, he was the one who convinced him to confess to his longtime crush.
He may not know where his crush started but he remembers the first time they talked. It was kindergarten graduation and he was scared to drive up to the podium and secure his award. The brave and kind young James grabbed his hand and dragged him to the stage. He stood there as Lightning read his speech as best as he could.
Maybe it was that moment, or maybe it was 2005 spring formal when they skipped the dance together after Lightning’s date stood him up. He really didint know and he didnt care, all he knew was that to him, james was everything.
The sound of heavy footsteps shook him out of the trance that held onto him, he turned around, his wheels almost slipping off the hill.
“Caught you.” James spoke, holding onto the car by his right car window, a blush rising onto both of their faces.
“Thanks.” lightning looked down as James placed himself in front of the car.
“i got your letter.” James spoke as he fixed his tie, sweat dripped down his slightly moist hair, presumably from the football practice he was at only moments before their meeting.
“I see… what did you think?”
“I thought it was beautiful…” James laughed lightly “But i didnt expect it to be you standing under this tree.”
Lightning felt his heartbeat race in his trunk, the oil flowing through his wires began to heat up at the sight of the blushing and charmingly disheveld man in front of him.
“Is that a good or a bad thing?”
“It's both.” James spoke “I like you lightning and I know im with spongebob but that doesnt matter to me right now.”
Lightning smiled, his heart seemingly ignoring the last part of the sentence.
“So where do we go from here?”
James looked up into the sky trying to piece together the situation as a puzzle, he always seemed to question himself.
he knew what he wanted yet he couldnt bring himself to do it.
was he always this much of a coward?
he opened his mouth, awaiting an answer to leave it that he didnt know he had