Chet Watakeekul

The sky was a clear blue overhead. White, puffy clouds dotted the blue in sparse clumps. The sunshine was warm against my cheeks and forearms. It was a beautiful day.

I dribbled the soccer ball a little down the field. Nothing too intense. Practice hadn't officially started yet for the day, but it would soon.

"Have you seen Mateo yet?" Jimmy asked. I stopped the ball with my foot and looked around the field.

"No," I said. "Wait, there he is." I pointed towards the bleachers. Mateo guided his blonde friend to the bleachers. He was still in his street clothes. He waved to his friend and headed into the locker room.

"He'd better hurry," Jimmy said. "The assistant coach was looking for him a few minutes ago."

"He'll be fine," I said easily. "He dresses quickly." I looked back over at Mateo's friend. Adam. No. Alex. I liked him. He was always nice the few times we had talked. Alex saw me watching him from across the field. He smiled tentatively and raised a hand to wave at me. I raised my arm in the air and waved back.

"Take it easy, man." Jimmy caught my forearm. I hadn't realized how vigorously I had waved my arm until then. "You're always such a spaz."

"Just energetic," I said. I kicked the ball up lightly and caught it in my hands. I hugged it to my chest. "He sure is a good friend though. He comes to every practice and every game. I don't have any friends like that." Alex was dedicated that was for sure. I had a lot of friends. Some even came to watch the games if they weren't already on the team. But none of them came to watch practices. My two closest friends had followed me to this university from high school. Mateo was already on the soccer team. Gareth usually came to home games, but he never came to sit at the practices.

"Friend, hunh?" Jimmy said with that smirk in his voice.

I pulled my attention from Mateo's blonde friend to Jimmy. "What do you mean? Aren't they friends?" I shifted from foot to foot just to get rid of some pent up energy.

"What kind of friend comes to every practice?" Jimmy said with a knowing smile on his face. He arched his right eyebrow as he watched me.

"A good one?" I said.

Jimmy rolled his eyes and sighed. "A friend that comes to every practice, every game, walks with him everywhere." He paused to let me figure out what he was implying.

"A best friend?" I said. It was clear Mateo and Alex had grown close fast, but I had grown close with Mateo fast too.

Jimmy chuckled under his breath and tousled my hair. "So innocent, Chet."

I pushed his hand away roughly. "I am not."

"Really. How many dates have you been on?"

"Plenty." None. I wouldn't consider what I said a lie. It was just bravado and bravado was okay. And it was my choice I hadn't been on a date. I had been asked.

Jimmy smirked even wider and began to walk away. It was only then that a hint of a memory came to me. I was at the back of the middle school with Mateo. He told me something then that he hadn't told anyone else and as far as I knew never told anyone else. I understood what Jimmy was implying. I caught his arm and turned him back around.

I whispered, "Are they dating?" I couldn't believe Mateo would tell him before me, but maybe he hadn't. Maybe Jimmy had just assumed they were dating.

"Do you have a problem with that?" Jimmy asked suddenly serious.

"No." I shrugged. And I didn't. "Alex seems like a nice kid." I looked over at the bleachers and smiled at Alex. The sunlight seemed to reflect off his blonde hair. Alex returned my smile.

"Kid?" Jimmy said with that laughing tone. "You're the same age. And you're a lot shorter."

"Yeah, but, he just seems so innocent and precious, doesn't he? Just like a kid."

"Like you're one to talk," Jimmy said.

My attention went back to Jimmy. I frowned. "What's that supposed to mean."

He chuckled, tousled my hair again and took off running down the field.

"Wait! What is that supposed to..." A hand clapped on my back.

I turned to see Mateo. "The assistant coach was looking for you," I said.

"Thanks, Chet."

He took off running towards the assistant coach. I should have asked him if he was dating Alex before telling him about the assistant coach. Or maybe it was better that I didn't. Mateo would tell us when he wanted to.

Except I was nosy. And I hated secrets and lies above everything else. Well, not more than I hated murderers and rapists, but I hated secrets and lies above every other normal thing you could hate. I dropped the soccer ball to the ground and dribbled it a little bit more.

I wanted to know.

I peeked at Alex. Alex's focus was solely on Mateo now that Mateo was on the field. He couldn't keep his eyes off him. And every once in awhile - even though the practice was in full swing now - Mateo would glance at Alex too.

When practice was over, Mateo was the first one to finish showering, get dressed and was out the door.

"He's always in such a hurry these days," Devon said.

"I know, right?" I said. I left my open locker to stand next to Devon's. "It's sweet like...I mean it's none of our business."

I went back to my locker and pulled out my t-shirt.

"I gotta go too," Tim said. "I've got a date.

I had unrolled my t-shirt and had it upside down ready to slip it on over my head, but instead I went to stand next to Tim's locker. Tim closed his locker and slid his backpack over his shoulder.

"A date, hunh? Who is she? How long have you been dating? Has she come to any of the games?"

"Chet," Tim said.

"What?"

"Has anyone ever told you that you talk too much?"

"All the time," I said.

"I'm out," Devon said. He closed his locker and left.

"It's our first date," Tim said. "I'm not telling you anything about her yet. If it works out, I'll point her out to you in the stands. Later."

And I was left standing in an empty locker room with my shirt in my hands as usual. I didn't understand how I was always the last one. I was a fast dresser. I slipped the shirt on over my head. I grabbed my backpack and closed my locker. I started walking towards the bus stop.

I had finished my written communications assignment. I still needed to work on my finance assignment. I finished my leadership training assignment, but I still needed to finish my intro to sports management assignment. That wasn't due until next week though so I could work on it over the weekend. I guess that meant I would work on my finance assignment.

My stomach growled loudly. I stopped walking. I hadn't left the stadium yet. Pizza first. Then home. I changed directions and crossed the field to exit the other side. It was closer to the pizza place next to the university. The sun was beginning to set. It would be dark by the time I got home, but that was fine. I rounded a corner and stopped in my tracks.

Alex was up against the concrete wall. Mateo was on his tiptoes in front of him. Kissing him. It was adorable. A little squeak came out of my throat before I could stop it. They were just so cute.

Mateo cleared his throat and quickly stepped away from Alex. Alex's face went from a cream color to a beet red. Mateo wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

"I thought everyone had left," he said.

"I'm the last one," I said.

Mateo nodded. He looked at me hesitantly. "You are usually the last one to leave." They both stood there, unsure. Alex's cheeks began to return to their normal color.

It would be best to leave them to their privacy. I stepped passed them, but just couldn't help myself. I turned back to them. A wide grin split my face. "I approve," I said and gave them too thumbs up.

Alex let out a big sigh of relief. Mateo gave me that half smile of his.

"Thanks, Chet," he said. "At least one of our friends approves," he said to Alex.

Alex bit his bottom lip and nodded.

"Who is crazy enough not to approve?" I asked. Because I was nosy. And because I couldn't fathom anyone not approving of their adorableness.

"My friend, Vincent," Alex said in his quiet voice.

"Well, he's an idiot," I said. Maybe I shouldn't have said that. He was Alex's friend after all.

Alex smiled. "He's just being overprotective of me."

Mateo's chest expanded as he took in a big breath. He let it out slowly. "I guess that's understandable after what happened with Jason. I should have been more understanding in the cafe."

"Who's Jason?" I asked.

They both tensed. Now I was really curious.

"No one," Mateo quickly said.

Of course Jason had to be someone. It was a story I should let go. This one time I shouldn't be nosy. I wouldn't be stupid enough to ask Mateo or Alex. Nope.

I would just find out on my own.

"Were you going somewhere?" Mateo asked. "Your bus stop is the other way."

"Oh, right. Pizza. Want to come along?"

The two of them hesitated and looked at each other.

"Oh, right," I said with a knowing smile. I took a step backwards. "I'll just let you two continue what you were doing." I gave them another two thumbs up before I turned and almost ran towards the pizza place.

I did peek behind me once - okay, maybe twice - to see that they were back to kissing.