Part 4
Wednesday, September 17, 2025. Sometime in the Afternoon.
—
Usually, people say that they go through the 5 Stages of Grief.
As for Chase, not so much.
Emotions have a lot of nuance, and oftentimes leave too much room for interpretation. Subsequently, expression can fade in between the same lines that define a certain emotion if lacking context. And for the hell-induced torture that is public education, context rarely exists.
For example: A smile. It’s something people are used to seeing everyday. Chase knows it all too well—a smile is a good thing, a conversation starter, a brownie point earner for authority and peer groups. But, it’s just as versatile as any other expression as well. It can be a threat, or a mask for things that are much better off left unsaid. You’ll never know what someone is truly thinking, and he himself is victim to the same thing. He’ll smile at his Pre-Calc teacher, and tell him to have a “good morning” when he’d really wish the opposite would happen.
It was why he liked moments where he could be alone with his thoughts.
Chase wandered the empty theater before he hopped up onto the stage.
It was nice to know he didn’t have to pretend, or act. It was nice to know that he could just be Chase when nobody was watching.
That’s why when Alex Rivera, their school’s star football player comes striding into their theater with the brightest smile on his face, Chase short circuits, and his cognition reverts into that of a semi-sentient amoeba.
“Hey, Chase right?“
“Uahkms”
Alex blinked once, watching as Chase turned around, scrambling to find something—anything on stage to fiddle with and look important. A smile tugged at the corner of the blonde’s lips when he saw Chase tidy the already neat bookshelves.
“Well, I just wanted to say, congrats on becoming the new stage manager.”
Chase stopped, his hand threatening to drop a book.
What was this guy’s deal? He turned around to face Alex, who had his hands tucked into the pockets of his letterman jacket. Chase swore he could see light illuminating off of him. Did jocks come pre-installed with sparkly effects, or was it just Alex?
“Oh, uh… Thanks?”
Chase swallowed, before giving Alex his best smile. He thought he looked nervous, but did he owe him anything else? One of the most popular guys in the school went out of his way to go into the theater and personally congratulate him. That wasn’t a daily occurrence, and if anything it’d be like seeing Bill Gates shopping at the Dollar Tree for tech ware. Or some sort of famous Super Model digging through the retail bins at a second hand store.
It was just… Impossible. He had to have some sort of ulterior motive.
“So… I bet you’ll have your work cut out for you this year?” Alex rubbed the back of his neck. “Mr. Gaebel isn’t exactly the type to put off the work load.”
Chase’s eyes lit up in surprise.
“For real, AP Pre-Calc is already my personal hell. I can’t imagine what it’s going to be like second semester.”
Alex laughed, the kind that echoed in rooms, or filled somebody with a genuine warmth. Chase felt himself begin to smile at the other boy.
“Nah, you’ll be fine. You’re really smart, so I don’t think it’d be an issue for you. but if you do need help I’d be happy to lock in with you at any time. We can both struggle together.”
Alex shot him a friendly wave before exiting the stage, leaving Chase confused, and intrigued.
He watched as the door to the theater slammed shut, the silence in the room louder than it had been. Even before Alex Rivera walked into his life. The boy he’d never interacted with, and the boy who he’d never thought would actually give him the time of day.
Chase walked to the edge of the stage before taking a seat, letting his feet dangle over the ledge as he stretched his arms out behind his back.
He was no stranger to the quiet, but it felt nice to be seen every once in a while. Even if it was from a person he didn’t know well. Especially if it was a person he didn’t know well.
Chase had no idea why Alex Rivera had bothered to approach him, but for the first time he found himself enjoying the fact that he grieved a stranger’s presence.
Maybe not all jocks were bad?
Maybe he and Alex could actually become friends.
Chase allowed himself to smile at the thought.
