Chapter three
The day of the game, Chester picked Hunter up at his house, and they rode quietly at first. Then Hunter cleared his throat, getting Chester’s attention. “Hey, I want to tell you something...”
“You like Mary Beth.”
“No. No. That’s not it—”
“It’s okay. I think she likes you, too, and we’re probably breaking up regardless.”
“Oh. Well. Uh...are you going to my party? Tonight?”
“Yeah. It kind of sucks because that’s probably where we’re going to break up.
I think she’s expecting it. Or expecting me not to go so she can use that as the excuse to break up with me.
” I didn't know why I was spilling all of this to him.
I didn't even really know him. Maybe I needed to get it out.
“Are you like bummed about it or what?”
Chester felt he could or he should be open about it.
Maybe in his own weird way he was giving Hunter permission to go out with Mary Beth.
“I am. Yes, but if she likes someone else, then it’s stupid to stay together.
We’re just kids and Mary Beth has her own ideas about things.
” He glanced at Hunter, then back to the road.
“I’ll always like her. She has a place in my heart, like always, but it feels like its time for both of us to move on. ”
“Wow. Well. Okay. Still. You should come to the party.” He looked out the window, as if the conversation made him a little uncomfortable. Chester could understand why, but he hoped they would be happy together.
He pulled up to the ball field and parked his truck behind the visitor dug out.
Coach was already there and a few other guys were pulling up and getting out of their vehicles.
He grabbed his gear and called out hellos to everyone.
He hooted and cheered and generally got the team all riled up as the game started.
They batted first as the visiting team. They cheered and hollered from the dug out as each player stepped up to the plate.
Their first batter struck out, but the next two got on base, and Chester hit a home run to clear the bases.
He high fived Hunter as he went back to the dug out.
“Let’s keep it going! Keep it going! Base hit, Hunter, base hit! ” He yelled from the dug out.
He noticed how nice Hunter’s ass looked in his baseball pants as he leaned forward over the plate, ready to hit. He hadn’t really noticed that about any of the other guys, but Hunter was really good looking.
His bat cracked, and he made it to second base. They ended up scoring six runs before the three outs and having to take the field.
Their team ran out and chattered at the batter.
Chester felt ready for anything. He could leave Mary Beth and the question of his bi-sexuality off the field and simply focus on the game.
He caught a pop fly and threw to first on the next grounder he stopped, making two of the three outs for the inning.
The third popped up to left field where Brian caught it with no problem.
Chester yelled encouragement and high fived his team coming off the field. The inning was over.
A few more innings later, and the score was nine for their team, the Wildcats, and four for the Gators.
The Wildcats took the field. They were leading and determined to keep it that way.
One of the best hitters stepped up, and it started to rain.
Just a drizzle at first. The batter hit the ball straight down the line.
Their pitcher couldn’t do anything but dodge out of the way, but Chester had it.
The ball hit the ground and slid right into his glove.
He palmed the ball and beamed it to first. Out.
He high-fived Hunter and set up for the next batter.
The rain came down harder, the ground quickly turning to mud.
The next batter hit the ball down the middle, but it bounced toward third.
Hunter leaned into it, Chester was already running.
He tried to stop and slid in the mud, crashing into Hunter.
He got all tingly inside, touching Hunter’s body.
It surprised him, just like with Tate, but he had the ball in his glove.
Hunter yelled out, “behind you!” Chester turned fast and tagged the runner to make the out. “Woo!”
Chester got off the ground and reached his hand out to help Hunter up, too. Lightning shot through his hand at Hunter’s touch that had nothing to do with the storm. He squinted up his face, tilting his head back. “Ah...rain...”
Hunter laughed at his antics, and that made Chester’s stomach flip over again. He didn’t know what was happening with Hunter, or why he felt so strange around him, but he also didn’t have time to think about it. The game went on.
The rain poured down hard one minute, but then let up some.
There was no lightning, so they kept playing.
Ultimately, they won the game, twelve to nine.
It was fun and well played on both sides.
The team gathered on the pitcher’s mound in a circle to cheer.
“We are! Wildcats!” Then, they yelled and cheered and did a cheer to thank the team they beat, the Goose Creek Gators.
“Good game! Good game! Goose Creek Gators!”
The whole team jumped around excited, covered in mud and sweat. They said their goodbyes and everyone started heading out. Chester met up with Hunter back at his truck. “Hey, man! Good game. You got some great hits in.”
“Thanks,” Hunter said, he leaned back and forth, shifting his weight from foot to foot.
Chester shoved his glove behind the seat and reached in his pants to pull out his cup and tossed it back too. Hunter, hesitantly followed suit, shoving his things into his duffle bag and dropping it on the floorboard of the truck.
“Get in.” Chester slid in and untied his cleats, then tossed them behind the seat as well. “Come on.”
Hunter seemed hesitate to get in the truck. “I’m really muddy.”
“Don’t sweat it. I’m dirty too.” He tossed his ball cap behind the seat with the rest of his stuff.
“Okay, but I warned you.” Hunter flipped his hat around backwards. “I’m really muddy.” Finally, he climbed in the truck.
“I don’t care.” He turned in his seat and really looked at Hunter, maybe for the first time. “Wow. Your eyes are...”
“Amazing, cool, stunning, yeah. I’ve heard it all.”
They were ice blue with an odd prick of white in the middle of the pupil. “Unusual. Yeah.” He was captivated, not just by his eyes, but his lips and the reminder of the tingle he’d felt in his stomach when they’d touched, and that tingle had returned in full force.
“Thanks.”
“I like them. A lot.” Had his voice sounded breathy?
Hunter’s was little more than a whisper. “Chester...”
Chester pulled him closer by his arm until they looked at each other nose to nose.
He could feel the heat of Hunter’s breath mingling with his own.
His brain snapped into off and his body switched on.
He was a boy of want and need, and he pressed his lips against Hunter’s.
He naturally flicked his tongue out. Hunter not only opened his mouth, offering his tongue in return, but he pressed tighter to Chester.
He was really kissing Hunter then, exactly like he’d kissed Mary Beth and completely different. Hunter wasn’t sweet. He tasted like Gatorade and spearmint gum. And dirt. And hope.
When he pulled back, Hunter huffed and said, “Do you want to come to my house?”
“Yeah. So...I thought you liked Mary Beth?”
He shook his head. “You said that, not me. I don’t like her. I like you.”
Chester wrapped his arm behind Hunter’s back and pulled him onto his lap. He straddled Chester’s thighs with his backside against the steering wheel and his knees on the seat to either side of Chester’s thighs, cleats up. He propped himself up with hands on either side of Chester’s head.
“So, what? Are you gay?” Hunter asked him, point blank.
Chester didn’t know. Until Tate, he hadn’t known he was anything. He’d have to guess his mother had been right. Bi-sexual, but he didn’t know enough about all of that. “I don’t think so. I mean I like girls. Really like girls, but...maybe I like you too.”
“Are you really going to break up with her?”
Chester shoved his hands up in Hunter’s hair and shoved his cap off, it fell to the floorboard. “You’ve got mud in your hair.”
“We can shower at my house.”
Chester pulled him closer, kissing kissed him again.
Maybe he needed to double check his feelings, maybe he just wanted another taste.
Either way, by the time they parted, he knew.
“Yeah, I’m breaking up with her. She knows its coming.
Like I said, she’s probably set to break up with me at your party.
Hell, she probably thinks she’s getting together with you. ”
Hunter giggled. “That’s not going to happen. I’m gay. Totally gay.”
“I figured.”
Hunter leaned in and took a couple of kisses. His fingers went under Chester’s jersey, tapping against his ribs in barely there touches. Chester decided he liked that a lot, and maybe he wanted more.
He flipped Hunter over him, onto his back along the bench seating.
For once, Chester was happy he hadn’t held out for bucket seats.
He stretched out over Hunter, pressing their bodies together at hip and thigh.
Chester leaned in on his elbows and kissed Hunter again.
Those little fragile touches went up his back.
After a few minutes Chester sat up and looked around. The windows were steamed up. “I’m pretty sure no one could see in here, even if they were standing next to the truck.”
“God no.” Hunter used the sleeve of his shirt to wipe at the window. “Come on. Let’s go back to my house and get cleaned up.”
Once they got to Hunter’s house, Chester grabbed his duffle bag from behind the seat and followed him in. He had a bathroom attached to his bedroom, so it was totally private. “This is nice.”
“Yeah. Come on.”
Chester followed Hunter in, and they stripped off their baseball pants, socks and jerseys and got under the water together.
Chester had showered with other guys before, but this time, it felt different.
Very different. They both tried hard not to look at the other, but failed miserably. Then, they giggled about it.
After soaping up and rinsing off, they got out and Hunter handed Chester a towel.
He dried off and followed Hunter into his room.
They wrestled around getting dressed, until they finally dropped on Hunter’s bed.
They lay there out of breath, cuddled up together, legs wrapped wherever they fell. It seemed cozy—seemed right.
“Hey, Chester. Does this mean we’re going to be a couple now? Are we going to be out at school?”
“I don’t know, but I really like you.” He had gone further with Hunter than anyone including Mary Beth.
He felt like they’d been intimate, though it was probably more innocent than it felt.
He leaned in to Hunter’s side, smelling his shampoo and soap.
“Probably. But I need to break up with her first. You know?”
“I’m cool with that. All of it.”
Chester was happy. He hadn’t felt so light in a long time. He realized he enjoyed Hunter, and liked being with him to talk, hang out, and make out.
“Hey Chester, can I ask you another question?”
“Sure. Ask me anything. Any time. I’ll answer honestly.” He played with a lock of wet hair that had fallen over Hunter’s brow.
“Have you ever been with another guy?”
“Just once. One kiss that’s all.”
“Who?”
“Tate Jordan. Do you know him?”
“What? You’re kidding? Ugh, lucky you.”
“He’s gone though. I guess. On to the pros.”
“He’s cute as hell.”
“Yeah. But, lucky me, you are too.”
Hunter turned his face up and Chester kissed him again.