It is no surprise that the bleachers and the field are bigger, neater and better than the one at Angelo's old school. This field can be used to host many events at once.
Sitting on the bleachers and watching the football team is weird to him. He used to do this activity with Joshua just to gush at the boys in the team, well there was one in particular, a senior Walter Reeves. He was the definition of beautiful, and the two best friends had a huge crush on him. It was okay for the both of them to have the same crush because they knew very well that nothing was going to happen with Walter and any of the boys.
Because they were way younger and a class below him and he was straight.
Ever since Joshua died Angelo stopped sitting on the bleachers to look at boys and blush when they take their shirts off. He didn't see the use, his best friend was gone forever and even if he did visit the boys it would not have been the same.
But here is Angelo now sitting on the bleachers with his new friend Wendy. It's nothing close to the experience he shared with his late best friend but it's pretty close. And besides Angelo isn't here to watch hot guys take off their shirts and act like monkeys in a hot way. He and Wendy are here to cheer Chris and JJ on, for they are trying out for the football team, the Tigers.
It was JJ's idea. JJ also wanted Angelo to try out but he didn't want to. he doesn't like sports, being an athlete is not for him even though he's automatically skilled at being an athlete now. It just isn't for him.
He managed his way to wiggle from JJ's plea but he was able to convince Chris to join him and the both of them are getting ready to show the coach what they got.
The coach is a tall muscular black man wearing a red polo shirt and navy blue track pants. There's a whistle around his neck and he's bald. He looks like the kind of guy who makes sure his team takes a lot of trophies. And Angelo has seen the trophy box, it's big enough to fit a lot of trophies in it.
Angelo wonders who the star athlete around here is. Back in his old school, it was Gavin for the older class and in his class it was George Kingston. He might have been a douchebag whom Angelo pretended to like but he was a star and Angelo is sure he's going places.
The cheerleaders are also on the field. While some are warming up, some are gossiping about the boys on the team, not just the boys but Chris and JJ. Especially Kelsey. Angelo does not understand why she's gushing over Chris when she's with someone else. And Angelo did spot the crucifix around her neck. She's a Christian, either that or she's one of those atheists who love the catholic aesthetic.
But Angelo doubts that and he knows for sure that she is indeed Christian. So she has to know cheating is bad. But why does Angelo care? She can do whatever she wants, and Chris can do whatever he wants, it's not like he and Chris are dating.
He looks around for Pedro, but he's nowhere to be found. Pedro doesn't look like an athlete but a grudge teenager who loves skateboards. There is something about Pedro that feels kind of strange, he doesn't know what, but Angelo feels Pedro feels that about him too.
Maybe that feeling is lust or desire because Pedro is one fine guy, could he feel the same way toward him as well? Could he be another queer kid at school? That would be cool.
"Do you think the theatre kids will like me?" Wendy asks Angelo.
"Nope, I think the theatre kids will love you."
Wendy beams. "You think so?"
"I know so, Wendy you are one of the coolest people I know. You're nice, you're funny. I haven't seen you act but I know for sure you're going to fit in."
Wendy blushes and she puts a lock of her hair behind her ear. "Thanks, Angelo," she says in a flirty voice and Angelo nods. Without saying anything. Of course, he has noticed Wendy has been giving him the flirty eye, the eye that shows that she is interested in Angelo. He's not blind.
But he also hopes that that isn't the case and that Wendy doesn't have a thing for him. he doesn't want a situation where he has to break a heart. The thought of that makes him shiver. Breaking people's hearts is not something he wants to ever do.
He can still feel Wendy's stare and it's making him uncomfortable, but he has seen a way to distract her, to get her to look at something else.
"Hey, they've started." Angelo points at Chris and JJ who are on their football gear and are ready to show them what they've got.
Xander whispers and says something to his friends that makes them all laugh. And the jest is on Chris and JJ. He doesn't think they can make the team. Angelo smiles at himself and he sits comfortably now that Wendy isn't looking at him and that Chris and JJ are about to devour these people.
And of course, they do.
There's no rule where it says no Nephilim should use their power for personal gain. There's no rule for that because they're nephilims and their power is a part of them.
JJ is the one who does the pushing and JJ passes the ball to Chris. Angelo thinks Nephilims have super speed because of the way Chris runs to the finish. The people chasing after him don't even come close. Chris hits the ball on the ground and Wendy and I cheer for them both. Even the coach is impressed.
"Welcome to the team!" Coach yells at them. The cheerleaders cheer for them and even some of the tigers, except Xander and his crew. Even Kelsey's boyfriend is not happy.
Chris and JJ perform that weird handshake Angelo saw them do when he first met them. They knew they were going to be a part of the team because, to them, sports is all that and a bag of chips. They love sports. And because they have special abilities.
The football team move on to hit the shower. Angelo and Wendy cheer again when Chris and JJ walk by.
"Did you guys see that?" JJ jumps in excitement and Chris shakes his head while holding a small smile on his face.
"You were amazing!" Angelo and Wendy continue clapping and when he sees that their joy annoys Xander, he claps even more. He's not going to be intimidated by a sadist.
The football team, JJ, Chris and the cheerleaders all leave the field.
"Should we head to the car?" Wendy asks Angelo.
"Yeah, you go. I'll catch up." Wendy rises to her feet. But before she leaves she stops to look around while nodding her head.
"I think I like it here."
"You do?"
"Yeah, I know I'm technically already done with high school but I've always wanted to know what it's like to go to a public one like in the movies I watched."
Angelo almost forgot that Wendy, Chris and JJ are already done with high school. Angelo is afraid to ask how old they are. They all look seventeen and eighteen but he thinks they're way older than that. They only look like that because they have angel blood in their system. It doesn't make them immortal but it makes them age slower.
"Okay, I'll see you by the car then. Be careful alright."
"I will."
When Wendy's is out of sight. Angelo rises to his feet and makes his way into the school and he doesn't know why he decided to wait and not follow Wendy, he doesn't know what's drawing him into the school but he's going and going in. He's walking down the empty hallway and he can hear music coming from the music room. Someone is playing the guitar.
He just wanted to be alone and play the piano a little bit before leaving. He thought he'd be alone but it's clear someone is in the music room already.
Angelo slowly opens the door to reveal a brown-skinned boy playing with the guitar. It's Pedro. He sits on the chair quietly, gracefully playing with the instrument. He's loving the solitude and the quiet. Angelo doesn't want to disturb him so he attempts to leave.
"You gonna come inside or what?" Pedro asks and at first, Angelo thinks he is talking to someone else but there's no one else here with him. Just him and Pedro. How on earth did he know Angelo was there? His back is turned and isn't facing the door. He was quiet, at least he thinks he was.
"Sorry." he walks in. "I didn't know anyone was here I just wanted to play a little piano to calm my nerves y'know." Angelo laughs nervously and Pedro turns around to meet Angelo's eyes.
Pedro's eyes widen when he sees that it's Angelo.
He might have known someone was at the door but he didn't know it was the new kid.
The two stare at each other for quite some time. Angelo isn't weirded out and he isn't complaining. Pedro is handsome, and being the boy crazy boy that Angelo is he can see that. But he doesn't know that Pedro thinks that way of him as well.
"You're the new guy."
"Yes, yes I am."
"Pedro." he stretches out his hand for a handshake and Angelo looks at the hand at first then he takes it and they both shake hands.
"Angelo."
"Nice to meet you, Angelo," Pedro says with a smile, a wide smile that makes him look even prettier.
"Nice to meet you too."
"So, you play the piano." Pedro drops the guitar carefully on the floor and he sits on the chair with his leg on the top of the chair.
"I uh—I play other instruments, but the piano's my favourite."
"Oh, so you're a musical prodigy."
Angelo snaps his finger. "You could say that."
Pedro nods his head, impressed. "Is it okay if I hear you play?"
Pedro gestures at the grand piano in the middle of the room. He cannot believe this school has a grand piano. At his old school, there was a very old keyboard. And wasn't functioning very well. But Angelo wants to stop comparing this school to his old school.
This school was made for rich white people and his old school was made for poor people of colour. Not that he and his family were poor, they weren't rich either.
"Sure." Angelo walks over to the piano. "Nice skateboard by the way."
"Thanks, I stole it from a fat kid this morning," Pedro says looking at the skateboard as if he's just seen it for the first time and he's about to buy it. Angelo shoots him a look which Pedro knew he was going to do so Pedro giggles.
"I'm joking."
Angelo chuckles and he nods. Then sits on the chair in front of the keyboard. Pedro walks over to him.
Angelo begins. And once Angelo starts playing the keyboard, nothing else matters but he and his fingers dipped in warm water that soothes his brain. The sound that comes out of the instrument sends him into a high state. Music will always be better than hard drugs to him.
He's playing Wonderwall by Oasis and he planned to just play the piano but he ends up singing the song and Pedro looks at him in fascination because he doesn't think Angelo knows he's singing. But he does know that Angelo didn't plan on singing and he can't help himself.
Pedro stares at him in awe, his mouth wide open, he's frozen listening to Angelo's voice. To him Angelo isn't just singing, Angelo is creating something new. His voice is so melodious. He's like a siren. Angelo's voice leaves tingles in his brain.
Pedro is going to a world where there is no hardship, there are no problems. It's like all of his problems are gone and he's in heaven. But how can that be? He doesn't deserve to be in heaven when he's a bad person. But somehow he feels like he is.
What kind of sorcery is in this boy's voice? Pedro is a hardcore lover of music, but he's never heard anything like this before. It's beautiful, beyond beautiful.
Angelo stops and Pedro's back to planet earth and he looks at Angelo with a smile on his face.
"Whoa, you're—you're amazing."
Angelo blushes. "It was nothing."
"Nothing? Dude, you should be a star by now what are you doing in high school?"
Angelo blushes even harder. It's been long since he received a compliment because of his singing and it has been long since Pedro heard anything that beautiful.
"I want you to come to the Lodge tonight. It's a place where teens hang out." Pedro says. Pedro brings out a piece of paper and begins to write the address and he gives it to Angelo. "Please come, you can even invite your friends."
Angelo takes the paper and looks at it.
"I will thanks."
Pedro shakes his head in awe of him again. Then he steps backwards and grabs his skateboard. Before he walks out the door he looks at Angelo once more.
"I think we're going to be great friends Angelo." He says then he walks away leaving Angelo alone in the music room, wiggling in excitement.