Zero Chance at Love (bxb)

Casper's POV

Rex's hands froze just inches away from his face, his green eyes locked onto mine with a look of disbelief. His hair was tousled, resembling a nest resting on top his head.

I felt as though I were rooted to the ground, unable to look away from him, clinging to the hope that this was just a figment of my imagination. It was surreal to find myself in front of him; this was no dream but reality.

"This is Rex, my friend," the guy with freckles introduced, gesturing towards Rex.

"Remember the guy my mom mentioned who would be tutoring me? This is him." he said to Rex.

We held each other's gaze for a few moments until Rex lowered his hands, letting them fall to his sides. A slight smile crept onto his lips. "Hmm, what was his name again?" he asked his friend.

"Casper?" Freckles guy's confusion was evident in his tone.

"Ah, Casper. Long time no see." he said in a laid-back tone

"Uh, do you two know each other?" Freckles guy inquired, seemingly unsure.

"We go way—"

"Um, I've got somewhere I need to be. Sorry! I'll text you when I'm free, um…?" I faltered.

"Mick, my name's Mick," he replied.

"Mick, I'll message you when I have some time. I'm really sorry about this," I said, then hurried out of there. I stepped into my apartment, closed the door behind me, and leaned against it.

"That was quick," I heard Darla comment.

"Are you alright?" She must have noticed my expression. Truthfully, I was unsure what my face reflected. A whirlwind of emotions surged within me, memories I had long buried coming back like they had been waiting for this precise moment.

"Rex," I began.

"Huh?"

"Rex is the new neighbor who just moved in next door," I mentioned as I settled onto the sofa, the TV flickering with a documentary in the background.

"What?" She exclaimed, her eyes widening in surprise. She dropped her phone and shifted to face me directly.

"He's a friend of the guy I'm supposed to tutor. I just ran into him," I explained.

"No way!" she replied, clearly incredulous.

"I honestly didn't think we'd end up at the same university, let alone living next door to each other."

"This is such a wild coincidence. Did he know you'd be here? But why would he even care?" Darla asked in rapid succession.

I exhaled deeply, leaning back against the cushions. "This can't be real."

"Just act like nothing happened. I mean, it's not like anything big actually occurred, right?"

"It's going to be super awkward and just....ugh! I really don't want to handle this," I said, burying my face in my hands.

"Right, with the tutoring situation. This is a bizarre double coincidence. He's the friend of the guy you're tutoring and lives next door too?"

I lowered my hands. "I think he's the one they were talking about in the group chat, making it a triple coincidence."

"I still think you should just act like nothing's happened. You know, pretend there's no past, especially since there's not much to pretend about."

I straightened up. "You're right. I should just act like it's all fine. I'll ask Samson to tutor Mick instead. I just want to move on from this," I replied, and Darla nodded in agreement.

"And if he's the one they mentioned in the group chat, tutoring Mick is pretty pointless." I told her.

"I doubt Samson would want to tutor Mick for free," she reasoned.

"I'll figure something out. Anything to avoid him," I declared, rising to my feet. "I'll be inside if you need anything." After she nodded in agreement, I made my way to my room. I laid in bed, staring at the ceiling. All the memories came flooding back.

Rex.

I used to have a huge crush on him. He went to Lead High, a nearby boarding school in the same state where Darla and I studied.

We participated in joint training sessions on certain Saturdays, and I always looked forward to those days, wishing the weeks would fly by just so I could see him again.

Rex was undeniably attractive. With his athletic physique, dark hair, and striking green eyes, he stood taller than me and had a charming smile that captivated me. I found myself mesmerized by him. He was my first male crush, more like my gay awakening. He used to wear glasses, but then he switched to contact lenses, and I often thought about asking him why, although I never found the right moment to approach him. Keeping my distance felt safer.

He rarely interacted with students from our school, only engaging with his cousin, Ben. I often pondered the reason behind this. Perhaps he was just asocial. He always seemed serious, maintaining a stoic expression—except when he was with Ben, of course. Sometimes I wondered why he didn't attend our school, especially since his uncle, Ben's dad, owned it. Would things be different if he were a student here? Would I have had a chance with him then?

I often found myself sneaking glances at him during our workouts, hoping nobody would catch on. The thought of confessing my massive crush on him was too daunting, so I decided to keep it to myself. However, I soon realized my best friend Darla had a knack for uncovering my secrets. She confronted me about it one day.

FLASHBACK

"Hey, I've noticed you seem to always stare at someone during our exercise sessions with Lead High. A guy," Darla remarked one afternoon as we lounged on the field, enjoying our rare moment of solitude.

"Who?" I responded, caught between hoping she would mention Rex and fearing she would. I longed to share my feelings about him with someone other than the voice in my head, yet the mere thought of hearing his name made me anxious. Admitting my crush felt like stepping out into the open, and while Collins High wasn't exactly a homophobic environment, doubt still lingered.

"Is it Rex? Do you like him?" she probed. Darla was always direct, especially with friends—a quality I both appreciated and resented.

I fell silent, my gaze fixed on the vibrant green grass, pondering why it wasn't blue instead.

"You don't have to say anything if you're not ready. I just noticed it, that's all. No pressure," she said, her tone casual. I understood this was her way of encouraging me to open up when I felt comfortable.

"Okay," I admitted it. "I have a crush on him," I finally voiced my secret to the universe.

A smile broke out on her face. "You know this doesn't change anything, right? You're still the same annoying Casper I cherish."

I rolled my eyes in response to her grin. "Did you really have to bring up the annoying part?" She nodded enthusiastically.

"It's just that this is the first time I'm actually admitting it out loud. I have a crush on Rex," I confessed.

"Well, everyone has to start somewhere. There's no need to be afraid. When did you first realize this?" she asked.

"I honestly can't recall. I just found myself staring at him a lot. But it's irrelevant; I'm not planning on telling him anyway," I replied, which was true. I had no intentions of revealing my feelings.

"Why not? I doubt he's homophobic. His cousin's gay, after all. We could give him the benefit of the doubt, right?"

"It's not that…never mind. Let's keep this between us, okay? You're the only one I've shared my crush on Rex with."

"You have a crush on Rex?" came a voice from behind us. Turning around, we saw it was Jess, our friend.

That was where it all started. Looking back, I realized I should have just lied to Jess that day!