Desirable

Chapter 6

Nathan, for the rest of the day, was in a daze. He had stood in the locker room for what felt like years before he realized he was shivering, looking down at his bare chest before quickly pulling on his clothes. Then he trudged out back into the gym, plopping down on the floor staring off into space as he kept asking himself if that had really happened. Did Zaxton seriously clean his stitches for him? Had he imagined it? Was he hallucinating? What the hell was that about!? The school bell rang and he slowly made his way to the front of the school, dragging his feet the whole way, where he met up with Issac who was getting cornered by some cheerleaders trying to ask them about Nathan but he quickly slipped away when he saw Nathan heading his way.

"Thank god your hear. I thought they were going to kidnap me in Becky Winchell's car," Issac said as he ducked behind Issac, hiding from the cheerleaders, when he saw the dazed look on Nathan's face. "He changed your bandages for you?" Issac asked once Nathan was done telling the whole story. Currently, they were waiting in the hallway in front of the office waiting for the bus to pull up in front of the school. When the weather was a bit warmer, the students would wait outside on the school lawn but most were waiting inside savoring the sweet warmth before they had to run outside in the freezing cold.

"Yes! I was standing there in the locker room, minding my own business, and he suddenly walked in and did it for me. That's weird! Right?" Nathan stammered out as he looked around him, as if he expected Zaxton to pop out of nowhere again and start massaging his feet or something. "Was he just trying to be my friend? That's a little extreme for bonding with someone," Nathan thought as he tried to shake Zaxton from his thoughts but he swore he could still feel the warmth from Zaxton's hand on his back. It felt almost hot, like he had been branded, and had him squirming in his coat. He couldn't tell if he was itchy or what but he felt... off.

"You good, dude? Feeling okay?" Issac asked as he noticed Nathan's squirming, reaching around behind his back trying to reach the spot but it was directly in the middle of the U shape stitches which stung if he touched them.

"I'm alright, I guess. It was just really weird," Nathan said with a dramatic huff as he gave up reaching for that spot when he heard laughing from behind him.

"Psst! Nate!" one of the jocks called, Nathan resisting the urge to groan. They had been bothering him all day, even more so than anyone else as they made fun of him or asked to see the bite mark. Pictures from when he'd snapped and ripped his shirt off were circulating through the school, mainly via social media or texting in group chats, but the football oafs wanted to see the real thing with their own eyes. Plus, it was fun to poke the bear who was trying his best to ignore them. If they were lucky, he might just strip for them too. "Nate! Dude! Can you show us your stitches?" one of the jocks asked, a blonde with bright blue eyes who had many young ladies hanging off his arm trying to be his girlfriend.

"Is it true you had to get a transplant? I heard they had to give you a whole new stomach!" a brunette said and actually looked excited, mentioning some doctor show he was in love with and how cool it would be to see something similar as the show in real life.

"Why don't we just take his clothes off ourselves? He's pretty puny," another jock said, this one basically bald with only peach-fuzz hair on his head. He took a step towards Nathan as if to do just as he said but Issac stepped in his path, glaring at the jock with venom.

"Will you guys stop talking to him like that? He's already been through enough," Issac ground out through his teeth even as Nathan urged him to ignore the jocks, pulling on the young man's jacket suggesting they just wait outside for the bus.

"So?" peach-fuzz guy said, cocking his head to the side like a confused puppy. "Why should I care?"

"What?" Issac gasped, outraged, when Nathan grabbed his wrist.