Jock Next Bed (BL)
Chapter 42: Bike race?

Chapter 42: Bike race?

"I thought you were going to keep your eyes on me, but you seemed quite busy with her. Making me doubt if you really do not have feelings for each other." Rain spoke lightly to Chris when she was done.

They were currently leaving the school, and while she and Chris were walking ahead, Noel and Rachel were behind.

He had wanted to take a stroll with her, while Rain wanted the same with Chris.

And it was quite interesting because it seemed like many guys who had been in the court had their eyes on Rain, and the girls had theirs on Noel. But these two friends simply snatched them away as soon as the game ended. The athletes hadn’t even bothered to wash up or change out of their vests before leaving with them.

"I did watch your practice. I honestly didn’t think you’d be that good." He said honestly. Even though he had been chatting with Rachel most of the time, they had also paid attention to their practice, and he had truly been enthralled.

His compliment or not-so-compliment made her laugh, and it was crazy how instead of seeing her in that pretty laugh, he was imagining someone else.

"I guess I am the captain for a reason." She said smugly before asking, "What was your game in high school?"

"I think I practically tried almost everything but spent more years in soccer."

"Am I looking at a prodigy?" She joked.

"I wish." Although he didn’t want to brag, he had been really good at it. He had been good at pretty much everything because he always gave it his best to beat his opponent.

"You aren’t interested in joining the soccer team here? I imagine you doing exploits. Don’t tell anyone you heard this from me, but..." She leaned closer and said in a low voice, "Our soccer team kinda suck. Never won a game. Home or away."

Chris chuckled. Well, that sucks. "That kind of thing happens sometimes."

"Really?" Her tone implied, "You mean to tell me that it’s normal to keep failing repeatedly?"

"Well, maybe not all the time." He said in amusement, and both of them laughed.

He hadn’t expected Rain to be a very chatty person, and he liked it. He didn’t want to deal with any damsel who only smiled and blinked cutely and had nothing to talk about with him.

"So are you joining?" She asked him.

"Nah. I want to take a break from sports. Spent so many years on them. I just want to look for something else."

"Can you sing? Play any musical instrument? Dance? Act dramas?"

"Count me out for anything theatre." He almost cringed. He couldn’t bring himself to even imagine doing any of those.

"Painting?"

"And art too." Whatever concerned theatre and art, he was out of it.

"What about skateboarding? Cycling? Racing?"

"Racing? Like running?"

"Like an actual bike race."

"For real?" He stopped walking and looked very interested in the conversation now. "This school has that?" He asked, almost in disbelief.

"Not the school. But it holds on the outskirts of town at least once a month. Winners return with big money."

"Isn’t that, like... illegal? That’s part of gambling, isn’t it?" He inquired. He hadn’t exactly been to any event like that, and even if there were, his parents would have been too worried to have him participate.

"Not exactly. It’s fun. Just like those rich people in those countries bet on horses during horseracing events, we bet on bikes... Well, the riders. It’s a fine way to make money. Especially when you know Ash is competing. Just bet on him, and you’re good to go."

"Ash?"

"Ashely. He is our best here. In fact, the best everywhere. You already know Emily Calvin. Her father owns the event. I saw you two last night. Hitting it off with her?" She raised a questioning brow at him.

They had met again last night when he stepped out of the pub after what happened. The previous night before last night, he had assured Emily that if they met again, he would exchange numbers with her, and so he had to fulfil it when she simply approached him and handed her phone to him without saying a word.

He hadn’t been really interested. He had been too pissed to care about her. But after one look at her, he took the phone from her hand and typed in his number. It seemed like she didn’t trust him to have given her the correct number because she dialled it in front of him, and when his phone rang, she smiled.

"See you around." She said this before walking away and returning to the pub. He hadn’t bothered to check her number, nor did he save it, which is why when he received a text from Rain last night, he first thought it was from Emily.

"What are you thinking about? Do you know how to ride a bike?"

"I can try." He shrugged.

He’s had a bike for as long as he can remember, and he was pretty confident in that.

He has missed that life a bit. Just riding his bike, having more than enough cash he needed, and randomly shopping for unnecessary things online had been a good way to relieve stress.

Maybe riding a bike would bring him some sort of comfort, and if he could earn money from it, then why not?

"When is it happening next?"

She looked at him carefully. It looked like she had a lot of doubts about him.

"You... can ride a bike?" She asked.

Not that he blamed her. He looked like a nerd. He had also gotten here on a scholarship, which meant to others that he wasn’t exactly the type that could afford a luxury bike, so how else could he learn?

"There is no harm in trying. Wouldn’t hurt to make some extra cash."

She laughed in disbelief, asking, "You are even confident in winning?"

"Not really. But I can try."

He didn’t want to sound too smug, but he was confident in winning.

"It’s this Saturday. Would have been a bummer if it happened at night because we would have lost many customers in the pub. That’s like the biggest event over here, so expect a big crowd."

"How can I sign up to participate in the event?"

"You can do so online. I’d share the link. But if Ash is competing, you better not get your name on that list!" She warned.

"Ouch!" He pretended to be hurt and placed a hand on his chest.

"I’m just being honest." She laughed adorably.

The laugh once again reminded him of her brother. He could not help but smile back.

"What is happening this Saturday?" Rachel, who had finally caught up with them together with Noel, asked.

"Bike race. This guy here claims he can ride a bike. Is that true?"

Even though Noel looked like he wasn’t pleased to see Chris, he looked rather interested in the conversation.

"I... think so?" Rachel said hesitantly, looking at Chris, who shrugged.

"Want to keep heading out?" Noel asked Rachel, who looked at Chris.

"I’ll meet you outside," Chris said to her, and so she left with Noel.

"Are you... okay now?" Rain asked him in a serious tone.

"What?"

"You didn’t look good last night. You also said you were not feeling too well."

When he went outside last night for fresh air, Rachel came out to find him, wondering what was wrong, and when he continued to insist that he was okay and they should return inside, she didn’t press further.

When they went back in, Rain was already seated there, and the way all eyes on the table went to him before they moved away, he had a feeling they had been talking about him.

It had turned awkward from there, with the other guys no longer speaking to him and the only one who engaged with him being Rain, until he could not take it anymore and just stood up, saying he was leaving.

But after his conversation with Sky earlier, he could guess why it had happened like that. They had all probably concluded that Sky made him uncomfortable because of the way he looked last night. Which went as far as painting him as a homophobe, and it didn’t help that Henry wasn’t exactly straight.

Everything suddenly made sense. But he didn’t know why Rain was still cool with him.

"Last night must have been awkward, wasn’t it?" He asked her as they both resumed walking.

"Well..."

"I know it was." He cut in. "But whatever you all think happened isn’t it. I’ve already sorted it out with Sky, and we are good."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Then that’s fine. I hope we can all keep hanging out together."

He smiled and nodded.

"There are a lot of things about me that you may be interested in knowing. Just like I am interested in knowing about you too." She said it with a wink before she looked ahead and walked in long strides, leaving him slightly stunned and amused.