U For Ungainly

L.Joe and Ricky had a lot in common. Both were short and were the top students in their high school. They were friends and regularly studied together.

People assumed L.Joe was ungainly and bad at sports because he spent most of his time studying. And they were right. To put it simply L.Joe at sports.

There were even rumors he had barely passed PE class last year. He denied this of course.

Ricky didn’t have any rumors like that because everyone knew he was good at sports. He and his friend, ChangJo, were on the baseball team in middle school. Ricky was the star batter on the team. When he started high school he took his studies more seriously and didn’t join the high school team. That’s how he and L.Joe became friends.

ChangJo joined the baseball team in high school. He wasn’t bad at his academics, average was good enough for him. Ricky and him still remained best friends.

Niel was one of Ricky’s friends too but he was on the swimming team. Everyone that he swam so well because he was a guppy.

L.Joe had his own friends too. ChunJi and him were neighbors and had known each other for years. Cap was an upper classmate who ate lunch and hung out with him. L.Joe honestly wasn’t sure how they became friends. They just were.

L.Joe had a crush on Ricky. Had since they first met in the library. The image of Ricky sitting at one of the library’s many tables pensively reading a book while the sun shone on him, was scorched into L.Joe’s memory.

L.Joe has never told anyone about his crush, only planning on telling his friends if Ricky accepted his confession.

It seemed like he would never tell his friends. 

L.Joe slumped in his seat. Ricky has invited him to watch the baseball game and he had agreed, not remembering ChangJo was on the team.

He had pitifully thought it was a date. That illusion was shattered when Niel has showed up too.

Niel gave him a strange look.

“Are you feeling okay L.Joe?” He asked concerned.

“Yeah,” L.Joe said. He got sick a lot no matter how well he took care of his body. His body was fine though. He was sulking over the fact he was sitting on the bleachers with Niel and Ricky beside him. Ricky was passionately cheering for ChangJo, standing up and chanting a cheer. Occasionally Niel would join in but mostly he just watched.

If L.Joe had known it was going to be like this he never would have come. 

ChangJo, he thought sourly, could go break his leg for all he cared. He was envious of the boy’s close relationship with Ricky.

He had asked ChunJi last week when they were hanging out about what he could do to be more attractive. ChunJi had idly responded that girls love guys who were athletic. L.Joe was sure he had only said that because he was reading a sports magazine at the time so he hadn’t given it much thought.

But obviously Ricky likes ChangJo and ChangJo was the definition of sports. Maybe ChunJi was being serious after all.

L.Joe bit his lip as he thought. If he played sports would Ricky like him?

“Go ChangJo!!” Ricky yelled and L.Joe decided that having Ricky cheer him on was reward enough for playing sports.

L.Joe stood up suddenly. “Hey guys I have to go. I’ll you see you at school tomorrow.” He said quickly before leaving not pausing to hear their replies.

He called Cap. “Hey Cap?”

Cap mumbled something that L.Joe assumed was a greeting.

“Can you help me practice basketball?”

He heard Cap roar with laughter.

“Hey! It’s not that funny! You used to play right? I really want to learn.”

“L.Joe? What did you say to Cap? He’s rolling around on the floor laughing.” ChunJi said after stealing the phone from Cap.

“I just asked him to teach me to play basketball.”

L.Joe hung up after hearing ChunJi’s equally if not louder cackling. He went to the park near his house that had a basketball court.

He decided after a few minutes of running around the basketball court that he needed to buy new clothes. His skinny jeans and hoodie were not the most comfortable things to exercise in.

Cap called him back.

“Hello?”

“You really want to learn how to play basketball?”

“Yes!” Finally Cap was taking his request seriously.

“Why?”

L.Joe paused. He didn’t like lying to his friends. “To impress someone.”

“Is our little L.Joe finally growing up?” He cooed.

“Shut up.” He muttered embarrassed.

“I’ll help you. Tomorrow let’s meet up at the basketball court at the park.”

“And then grab lunch after?”

“Sure. Oh and ChunJi says he’s coming too.”

“Then he has to pay for lunch.”

“He says that’s fine, he would feel bad if he didn’t pay for the entertainment of watching you attempting to play basketball.”

L.Joe hung up. ChunJi would be in shock and awe when he saw how good L.Joe was tomorrow.

But just to be sure he should practice today to look better tomorrow.

His lungs ached after running for five minutes. He took a break. It wouldn’t be any good if he got too tired for tomorrow.

He went home thirty minutes later and found an old basketball game to watch online. L.Joe woke up to his mother telling him dinner was ready. The game still had an hour left.

L.Joe made sure to go to bed early that night to have more energy the next day.

“This is hilarious.” ChunJi wheezed out between laughs. L.Joe glared at him from his position on the floor. He couldn’t believe when he tried to show off by making a slam dunk the ball slipped from his hands as he jumped and landed on his head.

ChunJi started to film the practice session with his phone. He insisted the video was going to be gold and it would get over a million views on youtube. L.Joe doubted it would since ChunJi’s hands kept shaking from his giggling. 

After an hour ChunJi had put the camera away and was watching them with lackluster. Watching L.Joe fall was funny only so many times.

“Should we get lunch now?” Cap suggested.

L.Joe and ChunJi agreed, one feeling like he was dying from exercising and the other bored out of his mind.

They went to a popular cafe, that was frequented by students. Cap grabbed a table while L.Joe and ChunJi waited in line to order.

After grabbing their food they turned to find Cap sitting with Ricky, Niel, and ChangJo.

“Hey,” L.Joe said sitting down with them

“Hi L.Joe. Are you feeling better?” Ricky asked.

“Yeah.” He said.

“You looked pretty bad during the game.” Niel added.

“I just remembered I had to do something.” L.Joe said.

“So who’s your crush L.Joe?” ChunJi asked grinning.

L.Joe shot him a warning look.

“You have a crush?” Ricky asked.

“Yup. He’s trying to impress her by playing basketball.” ChunJi replied.

“Really?” Niel laughed. L.Joe glared at ChunJi. See what you’ve done?

Cap nodded coming in his friend’s defense. “Yeah he’s pretty good at it.”

“We used to play when we were younger.” ChunJi added.

“I never expected you to be a basketball player.” ChangJo said. 

L.Joe shrugged. He didn’t expect himself to be one either.

“Yeah, you’re way shorter than the players on TV.” Niel added. L.Joe cuffed the back of his head while rolling his eyes.

They laughed and ChunJi deftly changed the subject to school.

ChangJo and Niel left first. Both had to study for the impending exam. ChunJi left next. He said he had to go grocery shopping for his mom. Cap left after he got a call from ChunJi asking for help carrying the grocery bags home.

“So you are really playing basketball to impress someone?” Ricky asked.

“Yeah, there’s someone I like.” L.Joe said trying to not blush.

“Why? I mean why would she be impressed by you playing basketball?”

“Because I can show off my muscles and how athletic I am. I’m going to try out for the basketball team.”

“Who is it that you like?”

“I promised myself that I won’t tell anyone but my crush first.” L.Joe said. He regretted it a second later. He could have simply told Ricky the truth smoothly. It would have been the perfect timing!

“Oh,” Ricky said quietly.

L.Joe was silent, trying to figure out what Ricky meant by that. Was he disappointed?

“You should know that the try outs for basketball and every other school club ended already.”

L.Joe stared at him blankly. Why hadn’t he thought of that earlier? All of his work was for nothing! A whole day of practice and all the teasing he received from his friends, and he still wasn’t any closer to confessing to Ricky.

“Maybe you could show her your muscles by wearing a sleeveless shirt.” Ricky suggested.

“It’s not a her.” L.Joe blurted out. He anxiously watched Ricky’s expression. He smiled hesitantly at L.Joe.

“Is it ChunJi?” Ricky asked his eyes dropped to stare at the table.

“No, it’s someone I met in school.” L.Joe hinted. His confidence grew with Ricky’s blush.

“Is it..” Ricky trailed off, “Niel? You two tease each other a lot.”

And then L.Joe knew Ricky knew. That little smirk on his face was teasing and it made L.Joe want to melt. He decided to play along.

“Well he does have nice lips.”

Ricky’s eyes widened before he shot back, “It’s too bad Niel likes someone else then.”

L.Joe gave him a serene smile. Glad he had managed to wipe the smirk off Ricky’s face. “I’m sure I can convince him to date me. I can be very sweet when I want to be.”

Ricky frowned and L.Joe nearly swooned. “But he’s taller than you. You told me you would never date someone taller than you.”

“I can make an exception.” L.Joe said honestly. Ricky was taller than him by a few centimeters.

“I don’t think you should date Niel.”

“Why not?”

“Because,” Ricky struggled for words.

“It’s okay I don’t like him anyway.” L.Joe decided to take pity on him.

Ricky let out a sigh.

“Do you have anymore guesses on my crush?”

“ChangJo? You avoid him, is it because you like him?” Ricky asked almost jokingly.

“Nope.”

“Then is it..”

“It’s someone I thought would be impressed if I played a sport. Someone who likes to watch baseball.” L.Joe leaned closer across the table until his face was an inch away from Ricky’s.

Ricky looked up at him and his breath got caught in his throat.

“Me?”

“Of course.” L.Joe whispered and slowly kissed him. Ricky’s eyelids fluttered shut.

AN: so sorry for the long wait again. TT^TT next chapter will be posted in 2 or 3 days. please review so i know what you guys think! :D <333

Next Chapter: V For Velcro