Page 74 of Advanced Chemistry

“As in a couple?” I shook my head no. “That’s impossible. Couples are defined as two people. Three people can’t be romantic.”

“Throuples are a thing,” Everett said.

“Just because you make a portmanteau doesn’t make it real. Attraction and relationships are based on two people uniting. Those are the rules upon which society has been based for millennia. It’s as close to scientific fact as there is.”

“And society has never shown a proclivity for making bullshit heteronormative rules before,” Amos said with his own heaping of sarcasm. “Three people are allowed to be attracted to each other. You are allowed to love two people at the same time.”

“Love? Who said anything about love?” Heat hit the back of my neck.

“Just saying. It’s not outside the realm of possibility.”

Amos said his declarative sentences without hesitation, but they still didn’t make complete sense. There was a leap in logic there. Could a person love two people equally? Sure, history had evidence of polygamous relationships, but it was about men controlling multiple women, not an equitable distribution of romantic feelings.

“Chase in a throuple? I did not have that on my bingo card, but then again, I don’t play bingo.” Everett shrugged and messed a hand through my hair.

“I am not in a throuple,” I said definitively. “I liked to avoid the mess of relationships, and that was with one person. Three people? That’s mess cubed.”

I shook my head, reiterating my previous protestation.

* * *

We hada half day at school, so once the seniors got their yearbooks and caps, we were allowed to go. Another school year for the record books.

When I got in my car, I turned my phone off silent. It blew up with messages from Anton and Sebastian.

Anton: What are you up to? Do you have a half day? We want to see you.

Sebastian: Hang out.

Anton: We want to blow off some steam. With you.

Anton: No clothes allowed.

Anton: You there?

Sebastian: Do they have a full day today? Man, South Rock has gone downhill since we were there.

Anton: Play hooky, Mr. M. We won’t tell.

I could feel my heart race and throat go dry as I read their messages. It was merely a physiological response to my sexual attraction for them. Sexual attraction. Not romantic.

Chase: I just got done with school. Apologies for missing your previous messages. I keep my phone on silent.

Sebastian: You are probably the only person in that school who does.

Sebastian: Still down to come over?

Chase: Sure. Did you want to order Chinese takeout?

Anton: Later. Let’s earn it first.

Anton was being more forward than usual. My heart kept racing, making it difficult to pay attention to navigating the parking lot. I stuck to a slow speed and weaved around clusters of students taking their sweet time getting to their cars.

Chase: What did you have in store?

I drove around the big grassy circle at the front of the school with a flagpole and students exchanging yearbooks on benches. As a good driver, I refrained from peering at my phone.

But then it buzzed with a text. I was going slow enough and knew this parking lot like the back of my hand.

---