Page 9 of The Friend Scheme
Seriously, damn, boy.
“So where to?” he asks.
“Huh?”
“Where do you wanna go now?”
I frown. “Back to Jimmy’s?”
This was fun, but I feel a creeping dread about it. If Dad noticed I was missing, I don’t know what I’d tell him. I can’t say the truth, which is that I met a random guy in the bathroom and decided to leave with him because I thought he was gorgeous.
There are the rumors about me. I don’t know what Jason’s deal is, and what he likes, but I feel hanging out one-on-one with a boy like him might add some fuel to that particular fire. I don’t feel bad about being gay, I don’t even really care about it. It’s just what I am; boys have always done it for me. I like deep voices and short haircuts and big arms.
I especially like how boys look when they take off their shirts.
I just don’t want anyone to know yet. I suspect they’ll make a big deal out of it, which I don’t want. It’s none of their business. Me liking guys is my thing. It’s not like anyone’s trying super hard to date me, so for now, it doesn’t even matter.
“You don’t want to hit the beach or something?” he asks. “The water’s nice this time of night.”
“I can’t,” I say. “Dad will freak.”
He nods. “Fair.”
“Won’t your parents? Who are they, by the way?”
“We had a deal. No family talk tonight. Just us, being our own men, remember?”
“Oh, right.”
I get kind of a kick out of him calling me a man.
Still. I want to poke further about who this boy is, but a deal is a deal. We walk in silence, until we reach the back door of the bar.
“That was fun,” says Jason. “I get told I’m hard to read a lot, so I figured I’d just say it. I had fun.”
I nod. “I had fun, too.”
He tucks his hands into his pockets. “Maybe we could do it again sometime, then? Would you like that?”
I would. Very much. I’m not ready for this to be over. But maybe this should be a one-time thing. A welcome one, but I have a feeling hanging around Jason is a bad idea for me.
Am I being presumptuous? I don’t think this is a gay thing. It’s probably just a friend thing.
Or maybe not?
“Well, maybe next time you see me in the bathroom, you could ask,” I say.
So now I know flirting isn’t a gift of mine. Great.
He laughs. “I’ll keep an eye out. Well, I’m off. Later.”
“You’re not coming back in?”
“Nah, I’m going to head home.”
“Okay, well, nice meeting you or whatever.”
“It was nice meeting you, too, Matt. Or whatever.”
