Figure

Gay

“Are we still cool?” Theo asked the next evening, running up to me as soon as I was halfway down the street. It was a clear night, unlike the day before with the sudden snowstorm. The air was cool and crisp and the frost lined on the grass and fences looked stunning in the moonlight.

“Yeah, why?” I asked calmly, knowing exactly why.

“Well you just kinda upped and left yesterday and I wasn’t sure if it was something that I said,” he mumbled once we started our usual route around the neighborhood.

“No, I just didn’t know how to react to you…”

“Me what?” Theo asked impatiently.

“You… flirting with me like that…” I finished feeling slightly uncomfortable.

“Oh,” he responded. “I’ll stop if you want me to, it was just fun to mess with you like that.”

“Oh no that’s fine. It’s just I don’t like when people touch me.”

“You mean like this?” Theo said and kissed me on the cheek quickly.

“What was that!?” I asked feeling startled and slightly giddy. I raised my hand to my cheek and cupped my mitten around it as I looked at him almost scared.

“That was my final flirtatious motion that involves touching you,” he answered smiling his signature smile. I laughed nervously and looked down at the ground.

“Don’t worry, I’m not going to do it again,” he assured me. I nodded, still dazed.

“You’re so gay,” I finally said and laughed.

“Says the boy in the woman’s jacket and maroon scarf.” Theo stuck his tongue out at me. We approached Jackson’s house and listened in on his pop music playing. Jealous by Nick Jonas greeted us and I rolled my eyes.

“I hate this song,” I exasperated. We laughed at the lyrics and sat on the fence at the bottom of Jackson’s driveway for a while.

“Wanna dance?” Theo asked. “Well unless you don’t want me touching you at all,” he added, looking down.

“I’m not that conservative,” I replied. “But sit here with me for a bit.”

Theo jumped back up onto the fence, still keeping his distance. “What’s up man?”

“Well I’m done walking my dog. The chores switch tomorrow so my little sister will come down instead of me,” I said, not sure how to bring up a different time and place to meet up.

“Well how about after school you could come to my house?” Theo offered. “Or I could go to your house, but whatever you’re comfortable with.”

“Dude, calm down!” I exhaled loudly and put my hand on his shoulder. “I’m not afraid of you, I’m not uncomfortable of your presence, and I’m not going to dictate everything about you. So you can chill, ok?”

Theo breathed out and smiled up at me from his slouched position. I smiled back and dropped my hand back to my side. The song switched on Jackson’s playlist to Take Me to Church by Hoizer and I noticed the hockey sounds of pucks and sticks slamming against everything, skates scratching against the ice, and the yells and outbursts of the boys.

“Let’s go home,” I said finally and called over Maisie. We hopped off the fence and headed back.