Odd One

Ch 10

Jordan had just finished cleaning her bathroom when she heard the doorbell ring and tossed the yellow gloves in the cupboard.

"Just can't stay away, can you?" she asked in a flirty tone as she opened the door, startled when she discovered Garrett standing there and not Jason. "Oh, it's you." Well at least it's not Zack, she thought with some relief.

He looked nervous, and she leaned against the door-frame. "What do you want now, Garrett?"

"I need to fuck you," he blurted.

"Excuse me?"

"Just to see if I like it," he added.

She blinked. "What the hell is that supposed to mean, Garrett?" she demanded with a frown. He looked away in shame. "Well?"

When he finally answered he looked upset. "I've never been with a woman before, and until I do, Zack is always going to treat me like I'm not good enough."

Jordan crossed her arms over her chest. "So you want to nail your coworker just so you can tell everybody about it and gain their approval? I'm sorry Garrett, but there's no fucking way I'm going to..."

"I like men, Jordan," Garrett blurted weakly, catching her completely off guard. Wait, what? "I'm scared, because Zack is the biggest raging homophobic on the fucking planet and if he finds out that all this time I was gay, I don't know what he'll do to me," he fretted. "I don't want to be like Jason. Zack is so terrible to him. I don't know what to do. I'm living a lie and I can't...I can't do this anymore," Garrett sobbed, hiding his face with his hands.

Jordan suddenly felt bad for him, putting her arms around him and guiding him into her house, closing the door behind them. She helped her coworker to the couch and held him so he could cry on her shoulder.

"Oh man. Is that what your drawing of Jason was about? You like him," she understood, trying to soothe him.

"I always liked him," he confessed. "Had the worst crush all through high school, but I could never tell him. I never had the courage. And then Zack made him a target and I had to let it go. I couldn't even be nice to Jason."

"Why are you even friends with Zack?" Jordan asked with a frown. "Obviously you don't like being around him."

Garrett sat back and dried his eyes with the backs of his hands.

"Being in his social circle was always safer than not being in it. I got a wake up call when everybody started talking about this foster kid in our grade named Derik. I guess he got caught kissing another boy in the shower room. It wasn't a big deal, but Zack jumped on that and started bullying him for it. Poor Derik couldn't escape the tormenting until graduation when he fought back against Davis. He tried so hard to fit in, chasing after the cute girls like everyone else. I think he still suppresses his true self," Garrett speculated. "I don't even know where he is now."

Jordan smiled, getting up to make tea and offer him some. "Derik is working in the kitchen at the gaming arcade. Jason took me there," she informed him. "You want to go with me and check it out?" she offered enthusiastically.

"Jason took you...like a date?"

"Ah crap," she mumbled, realising that it was supposed to be a secret. Though Garrett had just come out to her, she still wasn't sure she could trust him yet.

"It's okay. I guess I knew there was something going on with you two. Zack doesn't know. He's still hoping that he'll get to tap that first. That's actually the other reason I came over. You really shouldn't go to his party," he warned.

"Why not? I can handle myself. Besides, Jason will be there."

"Not if Zack has anything to say about it. Did anybody ever tell you about Rosie? She worked at our office for a few weeks, but she went to one of Zack's stupid mixers and had to quit on Monday because pictures got passed around the office."