The New Boy [boyxboy]

Chapter Ten

AnDIE has gone offline.

So it turns out I’m a commitment-aholic. That’s nice to know.

                What’s also nice to know is that pretty much everyone had the same reaction when I told them Gary and I were on a break. My mom looked relieved and said she’d always thought he was a bit too possessive of me; my dad said he was glad I’d finally dumped the controlling bastard and now I could settle down with Andie (denial? Should I be concerned? Is it because of the divorce? Or was it a lame attempt at humour?); Teegan smiled knowingly like she’d been expecting it all along, and Dexter gave me a hug and said he was proud of me (I know. It’s already ingrained so deeply into my memory that I’ll probably dream about it for several weeks).

                But whatever. I’m gonna try not to think about it, and see how I get on living my life without a boyfriend. I’ve been with Gary since I was fourteen and it’s time to see what I’m like as a single person, as a whole rather than a half.

                And my friends are being totally supportive. They’ve got lots of things lined up for us to do over the next couple of weeks so I keep busy and don’t dwell on things. Granted one of them is taking Paulie Morgan on a group date with Teegan and the rest of us but I don’t think being around people who are in the process of getting together will upset me too much since they’re both straight and I don’t fancy Paulie Morgan (or Teegan). Plus Dexter is in pretty much exactly the same position as me so we can always just rely on each other for a depression session if it gets to be too much for us.

                I love my friends.

Saturday, 15th October, 2011

So yesterday was the day we were supposed to take Paulie Morgan on our group date. Teegan was all smiley and happy all day, Dex and I were mildly but not terribly depressed about the fact that we were going on a date with a guy we weren’t even seeing, and Andie was excited because she thrives on putting people in awkward situations and was practicing her snap “that’s what she said” response under her breath all day.

                At lunch the four of us sat at our regular table and were chatting away normally when Paulie and some of his similarly attractive jock friends came to join us so Andie and I were momentarily stunned while Dex glared at Paulie threateningly (even though Paulie is bigger than him) and Teegan blushed a light pink at the attention.

                Paulie must have noticed that Dex wasn’t exactly warming to him, because after a few minutes he faced him and said around a bite of cheeseburger (would he go vegan for Teegan’s sake? Would she make him? How come I had never noticed that Teegan the Vegan rhymed before that very minute?), ‘So, my sister says you’re in her Dance class.’

                ‘What’s her name?’ Dex asked stiffly.

                ‘Rebecca.’

                ‘Then yes,’ he confirmed, ‘I’m in her Dance class.’

                There was a moment as this registered and one of Paulie’s friends started to snigger, but Paulie elbowed him hard in the ribs and the guy went quiet. ‘That’s cool,’ Paulie said conversationally. ‘She says you’re good.’

                I looked up with interest. Dexter had mentioned on the first drive to school that he was taking Dance but I had never really thought about it. What kind of dance did he do? Tap? Ballet? Interpretive?