Rock, Paper, Scissors

23: Now that's Embarrassing

As Noah drove us to school the next day we couldn't stop smiling. I thought something good must have happened with Laura, but the smile faded away when I mentioned her name. I felt bad for it and was secretly wishing she would go to the party Friday and maybe Noah would find in alcohol the courage to talk to her, and maybe she would like that, and then maybe they would dance together, and kiss, and live happily ever after. Yeah, that was what I wished for the most.

It would be nice to have both of my best friends with the ones they love. I guess it would leave me and Tyler being the fifth and sixth wheel and I'm not sure my patience would survive that ride. Then again Tyler might have a change of heart by being surrounded by couples and ditch his Don Juan days for a girl, leaving me to be the seventh wheel, alone.

I let out a deep sigh as I imagined my sad, lonely future, I would certainly die a virgin. I shook that thought out of my head. Since when did I worried about that stuff? Jeez! I was young and had my whole life in front of me to do that. I didn't need to think about it now. At least that's what I told myself as Noah parked the car.

The day was, like all Mondays, grim. Students dragged their feet through the halls, being seeing their friends the only consolation they had. I was peaceful though, for the first time in months I had no worries. All of my friends were safe and sound. I couldn't help but feel tears prickle my eyes, remembering what I had lost already and what I could have lost if things had been different.

I braced myself when lunchtime came. I wondered if I should leave Micah in my seat so he could be next to Nick but decided against it. If they were hiding their relationship that would probably put them on the spot. Imagine my surprise and shock, and I-don't-even-know-what, when I walked to our usual table and see Micah, sitting at my place, his arm over Nick's shoulders.

My lips parted and I took the free place next to Noah, being directly seated in front of my best friend and his, apparently now, official boyfriend. I decided to ignore what I knew, what I saw, and kept my mouth shut, keeping away all of the questions I had: When? Where? How? I wanted to be respectful of their sexuality, not press them with questions that might imply it wasn't normal, because I knew better than to think that.

The strangest thing was that no one spoke at the table. I was waiting on a snarky comment from Tyler or one of his usual explicit jokes, but the table remained silent. So, to fill the void, I asked Nick when the next fight was.

"Next week. It's the semi-finals."

"You're going to nail it, babe," Micah said, softly rubbing his thumb on Nick's cheek. I almost choked on my food and went for the water in front of me. It's not the PDA I witnessed or the words that came out of Micah's mouth – I mean, I'm not going to lie, I had never heard the word 'babe' coming out of his mouth before, – but the high pitched tone he used that surprised me.

Don't get me wrong, I was glad that my friend fully assumed his relationship and who he was in front of the whole school. I was proud of him. But he had never acted like this, it's almost as he had changed who he was. But then again, maybe he didn't change, maybe he just got tired of hiding it and just went for it and is now showing his true self.

I grabbed Micah's hand firmly in mine and looked at him straight in the eyes. "I'm here for you, no matter what. I accept you, who you truly are, and will always love you." I confessed earnestly, making sure he knew that he could always count on me.

I didn't get the reaction I'd expected. Instead of a heart-to-heart moment, the table erupted in laughter. I looked around like I was the one crazy and not them who were laughing like maniacs. Tyler was holding his stomach, Noah rubbing tears from his eyes, Micah couldn't stop in place and Nick, ever so contained, laughing while he shook his head.

"When Nick told us what you said we had to take the opportunity," Micah said in between laughs. "I- I'm sorry Jules, but your face."

I would tell them about my face with a smack on the back of their heads. I had been anxious over having to keep a secret, over not knowing how to act or what to say, all of that because of a joke.

"So, to be clear, you're not gay?"

Micah stopped laughing, or tried, before answering. "No. I'm not, I'm pretty sure I only like girls. I mean I guess Nick could be my type too." I got up to punch his arm and he whined in pain, only for me to smack the back of his head too.

"You?" I asked Nick.

"I rather not say anything and avoid your physical abuse," he joked, but still got the smack he deserved it.

"How could you think they were banging each other?" Tyler asked. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. Have you been reading fanfictions, Angel?" He also got a smack before I found my seat again.

"No, I don't read those," I lied, I had read one or two. "Why else would he be showering at Micah's?" I tried to defend myself.

"We had a morning training session," Micah kindly explained.

"Not the type of physical activity you imagined Angel," Tyler snorted. "But tell me, did you enjoy the show?" Tyler winked at me.

"Oh yes, the PDA was very believable, the high pitch though, not so much," I admitted.

Tyler shook his head. "I'm not talking about this; I'm talking about the show my man Nick offered you at Micah's." Tyler couldn't have been clearer, and I couldn't have felt hotter. I was burning from the inside out, and Tyler's laugh at my reaction, or lack of it, made it worse. I was done, so, so done. There was no escaping this.

I looked up at Nick for some stupid reason only to find any trace of amusement on his face gone. Instead, a pinkish shade covered his cheeks. I took some comfort in it, at least I wasn't the only one embarrassed now.

Micah saved me by quickly changing the subject to a football game that was going to happen sometime this week. His favorite team was playing. Tyler was nice enough to let it go, but not before throwing a smirk and a wink at me. I just glared at him, struggling to not stick my tongue out at him like a five-year-old.

All that vanished when I realized I had another tutoring session with Nick the next day. How was I supposed to survive that? Hell! How was I supposed to focus on math when I was pretty sure my mind would keep undressing and imagine those muscles and sharp lines? Thank God Noah was going to be there with me, I really needed to raise my grades.