bros (a bxb story)

Twelve

Chapter Twelve: V Day

"Morning."

I stopped in the hallway, still in my boxers, confused. No one was supposed to be home right now. Jeremy was meeting with more sponsors today, trying to organize some kind of tour to Singapore or Malaysia this summer. He'd been working on a real pitch, with dates and proposed expenses, thoughts about how to incorporate the products into our live content, which basically consisted of answering Instagram questions live and doing more boys love games. He'd discussed it all with Kenny. I told him I'd do whatever but who knows if Sammy was on board or not. He mostly only talked to Kenny these last few days.

Kenny was out with Yuri all day and I didn't expect him home until tomorrow.

Because it was Valentine's Day.

So it had to be Sammy on the couch. I walked a little farther into the living room.

It was. He was wearing his boxers and nothing else, his comforter on his lap. Remote in his hand.

I didn't want to talk to him. I hadn't talked to him very much since that thing happened on stage. It wasn't really any different, I guess, than what Jeremy and I did for videos, the boys love stuff, and what Kenny tried off and on with both of us, since Sammy normally refused. But somehow, it just felt different. It made me angry even thinking about it. Because I'd thought...but...whatever....

Asshole.

"What are you doing home? Aren't you mister we should never skip class?" I knew I sounded snotty, like a big brat but whatever. He deserved it.

He shrugged, his eyes glassy. "I didn't sleep very good. I couldn't get the energy to get dressed."

I went into the kitchen and ate a banana. Bagged up some snack garbage we'd left out, put last night's Chinese food into the fridge. Wiped the counters even. I didn't have class for a couple of hours, but I didn't really feel like hanging out in my room.

Sammy just sat there, head on the back of the couch, flipping through the Netflix feed, not choosing anything. Not saying anything.

I gave in and sat down on the couch, on the other end. He looked at me for a second, then looked back at the screen.

"Are you upset about Ivy?" He finally said, his voice monotone.

"What? No." Still a snotty brat.

"No? You're not upset that she broke up with you? I thought you liked her. You guys seemed good."

I watched the screen for a few minutes.

"Don't want to talk to me, huh?" He laid his head down on the armrest, his feet on the couch, his body curled up like a cat. Facing away from me, pulling the blanket up around him. He sounded sad.

I couldn't take it. That build up of coldness between us. And I wanted to talk to him. He was my friend.

"Naw. It was okay. She cheated on me. So ... whatever."

"She did? Really? I thought she was pretty nice. I wouldn't have thought she would do that to you." Now he sounded vaguely more awake.

"Yeah. She hooked up with Jeremy the week before."

Sammy sat up and faced me, his face twisted.

"Jeremy!? Jeremy fucked YOUR girlfriend? What the hell, Jimmy? You're not pissed at him?"

"No." I guess it was weird. It didn't bother me that he did it. Messed around with Ivy. I felt bad that she'd misunderstood and thought that it meant more to him. Because it didn't. But my empathy for her was limited since she got with him before breaking up with me. Not that, ultimately, I was super bothered.