A Flutter in Time

Chapter 9 - Misunderstanding

"She was a jerk then." Bdubs frowned. Etho just shrugged.

"Maybe she was just having a bad day?"

"Maybe." Bdubs said. He huffed and licked his ice cream, continuing to hold Etho's hand. Etho was internally screaming at that.

"Hey, we have a little bit till we're hanging out with Doc, wanna walk around the park?" Bdubs's eyes lit up.

"Yeah! Sounds fun! Let's do that."

.....................................................

Joel's phone rang, the annoying beeping blaring through his ears. He paused his game of Super smash bros and put down his controller so he could answer it.

"Hello?"

"Hey Joel, it's Katherine. We need to talk." He held the phone between his ear and his shoulder so he could continue his game. He picked back up the controller and continued the match.

"Sure. What's up"

"Don't go out with Etho anymore." Joel frowned, continuing to mash buttons on his controller.

"What? Why?" There was a pause on the other end.

"Because he has a boyfriend." Joel froze. The phone dropped from his ear onto his lap. When he finally realized what she had said, the K.O. screen popped up and Joel's character in the game died. He threw the controller and picked his phone back up.

"W-What did you say?"

"I'm sorry Joel. I saw him come into the shop earlier with some guy, and they were holding hands. Etho even paid for the guy."

"A-and you sure they weren't siblings? Cousins?"

"The guy looked to be a glare hybrid. Etho is a fox. There's no way that they were related..."

"You're kidding right? Pulling my leg?" Joel stood up from where he was sat on the floor and started to pace.

"I wish I was."

"This... this can't be real. there's gota be some explanation."

"Joel..." 

"He would have told me if he wasn't single..." 

"Joel." 

"He wouldn't have agreed to go on a date!" 

"Joel!" Katherine was practically begging for him to listen to her at this point. Joel was having none of it. This couldn't be right. He spoke, voice filled with rage.

"I gotta go."

"Joel! please! Wait-" Joel hung up the call and threw his phone on the couch. This wasn't real. Etho had a boyfriend? He couldn't have a boyfriend! Etho had gone on a date with him. Etho had kissed him! He had to be single! And he seemed to socially awkward to be a player!

Joel tugged at his hair in frustration and ran upstairs to his room. He pulled open one of his desk drawers and fished out the pictures from the photo booth at the arcade. Sure enough, there was the one with Etho kissing him. And he'd said he'd do it again on their next date. There was supposed to be a next date! Etho was supposed to be single! 

Joel threw the pictures back into the drawer and slammed it. He stomped back down the stairs and grabbed his phone off the couch. He opened it to call Etho. That's when he realized he had never gotten the man's phone number. He cursed and threw his phone back on the couch.

Then there was a knock at the door.

Joel angrily stomped over and threw the front door open. He expected it to be Katherine or Scott, coming over to make sure he wasn't destroying his house after hearing the news. Instead, he was met with an unfamiliar face. His anger faded a bit as he stared at the avian before him.