A Year Away

Chapter 14

The restaurant Anna picked was a fancy looking Italian styled building on the outskirts of town. Erik and I, as usual, walked there from the house, but I stopped short of the entrance.

"Nervous?" Erik asks.

"A little. I mean I know they'll take it fine, I guess, I just..."

"I get it. I'm nervous too."

I squeeze his hand. "We can be nervous together."

"Together."

Erik opens the door for me and we walk in. Ida, Müller, and Anna are already at the table, waters are out for the whole table, even the two empty seats waiting for me and Erik.

Anna sees us first. "Finally! I can see Nicholas getting lost or something but Erik, seriou-" she stops herself. "Woah."

Müller turns around in his seat. "What are you-Erik?"

Ida looks up from the menu she was reading, her eyes darting to our hands and her mouth craving into a smirk. "Boys, something you wanna tell us?"

Erik and I look at each other, then start talking at the same time. "So, I like boys and Erik and I-" "You guys know I've been crushing on Nicky for a while now-" We both stop and stare at each other.

"You first." Erik offers.

"You told then you liked me?" I ask.

"Oh yeah he did." Müller replies, a smirk on his face. "He's been down bad fro you since the first game."

I raised an eyebrow at him. "Really?" What about me could possible warrant a crush? And on top of that I was a total wreck around that time. I didn't talk to him at all. I had nightmares like every night. Erik really had a crush on that mess?

Though I'm not that much better now.

Erik tries to shrug nonchalantly. "I would say 'down bad' is an overstatement."

Müller throws a hand on his forehead and changes his voice to what I"m assuming is his impression of Erik. "Oh, Fynn, I just love him so much. On game days when he wears his jersey around school I just can't stop staring."

Anna puts a hand on her heart, also trying out an Erik impression. "His hair has grown out since he first got here and I just want to run my fingers through those beautiful chocolate curls."

Ida tries to swallow down her giggle. "Guys, guys, you're being overly dramatic- and you're missing the best one." She leans against Anna and pats her own Erik persona, this one seeming to be near tears. "What if I flew to America on his graduation and confessed my undying love for him. Then we make out while everyone throws their caps in the air like they always do in the movies."

The three of them burst into laughter so hard their eyes start watering. Erik lets go of my hand to bury his reddening face in his hands.

I bite down my own laugh, but I'm also unbelievably grateful for the man standing next to me- even more than I had been if that was possible. He didn't tell them I was gay, not that I thought he would, and on top of all that he found reasons to like me through all my issues and problems. I really wasn't a pity project to him. I was just a friend- or more than that now- that he wanted to help get better because he cared about me.

"I would say 'down bad' fits." I try to keep the humor out of my voice.

"Let's just take our seats." Erik grumbles, taking my hand and leading me to one of the empty seats at the table. He pulls out my chair for me. I thank him and sit down. He sits down on the other side of me, Müller is on my other side and the girls are across from us.