All Planned Out

Fifteen (Alex)

Another small laugh. "I wouldn't force you to do anything, man. If I needed a ride home I'd just ask a coworker to drop me off or I'd call my parents. I'd probably do that first, cause if my car was messed up they'd want to know about it."

"That makes sense." I said with a nod. "I'm sure Carlos would totally give you a ride."

"What? Carlos? What?" Out of the corner of my eye I could see his hands flailing. "What are you talking about?"

It was a rather warm afternoon, but my hands were suddenly frozen to my steering wheel. I had to choose my next words very carefully, lest he find out that I knew anything at all about his secret. That was the last thing I needed, because I'm still not sure how I feel about him and his feelings about, well, me.

So I chuckled. I rolled my eyes. I pushed myself to laugh as hard as I could. I almost choked. "Aw, man, uh, last week when I stopped by the store to give you that script and he was outside...he complimented you in a way that, uh, guys don't usually compliment other guys. I was just making a joke that he'd totally help you out just cause, like, I think he thinks you're cute or something. I wasn't implying you'd be into it or anything. It was just a joke, man. Relax."

"He really said something to you about me? Seriously?"

"Uh, yeah."

"He really needs to stop that shit." He said. I looked over to see him shaking his head and sighing. "He talks like that about every fucking guy in the store, and usually to every other fucking guy in the store. It doesn't matter if they're sixteen or thirty-six, single, married, whatever...he's a creep."

"Oh, sorry. I thought you two were friends or whatever."

"I don't hate him, Alex. He's just annoying. He doesn't cross any lines and he knows so long as he doesn't that nobody's going to say shit to him. It's not like he's walking around behind the counter rubbing himself on everybody. He just runs his mouth. And I showed him my script because he asked, just like I showed it to you. It's not a big deal."

"I never said it was a big deal."

He gave me another sigh. I felt it all the way into the soles of my feet. "He's just one of those dudes that only knows one way to communicate with people and that's to flirt like his life depends on it. Nobody takes it seriously. Except him." He softly shuddered. "So, yeah, that's why I'd never ask him for a ride. Ever."

"I see. Sorry. It really was just a joke."

"Let's just stop with the jokes and get serious..." he said, twisting in his seat to face me, "...how's Charlotte been doing?"

I shrugged. "Fine, I think."

"Is she becoming unbearable yet?"

"Unbearable?"

"From talking about Montana all the time? Does she not do that? It seems like something she would do."

"Well, I can tell you that I still don't know what happened when they were at the skate park together last Thursday. Every time I asked about it she just got annoyed and so I decided not to push my luck."

"So you're saying that you think something happened?" Stuart smiled and bounced up and down enough that his hair flopped into his face. "I totally want to believe that but, like, I think I'd know if something wild happened between those two. Montana would have told me."

"I'm sure something happened," I said, "but I don't think that something is what you think it is."

"She would have told me. She's not great at keeping secrets."

I winced, but I'm not sure he noticed. If he did, he didn't react. What was I supposed to say now? Everything crossing my mind would make me sound guilty of something if I spoke it out loud.