Short Story done for RaeKitano's Short Story Challenge - Trapped in the Bathroom
I can’t believe this is happening. I - I can’t even catch my breath. I’m hyperventilating. Breath, Lucas. Breathe. Everything is going to be fine. Everything is alright. Did this stall just get smaller? I swear it was much bigger when I came inside a few minutes ago.
God, look at me. I’m in a freaking bathroom stall. I’m sitting on a gotdamn toilet. I’m pathetic.
Why had I even come here? Why did I listen to Julia? I knew I should have stayed home. But Julia was like you should go. He is sending obvious subliminal messages that he wants you to go. This is the last time I ever listen to Julia. God, Liam’s face, when I approached him, he was like a deer in headlights. He was surprised alright.
Then, he introduced me to his colleagues as his friend. His friend? We live together and I’m just a . . . friend – nothing more. We’ve been together for a year and I am a friend! A gotdamn friend - not even a best friend or a BFFL – A fucking friend. That’s one step above an associate or a colleague. I am much more than that. I can’t believe he embarrassed me like that.
I swear I’m not talking to Liam ever again. It’s official. Liam is ashamed of me. He’s ashamed of his sexuality and me. I don’t care if he stares those icy blue of his into mine and professes his undying love to me – I am not speaking to him ever again.
This all makes sense now. No wonder he never let me come to his job or answer his cell phone. Any time his job had an event he always went alone, claiming that it was boring and I wouldn’t like it. It was all a big fat lie. Liam was committing the greatest sin a gay man could ever commit - He was pretending to be straight. He was a straight man by day and my gay lover by night. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t seen this. I was blinded by his beauty.
God, I’m stupid.
“Hey! Some of us need to use the bathroom!” Someone shouted out banging on the stall door.
“And I ate a bad spicy tuna roll! So suck it up and use the next one!” I shouted back angrily. God, I was in the middle of a crisis. I didn’t have time for people’s bodily functions. I have needs too. People can be so selfish sometimes. Ugh – this makes me think of my ex-boyfriend, Rodney, now talk about selfish. The guy only cared about his dogs, his job and his car, and that’s all he ever talked about. I was like if your car is so great, why don’t you just marry it? Why don’t you just have sex with your car? Well, one day his car got trashed and let’s just say, Rodney and I, are no longer on speaking terms. I wonder who could have done that. God, I can be such a vindictive bitch sometimes.
Speaking of being a vindictive bitch, what am I doing wallowing in self-pity in a bathroom? I should be telling Liam off. I should expose who he really is to all of his wonderful colleagues. I’m sure they’d be interested to know of his relationship status and his extracurricular activities, which include making love to me.
I stormed out of the bathroom without another thought in a fit of rage. Just as I did, someone grabbed my arm, pulling me to the side.
“I’ve been looking for you everywhere,” Liam whispered.
“Well, you obviously weren’t looking hard enough,” I retorted.
“Lucas,” Liam sighed. “I can’t deal with you right now. Could you drop the attitude?”
“Oh, attitude? I have an attitude? I’m so sorry, Liam,” I snorted sarcastically. “As a friend, I should be more considerate, huh? That’s what we are - right? - friends. That’s what you said.”
“Lucas,” he said his eyes growing wide. “Baby – Don’t do this! Not here! Please.”
“I’m going to mingle a bit with your colleagues,” I replied. “Don’t worry I won’t tell them about us or about your particular sexual preferences.”
