Hide or Fight

Chapter 9 - Nervous.

Soda's POV

"Steve?" I called into the metal garage. "You in here?"

Steve, my best buddy since forever ago, stepped out from behind a car's open hood while whipping a greasy rag over his shoulder. "Hey, man, what's up? I thought you were still using your vacation days."

"Oh, uh, I am. Or, I was, I guess. I'm gonna come back in tomorrow for work."

"Okay, it'll be good to have you back. I'm pretty sure we lost some of our business while you were away."

"Let me guess, were the customers female?"

"Bingo," Steve chuckled.

"Look, I need to talk to you, Steve," I said in all seriousness.

"Okay, the garage is empty. Shoot."

"Uhm, so you know how me and Dally have been...uh—"

"Fucking?"

"No! Steve!"

"What?" he asked as he laughed his ass off.

"We haven't been fucking, Steve! God!" I started as he continued to laugh. "Talking, okay? We've been talking."

"Yeah, yeah, what about it?" He was still fucking laughing.

"Well, uh, we kinda went on a date earlier..."

"Oh, really? Nice, Soda."

"Heh, uh, thanks, but I kinda fucked it up."

"What? How? What happened?"

"I don't even know, man. We were fine, everything was fine. And then I just—I don't know—freaked out."

"What do you mean, Soda?" he asked as he continued to work on the car while I sat on a stool near him.

"Well, we were in the theater and he tried to put his arm around me. I don't know what happened, though. My heart started beating real fast, my legs got all shaky, my palms began to sweat, and I felt like I couldn't breath. Then I totally blew up on him. I started talking about—God, I can't even remember—I think something about being in public."

He was laughing again. He was laughing a real big laugh and I didn't know why. I let him laugh his big belly laugh for a bit, just nodding my head and sticking my tongue out in my cheek. Eventually, I grabbed an extra rag from the small rolling cart next to me and threw it at his face, making him finally shut up.

"Shut up, would you? I feel really bad!"

"Sor-sorry, Soda," he calmed his laughter. "It's just—oh God, man—you fucked up your date 'cause you got nervous?"

"What? I wasn't nervous!"

"Sweaty palms? Heart beating fast? You were nervous, Soda."

I groaned, mad at him for making me realize how stupid I was, but more mad at myself for being stupid in the first place. "I gotta go find and talk to him. I'll see you tomorrow," I spoke, standing up from my spot and heading towards the exit.

With a laugh, he responded, "See you tomorrow, lover boy!"

"Ah, shut up, Steve!"