Fanboy (boyxboy)

"I have this theory."

"I think it's really cool of you."

"Thanks."

"What are you doing tomorrow? Want to go to that outreach thing with me?" Isa asked. Bryce didn't go to youth group anymore but he did still volunteer at as many of the community service projects as he could. It was the only part of church that he really enjoyed anymore.

"Yeah, that'd be great," Bryce agreed. "I'll get my dad to drive us if you want."

"Cool. See you tomorrow then," Isa gave Bryce a quick hug before he went to get in his mom's car.

Clay had caught up to them and apparently heard the end of the conversation.

"Hey, is it cool if I come too?" Clay asked.

"You want to sort groceries for cancer patients?" Bryce raised his eyebrows.

"Yeah, Ashley has to work lunch and she has a big paper due next week so I probably won't see her much this weekend," Clay nodded. "Besides, my college application looks pretty weak. I need to add some extracurriculars."

"That's such a crap reason to volunteer," Bryce made a face.

"I disagree. I could pick any extracurricular I wanted but I choose to spend my time serving others."

"Whatever you have to tell yourself."

"I have this theory," Clay went on. "Isa was like really happy you said yes just now."

"I think we're best friends. He's also my only friend now, but you know," Bryce tried to seem casual about it. "Who's counting?"

"No, I mean he was really happy. He hugged you."

"We hug all the time, it's a habit after youth group."

"Wait till we see him tomorrow. He checks you out every time he sees you," Clay was grinning. "I think he likes you."

"Not like that he doesn't. He likes someone else," Bryce had been trying for almost 3 months to get Isa to confess who broke his heart. The boy wouldn't talk but Bryce had narrowed it down to two girls from their youth group. His money was on Janey whose parents moved her whole family to Uganda to do missionary work before the school year started because Isa always insisted it didn't matter anymore.

"Who?" Clay opened the car door.

"He won't say, but I'm pretty sure I know who it is," Bryce got into the backseat.

"He won't say because it's you," Clay insisted.

"Congratulations!" Adam looked so excited for Clay that he hadn't even noticed they were in the middle of a conversation.

Bryce wondered if Clay was somehow right. He'd never heard Isa talk about liking boys, only girls, but that didn't have to mean anything. That would explain why Isa refused to tell him who'd broken his heart, at least a little bit. But they'd been friends for years and Bryce had never gotten that vibe from Isa before.

He wondered about it all night and watched Isa really closely when they got out of the car at the cancer ministry house. Sure enough, Isa ran his eyes up and down Bryce's body when Bryce pretended to be looking at his phone. It sent a strange feeling through him. Clay nudged Bryce, as if to say "I told you so."

For the whole time they were working, Bryce kept a close watch on how Isa looked at him. It didn't seem any different than usual. Isa just seemed relaxed and happy, like he pretty much always did around Bryce. It was a fun day and the time passed by really fast. They finished sorting all the groceries and were waiting outside for Adam to get back when Clay started causing trouble.