Take Me to Church (boyxboyxboy)✅

Chapter 28

Liam

Sick with a migraine headache (or so he said), Nick missed school both Monday and Tuesday.

To make sure he was okay, Jeremy and I paid him a visit Tuesday afternoon, bringing him the piece of chocolate cake we bought at Marco's over the weekend. It was probably a little stale, but I was sure Nick wouldn't care since he had a thing for chocolate and sugar.

No one came to the door, even after several minutes of knocking and ringing the doorbell.  His mother and Mr. McGuiness were still at work, but we were convinced Nick was home.

"I know he's there," Jeremy said, calling Nick on his phone. He answered almost immediately. "Answer the fucking door," were the first words out of Jeremy's mouth.

A few seconds later the front door opened and there Nick stood in his glasses and a pair of flannel red and white polka dot pajamas. Although his hair was all disheveled in tangled knots, he was cute as anything.

"Feeling better?" Jeremy asked.

"Yes," he replied with a smile. Despite his smile, his eyes were sad and practically vacant. As soon as we stepped inside, he threw one arm around me and one arm around Jeremy, hugging us both.

"Come on in," he said and walked us down to the basement. He was in the middle of playing what looked like Call of Duty. Unlike Jeremy and Nick, I wasn't into video games.

Nick sat back down on the couch and resumed playing his game as if we weren't even there. "Sit down if you want," he said with little expression in his voice.

Jeremy and I looked at each other, shrugged, then sat on either side of him. "Here," Jeremy said, handing him the takeout container from Marco's.

"He didn't eat any this time," I said, remembering how Jeremy ate a bit of the cake he bought for me a couple of weeks ago.

"Thanks," he said. "Although chocolate's supposed to be bad for migraines. It's a good thing mine's gone."

Opening the box, he proceeded to eat the cake with his fingers. It was all sticky and gooey and just looking at Nick's fingers gave me some major sensory integration issues.

"My mother and Morrie are going to some religious retreat this weekend," Nick said with a mouthful of cake. He ate like he hadn't eaten anything for days. "Wanna come over? You can stay all weekend if you want."

"Yeah, that sounds cool," Jeremy said, picking up the second game controller. "I usually work on Saturday, but I bet I can get the day off."

"Cool," he said.

I liked the idea of spending all weekend with Nick and Jeremy.

"Are you coming to school tomorrow?" I asked, a little distracted by how disgustingly chocolaty Nick's fingers had become and how incredibly turned on I was at the same time.

"I guess," he said with a sheepish, mischievous grin as he savored the chocolate cake. "I'm so behind in everything. I'm barely passing."

"We can help you," I said. "Oh my God, that's so gross..." I added, unable to get over his messy fingers.

"This?" he said, wiggling his chocolate-covered fingers in front of my face. Catching me by surprise, Jeremy leaned over, pushing Nick's hand directly on my face, right over my nose.