Warm Winters: A Bisexual Story

The Phone Call

I carefully slid out of the sheet tangled around my legs.
I picked up my jeans from the pile of clothes on the floor, and pulled them on.

"Where are you going?" Questioned Mason as he looked at me inquisitively, still perched on his messy bed.

"Oh um-- my mom wants me to call her. I was supposed to come home right after school," I shrugged, trying to play it off.

"Alright," he laughed.

I beelined for the bathroom in the hall outside his room. Before I could process what I was doing, my fingers flew at my phone. I dialed Emma's number.

The phone rang for a moment, every second deepening the pit in my stomach. Right when I thought the call might go to voicemail, Emma's voice cut over the line.

"Hello?" She asked with an edge of irritation.

"What pictures?" I blurted out, blood rushing to my ears.

"Oh take a guess, Nick," she responded. "Pictures that people in Eastwood wouldn't have the best reaction to."

"Why the fuck would you take those? Are you threatening me or something?" I clenched my fists.

"Your words not mine," she responded.

"Oh cut the shit, Emma. I know why you're pulling this," I said, catching on to her motive as the words escaped my mouth.

"Why's that?" She asked after a brief pause.

"You like Mason. It's pretty obvious."

"I thought Mason and I had something, well, until Friday happened," she said, her voice trailing off.

"So now you're threatening to send out pictures of us?" I asked, anxiously running my hand through my hair.

"Just stay away from him, ok? Then it won't be a problem."

"Are you kidding? You're acting insane," I let out with exasperation.

"I don't think I'm the crazy one, Nick. You're gay or something and you're making Mason like that too," she spat.

"You sound so fucking ignorant right now." Anger boiled up inside me and I hung up abruptly.

My back slid down the door and I rested my head in my hands. I tried to calm my shaky breath by inhaling and exhaling deeply.

I'd like to think of myself as a calm person, but once I'm set off I'm hard to reel back in.

Still shaken, I left the small bathroom and made my way back into Mason's room.

Beams of light streamed through the window, illuminating his small form sprawled across the bed. He had put his T-shirt and boxers back on while I was gone and was now absentmindedly scrolling through Instagram. He looked so peaceful.

"Hey," he said as he drew his gaze away from his phone. He furrowed his brow as he got a better look at me. "Are you ok? Is your mom pissed?"

"Well— it wasn't her, it was actually Emma," I said. It was a relief to confide in someone. Though I didn't want to bring drama into his life, it already involved the both of us.

Mason cocked his head, obviously confused by the change in my story. "But earlier you said your mom—"

"I lied," I cut in as I winced slightly. I made my way across the room and stiffly sat down on the bed beside him.

Well, here it goes.

"Emma said she took some pictures of us Friday night," I sighed as I turned to look at him.

"She did what?" Mason let out, his gray eyes widening.

"And she's threatening me with them now. Apparently, she thought you guys had a thing, but now I'm in the way of her master plan," I said sarcastically. The words left a bitter taste in my mouth. 

I saw the rapid change in Mason's demeanor. He was back to the same nervous kid who couldn't line up the buttons on his shirt correctly. It was the same nervousness that I thought he felt for Emma Friday night, but maybe it wasn't for her after all. What I did know for certain was that something changed that night. Given the opportunity, Mason and I  realized things about ourselves that we'd never wanted to admit before. And that realization created a bond between us that nobody, not even Emma and her petty threats, could break.

Seeing Mason so nervous set off another wave of anger inside me. I can't be the unhinged one right now, I thought. I need to focus on calming him down, not myself.

Mason didn't say anything but he didn't need to, the panic in his eyes was obvious.

"If we lay low for a while I'm sure she'll forget about the whole thing... I mean we'd have to be discreet anyways," I said in hopes of putting him at ease.

He shifted slightly, causing the beams of light to project shadows across his tensed face.

"You're right," he finally broke his silence, exhaling heavily.

"Things have a way of working themselves out you know. I'm sure everything will turn out fine," I explained partially to reassure him and partially to reassure the part myself that was scared.

My phone dinged again. I quickly picked it up, thinking it might be another dreaded message from Emma.

Mom: Dinner's almost ready. Be home in ten ❤️

Thank god.

"That was actually my mom this time," I laughed, relieved. "I should get going."