Playing For The Other Team [REMAKE]

Chapter 18

Nathan agrees with a nod. That's how he feels when he's with Jonathan. It doesn't matter where they are, and they don't have to actually do anything. Hanging out with Jonathan is always fun.

He takes a deep breath and continues to unload the dishwasher. "You just know what to say sometimes, don't you?" he says.

"Sometimes," Jennie giggles.

Clearing his throat, Nathan pauses as he opens one of the cabinets. "Hey," he says, but he doesn't turn around. "Thanks for caring. It's weird, but it means a lot. That you ask and support me and all that."

"Oh, sweetie. Of course," Jennie says. "I want you to feel comfortable and not be afraid to be open in this house."

"I am," Nathan says. "Most of the time. This is new, and I'm getting used to it. I kind of don't want it to be a big deal."

"Which is understandable." Jennie nods. "And... Have you talked to your father about this? At all?"

"No," Nathan answers quickly. "No, I haven't had the-... he hasn't-... He doesn't know. Yet."

"I'm not going to tell him if you don't want me to. I figured you want to do it yourself."

Nathan nods. He stacks two glasses and puts them up on the shelf in the cabinet. "Yeah, I want to do it myself. It's not like I think it's gonna go bad, or anything. I just... I'm waiting for the right time. Or... uh... you know. I'm waiting for him to come back so I can tell him."

"Have you talked to him at all since he left?"

"I texted him. But I haven't actually talked to him." Even though he isn't looking at her, Nathan knows that Jennie is frowning. "I'll call him later to see how things are going." He quickly finishes up with the remaining dishes in the dishwasher. "I'm heading up to my room. Call if you need anything."

Jennie doesn't stop him when he hurries past her on his way out of the kitchen.

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Nathan keeps the details about his date to a minimum when his friends ask how it went. The vague answers he provides seems to make his friends wonder if the date went well or not, even when Nathan assures them that the date went very well.

Josh is the one to jump to Nathan's defense when Nathan grows tired of the questions. "No worries, really. I get it. You don't want to jinx it."

"Sure," Nathan mumbles. "You two can be... intense."

And Josh and Oliver aren't the only ones that are curious. Just like Nathan and Wendy's rumored breakup, the secretive dates turn into something that seemingly everyone knows. Nathan hears about people making guesses and placing bets on who he's seeing.

Jonathan thinks it's funny. "I wonder who it is," he says almost every time they meet up. "I heard it might be Alexis from senior year."

"Really?" Nathan asks. "I would have never guessed." It's since long stopped being funny, but Jonathan has a way of making him smile through the annoyance.

"Don't tell anyone that I told you, but some people think it's Wendy," Jonathan says, leaning closer to fake-whisper. "I heard someone say that you didn't go to the party because you can't stand seeing her with your best friend."

Nathan huffs, playfully shoving Jonathan in the side. "That is the worst thing I've ever heard."

"I know!" Jonathan laughs.

Nathan leans back against the tree they're standing under. "I didn't take you for such a gossip collector," he says. He looks over to where his car is parked. The two of them decided to hang back for a while, waiting until they can get into the car in peace without everyone seeing them together.