𝐓𝐖𝐎 𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐇𝐒 𝐀𝐆𝐎.
THE CROWD WAS RESTLESS, people were shouting at the top of their lungs. Marcus Mayfield was having a New Year's Eve party which naturally meant an open invite and everyone who was anyone was there.
"Caswell, dude, please don't tell me you haven't tried to go out with anyone since you got dumped by Clarabelle Cow..." The black-haired jock was powering his way through a bag of chips, his favourite smug smile was on his face.
"Don't call Nini that," EJ punched him in the shoulder, sitting opposite him, "she was special. She's different to anyone I've ever dated━"
"We know, we know," David Anders called him out, he was opening another bottle, he'd been the one to supply all the drinks. "But Nini dumped your ass. She's with that skater kid now━what was his name again?"
"Ricky," EJ groaned, he leant over to grab the bottle from David, taking a huge swing, "yeah, you know that I've been forced to be friends with him? It's fucking ridiculous, do they seriously expect me to be best buds with the guy that stole my girlfriend?"
David laughed at him, "Sounds like a you problem. I told you guys to quit that theatre bullshit."
"It's not bullshit," Marcus corrected, "besides, what are you talking about, EJ? You've been texting him non-stop or is there another person on your phone called Richard?"
"He's still annoying..."
"Don't complain to us, you agreed to it," Marcus snatched the bottle, drowning most of it, "you know, Caswell, you're a lot less fun than you used to be. Heartbreak isn't a good look on you."
"Whatever, I need something stronger," EJ abandoned the group of boys who continued poking fun at him, he stormed off into the outer party, wanting to be anywhere else.
He didn't bother looking where he was going and walked straight ahead, not wanting to interact with anyone else. "Ow!" He'd slammed straight into someone, fruit juice splashed onto him.
"I'm sorry, I wasn't looking...oh," Nini stopped dabbing at his shirt, "EJ. I didn't think you'd be here."
"It's okay, my shirt will live," he pulled her hands off him, smiling, "I didn't think you'd be here either. Still haven't made the decision?"
They were walking outside now, moving out to the backyard, they gravitated towards a bench.
"Yeah, I'm still not really sure what I want. I've never really left home before, I don't think I can just go...Kourt, East High..."
"Ricky?"
She shook her head, "Ricky and I aren't together at the moment."
"Really?" he tried to hide his excitement, keeping his face as straight as possible, "what happened between you two? Everyone's always saying you two are gonna get married."
"I-It's nothing...Ricky's just been acting distant lately. I guess it isn't weird for him to be unsure of his feelings, but I thought by now he'd have his shit together."
"He's stopped saying I don't not love you?"
Nini laughed, her arm fell on his thigh, "Not exactly. It just doesn't feel the same anymore. Last month, when we finished High School Musical...the Musical, everything was amazing. Then I told him about YAC and we just went back to where we were last year. He's distant, closed off..."
"The last thing I heard from him was that you two were doing great."
Nini shook her head, "If great means slow. I really wanted us to be going to other places. To be honest, it's not just Ricky, I think I want something different."
EJ chuckled, "Like what?"
She took another sip of her drink, what was left of it, before looking him in the eyes, "Hmm...how have you been?"
𝐍𝐎𝐖.
"We talked about this," EJ stuffed his clothes into his gym bag. "You steer clear of Ricky and keep your fucking mouth closed. That was what we agreed."
Marcus was tying his shoes on the bench, he laughed at his friend. He stood up to talk to him, "We never talked about me staying away from Ricky. You can relax, Caswell...I didn't tell him anything."
"Yeah but you're just telling him to be careful around me━what the fuck?"
"Calm down. I was only giving him a little bit of healthy relationship doubt, it's not like he's going to assume that means that you..."
EJ shushed him, his eyes darted around the empty room, "Someone could hear you."
"Whatever, it doesn't matter. You don't own him and you don't own me. I can do whatever I want."
"So...all of a sudden you want to be best friends with him?"
"Maybe I do," Marcus smiled, "he seems like a nice guy. Pretty cute, right?"
"Shut the hell up and just make sure you don't tell him anything and I won't tell anyone your secret."
"He's going to find out one way or another," Marcus finished tying his shoes and threw his bag onto his shoulder, "you better tell him before someone else does."
"Like you?"
"Or Nini..."
"Whatever, just remember to keep your trap closed around Ricky."
"You should be the one keeping away from him. If you really cared about him you wouldn't be lying to him," there was a cheeky smile on his face. He placed a hand on EJ's shoulder, "Speak of the devil...hey, Ricky..."
EJ turned to see a curly-headed boy in front of him, he walked in with a bright smile. He was holding his skateboard and his helmet was still attached to his head.
"You aren't about to murder him, are you?" Ricky teetered towards them, "Is everything all right?"
"No, it's good," Marcus spoke up, flashing his teeth at him, "everything is fine..."
EJ was still staring at him until he walked out of the room, Ricky noticed how those two always seemed to have bad blood these days. Ricky waved a hand in his face, "Hello? Earth to EJ? Everything good?"
He looked to his friend with a smile, "Everything's fine. What are you doing here?"
Ricky kept a distance between them, he was fiddling with his skateboard's wheels. EJ continued stuffing clothes into his bag, shoving the last of it inside. He looked from his bag to Ricky and was still waiting expectantly for him to say something.
It just left them staring into each other's eyes━EJ's heart beat loudly.
You better tell him before anyone else does.
Ricky took a deep breath before speaking, "I wanted to talk. I know you say everything is fine but I don't believe it. I know I've never been good at expressing my emotions..."
"Ricky..."
"I'm trying to say sorry..." He took EJ's hand, weaving his fingers into his, "For what happened the other day."
He's going to find out one way or another.
"It's okay. I'm fine, I told you I understand━"
"Just let me talk, jerk. You deserve an explanation..."
Ricky threw his arms around him. EJ felt his skateboard press against his back.
It was still a nice hug, they could feel all of each other's warmth. He could feel him smiling.
EJ eased into him, an arm reaching into his hair, he tugged on his curly locks. He could feel Ricky's pulse, with his head nested in his shoulder━it was slow and peaceful. His own heartbeat was the same way, he felt at home too.
Ricky pulled away first, stumbling backwards a little. He took a deep breath, placing down his skateboard.
"So, what's the explanation?"
Ricky just avoided eye contact, running a hand through his tight curls. Exactly what EJ was expecting━nothing.
"Look, it's okay if you don't want to tell me. I um...I appreciate what you're doing," EJ squeezed Ricky's hand tighter, "I don't mind waiting for you to sort things out but I'm gonna need you to wait for me now. I need time to process. Everything is a bit crazy for me, right now."
"That's okay, let's just take things slow━"
"Yeah, no, I...kinda just need some space right now, okay?"
There was a clench in Ricky's chest that made him feel guilty━it wasn't fair to be upset. "I-I...okay. Bye, I guess."
"See you around."
EJ was staring at his phone, he desperately wanted to call him. He needed the burst of serotonin that would instantly jump into him hearing the sound of his smooth voice. But he knew he shouldn't. Staying away from Ricky was for the best.
His college applications were lying on the desk, all seventeen of them.
He had no idea which one was the best, there were so many options. Stanford, Duke, Utah. The only thing he knew was that he was going somewhere that would get him a law degree like his parents wanted.
While he was trying to write his recommendation letter, his phone finally went off, the screen displayed an incoming call from 'Richard.'
A massive smile was on his face as he picked up his phone. At the same time, the front door clicked open and he heard the echoey steps of someone moving in the main foyer.
He still wanted to answer it, his finger was etching towards the phone before his dad walked in. He slumped back into his chair, declining the call.
What would have been serotonin was replaced with intense annoyance.
Mr Caswell was a stoic figure, he demanded professional respect, even from his home. He was still wearing his two-piece 'work suit' when he walked into the room.
"Son..." His dad addressed him, "It's nice to see that you working hard. I hope you're trying to make up for all the partying and whatever boy-girl nonsense you've been up to..."
"Good evening, Dad...nice to see you too."
"It would be a good evening...and it would be nice to see you if I hadn't gotten a call from my brother telling me he saw you dallying around with that Bowen boy after school the other day."
EJ made a mental note to put Uncle Dennis on blast for snitching on him. "Ricky's my friend. I was giving him a ride home."
"Only a friend? You sure there isn't something else going on there?"
"Would that be a problem?"
"As long as it's not interfering with your schoolwork. Besides, it's not anything serious, is it?" EJ shook his head, "Good. You have better things to do than waste your time in another meaningless relationship with some boy."
EJ clenched his fist, suppressing the urge to shout in his father's face. He nodded reluctantly, "Yeah, we're really good friends though."
"I imagine you are." He quickly shifted the conversation, going back to the academic route. "Have you heard back from Duke yet?" EJ shook his head again. "Did you put your full name on the application?"
"Yes."
"Good. Then make sure your mother and I are the first ones to know when you get accepted. I don't want to hear it from your Uncle before you."
"Of course."
"Your mom won't be back until eleven. I'll be in my study if you need me, son. Work hard." He always said the same thing before he left the room.
"Of course."
Before he walked out the door, he turned, reached into his pocket, and gave him a rare smile. "I almost forgot, here." He placed a fifty dollar bill on the table. "Buy yourself something for dinner, we haven't had time to cook."
"Thanks, Dad."
EJ stashed the dollar bill in his pocket, and as soon as his Dad was locked away in his study, where he would be for hours, he grabbed the varsity jacket behind his chair. He threw it on and made his way down the stairs, diving his hands into the pockets and pulling out his car keys.
He figured it wouldn't make much of a difference if he went to get pizza himself. Anything that got him out of the house was alright.
"Oh, hey, Big Red," EJ smiled, "what are you doing working so late?"
"I'm helping my parents in the shop."
The back door opened and Ashlyn came out, redoing a messy ponytail. "Um, Big Red, we're all out of pepperoni in the back━EJ, what are you doing here?"
"Getting a pizza..." EJ looked back and forth between them, "what are you doing here?"
"I'm helping Big Red," Ashlyn eagerly tried to prove her point, stacking boxes on top of other boxers. EJ's over-enthusiastic smile told her that he wasn't buying it. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, just trying to get away from my house..."
"Your Dad's home?" EJ nodded in reply, Ashlyn scoffed, "how is my...favourite uncle?"
EJ chuckled, his eyes widened, "He's great. Nurturing as always━only bothered about me when it suits him." He looked at Big Red, wondering if he should keep speaking around him.
Ashlyn didn't seem to care as she carried on the conversation. "Oh, no. Did my dad tell him about me seeing you and Ricky together the other day? I am so sorry, I told him not to say anything."
"Oh," EJ glared at her, "you're the reason he's interrogating me about him, then?"
"Interrogating you?" Big Red interrupted, confused, "what about?"
EJ fell silent, he pulled the fifty dollar bill out of his pocket. "Nothing. My dad just has certain preferences on who he'd like me to spend my time with."
"That sounds controlling."
"No," EJ let out a breathy laugh to mask the way his shoulders became tense. "No, it's no biggie. He just wants me to do excel in life."
"And you agree with his methods?" Big Red narrowed his eyes, raising his voice. "You gonna stop hanging out with Ricky?"
He shook his head, "That's entirely between Ricky and I. Okay? Anyway, I'm here for food, and you two are being the worst employees ever...can I get one meat pizza? Actually, scratch that, can I get a cheese pizza?"