I sat on my bed, not even beginning to fathom what happened.
Had Ethan liked me? How long? How did I not know? Was he really that obvious?
I wasn't gay. I wasn't gay.
I'm not gay.
Am I?
No.
I couldn't be.
I can't be.
What is happening? It was set already. I wasn't gay. So why was I trying to counteract against that?
So it was set.
I wasn't gay.
Apparently Ethan was.
But that's okay.
Totally okay.
I sighed contently and put the damp pillow, that I'd previously sobbed in, back onto my bed. I grabbed my phone on my nightstand and gaped at the amount of notifications.
5 Voicemails from: Ethan
20 Messages From: Ethan
I sat there a moment. I couldn't be that important to someone. I looked through the endless messages.
Ethan:
Matteo, call me
Please
I'm sorry
Please call me back
I need to talk to you
Matteo
Im sorry
I didn't mean to
Please
I know, I messed up
Just please call me
I need to know you're okay
Please
I'm begging you
Call me back
I'm sorry
I'm so sorry
Okay I'll leave you alone
Just let me know you're okay
I'm sorry
I dryly laughed at the ridiculousness of it. Ethan Carter, my best friend since diapers, begging me to forgive him after he kissed me.
What has life come to?
He kissed me.
He really kissed me.
Ethan Carter.
My best friend.
Kissed me?
Damn.
**********
"Faye."
No answer.
"Faye."
No answer.
"Fayeeeee," I whined, turning on my stomach.
"What do you want Matteo?" She asked, annoyed.
"Entertain me."
"I'm getting ready to go out with Kai. Entertain yourself," she huffed, continuing to curl her hair. "Better yet, call Ethan. I'm sure he can entertain you."
I wasn't sure if I should tell her. I mean, what do you tell your sister after your best friend of almost 18 years kissed you in the school bathroom and having you question your every movement? You don't. So you lie.
"He's... busy?" It came out as more of a question. Faye groaned. I don't know what she was trying to get ready . It didn't take much. When I went out on a date I just put on my clothes, grabbed my wallet, and left.
"Um-" She hesitated. "Hang out with Brielle. She misses you."
That threw me completely off guard.
"Oh... really?"
"Yeah, call her. I'm leaving."
"Alright. I- Uh- Bye."
Her comments completely threw me off. Brielle missed me? Brielle. Missed me?
After I heard the door shut, I walked to my room. I got dressed and hesitantly made the call.
*********
I sat across from Brielle, coffee in hand, laughing at her contagious one.
I wasn't even sure what she'd said, but the execution of her words had been funnier than the actual phrase.
Once her laughs diminished to giggles, she looked at me. Really looked at me. Almost through me.
She was still smiling contently, her dimples just barely making an appearance. She sighed.
"Okay look, I don't mean to make this really awkward, but I will never get the courage to ask if I don't right now," she started.
"Ask what?" I drew out cautiously.
"Will-you-go-out-with-me?" She asked so fast it seemed like one word.
I thought about it. She was an amazing girl. Beautiful, smart, funny, and I've known her since childhood. She was a girl.
Not that that matters. I was straight anyway of course she would be a girl.
"Yeah," I said hesitantly, "Yeah, okay."
She grinned widely, her dimples now on full display. I laughed at her grin, causing her to look down and blush.
We talked the rest of the night. The conversation was never silent. I wasn't sure how I felt about that. With Ethan we could be completely silent and be totally fine. But Brielle wasn't Ethan. Ethan was my best friend and Brielle was my soon to be girlfriend. Completely different.
I drove Brielle home and walked her up to her door.
I looked down at her face, seeing the seemingly permanent blush permeated on her face.
"Thanks for tonight." She said softly.
"Of course. I'll take you on a proper date soon," I promised.
She blushed even more which I didn't think was even possible.
"Okay."
"Okay" I repeated.
"Okay." She said again, looking into my eyes. Different. The only way I could describe it. Just, different. "I'll be going now. Let me know when our date is."
"Okay."
She seemed torn, but decided to steal a kiss from my cheek before scurrying inside.
The kiss was so quick that I'd barely registered it before she was slamming the door.
I didn't feel much from that kiss. Probably because it was only for a split second.
Definitely.
Totally.
QOTD: WYR read or write?
Word Count: 811