“Woohoo! Finally, time to close up.”
I grinned at Mandy as she closed her cash counter. I began shutting my cash counter too when the door jingled.
“I’m sorry but we’re clos-”
I broke off when I saw none other than Julian walk in. Mandy giggled, “He’s all yours.” Saying so, she quickly slipped into the storage room. I never told Mandy I was gay but I guess, after working together for this long, she had her suspicions.
As Julian strode towards me, I felt my heart thumping like crazy. I knew he was gay. He had to be! He was Hannah’s brother and she TOLD me her brother was gay. As I looked at him in his baggy jeans and huge hoodie, I frowned in disappointment. Oh boo, why was he all covered up?
He leaned on the counter, looking dead tired. He peeked up at me from under his eyelashes.
“I need something to keep me going.”
Before I could say anything, he clenched his fists and looked at me, “I know that you know.”
I froze and took a tiny step back. He straightened up to his full height and looked at me, waiting. I squeaked, “Know what?”
Julian slammed his fists into the counter, “GODDAMIT KENTUCKY. I did not deal with telling my team for NOTHING.”
I nearly jumped into one of the many cabinets behind me. He looked down at the counter, breathing heavily. Time to man up and play it off.
“I’m not the Kentucky you are looking for.”
I nearly hit myself. Julian looked at me in disbelief, “THAT is what you have to say?”
“I mean, the cold coffee here is great. It’ll...keep you going.”
Julian rubbed his temples and kept looking at me with those burning grey eyes that now felt like piercing bullets. I managed to yell, “Mandy? One cold coffee. Hurry, please.”
“When I said I needed something to keep me going, I didn’t mean I needed a beverage.”
“Caffeine is healthy in small doses, I think.”
He shook his head, “When Hannah told me that you were a homophobe, I laughed in her face.”
He looked back at me after breathing in deeply, “I told her, she was wrong. You were and are one of the nicest guys I know. She agreed. Until she told me you kept referring to people like me as Fags. I’m giving you this chance to prove she was wrong.”
“How do you want me to prove she’s wrong?”
Mandy stepped out, her eyes wide, holding a Cold Coffee. She quickly placed it on the counter and whispered, “You’re gay, aren’t you KennyBenny?”
I froze, staring at Mandy and then at Julian. He was clenching on to the counter and staring at me, waiting.
“By answering that question.”
I stared at the door in shock when I saw Hannah standing there, her arms crossed. There was this giant roaring in my ears as I tried to force the words out of my mouth.
Why was it so hard to say yes?
I shut my eyes and shook my head. I don’t know who I was lying to anymore. I heard Julian breathe in sharply. Then, I heard Hannah whisper, “I told you.”
Suddenly, Lola burst in yelling, “KENNY BABY! JULIAN AND HANNAH ARE-”
When she noticed everyone in there, she stopped and then awkwardly patted her hair, “Oh hey. I was totally talking about the new characters on Sesame Street. What a coincidence!”
Julian just turned, fists still clenched, “I’m done.”
Lola stared at me with her huge eyes, asking a million questions. Mandy crossed her arms and glared at me, “You aren’t fooling anyone.”
Hannah quickly ran to Julian and pulled him in for a hug.
Lola ran up to me and grabbed the Cold Coffee. “Just what I needed! Now, fill me in.”
Julian pushed Hannah away lightly and then began walking towards me.
I quickly began backing away again until Julian just hopped over the counter and pulled me toward him.
“If you’re not gay, why in the world are you so afraid of me?”
“I’m not afraid.”
Lola spat out her cold coffee, “Who the heck made you Eminem?”
Hannah and Mandy both yelled, “SHUT UP.” Then they looked back at Julian and me, who still had his hands holding on to my arms.
He whispered, “Then say you aren’t gay.”
I concentrated on his hair, which by the way looked extremely fluffy and had me tempted to pat his head, “I’m not gay.”
He growled, “Say it without looking away.”
I looked at him, straight in the eye. Oh god. The eyes!
I blabbered, “I’m as straight as a...Pikachu.”
Julian smirked and I yelled, “It isn’t my fault! Your eyes distracted me!”
Julian let go off me and smiled triumphantly, “Did everyone hear that?”
“Wait. I just said your eyes distracted me. I didn’t EVER say I was gay.”
“So you don’t want me to think you are gay?”
“NO. I mean, yes. Wait. What?”
Lola slurped on her Cold Coffee noisily, “Oh my Lord, JUST KISS.”
Hannah stared at me with wide eyes, “I always knew you were gay.”
Mandy squealed, “I HAVE A GAY CO-WORKER. YAY!”
“Uhhh, I’m really not gay.”
Lola rolled her eyes, “You aren’t fooling anyone, babydoll. Get over it. People in this town are different.”
“Did you just call me Babydoll?”
“Did you just say I love Rainbows?”
“Lola, you owe me 3 bucks for that Cold Coffee.”
“Fudge you! I’m not paying for this.”
“You better pay up, you gardening tool!”
“A gardening tool? What?”
“A hoe is a gardening tool. Get it?”
“OH. Yeah well, I’m not paying for this. YOU BE MAH SUGAH DADDEH.”
I cringed at her terrible attempt at being ghetto. She giggled and ran out yelling in the same terrible ghetto accent, “I’M DRIVING YO PIMP ASS HOME. YOU OWE ME. PEACE.”
Everyone had turned to stare at her leave and then back at me. I shrugged, “I think she’s adopted. Honestly.”
Hannah hugged Julian, “Meh. He’s my step-brother but I feel like we’ve been siblings forever, now.”
Julian smiled at her and then winked at me. I jumped slightly, knocking over a few cups.
“Real smooth, Kenny. Real smooth.”
I glared at Mandy, “Shuddup, you.”
“I’ll close the place down with Peter. He’s on the phone but when he’s done, he’ll help me. Go on. I think you have some talking to do.”
“No, it’s fine. I’ll help.”
Julian cut in, “Thanks Mandy. I’ll take him from here.”
Then, turning to Hannah he continued, “Could you wait in the car?”
She shrugged, “I don’t mind. Actually, I think I’m going to go talk to Lola for a bit.”
I trudged out of the store, feeling Julian right behind me. Once we got to the parking lot, I crossed my arms, “What do you want, Julian?”
“I’ve been stating the obvious for quite some time now.”
“Okay. You want me to admit I’m gay? Well, I’m sorry. I thought I was but I’m really not.”
Julian laughed, “Who are you trying to fool, Ken?”
“I’m not trying to fool ANYONE.”
“Good, because I’m tired of waiting.”
He took a step closer to me. I took a step closer, “Oh yeah? Well, I’m tired of being called gay when I’m really not.”
He took another step, “You sure about that?”
I took another step as well, closing the distance between us. “As sure as Ash was when he chose Pikachu.”
“Ash had to tame Pikachu because he had no idea what Pikachu was.”
“Pikachu was a Pokémon.”
“I know. Now, you remember how Ash had to tame Pikachu?”
He took one last step, making sure our noses were touching. I gulped, “I think Pikachu was a little hard to tame.”
He grinned, “Pikachu wanted to live outside that lame Pokéball because he was that cool. Also, being difficult was just how he rolled.”
“Are we really talking about Pokémon right now?”
“I don’t know. Are we?”
I narrowed my eyes, “I’m not sure.”
“Let me make things a little easier for you. Pikachu was different and misunderstood but with Ash’s help, Pikachu learnt to love and be loved. OUTSIDE that pokéball.”
“That’s lame sappy shit. Man, you are so gay.” He was totally referring to our situation. The pokéball being my ‘closet’. Wait, how did he get to be Ash? Why am I the Pokémon? Oh who cares? Pikachu is one of the cutest Pokémon EVER.
He laughed, “I’d normally be offended by that but coming from you, that doesn’t hurt.”
“It should! Because I’m all manly and stuff.”
“If it makes you happy, sure. It’s not like I’ve noticed how easily you jump or squeal if I come close to you or anything.”
“What?”
And to my mortification, my voice went all high-pitched when I said that. I groaned, “What’s your point?”
He patted my head, “My point is that YOU have to stop hiding.”
He pulled me in for a hug. I stood there awkwardly as his arms wrapped themselves around me. After a minute, I slowly wrapped my own arms around him. We just stood there for a while, hugging each other. When I noticed how hard his chest was since I was pressed up against him, I felt a little warmer. He hugged me a little tighter and when I felt his strong arms around me, I felt a little weak in the knees.
I whispered, “I’m so gay.”
Julian let go off me, “Wasn’t that easy? Now all you have to do is admit it to other people!”
I shoved him, “Lola’s probably wondering what’s taking so long. I’ll see you around.”
As I walked away, he yelled, “Nice ass!”
I gasped and turned around, “SO IT WAS YOU! You did touch my ass at the movies!”
Julian smirked, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Saying so, he turned around and walked to his car.
Without even turning around once, he yelled, “I’ll see you tomorrow KennyBenny. You’re not hiding anymore.”
He thinks he can get me out of the closet? Not again. It’s NOT happening.
I mumbled, “Oh, it’s on.”
This was going to be a fight. Remind me to carry Platinum Boxers at all times. With a lock or something. I was going to need some kind of defence to fight off that boy.
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LOLWHAT. Platinum Boxers? I don't even know where that came from. xD
Anyway, to make up for the late update, thanks to my net crashing, I made this chapter longer.
SHOW ME SOME LOVE, MY BEAUTIFUL BABYDOLLS.
Okay, I'll shut up now. :P
Teehee. <3