Michael's POV
"Come on, there must be something you like. So many options!" Jeremy exclaims.
I survey the flavors for myself, contemplating whether I should choose rainbow sherbet or mint chocolate chip. I press my face up against the display glass, which is both ineffective and earns me a glare from the teenager behind the counter.
"Sorry," I murmur, just loud enough for the employee to hear me. She shrugs and rolls her eyes, continuing to wipe down the counter.
Jeremy's face tightens slightly as he looks over the choices, like this is the most important decision of his life. "I'm thinking vanilla," he says finally.
"Alright, vanilla it is," I declare to the girl who is still busying herself by cleaning.
She pauses in her work, speaking in a bored tone. "Cake cone or chocolate cone?"
"Cake cone is good," Jeremy replies.
"Is that all?"
With a boyish expression he says, "Sprinkles. I want sprinkles."
"Sprinkles indeed. Anything else?"
"I'll have some rainbow sherbet, please." I turn to my boyfriend and add quietly, "I'm feeling a bit more gay today."
He lets out a single chuckle, playful sarcasm shaping his words. "Oh, so not only does your sexual orientation define who you can love, it also decides what ice cream flavor you get. Michael, this is some fascinating stuff, I'm sure scientists around the world will find this revolutionary!"
"Shut up, you dork." I bump him with my shoulder.
The bell chimes at the door, announcing the arrival of a new customer. I quickly glance behind me, and to my surprise, it's Chloe.
"Hey, Chloe!" Jeremy says, curious and friendly as ever.
"Sup, Jer," she responds, barely phased and obviously preoccupied.
"Changing things up?" I ask, and she returns a blank expression. "You're usually at Pinkberry, right?"
"Yeah, um, I don't really want to talk about that right now? I came in here for ice cream, not an interrogation."
Jeremy and I share a glance, and clearly I'm the not the only one confused. What happened?
"Your ice cream is waiting for you, by the way," she remarks.
Jeremy and I turn around in unison. The girl is holding the cones over the glass, one in each hand. By the looks of it, she's been there a while. We quickly grab our respective ice creams.
"That's five dollars and fifty-eight cents."
"Right." I fish out two bills from my back pocket and place it next to the register, one hand still balancing the frozen treat. "Keep the change," I add, anxious to talk to Chloe.
"Thanks." She pauses, hands lingering on the counter. She takes a breath in, as if to speak. The girl stares at her hands for a second, deliberating, and then chooses to go for it. "You're. . .uh. You're kinda cute actually. I. . .Wanna hang out sometime?"
Gaydar. It's like kids. Either you have them or you don't. That's a terrible analogy, but you get my point. "That's awfully nice of you, but I'm actually seeing someone. Someone I love very much, for a matter of fact." I glance at Jeremy, who offers a small smile.
The employee's expression turns from mild disappointment to a look of blatant surprise. "Oh!" She exclaims, and I can see the touch of hurt leave her eyes. "I'm sorry," she laughs, "I didn't realize you two were together."
"It's al-"
"We're not. We're not," Jeremy quickly interjects. "Together, I mean. We're not together. That's a good joke, Michael."
I look at my boyfriend and search his eyes. Is he joking or. . .? I can't really tell if I should be playing along.
I nod an awkward thank you in the girl's direction, and then start walking back to a booth away from the door. We sit down, facing each other.
"What just happened?" I ask him.
I mean, yeah, I guess I can be embarrassing. But he's supposed to love me, right? And his denial makes me feel like he doesn't want to be seen by my side.
"I...I didn't..." He won't even look up at me. He just stares down at his slowly melting ice cream.
Oh, God. It's because I'm a boy, isn't it?
I know what he's feeling right now, and it hurts me as much as it must be hurting him. And I know that being in a relationship like ours is new to him. Coming out isn't a one time thing, you have to do it over and over and over again. It's a really daunting task, especially for someone who's just beginning to find himself. It's still scary for me sometimes, as much as I try to hide it.
"This isn't...This isn't because...Are you scared?"
Jeremy's POV
I glance up at Michael, who is waiting patiently for an answer.
"Yeah." I finally reply, letting out a sigh as I say the word. He puts his hands face up on the table, possibly wanting me to take them. I automatically glance around to make sure no one is watching. When I turn back to meet Michael's eyes, I realize what I'm doing.
It's not his fault at all, and I hope he realizes that. I love him, I really do. But what if somebody from school walks in and sees us? It would be awful. I can't have people I don't trust knowing that we're together. I should be more cautious. What if everybody already knows?
His hand clasp and he pulls them back, and I know he understands.
Over Michael's shoulder, I see Chloe finding her way to a seat. She looks at me and I gesture for her to come sit with us. She comes over, and I scoot down the bench so she can sit next to me.
She looks back and forth between the two of us and says, "Well, I guess we're all in rough shape."
Michael nods, but he seems a little distant—still consumed by his own thoughts.
"What's up with you two?" she presses.
"Coming out problems," I muster, daring my voice not to crack.
"Ah."
"Yup."
No one speaks, and I don't think anyone really wants to. My ice cream drips onto my hand, so I quickly take a few licks of it. Michael seems to remember where he is and has a bite of his too.
"Did you just...bite that?" Chloe asks Michael, eyebrows raised.
He looks up at her for the first time since she sat down. "I...yes?"
Chloe gives a low chuckle. "Okay, weirdo."
Michael grins a little bit, which makes me smile. His mood has lightened, and I can hear it in his voice when he asks, "So why are you here?"
Chloe runs a hand through her hair. "Brooke. Or, I guess it was more my fault? Anyway, I've had like, tons of sex before, but when I started like...going at it with Brooke? It felt weird. So I pushed her away. Like, literally and figuratively. I might've left her crying."
"Yikes," Michael says, taking another bite of ice cream.
"Yeah."
"You gonna, you know...fix it?"
She doesn't respond right away. Michael stares at her expectantly until she says, "Ugh, fine. See you guys later. I've got work to do."
Chloe wraps her arm around me in a quick side hug, and then heads out of the store. I hear the bell go off again.
Michael is finished with his ice cream, so I quickly finish what is left of mine. He stands up to leave and I join him. When we're going through the doors, my boyfriend throws a wink at the employee, who laughs.
Michael's POV
As we're walking through the parking lot, Jeremy takes my hand.
I smile and give it a squeeze.
A/N: Heyyyyy. So this chapter isn't my favorite, possibly because I started writing it four months ago. . .heh.
Also, it's been a year since I wrote A Brother Gonna Have Your Back (the one where Michael flashes back) and it's a bit crazy to think about.
And uh, to emotionally prepare you guys—this is the second to last chapter. I'll have a fun chapter at the very end with dedications and tips to write a fanfic of your own, but story wise? We're almost done! :')
Love y'all. <3