Chapter Three
The next week Adam stared at that number in his phone probably a hundred times a day without finding the courage to actually call. It wasn’t until he was in study hall on Tuesday, cramming for the French test, that he actually thought about doing anything other than just thinking about it. He had almost hit the dial button when Sebastian “Bas” Axelrod, the flighty, out, gay guy, plunked into the seat next to him, all glitter and smiles. Their study hall meetings weren’t unusual. He was in AP French and helped a lot of students out with their homework, Adam included.
“Adam, sweetie, you’ve been looking distracted this week. Need some help preparing for the midterm?” He waved his hand at Adam’s French book. “Maybe something to take your mind off whatever bug has gotten into your bonnet.”
Adam couldn’t help but laugh. Where did Bas get those lines? “I just need to practice my verbs. I’m more worried about the oral exam than the written part.” It always made more sense on paper. He didn’t know why.
“Oh, honey, I can help you with oral anytime.”
Adam felt himself flush at Bas’s teasing. And it was teasing. Bas did it every time they saw each other, and he did it to everyone. Adam didn’t know if Bas had gaydar and could tell that Adam was gay, but Adam never felt Bas aimed more teasing at him than anyone else, so it was okay.
“If you can help me with my French, I’d really appreciate it.” The words were out of his mouth before he even realized Bas would probably pull a double meaning out of them too.
“Oh baby, I knew you’d come around. I’d love to help you French. Nothing sexier than that pretty platinum blond hair of yours or those big lips. OMG! Let’s begin now.” He pursed his lips dramatically.
Adam groaned. “Bas, behave, or I won’t study with you anymore.”
Bas gave Adam a huge dramatic sigh. “Beautiful, but mean. You know I’m teasing. Dish, sweetie, what’s really on your mind?”
Bas was known for gossiping, and Adam hesitated to tell him anything. A quick glance around the room to find everyone was occupied with other things and not paying attention to them. Adam nodded. “I saw this person in the library. And they were pretty attractive, even gave me their number, but I’ve been too scared to call.”
“I see, said the sharply dressed gay man,” Bas joked of himself. “Okay, you’re worried about calling, I understand. Text this hottie beforetheyslip away.”
Adam blinked at him. “Text?”
“Don’t give me that deer-in-the-headlights look, sweetie, though it is absolutely breathtaking on you. Those giant liquid brown eyes of yours…I know you know how to text. Even you pretty runner types know how to put your thumbs together and pound out a message.”
“The jock jokes are getting old.” Adam picked up his phone and glanced at the screen again. Yeah, he could text Ru. That wasn’t as scary as outright calling him.
Bas put his hands up in an “I’m harmless” sort of way. “Don’t bite the messenger, baby. Nate has been hanging around you a lot, so I’m hearing a lot of the jock banter thrown around with your name attached. Some of the Jockstraps are starting to get jittery.” The “Jockstraps” were his affectionate term for all Nate’s hangers-on.
Adam frowned. Nate had been running with him every day, requesting Adam to stay late after football practice and just run. They’d even raced a few times, with the results being hands down that Adam was just faster than Nate. It probably bothered him, though it was all body structure rather than actual skill. Nate was built like a football player: thick, strong, and wide. Adam was built more like a swimmer: lean, lanky, and long-legged. “Nate is trying to get a scholarship to the U of M.”
“Yeah, he sure isn’t going to get one based on his grades. You, on the other hand, with a little work, could. You’d have better grades if you’d just apply yourself.” He flung his hands about. “Stop being all wishy-washy.”
“I’m not going to the U of M.” Everyone at Northern High went to the U of M. It was like some sort of unspoken rule. If you went to college, and not just a community college like the one next door, you went to the U of M. Which was exactly why Adam wasn’t going.
“All righty, then. On that somewhat incensed note, let’s practice your French, shall we? Afterward you can text your Ms. Right and talk about moving to some grand place that doesn’t snow eight months out of the year and accepts exceedingly unmotivated individuals like yourself.” And just like that, he turned his focus to helping Adam learn instead of teasing him to death.
Adam spent a good part of that night after practice trying to figure out what exactly to text. In the end, he almost caved to the internal pressure and didn’t send anything at all, but he shot off a quick text right before dinner that said:
A:Hey, this is Adam, the guy from the library. So you’re a Madonna fan?
An hour later he stared at the text in horror, realizing he’d pretty much asked the guy if he was gay in his first text to him. He probably wouldn’t write back, and since it had been an hour already with no reply, Adam figured that was that. And it had been over a week, the guy probably forgot ever having seen him. Who knows? Maybe the guy gave out his number to lots of other guys in libraries. Adam sighed, glaring at the phone.
“Adam?” his mom called from downstairs.
“Yeah?” he called back through his semi-open bedroom door.
“Do you need a ride to school tomorrow? Your dad has to work early.”
“Nah, Mom. I’ll walk, it’s not that far.” Really only five blocks, and since it wasn’t snowing yet, it wasn’t a big deal. Adam wondered if he should look for a part-time job over the holidays. Something to save up for a car, since he could legally drive now. But that would take time away from sports and school in general. Bas was right that he lacked direction. Everyone talked about college or what jobs they would have, but not him. He sighed and sat down on his bed with his laptop to finish the paper he’d started a week ago. Maybe when he was finished, he’d do some journaling and work out some of the confused meandering in his head.
After several hours of writing, Adam ended up crawling into bed around eleven, set his phone on the nightstand, and stared at it. No reply. He turned off the light and flipped over in bed, pulling the blanket over his head. Yeah, he was an idiot. See hot guy, piss off hot guy, live alone forever. He fell asleep thinking about it and had dreams about Ru walking right by him as he went off to kiss Bas instead.
