I hear a long, dramatic sigh. "I can't tell her, Cap," his words now barely audible through the wall.
"Why the hell not?" Now Sam is the one exasperated.
"Well, I don't know," Tuck murmurs sarcastically, "why can't you tell Pine you're totally into her and this whole 'just friends' thing is a fucking joke?"
"Dude, what's between me and Rory is between me and Rory. Mind your own damn business."
"You're asking about me and Carl!"
"Hey. You came here practically beating down my door for advice about Carl, not the other way around," Sam reminds him, and Tuck practically growls in frustration.
"Whatever we'll talk about it later at boys' dinner. Everyone's gonna be down by the pool by now. I gotta go before Carl accuses me of being late because I was picking up some bitch in the lobby or something," he grumbles.
Sam laughs. "Maybe she wouldn't feel so insecure if you referred to her as more than your 'favorite hookup'," he offers.
"Whatever, Cap, I'm fucked. I just left her fifteen minutes ago and I already fucking miss her."
Well those just might be the sweetest words I've ever heard come out of Tuck.
"That might be the kind of thing she'd like to hear," Sam suggests.Way to go, Sam.
"Yeah, cause chicks are always into pussies."
Sam chuckles and I idly regret that I can't tell Carl about this conversation since I'm only listening to it illicitly and repeating it would be a betrayal to Sam. At least Sam is pushing Tuck to come clean about his feelings, which is the same thing I've been doing with Carl from my end. I also try not to feel giddy about the fact that Tuck said Sam istotally intome and Sam didn't deny it. Idly I wonder if he knows I can hear them or not.
"And speaking of pussies, Kendall and I have a bet going for break. She says you're finally gonna grow a pair and get with Pine, and I say you're still just a pussy, you fucking pussy, so keep bitching out. I've got a hundred bucks riding on it and-"
"Christwill you shut the fuck up about that already, Tuck?" Sam growls, and Tuck laughs, seemingly amused by his friend's irritation.
I never could quite understand how men relate to one another. They're best friends, and Tuck's way of encouraging Sam to pursue me is to call him afucking pussy. Or not to pursue me, perhaps, since he has money wagered that he won't, apparently. Who knew Kendall would be an ally for me?
"Right, I got it. She's just yourfriendthat you talk about every five minutes.Rory said this today, Rory did that yesterday... Sorry I can't go out with those hot slutty college bitches, Tucker, but I have to tutor Rory for math-"
"God, shut the hell up already! Stop projecting your Carl problems onto me!"
Tuck laughs again and I jump when I hear his footsteps before I remember that I'm hidden in my own room. "Whatever, you coming?" he asks.
"I'll be down in a bit," he replies.
"Yo, speaking of Pine, Carl's all worried because she isn't answering her phone and she was pretty smashed last night. Have you-"
"She's fine."
Silence.
"I checked on her this morning," Sam explains, and I know that if I can detect the hesitancy in his voice, certainly his best friend can as well.
"I'll bet you did," Tuck teases and I hear the door open and close, then his footsteps pass my door on his way to the elevator.
I jump as the door I'm leaning against is knocked on. "Ror?"
Damn, I don't want Sam to know I've been standing here listening. I tiptoe into the bathroom, turn on the faucet and start to brush my teeth. Sam knocks again, so I walk back and open the door, mouth full of my toothbrush, hoping it will appear that I've been in the bathroom washing up the whole time.
"You okay?" he asks, eyeing me suspiciously.
I nod and turn to go back to the bathroom to spit and rinse. Sam leans on the bathroom door frame.
"So you've just been... brushing your teeth?" he asks, eyes narrowed and full of mirth. He's totally on to me.
