Just a man unconcerned with the words about his feelings he let slip out of his mouth and the reality that they may actually be true.
Nothing out of the ordinary.
“Oh my gosh, you love her!” She slaps the table as she whispers a yell at me.
All four other patrons of the diner stop their own conversations to not-so-secretly listen in on ours.
“Yes, you’re right,” I say robotically for everyone to hear, “I doloveFrankie.” Patting the carrier on the floor next to me.
Kate rolls her eyes at my attempt of acting natural, the rest of the diner now uninterested in eavesdropping. Frankie meows through the carrier, assuming my patting was an indication she would be joining us for a meal.
“Order up!” Devon says approaching the table with our order. Setting our food down before sliding in the booth next to me. I scoot over to make room, choosing to ignore the fact that I look like a shrimp next to the massive tank of a kid.
Devon helps himself to Kate’s side of potatoes and sips on my coffee. Kate and I both glance at each other as we watch, holding back the huge grins we both have on the inside. It had been over a year since Devon had acted even remotely interested in being around us if he didn’t have to. The first time he ignored us was at the after school pep rally, barely looking in our direction, just a soft head nod as he passed by with the entire football team.
“Glad to see I’m not the only one he’s ignoring now,” Naomi whispered to me in the thick crowd of cheering families.
Ever since then, communication, let alone just simple interaction with DJ had been slim. So seeing him gobble down our food like he was a starved bear was so exciting I didn’t even mind when he inhaled half of my waffle within seconds of sitting down.
“So, what you guys been up to?” DJ asks, mouth full of waffle.
“Well . . . Ben, here, has a girlfriend.” Kate smirks at me, deviously.
“I do not.” I groan, throwing my head back against my seat.
“Ms. Bailey,” DJ says more as a knowing statement, instead of a question, as he reaches across for Kate’s plate. She swats his hand away and they both giggle, he then returns to my waffle and finishes it off.
“She’s not my girlfriend.” I run my hands through my hair and try to massage away the tension in my neck that has built-up. I hate having these types of conversations, and these two know it. For one, I hate not knowing the outcome, being in the dark is the worst place a person can be—especially when it comes to relationships. I want to know the path my feelings are leading me and prepare myself for the final destination, good or bad. And second, I did not want to be having this conversation with anyone but Ellie. Making assumptions about our relationship without her here to confirm or deny fills me with a guilty sensation, like it’s wrong to discuss the specifics of what we have with anyone else.
Like it’s sacred.
“I call bull sh—”
“No turd words around here!” Kate cuts DJ off, pointing her fork, full of vegan waffle, at him.
“I’m just saying, the way you guys drool over each other. Definitely stan.” DJ shrugs as he cleans my plate with one last swipe of his fork, licking it clean. I mentally groan over the Gen Z phrase and make a mental note to Google what “stan” means in this current situation.
“Not like it’s bad, everyone’s rooting for y’all.”
“What do you mean 'everyone'?” Kate asks before I can.
“The entire school, they allshipyou guys.”
“Of course they do!” Kate’s smile is almost too big for her face.
“The entire school? And what is a ship?” I repeat back to him, my heart starting to race.
“Like relationship,” Kate and DJ say in unison as if that answers my question.
If the entire school “ships” us—whatever that means—then our behavior has been noticeable. This is bad. I can’t be seen as the guy who can’t control himself around a woman I like. I have to set an example for these kids, and if I’m doing it willingly, knowing it goes against school policy, that could be considered insubordination.
My mind lingers on the word as DJ and Kate chuckle back and forth about the entire student body and their investment in my personal affairs.
“I heard Birdie’s afraid they’ll make them Homecoming King and Queen,” DJ quips.
“I would pay so much money to see that happen!” Kate cackles at herself.
“There’s a pool going around when someone will catch them holding hands.”
