2
“Youcannotgo on a date like that,” Rita said, staring in obvious disgust at Nolan’s outfit.
“He said t-shirt and jeans,” Nolan complained.
“Do you wanna get laid by the beautiful blond marble statue of a man with the kind eyes you just described to me, or not?” she asked.
Nolan shrugged. “Not really? He’s being paid to be there. I don’t wanna deal with Gavin’s smug satisfaction when he figures out that I do actually like the guy. And it’s not that kind of date.”
Rita sighed. “You can’t go on a date with another adult in a Pokémon t-shirt. You justcan’t.”
“Why not?” Nolan asked. “What’s so wrong with me that being myself makes me completely unlikeable?”
For a handful of seconds, Rita was silent. “Dammit,” she said. “I’m doing exactly what Gavin does, aren’t I?”
“Maybe a little?” Nolan winced at having to admit it. Rita was his sister, and she meant well, but…
Everyone seemed to want Nolan to be different than he was. To be cooler, or to do things differently, or… any one of a million things.
They meant well. Theyallmeant well, he was fairly sure. It was just that Nolan couldn’t see why he should have to change to be loved. Surely if someone was going to love him, they’d love him for who he was?
Otherwise they’d eventually figure out that they’d fallen for a lie. And Nolan wasn’t a good enough liar to manage that in the first place. He’d always be a huge dork who liked stupid things, and he’d just have to find someone who was into that.
And gay.
And available.
Which shouldn’t have been literally impossible. Should it?
“I’m sorry. You’re right, there’s nothing wrong with you,” Rita said.
“Well. The evidence kinda suggests thereis, so…”
Rita made a soft, sympathetic noise. “You’ll find someone. It might take a while, but youwill. There’s someone out there for everyone.”
“Maybe you’re right about the shirt,” Nolan said, tugging at the hem. It probably wouldn’thelphis first impression with Finn, and while he wasn’t expecting this to go anywhere at all, it’d still be good practice for actual dates further along the line.
A little like dressing for the job you wanted.
He sighed, pulling it off and picking out a plain black one he usually used as a layer under his sweaters in the winter, or to sleep in. It’d shrunk in the wash.
“Muchbetter,” Rita said. “While you’re changing, those jeans…”
“What’s wrong with the jeans?”
“You don’t have a pair a little more… fitted?” she asked.
“I dunno?” Nolan shrugged. “You seem to know my wardrobe better than me.”
Rita stood from where she’d been perched on the edge of the bed, pulling open drawers and rifling through them until she found what she was looking for. It was just as well Nolan didn’t keep anything embarrassing in his room.
Well, not in his drawers, anyway. The old shoebox stashed under the bed was a different story, but Rita didn’t know about that.
No one knew about that.
“These,” Rita said, holding out a pair of jeans Nolan had forgotten he even had.
“They’re too small. That’s why they’re hiding in the back of a drawer,” he said. They were an online purchase he’d never gotten around to returning.
