Phillip looked at him, “So, what are we going to do?”
“I have no idea but something fun.” He looked at Tara, who guiltily frowned at him. He looked away, “Something fun.”
* * *
The two boys ended up back in his bedroom. They got someone to buy them liquor. “Ok… Drinking. That should be fun, right?” Timothy asked.
His friend looked at him from across the bed. “This might not be the best idea considering the fact that you are trying to get over a breakup.”
“Oh, come on.” He took a swig of the vodka. It was the most disgusting thing he had ever drank. He would sip on wine or beer sometimes, but that was about it. Timothy didn’t even like the taste of those. The tall boy just thought that if it was clear as water, it wouldn’t have a taste to it. “What is this - cleaning supplies?” as he threw the bottle at Phillip.
“I think we should talk about something instead of drinking away our sorrows,” Phillip tried to insist.
Timothy laughed as he laid back on the bed, “What could you possibly be in sorrow about? Your life is perfect. Mine is the one in shambles.”
Phillip took a quick swig of the vodka, “Jesus Christ. What is this bottom shelf shit? Regardless, my life is not perfect.” Phillip looked directly into Timothy’s eyes.
“I beg to differ. I bet that Noah probably texts you before he texts me, which I don’t even care, but I don’t know where that friendship even came from,” Timothy explained.
“We just sort of bonded over the fact that we are both… gay,” Phillip chose to blurt out.
The tall friend shot back up in bed, “I’m sorry, what now?”
His friend nodded, “I’m gay, Timothy.”
This was not something that Timothy expected to happen ever. He would never have thought in a million years that Collin or Phillip would be gay. “Wow… I mean, I’m happy for you and honored you can tell me about it. I just never would have guessed.”
“My plan was actually to tell you about it when you came home for Thanksgiving. Then we found out about you and Noah. Noah actually told me right before you did,” Phillip explained.
It all sort of made sense as to why Phillip, of all people, would bond with Noah. It wasn’t that they made no sense having a bond together. It was just the fact that Noah was such an introvert and Phillip and extrovert. Plus, Phillip was kind of an idiot. A lovable idiot but yeah, “Do you like Noah?” Timothy blurted himself. He didn’t actually mean to say that out loud.
“I mean, in an alternate universe, I suppose we could have been more than friends. He belongs with you, though,” Phillip explained.
Did Noah belong with Timothy? That was a question. Timothy glanced over at his dresser and got up. On top of it was a stack of papers, which shocked Timothy to see. It was Noah’s manuscript. He had totally forgotten about this, “I never got around to reading this.”
“What is it?” Phillip asked.
Timothy looked at Phillip, “A book that Noah wrote or a story or something. I mean, I probably should throw it out. It’s just going to make me think of him, but maybe I should take a short glance or something?”
His friend nodded, “I think you should do more than that. If anything, it might give you closure. If it is really bad, then you can laugh and realize you dodged a bullet. If it is really good, then maybe you will continue to wallow for months on end. Regardless you have a new goal!”
This was the Phillip that Timothy knew and loved, “I suppose I will give it a try. I mean, you are right.” The only issue that Timothy had to face now was finding out how talented Noah really was. He spent several months with the blond boy. There was no doubt that he was going to be a genius with his writing.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
NOAH
“I’m thinking of closing up early tonight. What do you think?” Sasha asked Noah.
The blond boy was looking at his phone. He had been on the register for the last half-hour. Noah realized that Sasha had been talking, “Oh um… Sounds good.”
“You never should have broken up with that boy. It’s obvious that you are head over heels in love with him,” Sasha pointed out.
She just didn’t understand. No one did. “I want to live out West after high school. He doesn’t want to leave the East coast. It just didn’t work.”
Sasha rolled her eyes, “Oh, you silly young homosexual. Do you know why I stay in Wichita of all places?”
“I don’t know… You enjoy being a big fish in a small pound?” Noah just assumed that was the situation.
His boss nodded, “Yes, and no. Noah Peters, the world is full of idiots no matter where you go. San Francisco might be the gayest place you can think of, but there are gay people all over. Plus, you don’t want to live around gay people. You want to live around people.”
That made absolutely no sense. “Is there a difference?” Noah asked.
Sasha sat down on an armchair, “Queer life is amazing. Drag, art, passion, so on and so forth. It is all fun and games, but you can get that substance anywhere. We have drag here. We have gay bars. You can live ridiculously cheap if you so wish.”
“That sounds nice, and all in theory, but it isn’t the same as experiencing it,” Noah pointed out.
She stood back up, “Sweetheart, unless you intend to try and become an actor, why the hell would you go out West? New York is a kitty-corner away from Connecticut. There is gay life surrounded all around you out there. California is a different beast entirely. Plus, really, no snow on Christmas? Really?”
All this conversation was making him realize was that Sasha made no sense in Kansas. “I mean, maybe you are right,” he had to admit that he was just looking for excuses to stay away from Timothy at this point. He was still upset with him. He got a text from Brick. “Oh boy… I need to get going!” He grabbed his coat.
“Remember what I just told you! Let it sink in!” Sasha screamed.
* * *
Noah ran into his house and into the living room. “You have the test results?” he blurted out.
His brother held the envelope while his mom and Kelly sat across from him. “I don’t know if I want to open it.” Brick said.
“Let me do it for you. I want to be the one to personally go demand all the money back that you spent on that girl,” Cheryl stated.
It was obvious at this point they were all eager to hear the news. Brick took a deep breath and opened the envelope. “Holy shit,” he said as he dropped the paper down.
Noah picked the paper up. He thought he would be happy with the results, and yet he wasn’t. “I’m sorry Brick. I’m really sorry.”