Endless Sea

Chapter 11: Experimenting

October 5th, 1856

Howard, Nettie, and Peter sat in the quiet tea house, it was nearly empty as they sat quietly. Nettie had a small tin of rouge in her lap, putting it onto her face as she held a mirror in her hand.

"what are you doing?" Pete asked, glancing over the table to look in Noelia's lap.

"Putting my makeup on," Nettie said.

Peter paused for a moment, then replied. "Didn't you put your makeup on not that long ago?"

Nettie closed the tin, "Aren't I paying for your drinks and food, Peter?" She asked, raising her eyebrows as she asked the rhetorical question. Lifting her little pink bag and setting the pint into it.

He shut up, nodding a bit. Howard looked over at Pete as he held his little cup of tea. They had eaten sandwiches earlier, which Howard didn't care much for. He didn't like the tea either, European food was so different. Howard had his arm around Peter, his dear friend. Pete had seemed off recently, not too off but in some way, he had changed. Howard just couldn't tell how.

A young man arrived, stepping into the tea house with a small bag. Howard recognized him as Eugene, but he paid no notice to Howard. Approaching Nettie with subtle confidence as he handed her the bag and took the empty seat by her.

Nettie smiled, "Hi, Gene!" She said.

Eugene beamed, grinning ear to ear at Nettie as she slowly opened the bag. Nettie lifted out a pair of earrings with bells and small metal ribbons on them, they were golden with pink jewels that bedazzled in the lighting of the window.

"Oh! Eugene they are wonderful, where did you get these?" Asked Noelia, staring at them in awe.

"I made them for you," Eugene replied, fiddling with his hands. "Do you like it?"

Nettie nodded, giggling happily. "I adore them, thank you."

Howard smiled at Noelia, happy for her. Peter caught his eye, the way Pete looked at Nettie and Eugene. He seemed jealous in a way. Howard couldn't lie, he did envy their relationship a bit. But he didn't feel that way for anyone, except Pete in a way. At least, he thought he did? Howard's feelings towards his closest friend were so confusing. He was almost sure that Peter wouldn't feel the same way anyways, and when he tried to tell Nimet about it she assured him all young boys dealt with this at some point and he wasn't actually interested in men.

But Howard doubted her.

"Could you walk me home?" Pete asked.

Howard nodded, standing up. The fourteen-year-old walked out of the tea shop with Peter after saying their goodbyes to Nettie and Eugene. They quietly walked together, Peter occasionally glanced at his and Howard's hands as they walked alongside each other.

"Hey, Cano?" asked Pete, using a nickname for Howard. Howard had told Peter a bunch of Turkish nicknames months ago, and 'Cano', meaning one sincere friend seemed to stick.

"Yes, Kanki," replied Howard, using the nickname he had given Pete in turn. It meant 'closest friend',

Peter looked over to Howard. "Have you ever considered uh," he scratched the back of his scruffy hair and laughed awkwardly. "I don't know how to say it."

Howard stopped, looking back at Pete. "what?" he frowned.

"Have you ever had feelings for other men?" Pete asked.

"oh-"

"Wait, wait never mind forget I asked." Peter quickly said. "Sorry, that was so disgusting of me I didn't. I didn't really mean to say that,"