𝑰𝒏 𝑭𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒏𝒐

13 : Change

𝕊 𝕆 𝕄 𝔼 ℝ

February 28th, 20xx

My cheeks burned as Oakley sat on my bed. I had the cover since I was five. My monkey blanket had a rainbow on the other side. I never changed it because I didn't want to waste money on it and never cared to.

Now I was wishing I did.

"Nice covers, Somer."

"Shut up!" I quickly retorted, grabbing my throw pillow and throwing it at him.

Wasn't that the reason it was called a throw pillow? To throw?

Oakley laughed with his eyes still roaming my room. I had photos tapped to the wall and random things too. New snippets, poems I had written, poorly drawn drawings. Every part of me filled my room. Oakley was the first person to see it all outside of my friends.

Didn't he say he was our friend, Somer?

"I like your room. It's cozy, lived in."

"I just wanted an aesthetic look. I'm pretty sure I failed but oh well," I chuckled, sitting next to him but against the wall.

"No, I think you sort of fit it. I mean, tape?"

"Holes."

"Ah."

My legs curled up beneath me. What was I supposed to do with a new friend? Why did he even follow me?

"Why'd you follow me home? You could have gone to your apartment."

"I was bored. You un-bored me."

"That sounds like a backhand compliment," I laughed.

"It's not. It's been a while since I've had friends my age and I feel comfortable with you. It's nice," he said with a shrug.

He swept his hair out of his eyes. I had never met a guy with hair like Oakley's and managed to pull it off. Most of them looked a little funny until it grew out.

"You know, if I didn't know any better, I think you fit the aesthetic more."

Oakley rolled his head to look at me with raised eyebrows. I didn't even say anything questionable, he knew I was right. His style was what I wanted to look like.

"Somer, I literally just threw this outfit on. It's not aesthetic praiseworthy," he chuckled.

I could only playfully scowl at him. He was wrong. He wore what I always wanted, he dressed the way I wanted, and he could pull it off. How had he gotten stylish? I had heard that being any type of queer was an automatic roll into being a fashion icon.

"Is it because you're gay?" I accidentally let slip from my mind.

"Huh?" As soon as he questioned me, he burst into a fit of laughter. His eyes widened as he rocked back and forth with each laugh getting silent. So, he was a silent laugher.

"I didn't mean to say that." I grimaced.

"No, I think you did. I don't know, if I was to say it was 'cause I was gay, I would probably be lying. I can't dress well. I'm telling you, this was just a luck outfit," he said with a shrug.

His laughter still wasn't contained because he kept laughing every few seconds. Was it that funny? My cheeks burned in embarrassment, so much embarrassment that I playfully frowned at him before leaving my room to check on my mom. I found her in her room.

"Who is that?" she asked with the tips of her hair dripping on her shirt as she brushed it.

I took the towel off her bed so I could dry it. I answered her question with,"You weren't outside my door, were you?"