While the Sun Shines

8.

Vague 'we should meet up some time' statements were generally accepted as never being followed through on. Nick had half-expected to never hear from Lara about getting coffee once classes began, but she contacted him immediately on Monday morning. She asked if they could have lunch together today, and Nick said yes, obviously. 

He was quite aware Lara still believed he was gay and in denial. It was a little annoying if she only wanted to meet with him because of aforementioned reasons, but this would also be a good opportunity to set the record straight. Literally. Lara was the last person Nick wanted to think he was gay.

Even if he wasn't here for friends. And even less so for anything more than friends. 

Nick's morning lecture went by in relative peace, safe for the part where their professor immediately assigned a butt ton of reading to do and a group project. Thankfully, he assigned the groups and Nick made some empty small talk with the fellow students he was supposed to work with during the break. It all stayed light, joking, and strictly superficial—exactly the way Nick preferred it, and it put him at ease. 

Lunch with Lara, however, was a completely different story.

It was obviously not a date. At least, Nick had gone wrong assuming enough times in high school to realise it probably wasn't. Still, Nick was already sweating buckets when he saw Lara walking towards him, smiling widely and waving. They'd agreed to meet outside since the weather was great. Nick had taken a seat at one of the picnic tables while he waited, and Lara joined him. She plopped down next to him rather than sitting on the other side of the bench.

"Hey, Nick!" she said, and Nick was completely thrown off when she hugged him like they'd already known each other for ages rather than a few hours tops. Nick patted Lara's back awkwardly while the floral scent of Lara's hair filled his nose and his heart pounded. 

"Uh, hey," Nick stiffly replied. 

Lara didn't seem to notice his discomfort. She squinted up at the sky. "Weather's lovely, isn't it? Why are you sitting on a bench in the shade? We already do that enough in class! Let's sit somewhere in the grass, in the sun."

Nick didn't particularly care where he sat and quickly agreed, "Of course."

Whatever she wanted. Nick let Lara lead the way to a grass field up ahead, where a few guys were playing football quite energetically, especially considering the high temperature.

Lara sighed dramatically. "Damn, I can't imagine wanting to play football right now. It's so hot."

"At least it's real grass, not artificial."  Nick glanced at the group of amateur football players who were clearly only doing it for fun. He averted his gaze, and his stomach sank. "If it's artificial it burns your feet off in this sun," he murmured.

Lara shot him a curious look. "Blake said you played football... but you said you don't anymore now. Why?"

Nick shrugged. "I just didn't feel like it anymore," he lied. 

His evasive answer only seemed to capture Lara's attention more. "Did you quit because there wasn't a nice atmosphere in the group for, you know, you?" she pressed. 

"No?" Nick replied. He was confused about the cryptic way Lara phrased things and the weird emphasis on you. Then he remembered what she thought about him and his sexuality.

She had a point. Not Nick, but his best friend Sem, who was actually gay, had left their old football team because he didn't like how people treated him after coming out. It was one snide remark after another and constant tension.