After Wonder

Chapter 10/What does this mean for us?

I helped Julian to the nurses office. He was whimpering and shaking. 

"Shh. It's ok." I said, "You'll be fine. We're going to the nurse." By the time we made it to the nurse on the ground floor, my sweatshirt was covered in Julian's blood. 

"His nose is broken. We need to call someone to take him to the emergency room." The nurse said, hearing this made me angry. I walked out of the nurses office. 

"August come back!" I heard Julian shout. I ran up the stairs all the way to the 10th floor and found Jack. 

"What is wrong with you!" I yelled at him, "You just broke Julian's nose!" I grabbed him by his shoulders and pulled him close to me,

"I get that you have a crush on me, but going as far as to physically assault Julian just because you hate him is too far." I said. "At this point you're not trying to protect me. You're being possessive."

"I'm doing it for you." Jack said. 

"Jack, I like Julian. I like him a lot. He's proven himself to have changed, in a good way. While you have changed, it's a bad change." I said. "Being kind, caring, and compassionate for all people are qualities I look for. I'm sorry." Then I walked away from him, back down to the nurses office. Julian was laying down holding a huge clump of tissues and napkins to his face. He waved,

"Try not to talk." I told him. "I won't be able to go to the emergency room with you, so I think I should tell you this now." Julian sat up,

"I have something to tell you." He said, "It's not gonna be easy." I noticed that Julian started shaking slightly. 

"I never expected it to happen like this." Julian's voice was shaky, not just because his nose was broken. "But......I really like you. Not in a friend way." I suddenly felt lightheaded. He really likes me? 

"Don't feel pressured to answer right now, you don't even have to like me back I just wanted you to-" I cut him off, tilting my head to avoid hurting his nose. When my lips met his, I felt Julian relax and immediately kiss back. His hands found my waist. After about a minute, he pulled away from me. 

"That's what I wanted to tell you." I said, then we heard the ambulance outside. When the nurse came in she grabbed Julian and they left. As soon as I could see them anymore I threw my arms in the air and jumped up and down. 

"Yes!" I shouted. "Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!" I couldn't believe it. He likes me? He kissed me! And he wasn't at all repulsed. I went to class feeling like I reached the moon. When I sat down, Henry, Amos, Miles, and Summer all turned to looked at me.

"What?" I asked them. 

"Why are you so smiley?" Amos asked. "Julian, your best friend just got his nose broken by your other best friend Jack."

"I don't know if I would call me and Jack best friends. I'll try and discuss everything with you guys after class is over." I said, taking out my books. I ended up not talking to them until the end of the day. 

"Auggie! You're killing us." Summer complained, "What happened?" 

"Boys first." I said and pulled Amos, Miles, and Henry to the side. 

"What happened?" They all asked. 

"Jack got upset at me because me and Julian are friends now. He's also upset, because we like each other." I said. I wish you could've seen their faces. They're mouths dropped open. 

"Really?" Miles asked. I nodded, smiling. 

"So are you guys gay?" Henry asked. 

"I'm not gay. Julian hasn't exactly told me what he is, but I am a thing called bisexual." I said. "It means I'm attracted to males, females, and everybody else." Before I could say anything else, they all hugged me. Putting us in a bro hug. 

"We're so proud of you for telling us." Miles said. 

"We love you either way." Henry said. "We always will."

"Thank you guys. Ok, Summer is dying to know." I said then walked back over to her.

"So, what's all this drama with Jack?" She asked. 

"It's Julian and Jack." I said. 

"Uh oh. Is Julian being a jerk again?" Summer asked. 

"No, absolutely not! Jack is the issue." I said. "Me and Julian have become best friends you've definitely noticed. He doesn't like that. And now I've realized that I like Julian, and he likes me back." Summer was silent for a minute, I looked back at Henry, Miles, and Amos and they were physically cringing at her silence. 

"Summer?" I asked. 

"Oh sorry." She said, "I'm so happy for you! Are you guys like dating now?" Her question stumped me. 

"Oh. I guess I haven't really thought of that." I replied. "Why were you hesitant to answer?" That's when she pulled me away then pulled me close to her and whispered in my small cauliflower ear, 

"Because I like you." Then she let me go and walked away. Summer left me standing there in shock. 

"What?" Was all I said to myself. After a little while, I got my mom to drive me to the emergency room. Julian was sitting in a room, his nose was splinted and taped and very visibly swollen. 

"Auggie!" He said, those it sounded more like "Ugh" Julian's mother, Mrs. Albans was also there. 

"Why hello August." She said, 

"Hi." I said smiling. "How are you?"

"She's fine." Julian said, "Angry, very angry." That checks out. Mrs. Albans was always a little hot-headed and overprotective when it came to Julian. 

"Why would Jack do this unprovoked?" Mrs. Albans asked,

"Because he's a whiny bitch." Julian replied. 

"Julian!" His mom scolded him. 

"What? It's true." Julian said. "Grandmere would think the same thing. I also know exactly what she would say." 

"Ok, let's not get into that." I said. "Does it still hurt?"

"Not as much as it did earlier." Julian said. "Mostly because it's bandaged now. I should be able to go home soon. I'll also be wearing this lovely thing on my face for 6 weeks." 

"I mean, you even rock a broken nose." I said. 

"I'll leave you two to talk. Is your mom here Auggie?" Julian's mom asked.

"Yeah. She's outside." I said. When Mrs. Albans left Julian made his way over to me. 

"Hi." He said smiling. "We need to talk about something that was left open." 

"I agree." I said. "What do you want to talk about first." I said that right before he kissed me. He pulled away then answered,

"Us, and that I don't really know what my sexuality is." 

"My thoughts exactly." I said. "So, what would you consider us?"

"Maybe we can label it guys who really like each other but aren't dating." Julian said. I nodded and smiled then kissed him again. As we were kissing I was wondering. What does this mean? Are we still best friends? Or are we gonna consider this even more?