Unraveled

Sneaking Away

One thing about helping with ladies' luncheons was that they were all amazing cooks. After they had all been seated and begun eating, I filled a plate and escaped to the walkway between the church and the fellowship hall. I set the plate down on the low brick wall and sat down, pressing my back against the rough brick.

I shook a cigarette out of a pack and lit it, closing my eyes as I took a drag. Dad would chew me out if he caught me, but I didn't care. I'd been tiptoeing around Colson, who had elected to wash the dishes, and Mrs. Gehrig had pressured me into serving the food with her daughter. She was trying to put us together, but Julian knew about my antics and probably wouldn't touch me with a six-foot pole.

That was fine with me. Spending study sessions with her was plenty of bonding time.

"Your food is going to get cold," Jase's voice said. I opened one eye to look at him and then closed it. "Got an extra one?"

I took the pack out of my pocket and handed it to him, opening my eyes fully and taking another drag. "How long until it's acceptable for us to get out of here?"

"Probably until after they've ate," he said as he lit the cigarette. "What's up with you and Colson?"

"What do you mean?" I asked as calmly as I could despite my heart racing in my chest.

"I mean," Jase said with a sigh, "he's a homophobe."

I made a face at him. "A homophobe?"

"That's what people are saying, anyways," he said as he shrugged. "He likes guys."

I snorted, rolling my eyes, as I took another drag of the cigarette. "Jase, you're a fucking idiot. Homophobes don't like gay people. They have a phobia of people who like the same gender."

He looked at me. "What the fuck are you talking about?"

I looked away, stamping out the cigarette. "If he liked guys, he would be gay, not a homophobe."

"Whatever," Jase said. "He's hiding something."

"Everyone has their secrets. If he's gay, he'll tell us when he's ready and it won't be an issue. Right?"

Jase took a drag of the cigarette and let the smoke out slowly. "You know I don't give a fuck who anyone likes. As long as he doesn't try to make a move on me, I'm good."

"I don't think that's going to be an issue," I muttered.

"You partying at my house tonight?" Jase asked as I got off the wall. I tossed my untouched food into the trashcan and looked at him. "My parents are on a 'let's rekindle our love' vacation without children? Home alone? I told you about this weeks ago."

I ran a hand through my hair, giving him a sheepish look. "Sorry. I totally forgot. Of course I'll be there." Since Colson and I weren't on speaking terms, where else did I have to be?

"Great!" Jase said as we started back towards the church. "Wouldn't be a party if the king wasn't there."

"King?" my father asked as he shut his car door.

"The Lord himself," Jase said, shooting my dad a smile. "We were just talking about...uh..."

"The study group," I said, elbowing Jase in the ribs. "Jase here has decided that it's time to see if the Lord can work miracles for his grades as well as mine."