More Than Friends (boyxboy)

Chapter 14: The elephant

"Normal people talk to each other if they want to tell them something. "

☆

Archie stares out of the classroom window, watching the few late students amble through the school gates, making little attempt to get to where they needed to be, in the short space of time they had left before the bell rang. He then looks to his side. The chair beside him is still vacant. Where was Bay?

Finally, with moments to spare, Bay is heading through the classroom door. He hurries to his seat, out of breath, as he flops on the chair and lets his bag drop to the floor. "I made it." He says, still trying to catch his breath.

Archie takes in Bay's worn-out appearance, looking him up and down. "You only went to the library to return a book. Why do you look like you've run around the school field?"

"I got distracted." Bay says as he finally straightens up in his seat to pull out his books he needed from his bag.

"By what?" Archie furrows his brow.

"Just…." Bay leans a little closer to Archie's ear. "Mark. He messaged me for help."

Archie pulls his head back, still with a frown upon it. "He has your number?"

"Well… yeah. It's not like he can just come up and speak to me with everyone looking." Bay replies, not seeing the issue with it.

"Normal people talk to each other if they want to tell them something. I don't like how he thinks he is better than everyone else. You're not beneath him." Archie looks away, taking his annoyance on the zip of his bag.

"Well, according to the school hierarchy, I am. I don't care anyway." Bay shrugs.

"Well, you should. Look at me. I went straight up to Lena and told her I liked her and boom!" Archie balls a fist and punches the palm of his other hand. "Now she's my girlfriend. She is the most popular girl in our year, maybe the school, but I did it anyway because, unlike Mark Lester, she is comfortable in her own skin. As am I."

"That's quite a speech." Bay raises an eyebrow. "Good for you. However, in my case, it's just an exchange of mathematical knowledge. There's no friendship to be had. Whether he speaks to me in public or not is irrelevant. So you don't have to worry." 

"But I do…"

"Well, there's no need."

"But now I'm with Lena..."

"Just stop Archie." Bay slams the last book on the desk. He turns to look at his friend, whose eyes are a little wide with shock at the outburst. "You are allowed to have a girlfriend. We're not joined at the hip. I am just fine doing what I am doing."

"And what is that exactly?"

"I'm just helping him with maths. That's all. What else would we have in common? You've more or less pointed out how we are opposite ends of the scale."

"Ok, ok. I'm sorry. It's just that I don't want things to change between us. I'm just looking out for you, that's all." Archie forces a sorry smile, which causes Bay to roll his eyes.

"I know, but I'm not a little kid. You're only 6 months older than me. We won't always be like how we have been forever." Bay suddenly looks away, hoping Archie didn't read too much into the comment. He'd already made the mistake of thinking they were on the same page, when in fact they were on different chapters entirely.

"I guess." Archie replies, feeling a hint of sadness of the thought that Bay may just see him as someone he used to know in a future world. He tries not to think about it too much as he focuses on the not too distant future. "Well, this Saturday, 11 at mine? I have that new game, and mum is making pancakes…"

"I can't. Not this Saturday." Bay cuts Archie from his sentence.

"Why?"

"I'm busy."

"Doing what? We always spend Saturdays together."

"Well, not this Saturday. I have plans." Bay can feel his heart race a little. The realisation of what he had just said was already coming in to play. But whether he liked it or not, he had already booked himself up. "I thought you'd be wanting girlfriend time. I've agreed to more tutoring lessons."

"You're seeing Mark…. Again!"

Bay puts a hand over Archie's loud mouth. "Shut up." He says through clenched teeth. "You promised to keep it quiet."

Archie pushes the hand away from his mouth. "Y'know what? If you wanna be used, just go for it. I don't care anymore. Maybe I will see Lena."

"Good."

"Fine."

The bell rings as if on cue, as they find they have nothing more to say to each other. They had seldom argued over serious things throughout their friendship and now neither knew quite what to do about the situation they currently found themselves in.

***

There had been an elephant in the room since that Monday. An unwelcome grey beast which had made himself at home, nestled between Archie and Bay, with them both knowing it was there but choosing not to address it. They had started talking less and spending more time apart. Archie with Lena and Bay with his secret meetings in the library. Both carrying on as if there was nothing wrong between them because they were too scared to reveal their own truths. Bay would never tell Archie how his feelings for him had morphed into some kind of attraction and Archie would never admit that he was jealous of Bay spending time with someone else, not to mention how protective he felt over his friend.

Even Gia could see that something wasn't right with Bay as he sat there that Saturday morning at the breakfast table. "Are you gonna eat that cereal or just splash the milk everywhere?" She says, watching as the spoon lifted up, full of soggy cornflakes before they were left to drop back into the bowl.

"I'm fine." Bay looks up at her as she takes a seat opposite him.

She cups her mug of coffee as she watches her brother play with his breakfast. "You're not fine, Bay. What's up? Is it Mum, you know she has to work most Saturdays…"

The spoon now makes a weighty clatter into the bowl. He looks up at Gia, who looks at him with surprise at his flick of a switch mood. "Can't I just eat my breakfast in peace?"

"But you're not eating it. You're just splashing it about. Even your sisters don't make that much of a mess…."

"I'm going out." He pushes back the chair and stands up, heading for his school bag by the door.

Gia turns her head to see Bay pulling on his trainers. "Are you off to see Archie? Maybe your best friend can get it out of you."

"I'm not going to Archie's." Bay says as he heads for the door. He turns to look at Gia before adding. "I have more than one friend." And with that, the door slams behind him.