Will flinched slightly. “What– no, I mean, I don’t think–“
“She definitely was,” El agreed, taking a bite out of her sandwich.
Will blushed. Mike felt like his soul was being waterboarded.
Will’s eyes flicked around the table and settled on Mike for a split second before moving to the tray in front of him. “It– okay, maybe,” he admitted.
The others looked like they were about to press him some more, but Mike was going to disintegrate if they continued this conversation. “You know, I think wet socks feel kind of cool.”
The table immediately burst into a chorus of horrified responses. Mike prided himself on being able to switch the topic of a conversation at the drop of a hat. But maybe his friends were just easily distracted.
By the end of the day, Mike felt like a ghost of himself. Paying attention in class was not compatible with being depressed about his crush’s romantic prospects.
He should have expected it, really – it’s not like Will wasn’t going to date eventually. That’s the whole reason he had agreed to the dumb practice kissing idea, anyway – so he would be prepared when someone actually wants to kiss him.
Mike actually wants to kiss him.
But he couldn’t tell him that.
Mike almost physically bumped into the boy he was thinking about as he walked towards the parking lot. Will looked windswept and flustered – somehow, as there hadn’t been so much as a breeze all day.
“Oh.”
“Oh!”
Their eyes locked together like magnets. Mike was the first to look away. “Um. Hi, Will.”
“Mike– um,” Will looked like he was trying to piece a puzzle together. “Can I– could I come over to your place?” He asked hesitantly.
Mike’s eyes widened in surprise. “Yeah! Yeah, of course. Um.” He gestured to his car.
Will sent him a soft smile before rounding to the passenger side of the car and climbing in. Mike exhaled and climbed into the driver’s seat.
The drive was quiet. It wasn’t really awkward – Mike and Will had been through enough that they could appreciate sitting in each other’s presence silently – but Mike felt his mind running at a mile a minute.
It felt like ages before they reached Mike’s house. Pulling up in the driveway, he noted the absence of his parent’s car – ah yes, his mind supplied, they were going to take Holly to see a movie.
The two boys grabbed their backpacks and made their way inside. Since no one was at home, Mike dumped his bag by the living room couch and headed for the kitchen. “Do you want anything?” He called to Will, who was making himself comfortable on the cushions.
“I’m good,” Will returned. He knew how to get whatever he might want, anyway.
Mike trailed back to the living room with a glass of water and bowl of apple slices his mom had left out for him, which he set down on the table across from them as he slid onto the other side of the couch.
They were quiet for a moment – this seemed to be happening to Mike a lot, lately – as Mike chewed on a piece of apple.
“Um, so, is everything okay?” Mike finally asked, peering at Will as he brought his knees up to his chest.
Will blinked at him. “Oh, yeah, everything’s fine, sorry if I freaked you out by just– asking to come over, I just,” his eyebrows furrowed. “I don’t know. I’m confused.”
“Confused?”
words: 585
