The First Part

Chapter 6

You got here right on time, yeah, you were my breakthrough

Elise and Aaron were sitting in her bedroom, her on her bed and him on a beanbag chair, both of them tapping ferociously at their game consoles.

[Elise's mom gave her a TV in her room as a gift for the successful filming of the second season.]

Elise chewed on a piece of chip and said, 'okay, so let me get this straight: Ella broke up with you because she, who's only been in the same room as you and Leo three times, can tell that you're in love with him, and you still don't believe her?'

'I just...don't agree with her.' Aaron muttered.

Elise scoffed, then reached over and grabbed Aaron's console out of his hands.

'Hey!'

Elise turned off the TV and stared at him, 'we need to talk.'

'Can people stop saying that to me?!'

Elise raised an eyebrow, and Aaron rolled his eyes, gesturing for her to continue.

'You're telling me that you and Leo aren't a thing, like at all?' Elise asked.

Aaron nodded while he ate a chip, 'yeah, we're just really good friends.'

Elise scoffed, 'really?'

Aaron sighed, annoyed, 'yeah! Why would you think otherwise?'

Elise looked like she was gonna strangle him, 'okay, okay-Well, we're really good friends, right? Right. So as your really good friend, would you lay your head in my lap? Would you fondle my hair and fix my shirt collar while staring lovingly into my eyes?'

Aaron didn't have an answer for that.

Elise raised an eyebrow, waiting for his answer.

'Okay, well that's different.' Aaron muttered.

'Different how?'

'You-You're Elise! And he's Leo!' Aaron gestured wildly all across the room, 'it's-'

'Exactly!' Elise yelled, 'it's different because Leo is the only person who could get away with the stuff he does with you!'

Aaron rubbed his face with his hands, feeling helpless.

'For fuck's sake, Aaron! You made out with him! Several times!'

'For the show!'

'No offense, but I don't think they were filming our picnic!'

Aaron's face paled, 'you saw?'

'Everyone saw!' Elise said, jumping off her bed and standing in front of him, 'that's not what normal good friends do!'

Aaron stared at her, shocked, confused, kinda pissed off.

'I like girls!' Aaron defended, 'I don't-I'm-'

Aaron faltered at the end of the sentence, he couldn't come up with any excuses anymore. He recalled every single time he's ever doubted his sexuality, Leo was at the heart of it all.

He did laugh at the unfunny jokes that Leo made. He did spend way too long staring at him across the room. He did blush whenever Leo winked at him or made flirty comments. And he did think about their kisses way more than he should have.

Aaron leaned against Elise's bedside table, suddenly feeling very dizzy.

'I...' But there was no denying it, he liked Leo. Or worse, he might be in love with Leo.

'But I like girls! I don't like guys! I just...' Aaron whispered, 'like Leo.'

Elise landed next to him with a thump, 'yeah, and Leo's a genderless hermit crab.'

Aaron turned toward her, and suddenly he felt hot, his eyes suddenly feeling heavy and wet.

'Aaron,' Elise soothed, her voice soft, 'it's fine.'

Aaron stared at Elise, and it felt like his life was flashing before his eyes. He thought back to years ago, trying to gather any evidence that he's not...

'There was a senior in my school,' Aaron said, quietly, 'I used to think I was just jealous of him, he was...He was-'

'Good-looking?'

Aaron nodded, 'I wasn't jealous of him, was I?'

Elise completed his thought for him, 'you liked him?'

Aaron put his head between his knees and cursed. Elise wrapped an arm around him and rubbed his back, 'you're fine-'

'I'm not!' Aaron screamed, 'I am not okay! Far from it! I-I'm-'

Elise gave him a look, urging him to continue.

He felt the fight leave his body as he mumbled out, 'I'm bisexual.'

Elise smiled as she pulled him into a hug. Her shoulder was getting wet with his tears, but she couldn't care less about that.

'Aaron, it's fine,' she said, trying to calm him down.

'It-It's not-I-'

'You're not alone,' she smiled as she pulled away to look at him in his tear-streaked face, 'have you met me? Have you met Amara? There's nothing wrong with you, Aaron.'

He clung onto her like she was his buoy in the giant storm he's drowning in.

He was happy to have Elise there for him, but he could only imagine how upset his family would be.

If he could've stayed in that moment forever—in Elise's bedroom, her arms wrapped around him, comforting him—he would've.