Carry that weight (Fruk)

20

I felt Antonio tap me, and I looked at him nervously. "What?" I asked. I looked at him, and he stared at me, concerned. "You've been sweating so much, and we haven't gone inside. Are you okay?" He asked. I did my best to smile at him but still felt shaken. "Cheers, I'm great!" I smiled.

I did my best to smile and reassure him. However, once the door opened, my legs felt as if they had turned to liquid. "Arthur! Fashionably late!" Conner laughed. He let me in immediately, and Antonio followed behind. "Sorry, something came up," I apologized. Absolutely nothing came up; I was beating around the bush.

Once I walked into the main room, two things caught my attention. Francis sitting down, looking terrified. And my brother Dylan, staring at me, absolutely terrified, as our brother Alistair tried talking to him. "Heyyyyyy..." I spoke softly.

"Arthur! We thought you would never show! Antonio! A pleasure!" Lucile's voice was heard from the kitchen, causing me to whip my head around to look at her. I saw how Francis tensed up, but Dylan looked relieved. "Ah, You know me...full of surprises," I laughed. I could feel Antonio lightly nudge me, but I did my best to ignore it.

Lucile was dressed nicer than usual. Maybe it was because she knew she was seeing my brother today, and wanted to make the moves again. At this point, it would be idiotic for Dylan and Conner not to notice the affair without seeing the evidence. The way she hung over Alistair, mixed with the flirtatious attitude and the nice clothes, was a dead give away what was happening. I almost feel stupid for not realizing it sooner. Then again, I assumed my brother was an idiot and did not realize she felt that way.

"Come! Sit down!" She cheered. She was overly friendly to me ever since I caught them. It would feel like a strange power if I did not help my brother. But now I feel as if I am also stuck in the lie. "We would love to!" Antonio cheered. He grabbed my arm happily, grabbing the attention of everyone in the room, including Francis and Dylan.

I felt terrible for Dylan the most, especially after what happened.

~~~~~~That Dreadful Day~~~~~

"OH, NO!"

"QUICK! GET HIM!"

"ON IT!"

I rushed to my door, slamming it open. Dylan was turned away, trying to walk away, but soon stopped in his tracks. "DYLAAAAAAN!"

"I SWEAR! I DID NOT SEE ANYTHING!"

I placed my hands on his shoulders, pulling him into my home. Dylan looked horrified, but we could not have him walking off, knowing the information he knew now. "WE KNOW YOU DID!" Francis shouted.

"I didn't! I swear!"

"Dylan, calm down; we just need to talk!" I added. As we tried to hold him down, he began trying to fight Francis and me off.

~~~~~

I sat across from Francis, and Antonio just followed beside me. "So, anything new with you? Arthur? A girl? How is work?" Conner asked. I was about to answer...the same answer I usually gave but was interrupted.

"Why do we always ask about his love life? Let's Change the subject! News Flash...Arthur doesn't date!" Dylan spoke hysterically.

"YES! I agree...I mean...Why keep asking?" Francis added. He looked the opposite of Hysterical. Calm...but annoyed. He did not like the question that was being asked of me. "Oh...okay..." Conner spoke. He looked at the two of them, confused, and sat.

I felt a kick under the table and tried to see who kicked me. However, the intense eye contact that Francis gave me answered that question. I winded my eyes, nodding in a 'what' motion.

"Arthur! Would you help me bring some sides? It would mean so much," Francis smiled. I felt horrified. All I could do was smile, nod, and do as I was told. "Please don't be weird," I whispered to Antonio. However, his smile reeked from a guilty conscious.

I kept my smile up, until I reached the kitchen, beside Francis. "What are you doing?" I asked. He looked at me, scared, and started to hold onto me. "Arthur, I am scared! I do not know what to do anymore! I have to tell him...everything," He demanded.

He tried walking away from me, but I grabbed onto him, terrified. "Don't be rash, mate! You need to think this through; it is your guilty conscious."

"If I do not tell him, your brother will!"

"Dylan?... He won't. I made sure of that! Remember?!"

~~~~~~~

"Listen to me, now!" I shoved Dylan against the wall, as he still squirmed from fear. "I promise! I won't tell anyone!" He begged. Dylan was nice. I knew deep down he would not tell. However, I knew he was like me. If he were under enough stress and pressure, or anxious that someone might be onto him, he would throw out a random secret that no one gave a shit about.

"YOU BETTER NOT! I KNOW MANY SECRETS FROM YOU, AND IT WOULD BE A SHAME IF THEY GOT OUT!" I yelled. Francis stood behind us, looking terrified. "Hey, it's okay! I won't tell!" He spoke. Dylan looked scared.

"HEY, MAN! IT IS OKAY THAT YOU LIKE MEN!"

What he said made Francis and I freeze. Mostly me.

Why...

Why was that his main concern...

Then again...Dylan was a bit oblivious to situations at times...just like me.

"What?" Was all I could say, as I looked at him in disbelief.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Look at him! he looks like a nervous wreck!"

"I know, but you can't go around outing the whole situation! Don't you want to work things out with my brother? Or have you changed your mind suddenly? Come on! You need to think all of this through," I begged. I mostly did not want him to find out that I had covered for my brother at one point.

Francis looked at me, in disbelief as if I were the stupid one. "What? Why are you giving me that look?" I asked. He pulled himself away from me and looked at me seriously. His aura was weird. "Arthur...I thought it was clear I did not want to make things right with your brother anymore..."

"Eh? Since when? You did not tell me anything like that-"

"HEY! ARE THE TWO OF YOU GOING TO BE ANY LONGER?" Alistair called to us. It pulled us back into reality as he stared at me, in disbelief. I was a bit confused. Didn't he want me to mediate for him? "You are dense as ever! I hate you!" Francis glared.

Francis angrily ran his body around and walked away from me with some food in hand. Once again...I was confused as shit. However, I felt this eery feeling that this conversation was far from over.