4 Nerds Want Lemons

27

Chapter 27

Darius

Tuesday 3:30 pm

***

My house feels too big and lonely when I'm alone in it. You'd think I'd love being alone in a mansion with no adults, but it's so lonely it hurts. The doorbell rang and I was really surprised to see Tomlin Lemons looking back at me.

"Lemons, you alright?"

He pushed past me and started pacing my foyer. "I've been asking myself that all day. And no I don't think I am alright at all. A nap didn't cure it. Painting my toes didn't help. Then I wanted to talk, but I didn't want someone to talk back. So, I chose you. You like to listen and not interrupt. It's nice."

"Oh, okay. Well, continue pacing then. I'm good here."

***

For 39 minutes he's been pacing and hasn't said another word.

Ryland, Jay and Sammy came in the front door looking rather exhausted from the hour-long run they'd taken. They all looked at Tomlin then to me.

I shrugged. "He's freaking out over something."

"Not something. Someone's. My best friends are fucking insane. They've lost their minds. They are the ones who posted that picture of me with them. Andrew said he did it because you guys had a crush on me and he didn't like that. But I've gone over it in my head a million fucking times. I hadn't even spoken to you guys until that very same day. Make it, make sense, please." Tomlin whined in a high pitched voice that hurt my ears.

I'd never seen Tomlin look this sad. I grabbed him and pulled him into a hug. "We have had a crush on you for a while, Lovey. Maybe they heard us talking at school or something."

He scoffed, holding on to me tightly. "Fuck, I don't know man. I just don't know."

"I think I do." Sammy said, looking up from his computer.

"Come here." He waved everyone over.

"It always struck me as weird that the basketball team attacked us the same Friday that Andrew and Dylan were m.i.a." Sammy told us.

"Then the post came out and I thought okay they were just with Tomlin."

"Is that why you guys didn't act surprised like everyone else?" Tomlin asked, sitting down in my lap to watch the computer screen Sammy had up beside us. I was surprised he didn't sit on Ryland. Ryland eyed me, but for the moment we were giving up our fight over dominance.

"Nah, we didn't act surprised because we heard Dylan and Andrew talking about the threesome happening in the locker room on Thursday. All the basketball team did, which is weird that everyone blew it up. The couple was happy about you guys having a weekend alone and was hoping to swoon you off your feet." I told him, holding his hand.

"That's right. We were all there. And there was a kid with curly hair, I'd never met before he was from another school, there for practice. He was talking about you too. Saying they could try, but he'd keep you entertained. He said you were no Grumpy Gus that you were all Ron Jeremy and he was going to prove it." Ryland finished for me.

"Here's the pictures from that day. I took pictures for the yearbook of the athletic department that day. Here's the kid." Sammy pointed at the screen.

"That's fucking Caleb Smyth. A guy I thought was my friend." Tomlin announced, shaking his head.

"He's not. Tessa paid him to keep you dick free for a year. He said it was working until you and the couple planned a sex trip for that weekend." I told him evenly.

"Yeah, that's right." Ryland went on. "It was a bet between the couple and Caleb. Fuck how did I forget all about this?"

"Probably because the freshman attacked us at the restaurant Friday night." Sammy chimed in.

"And because," Jay piped in. "Monday morning was all about the post. Tomlin sat down with us and we just focused on taking that shit down. Fuck, it was like a planned attack. Holy fuck the jocks are smart and real criminals. They even posted it from Tessa's phone instead of theirs."

"Yeah, but I saw them on the school CCTV and knew it was them. I just kept it to myself for blackmail later until they outed themselves. Plus, Tomlin said he didn't want to know anymore." Ryland shrugged looking every bit as bad about the situation as we all felt.

"Fuck. My. Life." Tomlin was shocked enough to put his head in his hands.

"I forgot all about that till right now. Probably because it was short and rude then over with. I do remember that Dylan was pissed Andrew told the team about the night you two had planned. He said it was only going to cause problems. And Andrew said he hoped it did. The next thing you know we were at a restaurant being attacked by the freshman. And your picture is on the school's site." Sammy was shocked.

I shook my head. "They really did play us. Hook line and sinker. They tried to hurt Sammy that night. I bet ten to one Andrew set that up to scare us bad enough to what? I don't know. Breakup? Would he do that, Lemons?"

Tomlin stood to pace. "No that's not it. My best friend is an idiot. He either really didn't know about the freshman. Or he set it up just to piss you off. He loves making people mad. And power plays. He doesn't care if you split up. He only cares that me and you split up. He wanted there to be problems so we never even became friends. Fuck. Those bastards, and to think they asked me out." He shook his head back and forth, his straightened longer hair on top was down and flying all over the place. He kept messing with it and I thought it's the sexiest thing I may have ever seen.

"They asked you out?" Ryland yelled, causing everyone to stop and stare at Tomlin.

Tomlin shrugged. "Yup. They sure did. They offered me a place to stay on the Beach and said I wouldn't have to go to college or get a job if I didn't want to. I just had to be their boyfriend." He looked defeated.

"Why do you look like you don't want to do that?" Sammy asked him, just as confused as I was. That's a good deal.

"It's the deal of a lifetime. Right?" Tomlin joked, laughing a little, I saw the tears in his eyes. I was floored at how pretty he looked.

"I think two weeks ago before I met you I probably would have said yes. But when Andrew asked me, all of you flashed through my mind and to be honest I've been really confused ever since. Truly confused." He started to cry and I couldn't stand there with him looking so upset anymore.

I embraced him and let him cry for a while. Jay and Sammy both hugged us from the side, causing Tomlin to giggle. None of us were prepared for Ryland's big booming voice to break the moment. We all jumped when he spoke.

"I offer the same deal. Only mine is better because it involves a mansion I own and I don't know if you know this. But money with me is endless." Ryland told him, hands on his hips and all. Navy eyes never looked so determined in all his life and I know this because I've known him all my life.

Tomlin on the other hand never looked so shocked.

No one got a chance to answer because my parents came home. We all decided this obviously was over so we went to Tomlin's house deciding to talk in the basement. Tomlin remained quiet during the entire house shuffle and I was beginning to worry.

He sat down in his arm chair and stared at all of us as we waited for him to say something.