Green Light (GeminiFourth AU)

Chapter 17

♊4️⃣

As promised, Gemini had come over on Sunday at ten to noon, and we'd eaten lunch together. Then we'd gone up to my room and done some studying, now and then exchanging jokes or having fun talking about the old days. We'd had a good time, but then exchanged some more silent, awkward glances before parting ways.

"Huh, so you were hanging out with Gemini again?"

When I casually mentioned Sunday to Mark, he acted as happy as if it'd been him having the fun.

"Yeah, but we were just studying."

"Hey, sounds fine to me. Good for you! Boy, seeing you two go back to your old friendship is a relief for me, too!"

"I guess so..." I nodded vaguely.

It was true. Yesterday it seemed like Gemini and I had gone back to our elementary school days. It was fun being with him, and things were never dull. I wanted to talk to him more, and text him more, too. If I ranked everyone I knew in order of priority, I'd say he was the one most special to me. But was that the same as liking him?

I had no romantic experience, so I wasn't confident that I could say for sure.

It's been so long since I had any friends, maybe I'm feeling overly possessive of Gemini? Maybe I'm misinterpreting my feelings of friendship?

A painful lump formed in my throat as I thought this.

"Yo, why the long face?" Mark broke into my reverie, looking worried.

I mumbled something evasive. Then a question suddenly occurred to me. "Hey, are you interested in anyone right now?" I blurted.

"Huh? Naw, not really. I mean, I've got the ass fetish, remember? So I'm waiting for my ideal ass to come along."

He made this ridiculous assertion with perfect seriousness. Mark's superficial philosophy of love disgusted me--but at the same time, I envied his simplicity. I gave a small sigh. Just then, I noticed two shadows on the floor a little ways ahead. They were stretching out from the window to our left, and when some impulse made me look in that direction, I saw Gemini standing outside in his sports jersey. Facing him was Becky.

"Gemini?"

I thought he went to practice.

I opened my mouth to call out to him, but Mark abruptly clapped a hand over my mouth from behind and dragged me down into a squatting position.

"What the hell was that for?!"

I managed to protest. With his other hand, he held a finger to his own mouth and shushed me, never letting me go.

"Keep it down, moron. Isn't it obvious they're having a private moment?"

"What do you mean, private?"

"Come on, you know everybody says they're going out. Gemini never confirms or denies it, but from the look of them now, I'd say it's true."

On the surface, it sounded like he was being considerate of Gemini, but there was a suspicious smile on his face.

I wavered as we crouched there.

Eavesdropping was not good. But if I stood up now, Gemini and Becky might notice me. They were on the other side of the window, after all. If they saw me like that, it would be like coming right out and saying "I was eavesdropping!"

And though I knew it was wrong. I was really curious about their conversation.

"You're so mean, Gemini. Why didn't you come yesterday? It was my birthday!" Becky's voice was a little coy, and a lot displeased.

My heart thumped. Gemini had glanced at his phone every so often yesterday, and he'd sent some text messages, too. I hadn't paid any particular attention at the time, but maybe he'd been talking to Becky?

"Look, I told you, I already had plans, and I couldn't make it. Be reasonable."

"But you said you might be able to put in just a tiny appearance! My friends were looking forward to you coming, you know."

"Well, I'm sorry, but I texted you, didn't I?" Gemini apologized tiredly.

I was pretty sure he was at his wits' end. Mark grinned and said, "Looks like a lover's quarrel, eh?"

"But Gemini...your plans were with Fourth, right?"

"How did you know?"

I was as surprised as Gemini was at that one.

"Mari was telling me that she saw the two of you walking around together. I'm right, aren't I?"

"Well, yeah...more or less."

"Say, Gemini, I know you're a busybody, but don't you think it's time to quit? If you pay too much attention to him, he'll just get in another fight with Aun."

"I can't just stop hanging out with him. Fourth hasn't done anything wrong. It wouldn't be fair."

"Fourth's not a kid anymore. He can take care of himself. Plus, it seems like he and Mark have gotten friendly lately, too."

She gave a clap of her hands, as if to say Problem solved!

But Gemini was hanging his head, not saying anything. Becky sighed under her breath, and then patted his head.
"You're such a softy," she said ruefully.

He protested, "Hey, cut that out," but showed no signs of pushing her hand away. They looked more like a couple in love than a pair of good friends.

"Say, Gemini," she pressed. "Are you free the Sunday after exams? If you've got some time, come out shopping with me to make up for yesterday."

"Uh...uh-huh..." he answered noncommittally.

In that moment, I think my breath stopped. The ice that covered my heart was jagged with spikes, and they tore through me. More than pain, I felt a freezing cold spread all over my body. I shivered. Eventually their shadows in the hallway slipped to the left, and disappeared. They'd probably each headed to their clubs. I realized my fists were clenched, and I slowly released them. Sweat poured out of my skin, and I was quivering.

"I wonder if that was what you'd call a lover's quarrel? But anyway, they go well together. Good-looking boy, good-looking girl."

Mark finally let me go and stood up, stretching. I copied him, but my steps were so weak and unsteady it was questionable whether I was moving my body of my own will.

"Well, I have to say I wouldn't mind a girl as cute as Becky," Mark said as we put on our shoes by the front door. "Sure makes a guy jealous of Gemini, doesn't it?"

"Maybe so," I said, hiding the unease that was tormenting me. But my voice came out exhausted.

Gemini's assurance that he wasn't dating Becky popped back into my mind, but after seeing them like that, I just couldn't believe him.

"What's wrong. Fourth? You've got a seriously scary look on your face." Mark was frowning worriedly. Apparently, he'd noticed something was wrong right away.

"It's nothing."

"Doesn't look like nothing. You don't have a thing for Becky, do you?"

"O-Of course not!" I shouted, rattled.

Now that had come out of nowhere.

However, I regretted it immediately. Mark was gaping at me, eyes bugged out. I couldn't bear him looking at me like that, and I apologized right away. "Sorry."

"Nah, I'm sorry for saying something like that. Er... well, cheer up, okay?" He forced a smile and thumped me on the shoulder. I think he may have gotten the wrong idea. But correcting him would be a pain in the ass, so I didn't try to explain myself any more.

After that, we walked home together, but I didn't respond much to Mark's attempts at conversation, and the atmosphere between us was strained. When we parted ways, he gave my hair a thorough ruffling and told me, "Don't let it get you down, okay?" Then he flashed me a little smile and left. I just stood there watching him melt away into the evening.

TBC