Getting Closer

Chapter Fifty Five - Charlie

For once in probably three years, I arrive last to the diner. Just us guys for the first time in months, it's actually kind of weird that Jules isn't with us. But I think it's good for us to meet up by ourselves to just be us for a hot minute before we separate once more.

"Sorry I'm late," I mumble as I throw my backpack onto the ground. "Coach is prepping me for practice and-"

Max groans. "You're still a month away from the season."

"He wants me to be ready," I shrug. After chugging the water the diner gives out and realizing I barely drank anything today, I add, "You know universities will be watching closely from here and out."

Max can't quip back because I am right. Being the best in the state really puts a damper on my normalcy. More training, more pressure to be the best, more eyes watching my every move. Thankfully Seth chimes in, "Well we're happy to have you here with us now."

I snort. "Thanks, I suppose."

Seth claps his hands and says to us, "Alright boys. Quick update on everyone and then we can talk business."

Talking business is Seth's way of just talking about anything but school and relationships and we've been doing this intermittently every few months. "I'll go first," I say just to get it over with. "Grades are the same as they've always been. Coach thinks that some major league teams will be interested in me so I won't even have to worry about college. And things with Leia are great besides the sex thing."

After I nod that I'm finished, Max and Seth stare at me about the last bit of information. "Okay..." Max says as he leans forward. "We'll put a pin in that one but I'll go next." He pauses and takes a sip of his drink. "Ever since my mom has met Jules, she seems to always arrive home earlier than she used to. She says she's getting out early but I don't believe it for one fucking minute. School is sucking me dry but I'll survive. Oh. And my dad showed up a couple days ago with no warning and ruined my fucking day."

When he doesn't continue, Seth says, "We'll put a pin in that as well." Leaning forward, he says, "I hate school but yet no matter how much I don't try, I'm just that good at getting great grades. Maybe it's the Asian in me speaking, who knows? Let's see... My dad called from overseas and he looks better than he did last time so that's good I suppose. He says he'll probably be in around Valentine's Day. And John and I.........." He says the last bit as a jumble and I can't decipher what he said.

"Huh?" Max asks for the both of us.

Seth wipes his lips and keeps looking anywhere but at us. "I said John and I bro..........."

"Speak up fucker," Max snaps.

"John and I broke up! Alright?"

Max and I stare at our friend for the longest time. "You were together last week," I say as they were still together at Jules' place. They seemed fine then.

Seth shrugs and tries to play everything off. "Well when you came in begging us for a condom that night, it made him realize he wanted more with me and I just wasn't ready for that. So there; a nice clean break, I am emotionally devastated but I pretend like I'm not. Can we move onto the fact that your dad showed up again?"

Our food arrives - the guys already ordering for me - but we heed no attention to it. Seth and I watch our friend and how distant he is. More distant than his usual self. "I had just gotten home from Jules' and not even ten minutes later the fucker arrived," he explains, fury laced in his words. "Thank fuck my mom wasn't home."

"Well what happened? Did he say anything?"

Max grits his teeth. "He wants us to come back home and blah blah blah. It's the same shit every time. He begs my mom for money and acts like he's Jesus or something. Like give me a fucking break."

I've only ever met his father once and I knew immediately why Max acts so strange about his parents. We were twelve and dicking around at his house when he randomly showed up out of the blue. The guy acts all charismatic but even as a twelve year old I could tell how much of a slimeball he was. He always gave me the creeps and I was thankful he was rarely in Max's life and is the primary reason why Max is the way he is.

"Let's move onto Charlie, why don't we?" Max deflects. His mischievous smile returns. "Sex thing? Whatever do you mean?"

Every part of my body turns red from embarrassment. I should have never have said anything, especially to Torres. "Promise not to make fun of me."

While Max snorts, Seth nods. "Sure. But no promises about him."

Sighing, I close my eyes and say just loud enough to be heard by just them, "At Jules' place, we were getting hot and heavy and she wanted to have sex and I went along with it."

"Yeah, yeah, that's when you came looking for condoms," Max says.

"Right and ummm.... how do I say this...."

"Get to it, Evans," Max snaps.

I clear my throat, "I umm well I got the condom and ran downstairs and umm..."

By my hesitation to get to the point, a smile blossoms on Max's face. "Ha! You came early didn't you?"

If I could burst into flames, I wish I could do it now. I bury my face into my hands. "It was so fucking embarrassing!"

"Oh! Oh!" Seth jumps. "That's why you were being so weird in the morning."

Leia didn't hold it against me and said it was fine but like it wasn't fine. It made me look incompetent and a newbie which is true but I don't want to make it seem like I am. That morning, I felt like puking just at how stupid I felt and how Leia slightly treated me differently. Ugh, I just hate my body for being so eager that night. "And now Leia is a bit more hesitant to do anything more than touching," I say.

"Has she sucked your dick yet?" Max asks nonchalantly.

"Torres!" I yell at him.

"What? Answer the question."

"No, not yet," I mumble.

"I say that's your next step with each other. Do some oral shit, see how long you last." Max finally digs into his meal and adds, "And besides, going down on her will make her forget how fast you came."

As he digs into his massive burger, I turn to Seth. "Hey, don't look at me. I'm still a fucking virgin. A single one at that," he says as he turns to his BLT.

I frown but I know that that was the end of my turn. We thankfully move on in conversation to sports, a little bit of school, and about our classmates before we head out. Before we climb into my truck, Max stops me and says quietly, "If you know you and Leia are about to get frisky, try jacking off before she arrives. That used to help me."

At the sincerity, I genuinely nod and look up at him. "Thanks."

He slaps my back and adds quickly, "If that doesn't work, think about your dead Nana."

I quickly shove him before he can run off. Max actually snorts as he laughs at how funny he thought that was. We inexplicably start to wrestle which has Seth groaning at us. "Come on, I wanna goooo," he whines at us.

Max shoves me one more time before he climbs into my truck. "Fucker," I call out with love and he blows back a kiss for me. Man, what would I do without him?