OUT

Chapter 15

Friday, October 17th 2014

'We're ordering spice bags, do you want one?' asked Millie, herself and Ciarán wrapped in blankets on the couch like eskimos.

'What's a spice bag?'

'What's a spice bag?' repeated Ciarán in a tone that sounded like disgust. Jack stared back at him, cocking an eyebrow, 'oh your life is about to change forever, my friend.'

'He's right,' Millie confirmed.

'Go on so, I'm starving,' Jack replied, taking a seat on the armchair beside them. There was a drag queen doing what looked like stand-up comedy to a room full of elderly people on the telly. She had a huge pink afro and was talking like an American with four brain cells. None of the OAPs were laughing at her jokes. 'what the fuck are ye watching?'

'Drag race. It's like America's Next Top Model for drag queens,' answered Ciarán, 'careful you don't break out in hives.'

'Ha. Ha. You're hilarious,' Jack replied dryly, and kicked off his shoes, placing his feet up on the table.

'Only it's way more fucking iconic that women riddled with a heroin chic complex!' continued Millie, 'that's Laganja. She's bombing this. But wait for Bianca, she's class. We reckon she'll win the whole season.' Jack had watched Next Top Model growing up with his mam, it had always been a bit of a guilty pleasure for him.

'What do they get for winning?' he asked.

'One hundred thousand dollars.'

'Fuck off? For just dressing up like women?'

'It's more than that,' Ciarán said with an eyeroll, 'they have to be able to sing, and dance, and act, and sew, and be funny, and do improv. Honestly, it's like the Olympics of Drag.'

'Right...' Jack said, unconvinced.

'And there's loads of drama!' he continued, 'drag queens are crazy, believe me.'

'Speaking of drag, what are you doing for Halloween?' asked Millie, 'we're going to a house party if you want to join. Savannah said to invite you too.'

'Oh, you know her?' asked Jack and Millie nodded with a smirk as Ciarán teased her.

'Oh they know each other alright!' Ciarán laughed and Millie blushed slightly, then he turned to Jack. 'What are you gonna dress up as? Would you ever let me put you into drag?' asked Ciarán.

'I know you're not talking to me,' said Jack, although he couldn't help but laugh.

'What? Not your thing?' teased Ciarán making air quotes with his fingers as he threw his eyes up to heaven. Jack shook his head. 'Straight men have been doing drag for centuries, you know? From Shakespeare all the way up to Mrs. Brown,' continued Ciarán.

'You might surprise yourself,' added Millie.

'Not my thing, sorry.'

'Well you're welcome to come with us if you like?' she continued.

'Yeah, I'll see. Put me down as a maybe.'

'So what did you think of your first experience in the George, anyway?' asked Ciarán, 'you disappeared early. Get lucky?'

Jack shook his head, 'I got too drunk,' he lied. 'So I just hit the hay.'

'Fair enough, you missed a class night though. Paul was asking about ya too, by the way.'

'Oh?' he asked, although he couldn't stop thinking about the guy from home he had seen on the dancefloor - it gave him knots in his stomach to the point where he felt so anxious he might get sick. They had been in the same school for years but hadn't really ever properly talked. Jack had always assumed he was gay, but nobody had ever confirmed it. He had been wearing a green circle though, so he was there to find a man. The only solace Jack could find about being present himself was that he was wearing a red circle.

'And this slut went home with Savannah,' joked Ciarán and Millie hit him playfully, 'they're in love.'

'We're not in love.'

'Three times and it's a thing.'

'We've been together more than three times,' Millie said, 'me and Sav are just casual.'

'If I know anything about lesbians, it's that ye don't do casual,' Ciarán joked.

Jack couldn't focus on their conversation. He presumed nothing would be said back home about the encounter. In fact, he had seemed just as shocked to see Jack there. He had been the one to run off, not Jack. Although he was glad that they hadn't been forced to converse, and acknowledge the elephant in the room. He thought about messaging the guy on Facebook, to explain that it was just a misunderstanding, but he couldn't have it in writing that he was there. If he ever was confronted about it, he'd just say he was there with friends. Straight people were allowed in gay bars, after all.