How to Get a Boyfriend (boyxboy)

Chapter Seven

Why was I being so stupid about this?  This was everything I’d dreamed of for the last three weeks.  I couldn’t understand why I was so against John coming to stay.  I mean, I wanted him and everything, but… but nothing.  There was no real reason that John couldn’t stay over.  I think it was just being pushed in to it that got my hackles up.  I’d thought several times of ‘sleepovers’ during my holiday in France, gone over conversations and actions in my head a million billion times.  But now that I was actually up against it, I was terrified of the outcome.  This evening potentially had the power to make or break my relationship with John, depending on how we both reacted to whatever it was we would do in the coming hours.  I metaphorically touched wood, mentally crossed my fingers, hung imaginary horseshoes over my head and did just about every other superstitious thing possible to try and guarantee good luck for my coming ordeal.  It was just a hunch, but I had an uncomfortable feeling that I was going to need as much luck as I could get.

Derrick picked us up from the cinema car park.  I deliberately sat in the front to avoid any awkward situations that my father might witness.  I instantly regretted my decision when I looked in the rear-view mirror and saw John looking very small and alone in the back seat.  He appeared so destitute at being left by himself that I nearly climbed through to the back, just so I could comfort him.  Then I saw the looks my dad was shooting John through the mirror, and thought better of it.

“So, good film?” my dad said with false cheeriness.  John nodded.  I grunted a faint affirmative.

“What did you watch?” he continued relentlessly.  I narrowed my eyes at him before answering.

“Hard Liners, dad.  Just some dumb action movie.  It was alright, but not worth buying the DVD,” I said, hoping that would close the matter.

“What’s your favourite film, John?”  Obviously not.

John shrugged.  “My dad would kill me if I didn’t say Star Wars, but I prefer the Indiana Jones series.”  Derrick’s eyes lit up at that.

“Oh, really?  Dane loved them as a kid.  Didn’t you, Dane?”  Kill me now.

“Yes, dad,” I muttered.

“What did you think of the most recent one, John?” he asked.

“Crystal Skull?  It was alright, but I can’t believe they had to resort to aliens just to explain a bunch of weird relics.”

I buried my face in my hands, hoping that they would run out of steam soon, but to my dismay, the conversation limped on all the way home.  When the car pulled up outside my house, I took the opportunity to butt in – rudely.

“OK, dad, we’re home now, so stop boring my friend and let us in,” I said loudly over their voices.  Derrick gave me a reproachful look, but obediently shut up.  John looked uncomfortable but did the same.  I got out of the car with a sharp huff of breath and slammed the door shut.  I looked back as I stalked towards the front door to check the other two were coming as well.

Rachel greeted me at the door and pulled me in to a tight hug.  She planted a kiss on my cheek.

“There’s condoms in your bedside drawer,” she whispered conspiratorially.  I pushed her away with a stony expression and swept past her, lips pursed tightly.  She giggled and went to give my dad a kiss.

“You two, do you want some dinner before bed, or did you fill up on popcorn at the cinema?” Derrick asked.

John looked at me expectantly.

“Um, I’m OK if John is…”

“Good.  Go watch TV in your room, I’ll be up to turn your light out in about two hours.  Have fun!”  My mum winked at me and I gave her a look that would strike terror in to the heart of Arnold Schwarzenegger himself.