The Tuxedo Man (boyxboy)[Wattys 2016]

Chapter 3 - Starry Eyed

[Picture: Astrid Joyce Faulkner. Video: Daisy - Zedd.]

Note: Dylan's name was changed to Dylan James Callaghan.

I walk the entire way home with a smile on my face. I keep repeating the scene in my head, him stopping then walking towards me with an adorable smirk. I must have looked crazy, and as if my neighbours don't already think I'm not normal (because of my homosexual "lifestyle"), this case isn't helping my reputation.

I kept repeating his name over and over in my head, and with every time my heart leaps with joy.

Dylan James Callaghan.

I get home safe, since I assume anyone who was planning to mug me saw that I had this stupid smile on my face, thought that I was psychopathic or something, then just was like I'm not gonna mess with this kid. Damn, that's actually like, a good idea.

I slip past the living room and the dining room, eager to enter the comfortable confinement of the walls of my bedroom. I wave a quick Hi to mom and Max. Dad was away on another one of his business trips. I swear the man has been all over the world, just without us. He better be taking us somewhere this summer or else something bad is going to happen.

I sit on my bed and stare at the screen of my phone, pondering whether or not I should text him right now. Would that be a good move? Texting someone within the first hour of getting their number. Would I seem clingy? Would it make me seem like I'm asking for attention?  I have my subtle ways of flirting, and most of them are things that guys just never seem to get. I mean, in my perspective, I could have been really obvious to this guy that I like, but to him it was just me being me. I'm a naturally touchy person and I will spontaneously hug you from behind if I feel like it, and you will not have a say nor a complaint about it. No.

If I text him right now, would he be busy? Would he text me back immediately as if he was on his phone too, waiting for me to make the first move? I get really paranoid when a guy I like stops texting me back, even if they were just away for a few minutes. I immediately go through what I've sent and if I said something wrong or if I could have offended them in any way. I then begin to rationalize my thoughts to make myself feel better, maybe he took a nap, maybe he left his phone by the dinner table while he was washing the dishes, maybe he's doing some work right now and doesn't need to be bothered. It's one thing I want every straight or gay guy I like to know. If Braydon Keane Raines is texting you and he seems to be flirting, please text him back right away to prevent him overreacting and doing unreasonable things to himself.

Max knocks on the door twice before peeking his head in.

"Dinner's ready."

I stare at him from the edge of my eye, head still tucked down to the direction of the phone. "You could have just texted me, or something."

He inches a bit inside, and it was only then that I noticed he was wearing his university tee. "I like taking the stairs, it's good for me."

I set my phone down and allow myself to look directly at him. "I need help."

He closes the door behind him before he walks over to the bed, taking a seat in front of me. "What is it little bro?"

"How do you send a text to a...- person you like?" I stutter. I have yet to come out to Max, even though I really think I was inside a glass closet while I was growing up. It means that despite the fact of me not being officially out yet, my family and friends have already probably assumed that I was not the average straight male. The Z-snaps, falsetto screams and binge watching the whole first season of Scream Queens plus my flamboyant reactions to each of them must have been enough for them to put the pieces of the puzzle together. Max probably knows, and I'm pretty sure that he'll be okay with the whole gay thing. He's my step brother, he shouldn't really care that much.