Loving Lake

One

"You need to just tell him already," groans Ariel.
"It's not about telling him, it's that I have to know that he'll feel the same way," I respond.
"Yeah, Jasper can't just go vomit his love all over Lake," June tells Ariel. "That's not how it works."

Having each of them is like the angel and demon on my shoulders -- Ariel is the risk-taker while June is the level-headed one. I'd like to wish I was a little more like Ariel, but honestly I most agree with June. We've had this conversation a million times, and it always ends up the same way -- Ariel ignores the rest of reality to put all her effort and concentration into the argument and... BANG. She rams her face into a locker door. Her face grows ten shades redder and June and I laugh as we walk along. "Don't forget about the science test today," June says.

Ariel catches up to us as I query, "We have a science test today?"
June rolls her eyes under her Ray-Ban glasses.
"We have a science test today?" I hear that low voice behind me.
My heart skips a beat and my stomach drops. Lake playfully bumps into me and I stumble from weak knees. With his chestnut curls, gleaming smile, and hazel eyes, he was like a Greek god -- and one of my best friends. Ariel gives me "the look" and June rolls her eyes at Ariel, but with an almost maternal smile.

"Yes, slackers," she scolds him as we begin weaving through freshmen hurtling like bullets toward their next class. "You are never going to be a senior if you don't study."
"You're never going to have any fun if you're always studying," Lake responds.

Right then, we reach Mrs. Jameson's door and shuffle in, immediately hit by the repulsively familiar smell of rubbing alcohol, always present in the classroom. Of course, "SCIENCE TEST" is written in large letters across the whiteboard. June takes her seat next to me as Ariel and Lake plop down in the row in front of us. I look at Lake's shoulderblades, barely outlined through his tight t-shirt. Mrs. Jameson stomps in and barks in her gruff voice, "You can read. Get out a piece of paper and number it one through thirty." She starts walking slowly toward her desk as if she were a prison guard. She stops at least twice to slam her hand on desks to wake fatigued students, causing one to fall out of his chair. June scoffs at him.

After about half an hour of what teachers would call "educated guessing", I turn in my failure of a paper and read some boring science fiction book I found in the library until the bell rings. I suffer through all my classes alone, until...

"Finally, Theatre," Ariel says breathlessly as she catches up with me. "Today has been sooooo boring, and I think Bryson's avoiding me."
"Ariel, this is the fourth time you have dated Bryson -- nothing is going to change."
"What do you know, you've never dated anyone."

And sadly, she's right. Being the stereotypical gay is so frustrating. I haven't come out yet, but with a passion for theatre and jeans in every flamboyant color of the rainbow, everyone just assumes I'm gay. Except since I actually am, it doesn't give me a chance to be a secret gaygent and electrify the halls of Ripley High with the news: Jasper Huxley is gay. I'm not sure yet when the right time is for me to publicly reveal myself, but not anytime soon. Naturally, this is an argument often had between June and Ariel, with Ariel telling me to spill everything and June warning me of every possible negative outcome. So, yeah. I've never dated anyone, which is devastating since that is what I want most in life. Just some guy who loves me for me. But of course, the only one I could ever want is my best friend that's straight as a ruler.

"Sorry. That was rude. I guess asking for your opinion is what having a GBF is for."
"For the last time, Ariel, I'm not, like, a collectable," I grumbled.
"I know, I know, I just-" The door to Mr. Williamson's room flies open just as we are about to enter, missing Ariel's nose by millimeters.

"Hey, watch where you're-"
"Sorry," Lake towers over me, interrupting me with a laugh.
"Oh, I didn't know it was you-"
"Whatever. Hey, you want to come to my place tonight? We can do homework and then just hangout afterwards."

My face burns and my heart rushes. I want to go -- more than anything. But alone? I haven't spent time with him alone since I realized how I felt about him. We'd always been at school, or with June and Ariel. But not alone. I knew I couldn't act smooth around him. If I couldn't suck it up and act normal in public, there was no way I'd be able to suffer through a few hours with just him. I'd be so awkward that he figure me out, ruining everything.

Then I come back to reality to see Lake staring at me with raised eyebrows and hear Ariel say beside me, "He'd love to."
I turn to look at Ariel with wide eyes, ensuring my face conveys, shut up, what have you done?
Lake looks a little suspicious at first, but then grins. "Okay, see you at six?"
"Y-yeah," I mumble and feel myself smile shyly.
"You're welcome," Ariel whispers to me as we take our seats.
As I look across the classroom at Lake, I am absolutely terrified, yet can't help beaming at the same time.