"Jensen, Padilla, what is up!"
Clay and Tony turned to watch the Asian boy walk up to them, "Nothing, Zach," Tony said, "Why what's up with you?"
"I wanted to invite you to a little hang out I'm having tonight."
The couple exchanged looks, "Look, thanks but no thanks," Clay said trying to give his best apologetic face.
"Come on, look," Zach said pointing to Skye walking by in the hall, "You can invite your girlfriend along, too."
Skye stopped with a smirk, deciding she'd defiantly like to see how this unfolds, "Sure, Zach I'd love to go," Skye stared at both of the boys daring, hoping, one of them would say something. Neither did, Clay looking slightly embarrassed and Tony wearing a thinly veiled mask of hurt. Idiots.
"Sweet, I'll be seeing you three later," Zach said walking off and before Clay could stop him Tony sped off, too, mumbling something about needing to get to class.
"Fuck," Clay said turning to his friend, "Did I just fuck up or something?"
Skye laid a sympathetic hand on his arm, "Afraid so."
"Well, what the hell did I do? ?"
"Oh, I don't know," Skye said, voice dripping with sarcasm, "Maybe he's upset because, once again, you let someone think I'm dating you and he's your friend."
"He is my friend," Clay said crossing his arms.
"Just your friend," the girl sighed, "Think about how you'd feel if someone thought he was dating Ryan again and he said he was."
"He wouldn't," Clay mumbled.
"No, he wouldn't. Would you?"
Clay ignored her, "He knows it's because I'm not...not out yet."
"Well, maybe that's not how he see it."
-
Clay rode his bike home that day, he hadn't done that in forever. Not since that day, the day Tony drove him home and he, for whatever reason, reached out for his hand. Since the day he decided he could keep moving forward.
Clay ran the day through his head trying to see where it all went wrong and, fuck. Yeah, Skye is right. Tony's got to be made at him for what he did. But how could Tony be mad? He knew Clay wasn't out, what did he expect?
God, did he think he was embarrassed by him or something?
Clay pedaled faster, relishing in the sharp wind hitting his face.
-
Clay shook his limbs out as he looked at himself in the mirror. He was wearing the outfit Tony had picked out hoping that it would get him back on his good side. The tattooed boy hadn't been answering his texts night, the only reason he knew he was still going to the party was because Skye had talked to him after school at Monet's.
Clay was nervous Tony wouldn't talk to him tonight.
What if he was done with Clay?
What if he was sick of waiting?
Sick of being with someone who was too scared to come out let alone...let alone go all the way?
Tony had said it was okay to go slow but what if he didn't mean it. Maybe he had hoped by now Clay would be ready.
Before Clay knew it he was crying. The tears ran silently down his face as he stared at his own reflection. He really wasn't worth Tony's time, was he?
