Fragile Threads [boyxboy]

Chapter 12

“Mom,” Ethan piped up from behind her and watched her jolt in surprise.

“You scared me,” she huffed, laughing. She turned and smiled at him. “What is it?”

“I’m going on a date tonight,” Ethan made himself say it quickly.

That alone was enough to shock his mother—considering he rarely went anywhere with someone else. She frowned thoughtfully. “I didn’t know you were dating someone. What’s their name?”

He clung onto the fact she’d used ‘their’ instead of assuming any sort of gender. So maybe she had an idea. Ethan swallowed hard and met her eyes. “His name is Ari.”

She nodded silently, thinking for a moment. “I haven’t heard you talk about him before. You two go to school together?”

“Yeah, uh, he’s friends… knows, Brent too.” Ethan wasn’t really sure how that ‘friends’ status was holding up with Brent right then.

His mother sighed. “Is it dinner? Because I’m about five minutes away from starting dinner, and now I don’t know if it’s worth it if I’ll be eating alone,” she complained lightly. She was smiling though.

“Sorry,” Ethan muttered. He shouldn’t have waited until the last minute to tell her, but he couldn’t help it. He’d been nervous anyways.

She looked him up down. “Is that what you’re wearing?”

Ethan quickly inspected his jeans and shirt. “What’s wrong with it?”

“Well it depends on where you two are going,” she challenged. “Where’s that shirt I bought you last year for my sister’s wedding?”

Ethan groaned and rolled his eyes. “I don’t want to wear it. The collar was too stiff and it chafed my neck the whole time.”

They both heard the car door slam, and Ethan got a swat on the arm. “Go upstairs and change your shirt.”

“But what about Ari?” Ethan panicked. Was she really going to face off with Ari without him there?

“I’ll let him in. Just get up and put on the other shirt,” she huffed.

“But what if he’s not even that dressed up and—”

“Ethan Grote Lancewell, get upstairs and do it,” she snapped.

Ethan knew the use of his middle name was warning enough. He bolted up the stairs but hung up at the top, trying to get a peek at Ari. His mother was introducing herself to him—“I’m June, Ethan’s mom,” she bubbled. Ethan couldn’t hear much of a reply from Ari—after the day before in the car, Ethan could imagine Ari was very awkward and stiff and staring at her like a deer caught in the headlights. It made Ethan grin at the thought. From where he was, he could only see that Ari was indeed a little more dressed up than he was, so Ethan retreated back to his room and changed.