One Last Game?

•First Day of School•

We get to school in the new car Asher's grandma got him for his 18th birthday. He's older than me by three months but I swear it's like I'm his dad. I almost had a heart attack the first day he got it. His grandma drove him to my house and then he drove me and Ethan to the Arcade we always go to.

"God Ash, do you know what a break is?" I always ask him. He just laughs and runs his hands through his hair. God it's sexy. –I-I mean..uh.. Damnit!

The first day of school for three years is so different from the first day of Senior year. People respect you and your opinions. Being gay in high school, it's so important to me for people to finally listen to me and support me.

I'm basically the poster child for homosexuals in my school. I'm the "first" one to actually broadcast it. –I really didn't. It was some nosy kids but I didn't deny it– There has been some bad support but overall, we have a lot of LGBTQA+ supporters at Lincoln HIgh.

Me and Ash compare schedules and have a few classes together including lunch. I tried to distract myself from him with our other friends, Max Johannes and Lailani Greenleaf. Max is straight and non binary and Lailani is bisexual. I love our gang. It's diverse and we all have different experiences that we can share.

Asher is totally straight. It didn't bother me before, but now it sorta does. I don't know why though; maybe I do. "Hey Tob? Can we talk?" Ash walks up to me at my locker -that's two away from his- while I may or may not be daydreaming about him.

"Uh, actually I have some place I need to be." I walk off and go to my next class. I do that two more times before I start to feel bad. I don't want to keep ditching Asher but I can't see him right now. Not until I figure out what's wrong with me and why I feel this way every time I see or talk to him.

I signed up for some clubs; Video Game club, Drama club, the LGBTQ+ club, French club, Art club and RP/VR club. I looked at the sign up sheets and I didn't see Asher's name on any of them. That's good for right now. The Video Game and the RP/VR clubs are meeting today after school.

Right now it's 3:15. Five more minutes until the VG club starts. I'm just killing time going through my photos and freeing some space before I have to pay for storage. Damn Apple. I see a picture of me and Asher the first day we met. "Tobi." I could've sworn I heard the picture say my name. "Hey Tobi!" I look up. It's the 18 year old Asher, not the 8 year old.

I look down. My member is starts standing as tall as a soldier. Embarrassed, and not wanting him to see it, I grab my bookbag and walk away with out saying anything. "Why are you avoiding me? Did I do something?" He yells after me. I look back. He seems worried and a little sad. I walk back to him.

"I'm just going through something right now and I have a lot on my mind. I'm not avoiding you, I just really have to go. See you later." And with that I walk off. Maybe now that I think about it, it was a dick move but, I don't want to risk accidentally telling him what's actually going on.

He might think I'm weird or something. I mean I am but, still. Not yet. Not until I realize what's going on with me and why my feelings for my best friend are suddenly changing.

Damn, today was a long and emotionally exhausting day.