Pride of the 90's

Chapter 14

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Haley asked, spinning in my chair.
"Nope," I replied, piking out clothes from my closet. Haley and I were in my room, getting me ready for my 'date' with Brandon, a couple hours after breaking it off with Madison. I do hope the best for her, but I'm glad we finally split up. If I didn't decide to finally come out, we easily would have wound up sticking together well after we graduated, living a life of lies and hate.

I mean, we already kind of were, but this way we don't drag a kid into it.

"You know, you would think he would think its a worse idea than I do," I said, trying to choose between the blue and black polo. I don't like polo shirts, but what else am I going to wear? Flannel? I'm gay, not a middle-aged dad.
"Maybe he's tired of hiding, too?" She boringly said, stopping herself s she got dizzy.

I think she needs the meds more than I do.

"What happened with Madison, anyway?"
"Exactly what you expect, yet nothing of what you expect." I mean, why would you willingly wear something that's designed to choke you with a popped collar? "She found a note I passed Brandon and put the pieces together herself. We talked, got mad, calmed down, got mad again, came to an understanding. Typical weekday for us."
"How do you know she won't tell Mason?"
"Why would I be worried about him? You could snap him like a Kit-Kat."

I could already see the wheels turning in her head.

I threw off my shirt and put on the death trap, finally deciding on blue. I know, it sounds a little weird taking my shirt off in front of my only girl-friend, but you don't get to be best friends with someone without accidentally walking in on them naked at last twice. Besides, I'm gay, she's Haley, it's not like anything would happen outside of playful body shaming. I turned to look into the mirror and fix my hair and Sarah was standing in the doorway, just staring at me.

"What?" I asked."
"He's not gonna like that," She replied, crossing her arms and leaning on the door frame.
"What?
"Your boyfriend. He's not gonna like the polo." I froze, not knowing if she was joking or being serious.
"How do you-"
"Because you're loud. Like, really loud. Seriously, you gotta stop talking to yourself so much."

Because of course I do.

"Please don't tell mom and dad." If there was one thing that came from sixteen years of being the younger sibling, it was to never trust the older one.
"And why would I do that?" I paused for a moment, thinking if she was asking if I knew why she would or why I think she should.
"So you can be an only child again?"
"Good Point."
"Sarah."
"Relax, dweeb, I won't tell anyone. Besides," She said, making her way into my room. "It's the 90's. Everyone's a little gay now."

If only.

She grabbed a purple, short sleeve button up from my closet.

"Here," She said, throwing it at me and landing it on my head.
"This is covered in holes," I said, taking it off my face. "I haven't touched this since middle school graduation."
"Yeah, but he seems like grunge is his type, so maybe go with it."
"But he likes me as I am."
"All guy say that."
"Do you count, since you have a mustache thicker than Dads?"

And if there was anything that came sixteen years of being the older sibling, she knows by now not to trust me with anything I can tease.

It's Sarah, I know she won't tell anyone. She still hasn't told mom and dad about the expensive plate I broke, but then I also haven't told them how she ripped a picture of our grandfather and replaced it with one of Jack Nicholson in The Shining. Its been eleven years and they still haven't noticed.

She grabbed a pair of black jeans and threw them at me.
"Seriously?" I asked. "These fit me less than the shirt does. And what am I even supposed to wear under that one?"
"Nothing."
"Nothing?"
"Well, yeah. Like, how do expect to keep him around if you can't show any sex appeal? You're thirteen-"
"Sixteen."
"You should already have at least three girls you can name that you've slept with. Well, guys."
"What thirteen-year-old do you know that's already slept with three girls?"
"I though you just said you were sixteen?"
"I did, but-"
"Then don't worry about."