Three Simple Words

Chapter 6

The weather had started to cool off as school began to take full swing. Senior year, the thought terrified Thomas but it also brought him enormous joy knowing that in a few short months the lie he had been living would die in this small, conservative town, that his father would no longer control his every move.

"Tom... Thomas, earth to Thomas" Ash waved his hands in front of his friend's face.

"Yeah, sorry what did you say?" Thomas asked back, being pulled out of the trance that he had been in.

Ever since school started a couple weeks ago, he couldn't concentrate on anything, all his time was consumed with thinking about the future, about being free.

"Dude! I said you need to break up with your girlfriend, your experiment obviously didn't work" Ash shot back, trying to get a reaction, any reaction out of the robot next to him.

It was clear to Ash that Thomas wasn't happy with Ariel, he could tell every time the three of them went out, Thomas wished he could be anywhere but there.

Why Ariel stayed with him was a mystery to the opinionated observer but he wasn't about to talk to her about this stuff. Sure, they became friends after Ash's best friend became her boyfriend but he would always be on Thomas's side.

"What do you mean, I really like Ariel, you don't know what you're talking about." Thomas retaliated, hitting Ash jokingly on the arm.

"So you're saying those looks that you give Jess when nobody is looking are completely innocent, you never once thought about what it would be like to press your body against his, caress his soft, stubbly cheek and lean forward ever so slightly until there is just a ghost of a kiss" Ash whispered seductively in his ear as the pair walked down the school hall together.

"Okay, okay I get it, maybe things with Ariel aren't as great as everyone seems to think." Thomas said defeated, a little relieved that he had someone to talk to about this.

Even though the pair were inseparable, it was hard for Thomas to admit that things weren't all that he wished they were, or that ever since the night he met Jess, he couldn't help but develop a small crush on the other boy.

"So why don't you just tell her it's over, neither of you seem to be invested for the long run anyways?" Ash pushed, knowing that this had been bothering him for a while now. To that, Thomas laughed, not a little chuckle but a full-fledged laugh.

"My father already suspects that I'm a f... f... even after I got a girlfriend, you honestly think me dumping her is going to make things better." Thomas replied savagely.

This outburst threw Ash for a minute, it was so out of character for his friend that he didn't know how to respond but luckily, he didn't have to.

"Shit I'm sorry, look I know this is completely unfair to Ariel but I'm trying. I'm going to be a good boyfriend it's just taking a little longer than most. Just give me time, please." The honey blond replied, trying to convince Ash but also himself.

The two dropped the subject and returned to the meaningless banter that usually flowed from their mouths. Even though there was still time before classes started the pair parted ways and made it to their first hour class.

At the end of the day, Thomas was grateful beyond belief that it was uneventful. The last thing he could handle was abuse from Wren and his cronies.

"Hey doc" He heard a voice call across the quad after school had gotten out. Even before he looked over that the voice was coming from Jess. Call it creepy but Thomas could pick out Jess's voice from a thousand, from the way his voice sounded like a deep, gentle rumble to the way his voice got a miniscule higher whenever he talked about something that he was passionate about.