Match

29: Confession

"Thank you, for trusting me enough to tell me."

    Those words make his whole body fizzle up in a bubbly warmth. Alcohol enhances the feeling. He doesn't know what to say, what to think. Part of him just wants to spill all the bottled emotions he's kept inside. Stuff such as, how he's been told by people to 'pick a side'. Or how he's been told a slim amount of attraction to the opposite sex doesn't make him bisexual. How these conflicting moments really took up a lot of his adolescent years. The other part of him clenches tight, cowering away. His mouth has a different take.

    "Wait, so you're for real?"

    Jonah raises an affirmative eyebrow. "Yup."

    The storm begins to die down.

    Cole's eyes fixate to his empty bottle. "You're being so honest... are you drinking too?"

    "Nope."

    "Honestly?"

    "It's straight soda, man."

    His eyes meet Jonah's with disbelief.

    "If you don't believe me," he says, holding out the drink to Cole, "then try it yourself."

    Cole looks between him and the drink. He grabs it tenderly, then takes a small sip. Jonah sits back and watches with a creasing smile. It takes a bit for his tongue to adapt to the fizzy drink, with no bitter aftertaste whatsoever. The sound of a door opening on the floor below makes him choke. Jonah takes the drink out of his grasp.

    "Whoa, you good?"

    He coughs a couple times, but moves away from Jonah and nods in a vigorous motion. He pats his chest to remove the cola stinging his throat. There's a deep male voice coming from downstairs.

    "We got stormed out at the boating show."

    "I'm glad you're home safe," Sharon says.

    There's a short conversation exchanged, that both guys eavesdrop on, until a booming voice pulls them away.

    "Jonah, can you grab the foamy from the closet for your friend?"

    Jonah strides himself to the staircase and leans over the railing.

    "His house isn't too far from here, though."

    Someone steps up the stairs. A head pops up, indicating it's Sharon.

    "Cole, you can sleep here tonight," she says, "I don't want my son to drive you out in this weather."

    "Who's Cole?" The man from below hollers.

    "Oh, it's a new friend of Jonah."

    Cole feels his stomach sink, all the alcohol in his bloodstream pooling to his feet. Something about that man's voice makes his entire body shudder. He senses someone approaching the stairs. That happens to be the man. His eyes search for Cole, then upon locating him, he gives a wave.

    "Oh, hi there," he says. "I'm the dad of the family, Greg."

    He extends a long arm over the railing for a polite handshake. On the outside, Cole returns the friendly gesture. Internally, he's worried his friend right beside him handed over a bottle from this guy's beer stash. He glances at the culprit, who's running down to grab a foam bed like his mom asked.

    Despite the storm petering out, the roads are flooded, and the storm drains are overflowing. It's going to take all night for the streets to recover. He has no choice but to sleep over.