I'm Not Gay, I Swear! | McPriceley

Chapter Four

"Arnold, can you keep a secret?" Kevin asked, staring down at the cup of coffee in his hand.

This perked the other boy's interest, in which he glanced over at the brunet. "Of course! You can trust me, I'm your best friend."

"Yeah..." Kevin nodded. His heart was racing as he was getting closer to telling Arnold his secret he'd kept to himself for so long. He didn't know exactly how he'd react, and he definitely didn't want his friend to leave him. But he did in fact trust Arnold. They'd been friends for years now-- surely Arnold deserved the truth.

Kevin took in a deep breath, trying to steady his shaking arms. "I... I'm pretty sure I'm bisexual," he said quietly.

"Oh," Arnold said, clearly not expecting that. Kevin couldn't bear to look at him. He knew he was disappointed. He knew he'd want to cut off all ties with-

"Well good for you!" Arnold grinned widely. "I'm glad you've figured yourself out!"

"Y-you're not mad at me?" Kevin finally asked.

"Mad? Why would I be mad? Kevin, you've finally come to terms with yourself! I'm proud of you, if anything! And I'll always be here to support you."

A smile made its way across Kevin's face, and he did something that he usually never did. He hugged Arnold, joy warming inside him. "Thank you, so much."

Arnold patted his best friend's back. "Of course, buddy. You're my best friend, no matter what. Plus, why would your sexuality change our friendship? You can't help that you are who you are."

Kevin finally pulled away from him. "Yeah. But some people don't accept it-- especially people of our religion. So I gotta trust that you won't tell anyone about this."

"Not even Neutrogena?" Arnold asked.

Kevin pondered that for a moment. "Okay, maybe Naba. But that's it!"

Arnold nodded enthusiastically. "I won't tell anyone!"

"Okay. Thank you."

"Now... what're you going to do about your Straight Companion now that you've figured this out about yourself?" Arnold raised an eyebrow.

Kevin sighed. "I've been trying to figure that out. He seems pretty set on the whole 'gay is bad' and all that junk. I don't really think there's a way to change his views on that."

"Maybe you should just act really straight until he leaves," Arnold shrugged, taking a sip of his usual milkshake.

Kevin scoffed. "Yeah, sounds like such a great plan. But he constantly nags me to tell him what's going on with my life and how he wants to help me. Quite repetitive, actually. It's like he's scripted, yet he does sound genuine at the same time."

"Maybe he's just really nervous because he has never dealt with someone as stubborn as you," Arnold teased.

"Oh, haha," Kevin shook his head. "But I guess he could be anxious. He's pretty young-- maybe I'm the first person he'd ever dealt with."

"That seems pretty reasonable. So maybe you should stop being so hard on him and give him a chance."

"How did you-"

"You did the exact same thing with me," Arnold explained. "You refused to talk to me and basically tried to ignore me. But I got you to warm up to me! It's a charm I have."

Kevin chuckled. "Well you proved to be a good friend. But... I don't trust Connor entirely yet. There's no way I'm going to tell him about all of my doubts and worries after just a few days."

"Yeah, I get that. But if he's so eager to help you, maybe you should take this opportunity to let all your emotions out. Bottling everything up isn't very healthy."

"Now you sound just like him," Kevin sneered.

"Well then he sounds like he knows what he's talking about. You should really listen to him."

Kevin sighed. "I know. But I still at least want to get to know him a little better."

"I know you do. But I still want to meet him! I have like this... internal radar thing that tells me if people are truly trustworthy. Why d'you think I chose you as my best friend?"

"So you have a gaydar... but with trust?" Kevin quizzed.

Arnold snapped while simultaneously pointing a finger gun at Kevin. "Precisely!"

Kevin shook his head while laughing softly. "So if you say that this guy is trustworthy..."

"Then he must be trustworthy. Unless... you don't trust me."

"No! I definitely trust you. And I'm sure if you feel that he is worthy of my trust... then I guess I'll try talking to him."

"Good. You really should be more cautious of your mental health."

"Yeah, I guess so," Kevin reluctantly agreed.

The two went back to a silence as they both took a sip of their drinks. Though the quiet wasn't necessarily bad-- it was fairly peaceful and soothing. Kevin felt stress-free at the moment, seeing on how Arnold had accepted him. Even if his own family didn't, his best friend would always be there for him. And that was good enough for him.

Arnold opened his mouth to start another conversation when the bell at the entrance door rang throughout the building, only to show a smaller man standing in the doorway, panting as if he had ran the whole way there.

Kevin's eyes widened as he realized who it was. "What in God's name are you doing here?"

Connor took another deep breath before turning to the brunet. "Kevin. You are not allowed to leave my side as long as I am here. I don't want to fail my job that easily."

Kevin just sighed irritably. "Whatever."

Arnold grinned widely. "Hey! You must be Kevin's companion guy! I'm Arnold, Kevin's best friend."

Connor smiled lightly at him. "Well hello there. I'm Connor. It's nice to meet you." He held his hand out for Arnold to shake.

Though the energetic boy wasn't one for handshakes. No, he just went straight for hugs. Connor almost fell to the floor at the force of Arnold's embrace. He couldn't help but laugh.

Arnold turned back to Kevin with an approving nod. The message was clear; Connor was one to be trusted. And whether he liked it or not, he was going to have to start being more honest with him.