The "Nauty" List [BxB]

4 - this feels like a playdate

November 29

Cassius Tuffin

Cassius had planned on having a lazy afternoon. Lying on his bed and scrolling through his phone, as he usually did when he didn't have homework after school. Lying on his bed alone. Not with Arlo Ray sitting crisscross next to him.

"Is that trophy yours? Where'd you get it?" the shorter boy questioned, pointing to the award that sat on Cassius's dusty shelf.

Arlo was asking too many questions for his liking. So far, Cassius had explained to him the theme of his bedroom decorations and where he'd gotten them from because he wouldn't shut up about it. He'd also given Arlo a very lame answer when he'd asked how school was going. Although, his answer had gradually become more and more detailed as Arlo forced the information out of him by asking a million more specific questions related to school.

"Yeah it's mine," he responded, answering another one of the other boy's many questions. "It's not very special. Just some public speaking award from middle school."

Arlo nodded thoughtfully, "I always hated doing that. At least you got a trophy for it," he said.

Cassius shrugged, "My speeches weren't even very good. I just won because my middle school was very religious and I talked about religion," he replied, snorting. "Really easy way to win, by the way. The judges are suckers for Jesus."

Arlo laughed, "The judges that came to my middle school were suckers for vegans. The same dude won three years in a row because he was environmentally friendly."

He turned his head and gave the shorter boy an amused look of confusion, "Three years? Damn," he responded. "And I'm guessing you never wrote a speech about saving the planet?"

"Not even once," Arlo answered. "All of mine were about spreading joy and happiness and frolicking in the fields."

Cassius let out a real laugh for the first time around the other boy, "Sounds wonderful but cheesy," he said.

Arlo nodded, "Yep, I was very into the whole spreading positivity thing," he agreed. "What were yours about?"

Cassius thought for a moment, then answered, "I remember always starting it with some really dramatic quote," he said. "I forget what the actual topics were, but the one that won me the trophy was about love."

"Love?"

He nodded, "Yeah, love. I included Bible verses and also stuff about how God wants us to love everybody, blah blah blah," he told Arlo- who was now lying down on his bed.

"Oh, makes sense," Arlo responded. "A topic as simple as love gets everyone interested. The judges especially, when God is involved."

"Exactly. I kind of felt bad because I knew including religion would give me an advantage, but it's whatever now," Cassius said, lying down on his back like the other boy was, making himself more comfortable.

A moment passed where the two boys didn't speak, but obviously, Arlo was the one to break it.

"So what's your mom making for dinner?" he questioned, turning his head to look at the boy lying beside him.

Cassius didn't look back at him, "Not sure," he said. "I think since you're here, she'll make something that a lot of people like."

"What if I don't like what a lot of people like?"

"You mean what if you're taste buds are different than everyone else's?" Cassius asked, snorting and turning to face Arlo.

"Yeah," Arlo replied, smiling at him. "What if I'm quirky?"