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“Hi.” I sort of smiled at the boy sitting next to my desk. He was blond with green eyes, and I could tell he was taller than me, even though he was sitting down. “Mr. B said to sit here?”
“Hi!” He smiled widely. It was a good smile. “My name’s Nick.” The name fit him.
“Charlie.” I didn’t know what else to say, so I sat down. Nick looked down at his paper, and I could see that it was covered in doodles, just like mine. Unlike mine, however, they were actually pretty good. “Hey, are you an artist?”
“What? Oh, no, it’s just a hobby. I get bored, so I doodle.”
“Me too, but mine aren’t half as good. Normally it’s just scribbles.”
“Alright everyone, eyes up!” Mr. B called. “I’ve got your schedules for the year here.”
“Hey, Charlie!” I looked around for who had spoken, but I couldn’t find them. “Over here!” That’s when I looked up, and it was the boy I sat next to in homeroom.
“Hey…!” I couldn’t remember his name…
“Nick.”
“Right! I knew that.” Oh god, he’s gonna think I’m so rude.
“All good. I can’t expect you to remember the name of someone you had a 2-minute conversation with.” He smiled reassuringly.
“Heh, yeah. You did though.”
“I happen to be good with faces.”
“Nick, man, where’d you disappear to?” A guy called from across the hall.
Nick looked over and said, “Whoops, sorry, gotta go!” and ran off to join them. I sighed.
“Hi, Charlie!” Nick says when I sit down. We’ve talked a couple more times, and he always says hi to me in the hall. It’s nice.
“Hey.” He glances back down at the paper in front of him, and I can tell it’s math work. “Is that your homework?”
“Ugh, yeah. I should have done it last night, but I just didn’t get it.” He sighs.
“I can help you with it if you want? I like to think I’m pretty good at math.”
He looks over at me, grateful. “Really? That would be great.”
“Of course! You wanna come over this weekend?”
“Hi, Nick.” I called as I opened the door. Nick was coming over today. I think we might be friends. I’ve never had a friend before. “Come on in!”
“Hey! Your house looks great.” He smiles at me.
“Yeah, my sister loves helping my mom decorate.”
“I have a sister too! She’s a junior.”
“Really? Julia’s younger than me--”
“Oh, weird, my sister’s named June!” Normally I don’t like people interrupting me–-Julia’s the queen of it—but when Nick does it, it’s different. I don’t even care.
“That’s a cool name. Does she think that—”
“The month’s named after her? Definitely when she was younger, but now she just tries to use it to get presents.”
“Hah.” I smile at him. “Come on, let’s go to my room.”
“Hey!” I turn from my locker and look up at Nick. He’s smiling at me, but there’s something weird in his eyes. They’re still really pretty…no, stop, don’t go there.
“Hey.” I smile back at him, then turn around and finish grabbing my stuff. When I close my locker, I look back and realize he’s a lot closer than I expected. My heart speeds up, but I try to ignore it.
“You ready to go?” He’s coming over again today, and we figured it was just easier if we went home together.
“Yup, come on.” I grab his hand—don’t overthink it—and pull him towards the door. If I’d looked back, I would have seen him glancing between our hands and my face, frowning slightly, but by the time I do, the confusion’s gone and he’s smiling again.
“Hey, you okay? You’re being weirdly quiet.” Nick's over again, but he seems really nervous.
“Huh, yeah, I’m fine…” He scratches the back of his neck. “Actually, I’ve gotta talk to you.” He sighed.
“Okay…well, let’s go sit on my bed.” I close the door behind us, and we sit down. He’s still nervous, and fidgeting like crazy. Clearly this is something big. “So?”
“Okay, yeah. So you know how I’m kind of popular?” I nod. “Everyone I hang out with are like, jocks. And they’re nice and all, but I don’t think any of them really see me.” He looks up at me, then quickly back down at his lap. “But you do. You see me. You get me.” He risks a glance at me, and I smile at him. “So I have to tell you something, and… I’m just gonna spit it out.” He takes a deep breath, closes his eyes, and suddenly I know where this is going.
“I’m bi. And I’ve never told anyone that.” Until me. I grab his hands.
“Hey. Hey.” I repeat it when he doesn’t look at me. “Me too.”
His eyes shoot open. “Really?”
“I mean, I’m gay. But yeah. And about the other stuff…” I cup his face with my hands. “I see you.” His eyes close, and he leans on my hand. “I get you.” I lean forward. “And I have to tell you something too.”
“Hi, Charlie!” Nick calls from our desk. I wave as I sit down.
I smile at him, and he smiles back. It’s only been a couple days since he came out to me, and I’m not sure how to talk to him. I look down at the desk and see his hand. I put mine down next to it, close enough to take but only if he wants to. He glances back up at me, and I can tell he’s unsure, but I need to know what he’s okay with. I need him to make the first move.
And he does. His hand moves closer, until just our pinkies are linked. I smile at him again.
“Hi.”