Riding With Brighton(14)
He’s laughing as we walk through the store entrance to the small diner space, but then he says, “Oh shit. What the hell are they doing here?”
His friends, Mack and Jones, are sitting in one of the four booths.
“Why oh shit? Aren’t they your friends?”
He takes a step back and to the side so he’s in the shadow of the corner. “It’s just embarrassing.”
I can feel my face screw up as I stare at him. Is he really an asshole like that—embarrassed to be hanging out with the gay kid?
“Because of them…,” Jay says, his eyebrows pinching together. “It’s embarrassing that they’re the guys I hang out with. Did you think…?”
I shake my head. “It’s not like I’ve never met the guys before. Why do you care what I think about your friends anyway?”
“I think it’s more what I’m starting to think about them.”
“Let’s go eat with them. I’ll tell you if they’re total douche bags or not.”
“Like you don’t already know.”
“I don’t think I’m as judgmental as you are.”
“Are you trying to tell me you don’t have preconceived notions about who they are?”
“If you’re asking me if I buy into stereotypes… no, I obviously don’t. I’m not who anyone thinks I should be: I’m not straight enough… I’m not gay enough. Jones and I used to be pretty good friends up until sixth grade.”
“You’re making me feel like a total asshole,” Jay mutters.
“Jay,” someone yells across the small dining area. I look over and see Mack with his hand raised.
“Let’s do this,” I tell Jay, walking toward his friends.
“Hey, Brighton,” Jones says when I get to the table. “Are the two of you here together?” His eyebrows are pinched together.
“Yeah,” Jay says, taking a seat next to him. I slide in next to Mack. “Brighton was picking up a check. He painted the outside of the building—did you guys happen to see it?”
“We didn’t come here to look at the building,” Mack says, snickering and reaching across the table to bump fists with Jones. “This place is creepy, but you should see the chick who works here. Damn, is she hot. And the tits on her….” He whistles.
He’s talking about Josie, but I don’t say anything. I just hope she isn’t here, or if she is, that they don’t say anything offensive to her.
“Brighton, how are you, honey?” I look up and see Mary Ann smiling down at me, and relief washes over me that it’s not Josie.
“Great.” Standing, I give her a hug. “How are you doin’?”
“Oh, just fine. Sure do miss seeing your handsome face every day, though. You want the regular?”
“Sounds great.”
“And what can I get you?” she asks Jay.
“Uh.” He stalls, looking down at the menu-less table.
“You gotta get the patty melt and fries. Best in town.”
“Sure,” he says, smiling up at Mary Ann. “Sounds good.”
She gives me one more smile and a pat on the shoulder before leaving.
“So if you’re working for these people and obviously eat here frequently, you must know the girl we’re talking about?” Jones says.
“Like he would notice a hot girl,” Mack says under his breath. I watch as Jay’s face goes tense.
“I know Josie really well,” I tell Mack.
“Yeah?” Jones asks. “What’s the deal with her? How old is she?”
“Twenty-one.”
“Is she into younger guys?” Mack asks because apparently now, not only am I capable of recognizing beautiful women, but I’m also interested in their dating lives.
“She’s not into sleeping around. Or guys who stalk her workplace.”
Jay laughs but Mack says, “Like you would know.” Again, not at me, but under his breath while he stares at Jones.
“Truly kid, you don’t have a chance with her.”
“Kid? What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“Calm down,” Jay says immediately.
“What? Are you defending the fag now? Why the hell are you even hanging out with him?”
I have a million responses to the use of that word stored up from years of hearing it, but I don’t say any of them. I just sit back, curious how Jay is going to respond.
“Truthfully?” Jay asks him.
“Yeah… truthfully.”
Chapter Three
Jay
SHIT. I knew this would happen. Mack’s acting like a total ignorant asshole proving that, yes, my friends are all a bunch of stupid jackasses. And yet I’m still terrified of what they’re going to think about me hanging out with Brighton. Not because I’m embarrassed about the fact that I am hanging out with him, but because I’m terrified they’ll see right through me. And at the moment, I’m about as transparent as I’ve ever been.
Hanging around Brighton is making it too easy to be myself. And myself is a scared-shitless kid who is definitely realizing that Brighton is not my role model, but the guy I want to jump on. Which means I’m not straight. Which means I’m, in fact, gay. Not that this is news to me but…. Where the hell did that straight kid run off to? The one who usually represents? It kind of feels like I left him on the doorstep at Brighton’s house, and he wandered off.