aefenglom | 003

Name: Rich Goranski
Date: 11/3
Format: Text, though he might swap formats if someone pressures him enough

hey so i have a kinda weird problem?

or well
i dont
its a friend, actually
two of my friends who came from the same place i guess?

anyways basically what happened is this friend
call him jacob idk
he was really close with this other guy from their world
and apparently he asked him out to prom and everything
uh i dont know if u all know what prom is but its basically this dance slash popularity contest at most high schools
super overrated but i mean i get how he feels
he just wanted a chance to make this guy feel really special even if its kind of overpriced and stupid
i mean they could make it special together

but right anyways
so jacob ended up here before they could go out to prom and his friend ended up here too
but his friend doesnt remember that?
like he remembers them being friends and all that but asking him out never happened.

and this friend heard there was a masquerade being planned here
and he really wants to ask this guy out again
but he doesn't know if he'll say yes or no
he doesnt know if its too soon
like jacob remembers all the build up and the way they bonded and really really likes him
but hes worried the friend didnt have that so he might not feel comfortable yet?

and jacob is like bonded with someone already so i think that might make it awkward too
lmao it probably sounds like a soap opera when i tell it

anyways what do you think i should do?

like what should i do to help my friend?

p.s. dont fucking try to figure out who this is about im not posting this to call someone out okay
this isnt a gossip rag just kind of a similar scenario
its not even the whole story so you cant figure it out anyways

[Basically: it's totally not about him guys, shut your traps.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Hey bro.

We should talk about this. In person may be better but if you feel safer over text that's cool too.

So that I'm not just leaving you with that "we should talk" dangling bullshit I'll just go first with the awkward honesty I guess.

I had kind of a feeling maybe something was different between us by senior year, since you're ahead of me. You seemed like you were holding something back, but I was working really hard to ignore it. I'm kind of a baller at pretending I don't notice awkwardness, or at masking any gay feelings I got because you know. Only queer at school.

Except I'm not the only queer at school anymore am I? That's pretty great.

[The moment Rich sees that he has a response from Michael, his heart flies into his throat. He had already known he had made the mistake of leaving this open, had made the mistake of not thinking through what he was posting and to who, and he shouldn't be surprised that mistake led to consequences now.

He can only imagine what it says. It would almost be easier to imagine what it said, instead of looking at it and confirming whether or not Michael was completely repulsed by him. The text is there, in there with all the information Michael would need to discover his reformed high school bully is crushing on him, but he wouldn't know whether or not Michael had caught on or whether or not he hated him until he opened it.

It was Schroedinger's text message. He had always thought that experiment was bullshit, but now? He definitely gets the point of it.

Still, he can't exactly just leave this alone, because Michael isn't trapped inside a box, he's pretty much just down the hallway. He has to face it eventually, so after a few more moments of panicked swearing and verbal flagellation towards himself, he reads it.

He reads it again.

His heart isn't settled, but it maybe isn't threatening to pop out of his mouth any time soon. It's not a friendship break up. Not yet. Michael could be saving it until they talk in person, and that's terrifying, but it's just as terrifying to think about reading it in text, so Rich isn't going to be that asshole and turn him down.

After several minutes of re-reading and slow typing, Rich responds.]

I guess there's no point in trying to say you should just talk to "jacob", huh
I'm sorry I made things awkward and I'm really sorry you could tell I was holding things back

We probably can talk in person.
I'm just in my room so

don't be sorry dude, you were doing your best. trying to not make it weird probably, right? i know that feeling.
seriously, you don't have to apologize.

i'm coming down the hall, okay?

[And then hes dragging himself off his bed and shuffling down the hallway toward Rich and Justine's room.

And he knocks.]

[Rich was expecting the knock sooner rather than later, and had already rolled off of his own bed when Michael approached his door. It's just a few moments before he opens the door wide, allowing Michael space to come inside. There's a panicked look in his eyes, but he tries to offer an awkward grin as he walks in.]

Hey...

[God, he definitely failed at not making this weird, huh?]

[Oh, boy. Rich looks like an over-stretched slinky. Michael reaches out and grabs his upper arm, giving it a squeeze.]

Breathe, homie. You're gonna be alright.

[There's a little pink in his cheeks, but he's still smiling with those warm brown eyes.]

[Rich flushes and nearly pulls away, before deciding against it and just scowling a bit defensively.]

Easy for you to say. You weren't the one being a massive idiot who couldn't keep his foot out of his mouth.

[What does he even say to start this conversation? It's obvious Michael already knows everything.]

No, not this time I wasn't. It'll be my turn soon, though.

[He, Rich, and Jeremy all take turns being the biggest moron in the room after all, right?

Michael is kind of surprised to see Rich so tensed up still. He kind of admitted he feels the same in his first reply, didn't he? But hints are hard to pick up on, for nervous boys, and Michael knows that better than most. He sighs and holds his hands out, palms up.]

So are you going to take me to the masquerade or what?

[May as well be blunt about it.]

[Expressing that you have gay feelings is not the same as expressing that you have gay feelings for Rich, Michael. He definiely didn't pick up on the hints, so when that question is asked, he practically looks ready to collapse from shock.]

You... you want me to? You'd be okay with...

[His face is so red. He wants to reach out and take those hands, but he's also too nervous.]

Edited (thank you sorry!!!) 2019-12-29 00:12 (UTC)

[Michael is patient, and simply holds to his gentle smile as Rich goes on a little face journey. He nods, small and slow, but inarguably there.]

I want you to. I have no clue if I'm ready for a relationship, or boyfriend material, or whatever, but hell I'm seventeen and I want to try.

I mean... there's no sense worrying about that stuff. Life's too short. And it might be impossible for teenagers to ever be ready, but yeah. We should try.

[He reaches out finally and grabs Michael's hands, giving him a careful smile.]

I thought you were going to let me down easy. You seriously... like me how I like you?

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