Timothy’s Terrible Prompt Stories - 2. Prompt 213 You want me to do what?

“You want me to do what?” My question ended in a squeak of disbelief. Not so much due to the request itself, but from the fact he had asked at all. WTF?!

By the time I’d gotten over my shock, the idiot in front of me had recovered from the unexpected punch in the stomach. Rob grimaced and looked in the direction his brother had fled after hitting him. I could certainly understand Eric’s ire. Not only had his older sibling just outed him to me and my friend, he had gone on to suggest I ask Eric out.

It wasn’t that I didn’t want to. As I had confided to Jasper, I had a crush on Eric. The main obstacles had just been removed: He was gay, and he might be interested in me. I had doubted both before the blond Perry brothers came over to apologize for Rob calling me a fag. I looked at him with sudden suspicion.

“That whole f-word question was a trick, wasn’t it?”

He sighed and nodded. “Yeah, I’m sorry, Nelson. I’ve been trying for months to get Eric to tell me he’s gay. But he’s too clever for me and always manages to dodge the issue. But he talks about you a lot, and the way he looks at you, when he thinks no one notices, is pretty revealing.” The blond jock shook his head sadly.

“I don’t know why he’s scared. Our parents are cool, and the school is safe. In any case, if Eric was your boyfriend, no one would dare tease him.” Rob grinned at me, when I tried to sputter about my abilities being only for self-defense.

“I notice you don’t deny being interested in dating my brother.”

This was the moment my traitor friend broke down and started laughing. “He’s desperate to go out with Eric! You should have heard him whining before you came over.” Jazz dodged the elbow I tried to jab into his side, and I scowled at both of them.

Rob seemed completely unfazed. “I happened to sit close to you during the play at Christmas. You were staring at Eric, as if you wanted to cuddle him forever.”

My face got hot at the recollection. The drama club had performed an abbreviated version of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. I got the ghost role of Ebenezer Scrooge’s dead companion Jacob Marley, and I only appeared in the first act. Eric was the underpaid clerk, Bob Cratchit, so he was in three out of the five acts. I’d gone round to watch the second half of the play from the audience, and Rob must have observed me as I leaned against the wall and admired Eric.

Jasper sniggered, “Well, are you going to ask Eric to the Prom?”

“Not if he isn’t out. I don’t date guys in the closet. And Rob, I think you should reassure Eric that Jazz and I won’t tell anyone. He can trust us; Jazz kept my secret for almost four years.” I gave the blond fool a severe look, and to be sure I added, “Outing someone without warning or against their will is simply not done, you jerk.”

“OK, OK, I get your point. I’d better go and find him and calm him down. Can I tell him you’re interested in dating him?”

Rob’s blue eyes beseeched me to say yes, and Jasper backed him up, “Don’t be silly, Nelson, say yes! This is the chance you’ve been waiting for.”

I rolled my eyes and gave in. “Yes, all right. But only if he asks about me.” Jazz and Rob high-fived each other and shouted in triumph. “Fuck, you two are annoying. After this you’d better stop interfering or I will kick your asses.”

Luckily the bell rang, and we had to return to class. I can’t say I heard much of what the teachers were saying. My mind was busy trying to absorb the idea of Eric being available and perhaps interested. I told myself not to get my hopes up. I wasn’t joking when I declared my principle of only dating out guys. I’ve heard and read too many sad stories of secret liaisons, and I have no wish to experience it.

Jasper and I went home together as usual. We’ve been neighbors all our lives and are as close as brothers. I’m the youngest of five, and all of my siblings have left home. Jasper has one older and two younger sisters, so he often escapes to my place.

We had a snack before tackling our homework. Once it was done, we put on a movie and relaxed. My parents would be home late, and I had a standing invitation to have dinner next door. I tried to tell Jasper that I would be fine heating up a pizza, but he wouldn’t hear of it.

“Come on man, what’s wrong with you? I already texted Mom to tell her you’re coming over.”

“OK, but just for dinner. I’m not in the mood for anything else.”

“Sure, sure, I’ll let you go home and dream of your blond boy. You going to indulge in a little private time?”

“None of your business.” I almost snarled at him.

“Jeez Nel, lighten up. How come you’re so cranky? Rob gave you a golden opportunity. All you need to do is talk to Eric and ask him on a date. Or you could do the whole let’s be friends first deal.”

“I don’t need your advice, thanks.” I couldn’t believe Jasper kept on about this, but he was like a dog with a new tasty bone. Hmm, not an analogy I wanted to share with my straight friend.

“OK, I guess you have plenty of experience asking guys out.”

When I didn’t reply and pretended to watch the movie, Jasper got suspicious.

“Nelson, how many dates have you been on? Not random hook-ups, but real dates.”

I mumbled something indistinct and he reached out and stopped the movie.

“Nel?”

“OK, fine. Fives dates.”

“With five different guys?”

“Twice with two of them.”

“So, did you ask any of those people out?” I was silent and Jasper chuckled. Damn.

“You have never asked someone on a date before, have you, Nelson? They invited you.”

“Yes, they did. So what?!” I wanted to point out that the only person he’d ever asked out was his current girlfriend, but knew the observation would backfire.

“So, not only are you in love for the first time, but you also have to work up the courage to ask Eric out. No wonder you are scared!”

“I’m not scared!”

“OK, OK, nervous then. Come on, Nel, it’s natural to feel like that. You know what I was like, when I wanted to ask Carolyn out.”

I suddenly started to laugh, “Oh God, don’t remind me! You were a total wreck for days, and when she said yes, you got even more nervous.”

I guess Jazz and I are good friends for a reason. He did his best to bolster my courage and cheer me up. He said I deserved it for putting up with him during the initial stage of him dating Carolyn. He was right.

But even Jasper didn’t have an answer for the most important question: “Would Eric think I was worth coming out for?”

As I went to bed that night I was still thinking up scenarios of how to get Eric to be my boyfriend. And paid for my obsession with weird dreams; ones where a disdainful blond boy sneered at me whenever I asked him out. “You want me to do what? Go out on a date, with you?”

But somehow I persisted, and in the last dream Eric smiled and finally agreed. He leaned forward, and I thought he was going to kiss me. I wanted him so badly…

My alarm went off.

My sheets were sticky.

And worst of all, I still didn’t know how to ask Eric out.