Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you.
Timothy’s Terrible Prompt Stories - 30. Prompt 417 But why would you want me to meet you there?
A Nelson POV chapter.
“But why would you want me to meet you there?” I asked Rob. “Not that I don’t want to see you as early as possible,” I smiled at Eric next to me, “but getting Jazz up at six-thirty Monday morning is Mission Impossible.”
“Hey, I can get up early for a good cause,” Jasper objected from the front passenger seat, glancing back at me with a smirk. “But meeting you in the coffee shop half an hour early, so Eric and Nelson get a few kisses in before class, hardly seems to be worth losing sleep over. Particularly since they can spend most of the evening playing tonsil tiddlywinks if they want.”
Rob laughed. “If you remember to lock the door, bro, you and Nelson can play even better games.”
I ignored them and pulled Eric closer to whisper in his ear. “I do want us to find some time alone, but mostly to see what you bought for me.”
“I hope you like it. I know I will enjoy seeing you model it.”
“Stop whispering naughty secrets in the back! Focus on the plan for tomorrow morning.”
“But you haven’t told us the plan, Rob,” my boyfriend complained.
“I checked the website of our GSA last night. On the first Monday of every month they man their office for one hour before school, during lunch and for one hour in the afternoon. I want to join tomorrow together with Eric. Jazz, I assume you’re already a member?”
“Yes, but I have to admit I rarely go to any of their meetings or social events.”
I chuckled, but didn’t say anything. I knew Jasper had been a little bit uncomfortable with the interest some of the GSA members had shown him while he was still single. It wasn’t that he minded being flirted with, but he felt bad about disappointing them when he had to admit he was straight. After he started dating Carolyn, he’d been too busy, although they had both gone with me to the GSA Christmas party.
“But why do we have to be there in the morning? I want to join too, but we can do it at lunch, can’t we?”
“I have other things I need to do during lunch. And I want to make it totally clear right from the start that I’m proud of you and I’m gonna do everything I can to support you. I don’t know Trevor very well, since we mostly take different classes, but from what I’ve heard he’s done a good job as GSA President. Do you know who’s in line to take over the position, when he graduates, Nelson?”
I shook my head and told him no. Trevor had asked me to consider running for GSA president, and my little speech at Assembly on the first day of the year had been my attempt to see whether I felt comfortable with the role. After all, one of the reasons I’d joined the drama club was to get rid of my reserve and dislike of speaking to and in front of people. Unfortunately it hadn’t worked as well as hoped, and the five minutes I’d spent on the podium presenting the aims of the GSA and inviting new students to join had been some of the most scary and unpleasant in my life. Afterwards I’d told Trevor he would have to find somebody else to groom as the next leader of West Hill High GSA. He had been disappointed, but understanding.
It was sort of the same reaction he’d shown when I declined dating him after the junior prom, come to think of it.
“…meet us at the coffee shop and go to the GSA office? You and I could go there on our own,” Eric pointed out while I was distracted.
“Don’t you understand? I want you and Nelson to be known as a couple from now on. I want Nelson to introduce you to the GSA people as his boyfriend. I want you to stroll casually through the hall, holding hands, with me and perhaps Jasper 30 yards behind you to so we can see if anyone has a negative reaction.”
“I don’t need you to babysit –” “Why are you determined to –” Eric and I exclaimed at the same time, equally annoyed. We broke off, and he gestured for me to go on.
“Rob, you might enjoy getting attention and showing off, but Eric and I are not like that. And we certainly don’t need you or Jazz to protect us. I know you mean well, and I’m pleased you want to join the GSA and be openly supportive, but –”
Rob interrupted me, “Say no more, I get your point. OK, how about we meet at the GSA office when they open and go to the coffee shop afterwards? Jazz, why don’t you give Carolyn a call? Ask her if she wants to join us at the coffee shop, my treat.”
“OK, I give in,” Jasper said. “I don’t wanna miss this.” Rob’s attempt to sweeten the deal was clever, and Jazz immediately dug out his phone to send Carolyn a text. But the words of the Super Straight Duo in the front seats made me suspect a plot twist up ahead. My boyfriend obviously had the same impression or maybe he simply knew his brother too well.
“Why insist on going to the coffee shop at all?” Eric leaned forward to poke Rob’s arm while we waited at the traffic light. The two conspirators in front exchanged glances.
“The baseball team meets there on Monday mornings after a game weekend. Isn’t that right?” I said, just realizing it.
After taking a left turn as the lights changed, Rob shrugged. “I want to see the reaction of all the members of the baseball team when you two arrive with me and Jazz.”
Jasper backed him up, “We know most of them are fine about you. Not only the seniors who were at the mall today, but also the team members from our year, Nelson. Rob and I want to put peer pressure on the few meat heads who haven’t seen the light.”
Hmm, perhaps it wasn’t a bad idea for the team to tackle the issue while sober and calm, and away from the coaches. Hopefully, this would also prevent the matter of Rob punching two teammates from coming to their attention.
We were approaching the Perry home, and Rob slowed down. “Do we have a deal? You don’t have to stay with us after the first five minutes, if you want to sit on your own and make lovey-dovey eyes at each other.”
“Nelson, you and Eric can figure out where to meet for lunch on your own, and what you’re going to do while Rob and I have baseball practice.” OK, now I was sure Jazz and Rob had planned this out beforehand. But if Jazz was willing to get up early for this, so was I.
“That’s easy. The drama club has a meeting, and if we’re done before you, we’ll simply wait,” I replied.
I smiled at Eric and he squeezed my hand. I knew he was thinking the same thing as me. The special moment in the rehearsal room when we declared our feelings and shared our first kiss was engraved in my heart and mind, never to be forgotten. I certainly wouldn’t mind having a little private time with him after drama club, say in the costume room.
Rob was first through the front door after we arrived. “Mom, Dad, we’re back,” he hollered as he shed his jacket and shoes. The rest of us followed his lead and left our shoes by the front door. Eric took my backpack and pointed upstairs, and I nodded.
Jasper and I followed Rob into the kitchen and as expected my parents were there, taking to Eric’s Mom and Dad. I’d seen our car parked out front. They greeted us with variations on “There you are, boys. You made it before the pizzas. and Did you have a nice time?” Sometimes parents are so predictable.
“Nelson, did you manage to get new shirts?” my mom greeted me. I nodded, but this didn’t satisfy her curiosity. “Did you find something nice?” Jeez Mom, thanks!
“More like Rob, Eric and I found them for him,” my traitor friend replied. Just you wait, Jazz, I’ll get my revenge tomorrow morning. At this point Eric entered the kitchen.
My mom sent us all a delighted smile. “Excellent, I’m glad you have friends with good taste, Nelson. Let’s see what you bought.”
Rob grinned, but before he could suggest I included whatever Eric had bought for me, my boyfriend quickly changed the subject.
“When do we eat, Mom?”
“The pizzas should be here soon.”
“Do you want us to lay the table here or in the dining room? Or could we take our pizzas upstairs to my room?”
“I think it would be nice if we all ate together, please lay the table in the dining room.”
“OK.” Eric went over to the sink to wash his hands and I joined him. When I had dried mine, he loaded them with eight plates and grabbed a tray with glasses and cutlery. As we walked out of the kitchen door I heard Rob’s dad ask him, “So, how was the trip to the mall? Any trouble for you or the boys?”
‘Good luck with answering that question truthfully,’ I thought, and from Eric’s snort, I knew he had a similar opinion. Recalling our talk this morning, I wondered if my mom had put the idea in Mr. Perry’s head.
In the dining room Eric put the tray down on a side table and I did the same with the plates. Moments later we were lip-locked with our arms around each other. Fuck, I loved the taste of his lips and the way his body molded to mine.
The sound of the doorbell startled us and we jumped apart.
“Shit, let’s get the table set.” Eric grabbed a stack of placemats and began placing them. I followed suit with plates and cutlery.
“There’re only four knives and forks.”
“Yeah, put them at that end for the rents, paper napkins will do for us.” He put place mats along the center of the table too. “For the pizza boxes,” he explained when I looked at him questioningly.
Oh right. I grabbed a stack of paper napkins from the sideboard, put one on each plate and left the rest at the teen end of the table. Eric set out the glasses and just then Rob entered with a stack of pizza boxes. Jasper followed with bottles of water, coke and apple cider, and the adults walked in behind him each carrying a beer.
“I get to be designated driver tonight,” Jasper told me, and I knew he was proud my dad trusted him to drive us home.
We all sat down and for a time nobody talked as we focus on eating the pizza while it was still hot. I was relieved to see my parents, like their hosts, didn’t use knife and fork for the pizza, although my mom did cut her slices in half lengthwise before picking them up. Rob was stuffing himself, but Jasper slowed down on his third slice, but stared longingly at the boxes.
“Are you ill, Jasper?” my mom asked. “I’ve never seen you stop after only three slices of pizza.”
“No, but I’ve hardly done any exercise all week, and today has been one long fast food festival.”
Rob suddenly stopped eating. “That’s right; we were going to do a work out in our fitness room.”
He slid his eyes sideways to Eric and me, but quickly focused on his parents. “Mom, is it OK, if we take a break from the pizza? We can heat it later.”
“Well, if you all think it’s a good idea?” I felt Eric nudge my leg under the table and I quickly nodded together with Eric and Jasper. We finished the slices on our plates and excused ourselves. I was a bit baffled, but willingly followed Eric upstairs.
On the landing outside Eric’s room, Rob stopped. “Guys, you have one hour. Jazz, come along and I’ll find you something to wear.”
My best friend grinned and gave me a thumbs-up before sauntering after Rob to his room down the corridor. Before I could say or do anything, Eric had hauled me into his room, closed and locked the door.
“Time to try on my gift, Nelson.” Oh, man…
- 22
- 1
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you.
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