You're so Weird - 9. Chapter 9

I stir, and for the first time since I was very little, I wake up being held by someone. There’s always this minute or two when I’m disoriented, coming back to my senses, and it takes me a while to remember what’s going on. I feel cozy, but my right arm is numb, so I stir some more to free myself. Liam mumbles something in complaint, but I think he’s still asleep.

I check my phone. It’s a few minutes past seven. I groan and sit up. The bed is a mess, and my skin is covered with faint, crusty streaks. Liam is breathing evenly, his lips moving every few seconds. I wonder what he’s dreaming about.

I throw off the covers and get up, feeling a bit shaky. Through the window, I see the twins running around the yard while Michael fills the pool with a hose. It looks like a different dimension, and I’m not eager to face them. Naked, I head to the bathroom. I’d shower, but I don’t want to wake Liam, so I quickly wash up in the sink and throw on some random clothes before heading downstairs. The house feels empty, so I go outside through the back door and am immediately jumped on by the twins.

"Mike, play in the pool with us!" one of the twins shouts, tugging at my hand. The pool isn’t huge but big enough for a game of ball or a casual swim if you’re not too picky. Michael stands nearby in his shorts and sunglasses, a thin silver chain resting on his hairy chest.

"Maybe later. I didn’t bring my swim trunks," I say as politely as I can.

"It’s fine, we don’t use them here!" the other twin grins, hooking his thumbs under his shorts.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," their dad stops the boy just before he can pull them down. "What did I tell you, Brody? Be decent around guests."

"But Mom said Mike isn’t a guest!"

"Oh really?"

"Yes!" Brody nods and clears his throat. "She said he’s part of the family now."

"That’s sweet, Brody, but he’s only been with us for a week. At least make sure he’s okay with it before flashing him, alright?"

"I—I'll go grab my swim trunks," I say before the twins can manipulate me into skinny dipping. Michael's right; I'm far from ready for that. I mean, with just the two of them, I probably wouldn't mind, but it feels strange with the adults around.

The pool idea sounds great. It looks like it's going to be another sunny day, and I've never stayed in a house with a private pool before.

Liam’s still in my bed, sprawled out in an awkward position and—yes, snoring! I resist the urge to capture video evidence and quietly open my drawer, quickly finding my swim trunks. They’re nothing special, tight, and reach halfway down my thighs. I strip off my clothes and stand in the middle of the room. Liam doesn’t budge. A part of me almost wants him to wake up. Shaking off the thought, I change quickly before the twins come looking for me.

When I get back to the backyard, it’s empty. I glance around, but there’s no one in sight. I walk closer to the pool and dip my toes in. The water’s lukewarm, so I sit on the edge and slowly slide in. The morning sun reflects off the water, momentarily blinding me before I take a full dive. The fresh water cools my head, and I open my eyes. The pool can’t be deeper than five feet, but I manage to dive and hover just above the bottom. It feels like a good hiding spot, if only I could bring oxygen. I’ve always liked swimming. Mom never let me go to the nearby lake with the other kids who biked there every summer weekend, but she’d take me sometimes. The more I think about it, the more I realize I’m not used to life without her. It took this for her to finally let me loose.

Something big splashes into the water beside me, quickly followed by another. Patrick and Brody, surrounded by bubbles, swim toward me, each grabbing an arm to pull me to the surface.

"We saved your life!" one of them exclaims as I shake water from my hair.

“I was fine,” I say, not sure why I bother to make excuses.

“Nope, you were totally drowning. Now, watch this!”

One of the twins gets out of the water, takes a run, and jumps back in with a front flip, crashing just next to us.

“Meh. That was lame,” his brother says, then does a nearly identical stunt. If I had any hopes that without their clothes they’d be easier to tell apart, they're gone now. They're wearing different colored Speedos, red and blue, but otherwise, they look the same to me. It would probably be easier if they could stay in one place for one second.

We horse around for a while and start feeling a bit bolder. I attempt a few dives, and Patrick's and Brody's carelessness rubs off on me a little. Shortly after, Maggie comes out and calls us for breakfast.

“Patrick, Brody! Go get dressed!”

“But Mom! We only just changed!”

“You can’t eat breakfast like that. Later you can change back and play all day, for all I care.”

“Can’t we just eat outside today?”

Maggie looks at the sky, then at me for some reason, and then at the boys again. “Well, it is nice today. Alright then, but no going inside with soggy feet.”

She disappears inside and returns to wipe the round garden table. Soon, she comes back with a set of plates. I probably should help her, but the rule against entering the house with wet feet likely applies to me too. It makes me feel a little better when it’s Liam who brings the cups and a tall tea pitcher instead. He notices me and smiles before disappearing back inside the house.

Okay, maybe it's a good idea to get dressed. I towel off as Maggie and Liam return with eggs and toast, calling us to eat. I wish I could be less weird about it. Using the technique I learned from Liam, I wrap the towel tight around my still-wet swim trunks. I sit next to Liam, and the twins take places on the other side. They didn't even bother drying off, they just sit there dripping wet on the wicker chairs, their skin shining in the sun. We dig in without waiting for their dad, who joins us a couple minutes later. If he and Maggie feel tired after their night out, they don’t show it.

“Any plans for today, boys?” Michael asks us, pouring orange juice into a tall glass.

“I have a game with the boys. Mike and I are leaving in an hour,” Liam replies, giving me half a smile.

“Wasn’t that supposed to be yesterday?” Maggie asks.

“Yesterday and today. But yesterday I helped Mike with his new room and we lost track of time.”

Maggie nods, and I see she’s satisfied. “I can help you with that tomorrow. Today I plan to do absolutely nothing."

“Same here,” Michael echoes. “But it’s good you boys took the matters into your own hands. I was starting to think we’d have to sell the house to get rid of this mess.”

“You can count on us,” Liam says, and I tense up when I feel his hand on my knee. I nervously scan everyone with my eyes, but nobody seems to have noticed. Slowly, without taking my eyes off my food, I place my hand on his. I hold it for a moment, but then move it away, watching Liam smirk out of the corner of my eye.

“And don't forget to do what you promised before going to the game, Liam,” Michael says, taking a sip of his tea.

“Meaning what?” Liam asks, already sounding irritated.

“Well, the lawn won't mow itself. You promised you'd do it.”

“But can't I do it next week? The grass isn't even that tall yet.”

“That's what you said last week. Do it now, and you'll have the rest of the day off.”

“But we already…”

“Liam, don't make a scene. Keep your word,” Michael interrupts firmly.

“Yeah, sure,” Liam mutters, getting up without finishing his breakfast. “Might as well start now,” he adds bitterly and heads toward the garage.

Michael and Maggie exchange tight-lipped looks. Michael then ruffles the twins' hair. “Can't wait for you guys to become teenagers. It's going to be a double blast.” With that, he heads inside.

I feel my ears burning. I hate witnessing family arguments like this. It only reinforces my belief that I'm just a guest here and things won’t change anytime soon.

“I'll go help Liam,” I say, accidentally knocking my knee against the table. The loud noise draws all eyes to me, and I burn with embarrassment.

I follow Liam and find him in the garage, wrestling with the lawnmower, which is stuck behind a pile of rakes, shovels, and other garden tools. The mess here is almost as bad as in my to-be room. It seems like they’re the kind of family that shows off their best side but sweeps all the dirt under the rug.

“Need a hand?” I ask, stepping into the cluttered space.

"No! Go away!" Liam snaps, not even looking up. I stand there, taken aback, before slowly turning to leave.

"Mike," Liam calls out, his voice softer now. "I'm sorry." He comes over and gives me a quick hug. "I didn't mean to shout. It’s just... you see what they do to me."

I relax a little, though still shaken by his outburst. He really doesn't make it easy to take his side sometimes. “It’s okay. I get it,” I say, returning his hug briefly.

Liam looks down at me and tries my towel with a quick pull. “Holds like a charm. You’re a quick learner,” he smirks.

“I had a good teacher.”

He steps back, running a hand through his hair. “It’s just frustrating, you know? They keep piling stuff on me, and I never get a break.”

“I guess,” I agree, mostly to change the topic. “So, you sure you don't need any help?”

Liam pulls the lawnmower violently, freeing it from the clutter and making other tools scramble all over the floor. “I'm fine. You can relax and warm up your social skills. We’re leaving soon.”

This makes my heart go faster. I’m not sure if I’m ready to meet Liam’s male friends. I should probably research cars and girls, but it’s too late now. Also, something about Liam makes me want to get at least a little bit of space to myself… just in case things don’t go just as well as I thought they would. I go upstairs to change and go to the spare room. It looks better than yesterday, but there’s still a lot of work. Even if I don’t end up moving here, there’s no reason why I shouldn’t help out. And if I suddenly change my mind, Maggie’s gonna be asking questions. I mean, she must know I’m gay, right? Mom must’ve told her. At least that’s what I assumed. When I arrived, I was thankful that no one asked any questions, but I thought it was just because they already knew and were too polite to dig. But Liam did not know, so it means that either Maggie didn’t tell anyone, or didn’t know herself. Ugh. I need to find out.

I spend a while cleaning, the engine of the lawnmower coming from a distance making Liam appear in my head. I think of him, and of the trimmed lawn above his dick. If only I could fast forward to the nighttime. There’s so much we can do. Unless he changes his mind.

Then I stumble upon an old shoebox that might have been here ever since the house was built. I blow at it to remove the dust and instantly regret it. The thick dust layer explodes into the air and I cough as it gets into my mouth and nostrils. Opening it, I feel as if it’s some sort of old magic tome. A smell of old paper and mustiness hits me. Inside, there’s a bunch of random junk: a rusty locket, broken sunglasses, a pile of mismatched buttons. I’m about to put it away, when something at the bottom catches my attention. A strip of photos from a photo booth, the ones you can get at an amusement park, with a colorful backdrop. In the sequence of photos, a guy with a big smile is holding two babies in his arms, cradling them like little bundles. One baby is definitely Liam, his eyes all wide and curious. The other baby, I guess, must be his brother. I can’t believe how young Liam's dad looks, all happy and young, before his hairline started receding. I take a longer look at the boys he’s holding and squint my eyes. The other boy doesn’t really look like any of the twins. And anyway, Liam here is so little, it means probably the twins weren’t even born yet. Maybe it was just a friend. Or maybe…

A chill goes down my spine as I look around the room. Was it supposed to be a bedroom for someone… for someone who’s no longer around? I look back at the boys in the picture. They look like they could be brothers. Or maybe I’m just thinking too much into it. I check the back side of the photo strip. Nothing. There are no other photos there, or nothing else that could give me a hint. I guess I’ll have to ask Liam… or Maggie. Hopefully I won’t scratch old wounds or anything. I slip the strip into my pocket and go back to cleaning.

Shortly after, the sound of the lawnmower cuts out, and before long, Liam appears in the door, shirtless and grinning.

“Always working, huh?” he asks. “Can’t you just relax for five minutes?”

“You’ve been working harder than me,” I smile. “All I do here is relax.”

“Anyway, we have to be going. Come on.”

I go to the bathroom to get the dirt from under my fingernails, and change to my outside clothes. I deliberately wear jeans and don't take anything to change to make sure Liam doesn't get any stupid ideas. I don't hate playing basketball, but I need time to get comfortable enough to mingle with Liam's jock friends.

Soon, we're ready to go, Liam still in his regular clothes and wearing his usual backpack.

“Sweet weather, right?” Liam says as we start walking. “I can’t wait to jump in the pool after the game. How about you?”

“Why not. But I need the strongest sunscreen we can find, or I’ll turn into a lobster.”

“Gotcha,” Liam laughs. “Anyway, ready to meet my friends?”

“I don’t know,” I shrug. “What did you tell them about me?”

“Uh… Not much? I guess you’ll have a fresh start.”

“Oh. So when you told them that I live with you now, they didn’t ask?”

Liam stops in his tracks, looking a bit uncomfortable. “Here’s the thing. I didn’t tell them that you live with us. Yet. I only told Olivia. Don’t ask me why. But don’t worry, I’ll handle that. They’re chill.”

“Uh. Okay. And… do they know about you?”

“About me, meaning…?”

“You know. Your sexual orientation. Whatever it is.”

“Oh, that,” Liam smiles and looks away. “I don’t think so. I only told Olivia and Abi. Only hinted, really. But they know. About the boys, no, I didn’t tell them. I’m still figuring it out myself, so I wouldn’t even know what to say.”

“Okay, so in case they ask, I’m just a roommate right?”

“I mean, you are my roommate, right? I would never change you for another.”

“Thanks, I guess…” I say.

Part of me is really happy right now, but the other part is pissed at Liam. He’s either even dumber than me sometimes or dodging my question on purpose. Maybe it’s still too early to talk about what we are to each other, but it wouldn’t hurt to at least start the conversation. I really need things to be said out loud and often; otherwise, my mind creates all these conspiracy theories and believes them. After all, what if we end up being just friends?

It gives me the idea to start a website called Only Pals, for people who like each other a lot but agree to just be friends. That’s what the world needs—not more one-night hookups or fooling around. Maybe that’s what my gay ass needs to survive on this planet for another year.

We arrive five minutes before 11, and some of the boys are already there, sitting by the edge of the basketball court. Most of them I recognize from school. I tense up. I’ve never had many male friends, and being surrounded by so much testosterone is a bit intimidating. I should’ve researched more on cars and girls.

“This is Mike,” Liam introduces me.

“The new kid,” one of the boys says, standing up to greet me. He’s about my height but more stocky. He brushes his curly hair from his eyes, revealing a round but handsome face. “I’m also Mike. Can we call you Michael?”

“Please no,” I say, making everyone laugh, including myself.

“Hey, I’m Jared,” another boy says, even taller than Liam, coming to greet me. His pitch-black ponytail weirdly suits him and makes his face look even slimmer. He gives off the vibe of an outsider who plays bass in a metal band, but always dates the hottest girls and is the first to get a driving license. He shakes my hand, looking me in the eyes.

“We can call you Mike Two,” says the third boy, a small dude with wavy blond hair. “Microphone check, one two,” he laughs, making the rest of the boys shake their heads.

“Cringe, CJ,” says the fourth boy, arguably the most handsome, excluding Liam. Liam’s the best. But this boy is also to die for. I’m not surprised Liam only hangs out with good-looking guys. So what am I doing here? “I’m John. Nice to meet you,” he says, smiling as he shakes my hand.Is this the famous John Sturnham I told Maggie I made friends with? “What school did you go to before?”

“Mike just moved into town,” Liam answers for me. “His mom is in the hospital, so he’s staying with us for now.”

“He lives with you?” Mike One asks. “Since when? Why didn’t you say anything?”

“There was never a good moment,” Liam shrugs and smiles at me. “Wait till I tell you how much he snores.”

"Shut up!" I say, punching him playfully.

"Wow, you two," John says. "Anyway, welcome to our shithole. I hope you like boredom."

"Boredom is my middle name," I say, and the others laugh again.

"You're gonna fit right in," John pats me on the back, and I flush. "You playing with us?"

"Not today. Maybe next time."

Just then, two more boys arrive, and there are some more introductions. Luckily, they’re more interested in playing than trying to include me. The sight is as good as I hoped for, maybe even better. I look a lot at Liam, but John’s lean calves look like they’re made of steel, and I wish I could see him without his shorts. Mike One isn’t bad either. Maybe not my type, but I’d totally snuggle with him if he asked me to. I feel like a spy in their straight world, and for the moment, I don’t care. I prepared for this.

Casually, I take out my phone and open a text editor. “Team Shower Shenanigans,” I type in the title. A bit generic, but I’ll change it later. I’ve almost wanted to write smut for Wattpad, and finally, there's some live-action inspiration.

“Hi. My name is Matt. I’m eighteen years old, 5’4” and weigh 140 pounds. I have mid-length blond hair that falls over my eyes. I have a six-pack and defined abs from being on the swim team. My cock is…” I stop typing for a second. I shouldn’t make it too unrealistic. Maybe it’s porn, but that’s no excuse to be ridiculous. “My cock is 8 inches long when hard.” This seems right. “My best friend is Jon. He’s 5’2”, weighs 130 pounds, and his cock is…”

Shit, I’m nailing it. Did I finally find this one thing I’m good at? I keep writing like a maniac, stealing occasional glances at the game to keep the juices flowing. The best part is, it keeps my thoughts away from my problems, and it feels good. A little bit of escapism never harmed anyone.

Before the boys are done playing, I have a full chapter ready. I’ve been writing for two hours straight. It might have turned out a bit too raunchy for Wattpad, but I know other sites that would totally host this kind of content. Can’t wait to be famous!

I stand up and step to the side to call Mom. The phone rings a few times before she picks up.

“Hey, Mikey,” she says, her voice warm but a bit tired.

“Hey, Mom. How are you feeling?” I ask, trying to keep my tone light.

“I’m okay, just the usual,” she replies. “How about you? How’s everything going?”

“It’s good. Everyone’s really nice,” I say, glancing over at the boys still playing. “I’m actually making some friends.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” she says with a hint of relief. “You’re not pulling my leg just to make me feel better though, are you?”

“No, Mom I swear. And the weather here is amazing,” I add, looking up at the clear sky. “How’s the hospital food?”

She chuckles softly. “It’s as terrible as ever. I swear, they’re trying to see how much we can take before we revolt.”

“Hang in there. Maybe we can smuggle in some real food when we’re there,” I slip.

“Really, don’t worry about me. Just focus on having a good time and making… wait a minute. When you’re where?”

“Uh, I mean…”

“What? Spit it out!” she demands.

So Maggie didn’t tell her. It’s all on me. I take a deep breath. “We’re coming over, Mom. Maggie and I. Next weekend. Yay!” I try to sound enthusiastic, but my voice shakes with the fear of her reaction.

There’s a long pause. “What do you mean, ‘we’re coming over’?”

“Maggie and I. We’re coming to visit you,” I repeat, trying to keep my voice steady.

Another silence follows, and I can almost hear her processing this. “Mike...”

“Look, we just wanted to see you. I miss you, Mom.”

“I miss you too, but you shouldn’t see me like this,” she says, her voice softer now.

“I don’t care. I want to see you,” I insist, feeling a lump forming in my throat. “It’s been too long.”

She sighs deeply. “Alright, we’ll talk more about it later. Just... let me know the details, okay?”

“Okay, I will,” I promise.

We hang up, and a minute later, she texts me. “I’m calling Maggie. If this is true, I swear to God.”

I quickly text back, “It’s true. I miss you.”

She responds, “I miss you too.”

I put my phone away, feeling the tears coming up. I take a few deep breaths, trying to pull myself together. Just in time, the boys finish their game and sit on the ground next to their things. Only Liam comes over to me.

“Who did you talk to?” he asks, noticing my red eyes.

“Mom.”

“How is she?”

“She’s good. I told her I’m coming to see her,” I say, my voice still shaking slightly.

“Cool. Hey guys, come over here for a second! It’s urgent!” Liam calls to his friends, and they reluctantly start standing up.

“Dude, my legs are killing me,” Jared grumbles, stretching as he stands.

“Just stand here, close to us. Like this,” Liam says, taking out his phone. He opens the camera and lines us all up for a selfie. “Say cheese!”

I force a smile, relieved that my crotch is out of the picture. Being surrounded by a gang of sweaty guys is doing funny things to me. A moment later, Liam sends me the picture.

“Send it to your mom. She’s gonna like it.”

I smile, feeling a little better. “Thanks, Liam.”

I quickly forward the photo to my mom with a caption, “New friends! See you soon!” Almost immediately, she replies with a heart emoji, and I can’t help but smile. I bet she thought the friends were all made up. Now she probably squints over the photo, trying to tell if it’s Photoshopped.

Liam claps his hands to get everyone's attention. “Hey, since it’s such a nice day, why don’t you all come over for a pool party at my place?”