When we were Wallflowers

Chapter 21: Bromance in jeopardy

I'm back! Hiatus over, updates shall resume.

It had seemed impossible to Brent.

The idea was outlandish and silly, preposterous and -in a way- insulting.

Brent not know something so crucial about Ezra like his sexuality? Don't be silly. Of course he knew what Ezra's sexuality was.

The two had talked deep into the night about what was their ideal type. Brent hadn't been entirely sure what he liked at the time, but he remembered telling Ezra that he preferred his lovers to be shorter than him so that he could give them his giant hoodies and they could look tiny in them.

Granted, at the time he had spoken about his future lover in terms of her being a woman, but Finley wasn't too far off of fulfilling those wishes. Finley had borrowed Brent's clothes multiple times and much to Brent's delight, looked tiny and adorable in the clothes that were far too big for him. Brent had also confessed to Ezra that he would consider dating a boy if the opportunity presented itself.

Brent could also remember what Ezra had described as his ideal type, his ideal type in a girl.

He preferred girls who were athletic and liked working out, a real fetish for muscle. He liked girls who weren't really in to academics, girls who were a bit on the dim side but who's hearts were in the right place. He liked girls who were shorter than him but not by much. He preferred brunette girls with brown eyes and sun kissed skin.

Brent had asked Ezra once -and only once- whether he would be interested in men. Brent's own curiosity for the same sex had grown by then and he wanted to know whether his best friend shared this feeling or at least didn't think he was weird for having it.

Ezra didn't even think about the question.

He had immediately exploded into a furious line of accusations.

"Why would you ask me that? Why would you think that I would want that? Do I actually seem like the type who'd do that? Why would you even suggest that?"

That had been answer enough for Brent. Though it wasn't a yes or a no, it seemed to still be a clear "no" to Brent.

So where was that energy now as Brent stood before Ezra in the school car park?

Ezra had been about to get into his car and leave early. His blonde hair shimmering and his outfit as casually fashionable as always. He wasn't given a chance to ask Brent why he had sprinted to him from across the car park.

"Are you going on a date with Colby?" Asked Brent breathless.

The car park was empty. It was a silent Mexican standoff between the two of them. This time there was no denial and endless line of accusatory questions, Ezra was placid. He met Brent's look, stare for stare. What was he thinking? For the first time, Brent truly began to contemplate whether he ever knew Ezra? Surely he did. Ezra had confided in Brent before about private matters such as his terrible home life, his own frustration with his loyalty to a favour who doesn't deserve such a thing and his rough relationship with his estranged mother, surely those things were more personal than whether Ezra was attracted to men or not.

Ezra smiled. "What? Of course not. Who told you that?"

Oh.

Had it been an inside joke between Colby and Finley? They were just kidding around and Brent had believed them?

That could be true... if Brent decided not to think about it too much.

"Are you sure?" He asked tepidly. "You and Colby have been pretty chummy recently."