Uncontrollably Yours

Waffle House

We're at Waffle House, it's the only food around here that's open twenty-four/seven.

"What do you mean by 'drag mom?'" I question, ripping a piece of my waffle off, dragging it through syrup, then shoving it in my mouth before the syrup drips.

Monty chuckles, "boy, you're somethin' else. There's forks, goof-ass."

"This is finger food," I tell him. We're sitting across from each other in a booth.

They shake their head. "I call Marcus my drag mom because he brought me into it," Monty shrugs, "we all have someone we consider our drag mom, but he's the drag mom."

"Hm. So if I did drag... you'd be my drag mom?"

"You? Doing drag?" They laugh.

"I don't want to do drag; I'm not that gay. It was just a question. I couldn't pull off those fake tits."

Monty is cackling as if me doing drag is the funniest thing in the world. I can't even be offended because their laugh is so funny and contagious that now I'm laughing.

"Your laugh sounds like a spray bottle, did you know that?" I ask them.

We calm down our laughter, both of us just grinning, and that feeling in my chest is there again.

"Wanna... go back to my dorm?" I ask, my heart racing. But I feel... nervous that they'll say yes? I never felt nervous with Reid... maybe that's why I feel nervous with Monty; I don't want to be rejected again. So I add, "just to hang out."

Hang out? That's basically code to fuck! I don't know how to do this.

Monty smiles and opens their mouth to speak, before three people, who must've just walked in, walk up to Monty and I.

"Yo, Monty," a big, dark skinned guy with dreads greets him, dabbing him up when Monty stands up. Monty greets him back. There's two other guys, but they're smaller and less intimidating. Monty doesn't seem to know the two. The big guy looks at me, as if just now realizing I'm here, "awe, man, don't tell me you're on a date with this white boy."

My heart sinks, my stomach churning. But I also feel pissed off that they're ruining our time together. My teeth are clenched tight, but I don't say anything.

"Uhh," Monty looks equally as uncomfortable as I feel.

Before Monty can answer (thank God), the guy says, "come sit with us."

I stand up. I'm not going to be humiliated and watch Monty move tables. "I'm gonna go," I say, pulling out my wallet, and drop twenty bucks on the table. "On me," I tell Monty referring to our meal.

"Preston," Monty starts.

"It's fine," I tell them. "Go be with your friends."

The big guy, who I still don't know the name of, claps his hand roughly on my shoulder, "yeah, listen to White Boy."

I step out of his touch. "See you in class," I tell Monty, keeping my voice neutral so I don't seem like this dick-head is phasing me. But, I'm getting angry. Really angry.

I push through the doors of the Waffle House and unlock my car. When I sit in my front seat, I take deep breaths to try and calm myself.

How fucking embarrassing. I start my car and plug my phone into the aux. Before I even put my car in reverse, my passenger side door opens.

Monty slips into the passenger seat. "Preston, I'm so sorry. Jamal is not my friend. He's just some prejudice, asshole I went to high school with. I don't even know the other two guys. My actual friends are the sweetest people you'll ever meet."

I take a deep breath, "okay," is all I respond with and reverse out of the parking space before driving out of the parking lot and onto the road.

"Are you mad?"

"No."

"You seem mad. Can you slow down?" They ask, putting their seatbelt on.

I'm getting close to fifteen over the speed limit. "I'm not mad. I'm embarrassed, Monty. Which makes me pissed off because I'm never embarrassed, so yeah, actually, I am mad."

"Why are you embarrassed?"

"Are you joking? 'Don't tell me you're dating this white boy'."

"People are always going to have something to say about us being together."

"We're not together," I say a little too harshly and I'm nearing twenty over the speed limit.

"I... I know that, I just meant..." they stop themselves but then says, "Please, slow down, Preston. Let's go to your dorm. I want to go to your dorm."

I exhale slowly, calming my nerves, and ease off the break a bit.

But it's too late. Flashing red and blue lights shine through my review and side mirrors.

"Fuck."

**

Thank you for reading <3

-xoxo, Bert