Queer Boys

Ch 8: Tutoring

Haneul and I walk out of the cafe's entrance, an overly cheerful "come again!" from the girl earlier following us behind, to meet a rather impatient Ezra outside. I'm about to say goodbye to Haneul when he smoothly walks in front and bows slightly to Ezra.

"I sincerely apologize for my behavior earlier, I know it was rather rude of me to act in such a way."

Ezra looks to the side, annoyed and says, "Yeah,  it's whatever. Are you coming or what?" He gestures to me impatiently. Haneul looks ready to try to pummel him again so I quickly rest my hand on his arm and say, "See you tomorrow?"

His eyes soften and he nods as I let go and start walking with Ezra, leaving Haneul to drive home. 

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"So..." I start trying to break up the awkward silence between me and Ezra. "You uhh don't have a car...?"

"No, and my bike's in the shop so we're walking to my place." He growled out.

"Ohhh you drive a motorcycle??" I ask, suddenly excited.

"No, I ride a bicycle that so happens to only need fixing at a motorcycle shop" Ezra replies. 

"Wow, what a weird bike to have then" I say, putting on a pondering face over what a weird bike that would be. 

"What? I don't actually ride a bike, I have a motorcycle, I was being sarcastic" he says, slightly annoyed again.

"Hahaha! I know, I was just playing around. You know trying to lighten the mood and whatnot, it's rather nice walking instead of being in a vehicle at times" I reply, swinging my arms back and forth, enjoying the cool, crisp air around me. 

"Yeah well, that's true, I guess" Ezra mutters, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"So! What're gonna teach me, in the..." I look at my phone's clock, "half-hour we have left together, oh wise and trustworthy tutor."

"Did you do the algebra homework we were assigned today yet?"

"Um no..."

"Then we're doing that before getting into anything else."

"Urgh fine..."

We walk along the sidewalk leading to Ezra's neighborhood in a more comfortable silence now, before a question that's been bothering me for a while suddenly resurfaces, "Hey um Ezra? I have a question that might be too personal to ask or something like that, so you definitely don't have to answer but, could you tell me why you seem to hate me or something...? I mean, I thought we were pretty good friends back in freshman year, but then things do happen that cause change and all that crap, but I didn't think you would like, hate me over something like being away for so long and stuff like that, right Ezra...?"

He's silent for a few moments before quietly saying, "I don't hate you, so don't get that thought stuck in your head, alright?"

I'm taken aback from these sudden, sorta kind words so I just nod and say, "Y-yeah alright."

We finally reach his house and I step in first, suddenly reminded of the times me and Ezra used to invite each other to our houses and goof off. Ezra would bring his PS or Switch over for us to play some 2 v 2 games he recently got while I tried to cheat to win the game by covering his eyes or messing with his console. He never got mad and just laughed and got back at me by wrestling me and ruffling my hair, which I hated (and still hate). 

Now that I think about it, I haven't heard or seen Ezra laugh in about two years now.  

I turn around to say this exact thing to him when he says, "Let's just get this homework done and we'll be out of each other's hair until next tutoring time, alright?"

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So.... yeah, not totally sad, but not totally happy either...is what I was going for so um there ya go 💜