The Jock, The Nerd and The Geek

8

"I'm actually quite surprised you were smart enough for that. Not that it's surprising you're smart, you know."

Every sunday afternoon was bingo day for most old people and Ace's Grandma, Ophelia and his Abuela were not excluded, though it seemed like the former was the one always forcing the latter to come along.

And Sunday, was also a day that Marcos spent with A, except she hadn't come today so his Abuela had pleaded with him to come along with them, Ophelia deciding to bring in Ace as well.

As soon as they got there, as always, Ophelia tried introducing the boys to the grandkids of the others there, but Ace had suddenly brought up the fact that he had to fix his car since it had a problem and he didn't want it to run down when he was coming to take them back home.

Which was a good escape plan. In Marcos' opinion.

He watched, seated from the chair two feet away from Ace as he slid out from under the car, (that did have a problem) wearing dark blue overalls with black stains over his clothes and hair. "You have to talk louder, can't hear you under all the tinkering I'm doing. Can you pass over the monkey wrench?"

Marcos did as he asked, picking from the toolbox on his lap, and handed it to Ace took it and slid back below again. As soon as he was gone, Marcos sighed, pouting. "Can I ask you a question? A rhetorical one?"

"So you don't want an answer?"

"Like, I want one, but it's not like, real, you know?" Marcos asked, licking his lower lips. "So let's say I had a girlfriend, and she's not... Picking my calls. Can you like, guess any random reason why?"

He knew that Alex had a really good reason for ignoring him. He was aware of how she felt going to see her Father and expected him to come along whenever she was.

But yesterday, he had been trapped with someone that he couldn't afford to disappoint, for Mother's sake.

And lied to Alex that it was a 'family thing.'

Marcos knew that lies were one thing that Alex couldn't stand. Heck, he knew she'd never forgive him if she found out, but he couldn't tell her the truth.

That the reason he couldn't be there for her, the one time she needed him, was because he was on a date.

Ace slid out once again and stared at him with a questionable look. Marcos could swear that a question mark was hanging over his head. "Is this for a friend?"

"Y-Yeah?"

"You don't have any other friends except me," The male replied, "Except maybe you do. Is it one of your online gamer friends? Do you guys talk about girls? Why don't you talk about them with me?"

Marcos gave a small laugh, trying to ignore the hurt look in his friend's eyes. "I was being rhetorical."

"But I can talk girls with you, you know that right?" Then he went back under, "Green Arrow or not."

It was the name Ace had decided to call himself ever since he found out that he was Aromantic, not that it was surprising, Ace liked to treat everything like it didn't really matter. "I know. But that's beside the point, let's say... Let's say that I did have one and she's avoiding me,"

"Like for how long?"

"A day and a half?"

Ace was silent for a while then finally said, "She's not avoiding you. She's probably on her period."

"She doesn't have those period swings thing," As soon as the words left his mouth, Ace slid out again, still confused about how he'd know that, since it was rhetorical, and to save himself, added, "That's what my gamer friend said. You know how we are. Real life girlfriends feel like a lot of work,"