The Boy A Life Away

Single + Double Date?

It has been a few weeks since Arin and I started dating. It has been going smoothly, and no one besides Todd has found out about us. We mostly just hang out at my place after school or after Arin finishes his basketball practice. He ordinarily goes home after dinner where I usually cook something simple for us or if I'm feeling lazy just order takeout, I wish that he could live with me but I understand that it might be too fast for that.

We haven't gone on any dates yet since Arin's usually busy with practice and tired afterward while I am a homebody and hate going outside. And we were mostly fine with it. We liked hanging out with each other at my place and considering that back at my place, we have the privacy to do what we did last time, we didn't mind. That had been the status quo until today at least...

It was a sunny afternoon and classes have ended already. I was sitting in the empty classroom nearest to the locker room, waiting for Arin to finish his basketball practice so we can go home and hang out. I rested my head on table and peered out the window, looking at all the people walking from school when a sudden hand tapped me on the shoulder.

I jumped in shock to see Todd standing beside me waving his hand at me with a cheeky grin on his face. This is bad. He must want a favor.

"What do you want?" I said resting my head back on the table with my arms acting as a little cushion so that it's comfortable but now instead of looking at the window, I was looking at the man beside me.

"Yo dude, you gotta help me out." He pleaded as he started babbling about how friends always help each other out and that he'll help me if I were ever in the same situation even though I don't even know what the situation is...

"Cut to the chase." I hurried him, not wanting to hear any of the bullcrap as I was brooding, waiting for Arin

"Well, you know the chic I'm trying to bag right? The one who likes to arrive early to class?" He asked, speaking faster than usual

"What was her name again? Jacqueline?" I answered trying to recall

"No, it's Jessica." He corrected me as he seemed to go all dreamy eyed when he mentioned her name

"Yea yea, whatever. Same thing." I said, dismissing the mistake

"Well, she's a writer for the school newspaper right?" He said as I briefly recalled about it

"And?" I asked, not knowing where this is all leading to

"Thing is, I asked her out on a date and it took some convincing but she would only agree to go on a date with me if it was a double date and that you were going with us." He explained

"And why would she want me to go on a double date with me?" I asked, dumbfounded at what the reason might be

"I was getting there. You remember the whole thing with you standing up to the basketball bullies and you being nicknamed one punch man?" He asked

"As if I could forget, the whole school has been calling me that since it started. And it starts to feel more like something to mock me with rather than a nickname." I sighed as I hated being called that because I think it makes the bullies angrier at me and in turn angrier at Arin. I'm still waiting for the day it all implodes and all the consequences hit me all at once.

"Anyways, she's the one who came up with the nickname and printed it in the school paper and wants to interview you on the situation and was hoping you would answer some questions during the date." He explained more.

Ohhhhh... that Jessica.. I have blocked her out of my mind for quite some time. A few days after the incident with the bullies happened she approached me asking for an interview and I declined. After that she kept asking me for interviews but I told her to fuck off in a more polite manner every single time as I didn't like talking to strangers in general.