A Door To Nowhere

Days left: 24

I shiver as I stand on Will's doorstep. The first chill of Autumn is in the air, and only watery beams of sunshine are making their way through the thick clouds above me.

The door swings open, and Will's Mum greets me with a smile. She's dressed in a long, flowing gown, her hair pinned perfectly back from her face. My eyes widen momentarily, and she laughs, waving me into the house.

'This isn't my casual look, Rory, don't worry,' she says. 'I'm off to a wedding today. Saffron's parents have been invited too. I thought she might have mentioned it.'

Knowing Saffron, this information was probably purposely ignored. Will's Mum and Saffron's parents are old school friends, and they probably see more of each other than they do of her. I shrug, and she points up the staircase. 'She's already here with Will. Do you want a drink or anything, sweetheart?'

'I'm fine, thanks,' I say.

'Well, have fun,' she says. 'Will told me you were off to some kind of festival this morning. Look after each other.'

I nod, and she hurries into the living room. I take the stairs two at a time, and push open Will's bedroom door. He's sprawled out on his bed, holding a book above his head as he reads. Saffron's eyes are glued to the television screen, her fingers frantically jamming the Xbox controller.

'Looks like you really got the party started in here,' I say dryly. 'Seriously, guys, calm down before someone gets arrested.'

Will snaps his book shut, and sets it down on the bedside table. He looks at me with a wary expression. 'Did my Mum let you in?'

For as long as I can remember, Will has been strange about letting me and Saffron talk with his mother. He would make it his mission to whip us in and out of the house as quickly as possible with minimal interaction. At first, we thought he was embarrassed of us; afraid that his Mum wouldn't approve of a girl with bright green hair (as was Saffron's at the time), or another with a renowned bizarre Grandma. But as we got a little older, we realized he wasn't so much ashamed of us, as ashamed of us letting slip something about himself.

'When are you going to tell her, Will?' I say, sinking down next to him on the bed. 'You can't stay in the closet forever.'

'I'll tell her when I'm ready,' he says tightly. 'Which is not now.'

Saffron snorts, and digs around under the bed. She pulls out a handful of magazines, their covers filled with smiling, bare-chested men. 'She bought you these. I think she knows.'

'What?' I say, picking one up. I try not to laugh; it's some kind of men's fitness monthly, and Will definitely isn't the sporty type.

'She left them on the coffee table,' Will mutters. 'I think she's trying to ask me without actually saying anything.'

'That is mortifying,' I say, my stomach squirming for him. But then I grin as I leaf through the magazine. 'You did take them, though.'

Will ducks his head, and Saffron laughs. 'Oh, it's hard to be young and secretly gay. Not a lot of material about.'

'Can we please talk about something else?' Will says. 'I don't see me discussing your material preferences.'

'Straight porn,' Saffron says immediately. 'Although I wouldn't disqualify myself from the spectrum.'

'Oh my God,' I say, an embarrassed laugh escaping from me.