How To Be Straight

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CHAPTER 20

     [ Calvin ]

"So, tell me what you like about my buddy, Derek?" Mike questioned me as soon as we were on the road. In the background, there was faint indistinguishable music coming from the radio that Mike had insisted needed to be kept at that volume.

If there was anything I learned about Mike in the past few minutes was that he was a definite wild card. I would have never understood why Derek chose Mike to be one of his friends, because they didn't work together at all. He was so unpredictable.

Up until that point, I had been sitting quietly with my gaze directed out the window, staring blankly at the street and all the cars as we passed them. I didn't expect Mike to make small talk because I thought that he didn't like me, so I wasn't quite sure what to say next.

I folded my hands into my lap. "Um, what?"

"Tell me why you like Derek," he repeated, "it'll past the time. Well, assuming it's a long list of things."

I didn't think that information was any of Mike's business, but I didn't want to sit in silence with a dude who just randomly whips out his dick whenever he felt like it . . . no matter how appealing it was.

"Well, he's funny," I began.

He nodded. "Uh huh."

"He's hot."

"Obviously."

"He's nice, sometimes..."

Mike took a glance at me with an eyebrow raised. "Has he ever hit you before?"

An involuntary gasp fell from my lips. "Hit me? Why would he hit me?"

He stared at me for a long time with eyes that instantly made me uncomfortable. I couldn't tell if he was studying me or just looking right through me. Sensing my discomfort, he returned his eyes to the road and let out a short, forced laugh. "Derek is quite the miserable person. He solves all of his problems with violence."

There was something slightly disturbing about what he just said. "Has he ever hit you?"

"Yeah," he laughed, "all the time."

I knew Derek tended to be aggressive when he was mad, but I would have never thought that he would go as far as hitting his best friend. If he could do that to Mike, could he do that to me?

My lips downturned into a frown and my brows caved in. "And you let him?"

Mike gave a nonchalant shrug. "Yeah, I don't mind it. It feels good sometimes."

That was even more disturbing. "What? What do you mean it feels good?"

"Anyway," he spoke up, clearing his throat and changing the subject. "How about you finish telling me why you like him?"

I eyed him skeptically for a moment before sinking back into my seat again, releasing a defeated sigh. "Well, he's fun to be around. I always have a good time when I'm with him."

Mike was silent, which actually kinda scared me. He didn't strike me as the silent type or the type who needed to think things through, but he was definitely thinking about something.

"I used to like him, too," he admitted after a couple minutes of silence. He spoke with such a steady voice that I wasn't even sure if he was the one talking anymore. He usually talked with humor or sarcasm lacing his words, but now he was being completely and utterly serious.

"Really?" I asked him.

"Yeah, but I've passed that stage." He shrugged it off like it was no big deal.