The Tuxedo Man (boyxboy)[Wattys 2016]

Chapter 30 - My Blood

[Photo: Jordan Valencia. Video: Ariana Grande - Dangerous Woman]

Jordan and I stood by a pillar in the mall, near the Starbucks stall as we await our drinks. Jordan texted me to hang out a couple days ago and I wondered why. He and I have been quite close ever since we met but we've never really gone out together. Maybe he's realized this fact as well, or maybe he needs something from me. 

Part of me thinks he's secretly gay and he'll confess his feelings for me, giving me another thing to worry about after the whole Eric thing. Nah, that's probably too much. 

"Iced Venti Green Tea Latte for Braydon and an Iced Venti White Chocolate Mocha for Jordan." The barista calls out as he places our drinks on the counter, placing the straws on top of them. We go ahead and pick them up, throwing the balled up wrappers of the straws into a trash bin nearby. I take a sip of my drink, which is pure fucking heaven for two reasons: it's good as fuck and a venti cup is only two hundred calories. I know right? I never knew such a thing could exist!

We walk around the mall side by side, people eyeing us as I think they're assuming Jordan and I are a couple, despite the fact that we had a considerable distance between our bodies and we weren't holding hands or anything. I don't know, it's something I do too. When I'm usually out with my girls or just alone, I play the game of best friends or gay couple. You simply just pick out two guys who seem to be hanging out together and try to figure out whether they were best friends, or if they were a gay couple. The answer's usually revealed when you look at them long enough, which in hindsight, is kind of creepy. 

"So, the whole Dylan thing going well?" He asks, tucking one hand into the pocket of his jacket as the other was holding his drink. 

I swallow the sip I've taken. "So far, so good. He's really sweet." I find myself blushing just thinking about him, taking me back to the days when I was just crushing on Dylan, not really knowing that we'd ever get together. "He took me to Disneyland a couple weeks ago, that was awesome." 

"Aww," He smiles. "I'm planning to take Meg there over the summer, do you think it's a good idea?" 

"Oh, yeah." I reply with wide eyes and a one-hundred-percent-sure nod. "It's definitely a romantic place to kiss and you know," I nudge him in the elbow. "Get laid." 

He chokes on his drink, acting like a thirteen-year-old who was too shy to admit that he knew what sex was. Come on, we're seventeen, most of the juniors have already done it while I haven't. It was a mystery whether or not Jordan and Meg have been at it, but I doubt that they haven't. Jordan's too hot to keep your hands off. 

"Braydon." He chuckles, wiping the remains of his drink off his lip. "Stop." 

"What?" I ask, surprised. "Don't you straight boys love talking about sex?" 

He shivers. "Not me. I get really uncomfortable. I can't even talk dirty, you know?" 

I laugh, throwing my head back just like Dylan does. Oh god, I'm acquiring his mannerisms, is that why he also started rolling his eyes more? "That's so cute. You're like a baby." 

He shakes his head, biting onto the straw of his drink. It was something you notice your friend does but you never really question them on it. Jordan tends to bite on the straw, even nibble on it a little but I never really had the intention of bringing it up. I guess it's just something he does and he doesn't really have an explanation as to why. 

"How's Eric?" 

"Well," He shrugs. "He still talks about you. I don't know when he will since he's being my personal Braydon-newscaster ever since he started being into you."