The Dare • Jamilton

Huge Coffees and Huge Smiles

"I have to be honest here Hamilton" I say glancing at him in my passenger seat "you have good taste in music. And it's making it a little harder to hate you, not impossible or anything. But a little more difficult."

"I know like if you have some Little Ozzy on here or maybe some Oreos in your glove compartment I might start calling you an acquaintance." He jokes.

"Car" I say activating the voice recognition "play Little Ozzy" I reach over and open the glove compartment. "There Dads Cookies sorry."

Hamilton laughs as Little Ozzys voice starts playing in the car. I am actually struggling to keep my eyes on the road. Hamilton is seriously jamming in the seat next to me while downing some cookies. It was a weird combination of funny and indearing.

"Hey Hamilton" I say turning the music down a little "umm I probably shouldn't say anything. But I have to."

"Okay" Hamilton says a little confused. He stopped singing but kept munching on cookies.

"So this joke relationship is fine. Like I want the speech and I'm okay with the dare." I say not looking away from the road "but it can't get back to my family. They aren't really okay with um guys dating guys. They don't know I'm Gay and I have no plans of telling them. Once I graduate I'm out. I don't ever want to see them again. So we just have to be careful, if you came to my house or something. I just thought you should know."

A resounding silence echoes in the car. Little Ozzy is still playing but damn it is quiet. In a totally difference way from a lack of noise.

"I'm really sorry Thomas." Is all Alexander says. But it was enough. Not the sorry but the fact he called me Thomas. Not Jefferson or Jefferfuck as he so eloquently puts it. But Thomas my actual name.

"Not your fault" I say stopping at a red light so I can look at him for a moment. He gives me a half smile and I can't help but return it. "Alexander"

I pull into the parking lot of Starbucks. Almost sad that the car ride was over.

"Why don't you come in with me?" Alexander says as if reading my mind.

"Oh sure" I say smiling.

"just in case people from school are in there" Alexander says before interlocking our fingers. It felt so different from the last couple of times. Each of his fingers seemed to have a place between mine. He squeezes mine hand a little "sorry about your parents"

"Still not your fault" I say smiling at him. "I'll get the coffee"

We approach the counter and at the same time order a large black coffee. We sit back at a table with our huge coffee and huge smiles.

"Do you ever think maybe we don't get along because we have so much in common?" He asks.

I think for a moment. It was a valid idea but "No I don't think that's it. We are so difference. You have that smile." The second I say it I start blushing "I mean you smile a lot. I don't. Your a jokey laughy person. I am not."

"Nobody is not a smiley person Thomas" Alexander says sipping his coffee. "You probably just don't have a reason to smile."