Okay, Maybe I'm A Bit Gay

T W E N T Y - E I G H T

~ Chapter 28 | Thursday, July 4th ~

TODAY IS GOING TO BE PERFECT. Is exactly what I told myself as I stared at myself in the mirror. It was noon and Kabelo was finally ready to show me around town.

Someone knocked on the bathroom door. "Alvin, are you ready?" Kabelo asked.

I ran my fingers through my hair a few more times. "Yeah, I'll be out in a minute!"

He sighed. "Why are you taking so long? We aren't going out to do anything special."

I immediately opened the door and he stumbled inside---he was leaning on it.

"What do you mean not special? This is the town you grew up in and you're showing me around. Today is the embodiment of a special day."

"It's also the fourth of July."

"Yeah, that too but I think you're a bit more special than that."

He smiled and then he pushed me. "Yeah, whatever. Just hurry up and finish."

He turned away. "Wait, so how do I look?"

He turned around. "Good. You always look good."

"Okay then, I guess I'm ready."

~x~

The sun was out and the air was warm. Without even taking a whiff, you could smell the overpowering scent of people's barbecue and it made my stomach growl.

"Oh," Kabelo noised as he grabbed my wrist and led me down the street. "This is the best ice cream parlor in the history of ice cream parlors!"

I looked up at the building and it was painted purple with a bunch of painted sprinkles that looked like they were falling down from the letters of the shop's name, "I Scream Icecream."

"I scream ice cream? Has a nice ring to it," I said.

"Want some ice cream? I can buy us some."

"Or," I stepped in front of him, "I could buy you," I poked his forehead, "some."

He smiled. "Okay fine. You can buy us both some. I'm not passing up on this offer because this ice cream is expensive."

"Wait what?" He chuckled as he hurried inside. "Kabelo," I called out before I went inside and wow, was that place something.

The walls were painted in rainbows with pictures of cartoon ice cream cones and scoops screaming along with the cute little drawing of cakes and cookies. The tables looked like donuts and the chairs were either gumdrops or gingerbread themed.

To finish it off, the workers wore colorful outfits with hats that I wouldn't have been caught dead in. The place was an absolute dream.

"What can I get for you two, today?" The worker asked.

"I'll have whatever he's having," I said quickly.

Kabelo rolled his eyes and chuckled as he placed his order. I couldn't help but notice though, that the guy that was taking his order was in love with him. The way he was looking at Kabelo was the way girls looked at me in high school.

"Anything else for you?" He asked.

Kabelo hummed. "Uh, I think I'm fine."

"You think? Trust me, you are fine," he said which made Kabelo smile harder than I have ever seen him smile before.

That was such a lame thing to say to someone you're interested in. Can't believe Kabelo actually smiled for that.

"Oh, uh, thank you. You're fine too." The guy chuckled. "I'm sorry. That probably sounded weird."

"No, it didn't. It was cute." They shared a small glance before Kabelo looked away. The guy cleared his throat. "So, uh, name?"

"Kabelo."

"That's a cool name. Is it spelled with a K or a C?"

"K."

"Duh," I muttered which briefly got their attention.

He punched in something on the computer and told us our total before I paid.

"Alright, so you guys order will be ready in a few." The guy ripped the receipt out and then wrote something on it before he gave it to Kabelo. "I hope to see you around."

Kabelo looked down at the receipt and then smiled. "Yeah," he said almost breathless, "me too."

As I followed Kabelo to his seat, I kept trying to look down at the receipt but with all the moving, I couldn't make it out. When we sat down, Kabelo just stared at the receipt and smiled. Him and that stupid guy, with the ridiculous hat on kept playing eye tag.

"What did he write on the receipt? I bet it's something stupid."

Kabelo just looked at me with an unwavering smile. "It's kind of stupid but cute."

"Let me see."

"Why? It's no big deal."

"It's obviously a big deal since you won't stop smiling, so let me see, Kabelo."

"No, why do you want to see it so bad?"

"Why won't you show me?"

He huffed and then pocketed the receipt. I stood up. "Okay, fine. I don't care."

"Where are you going?"

"Outside."

"Why?"

"Because you're obviously more interested in that guy than talking to me."

"But we weren't even talking about anything."

"You didn't give me a chance too! I didn't want to interrupt your little eye tag moment with that guy!"

"What the hell? Why are being so jealous right now?"

"Me? Jealous? Of what?"

"I don't fucking know, you tell me!"

"Whatever man."

~x~

I sat outside on the curb and started to crack my knuckles.

He said I was jealous? Like, how? What was there for me to be jealous of? Maybe I was just uncomfortable seeing Ashley's potential boyfriend flirting with another boy. Maybe I was just angry that I thought I finally found the one and he wasn't staying faithful for who I wanted him to be with.

"Damn it," I muttered. I should've said that to him, I thought, but it was too late. I guess I was going to save it for later if I needed it. I had a feeling that that wasn't going to be the last time.

I heard the door squeak open and then I heard Kabelo say, "Bye, Ashton!"

Moments after, Kabelo sat down next to me and handed me my bowl of ice cream with a giant chocolate cookie stuck on the side of it.

"So you know his name now?" I asked as I took my items.

"It was on the receipt." I saw him digging in his pocket on the corner of my eye and it made me smile a bit. "Here," he said. "I didn't want to show you because I was trying to play it cool. I didn't want to seem too excited and uncool back there."

"You're never uncool." I pushed the receipt away. "I don't want to read it. It's yours, keep it. Never show me. I'm sorry for blowing up."

"No, it's okay. I get it."

"You do?" I asked as I looked over at him.

He played with his ice cream for a bit. "Mhm. If roles were reversed, I'd get pretty upset too. Only because I feel so connected to you and-"

"You don't want anything to come between us. Yeah, I feel the same way."

I watched as he took a bite of ice cream and I just stared. I wanted him to look back at me and he did. He had a bit of ice cream on his lip so I used my finger to gently wipe it away. My body felt like it was tilting over to Kabelo and his body seemed to be titling over to mine but then he got up.

I sighed and just stuffed my face with ice cream.

"Come on. I want to show you something."