The Nerd and The Frog

Unsteady

How exactly was he supposed to express this newfound revelation? Not just to Thomas, but to anyone else? He had fought with his thoughts for the entire night, having been confirming and reaffirming if he was indeed sure of his sexual identity. Each thought and possibility lead to him being correct, which made him not just incredibly happy, but nervous at the same time.

I can save it for later tonight when we all meetup. I'll tell Thomas and Nicolette first, then my family...

Alan quietly kept his news to himself while he had breakfast with his family the following morning, trying to hide the anxiety as best as he could before he headed to catch the bus to school, his phone buzzing as he walked to the pick-up stop.

Nicolette: So, we're meeting up tonight. Right, guys?

Alan read the message, somewhat excited about the prospect of telling his good friends of his discovery.

Alan: That's the plan.

Thomas: Yeah, it works for me. I'll be a little late, as the rugby coach wants to talk with me about joining for the upcoming season. But I am coming.

Alan had completely forgotten that Thomas was trying out for rugby and the coach was favoring him for it. He was still somewhat skeptical about the whole ordeal, wondering why Thomas had a sudden interest in the sport to begin with. Once his bus arrived, he climbed the stairs and headed towards the middle section of the bus, taking a seat to quietly stare out the window in thought.

Rugby doesn't... even suit someone like Thomas.

He was perturbed by the whole situation, trying to recall why Thomas was even bothering to try out. He briefly recalled a conversation they had together after volleyball practice as they waited for one of his older brothers to pick them up.

"I figured it would be something different... besides, you know what our teachers keep saying: If you want to get into a good college, it's best to have a well-rounded application with not just academic marks, but extracurriculars." Thomas explained as they waited on the stairs of the school's main entrance.

"But... rugby? It's a pretty rough sport. It's like football... but not football." Alan stated with an uncomfortable frown.

"True... but I see no reason not to give it a shot. If I don't like it, I'll drop it." Thomas answered with a smile and small shrug.

"Where'd this idea even come from?" Alan asked, curious.

"Jonathan suggested it to me." Thomas replied, leaning back onto his forearms as they rested on the steps behind him. "He said that I actually have the build for it."

"Jonathan suggested it?" Alan asked, somewhat surprised. "That's... interesting..." he spoke not too long after, unsure of how to respond.

"How so?" Thomas asked, confused.

"Nothing... just a little surprised..." Alan replied with a shrug of his own, puzzled by the sudden suggestion of it all.

After recalling that small moment in time, Alan began to quietly figure out just why Thomas was suddenly starting to change. His entire attitude, behavior, actions and activities were all going in the direction of one person: Jonathan. What he was trying to figure out was why his teammate was pulling Thomas in another direction, or more so, away from him.

Does... Jonathan not like me... around Thomas? But... why?

Alan pondered this for the entirety of the bus ride, uncertain of just what Jonathan's motivations with Thomas could be. But it was bothering him, to the point where he felt that he may just need to talk with Thomas about it personally.