CALVIN

forty-seven: the threesome

Elliott's uncle turned out to be around the same age as Elliott and Heinrich: twenty-fiveish. He lived in a white house halfway up a mountain, surrounded by grass slopes and farmland. There was a basement which was warm amber against the darkness. Elliott got the pullout sofa ready - it was old and dusky green. Quilts were thrown onto it. "I'll be sleeping in the guest room upstairs," he said, "with Heinrich."

"Chill," said Roman. 

Heinrich and Elliott left. I sat down on the pullout. Roman left the basement. Hally lay down. "How's all that stuff with the Bona Fide club?"

"You know about that?"

"I think lots of people know about that, now. Mr Taylor is such a pussy. Can't stand up to authority."

I shrugged. "I guess I never really expected him to."

"So why'd you tell him, then? About the Bona Fide stuff. And Neal."

"Because I had to. I had to be honest about something."

She stood up and went to her tote back. Pulled out a bright yellow t-shirt and replaced her grey hoodie for it. When she took her hoodie off I saw a pretty big tattoo right underneath her chest; it was a mirror piece depicting songbirds and flowers. There was also a tattoo on her bicep, of a woman's face. 

"Since when were you and Roman friends?" I asked.

"It's kind of a new thing, actually." she pulled a phone charger out of her tote bag and started looking around for a plug. "I'm friends with Tim, and Tim and Roman - well, you know."

I wondered if she had any idea about what once happened between Roman and me. I also wondered if she had any idea about what once happened between Tim and me. 

The more I dwell on my conquests the sluttier I become. 

"Anyways," she plugged in her phone, then threw back her long black hair into a messy bun via red scrunchie, "Roman and I both knew Elliott, who graduated like six years ago. So this kind of happened."

I piled my ibuprofen packs on the side table - they were getting annoying to hold.

Hally took off her jean shorts (she was wearing black underwear underneath) and came to sit beside me. "Can I be really honest with you, Elias?"

"Sure."

"Last year I had the biggest crush on you."

Oh. This came out of the blue. Mostly because I was sure I'd never properly acknowledged Hally's existence before. She never had anything to do with me. I never had anything to do with her. 

I didn't know what to do. I knew I was blushing, and that made me uncomfortable so I tried to laugh away my discomfort. "I feel like that's a lie," I said. It was true. I couldn't handle knowing first Calvin and then Hally noticing me at all last year, when I was at best a complete nobody. 

She lay back on the pillows, crossed one socked foot over the other. She was so relaxed about all of this. Just another day in the life of Hally. "Not a lie. Honestly, how could you think that's a lie? I'm pretty sure about half of the girls wanted to date you."

What? 

"Key word: wanted," I said. "I've definitely downgraded between then and now."

I could suddenly feel Hally sizing me up. I didn't mean it in a physical sense (though I wouldn't be opposed to the idea that I've gone from a 3 to a -1 in the last year); I meant it more in a sense that I've become a worst person. Less desirable.

"No, you got hotter," she said. I tried to catch my breath - it was impossible. "But you did kind of get cuffed this year."

"Cuffed?" I was starting to fold in on myself. Was it that obvious to everyone that Calvin and I had a thing going? I'd always imagined it as being a huge secret. A surprise to everyone when at the end of the year we'd come out and cause a huge stir.