Tea For Two

18

Disclaimer: This is part of an original piece of fiction. It's mine. No stealing.

~~~

Midnight has come and gone, and sleep is still avoiding me. I am so ashamed of how I lost my temper earlier; Emily gave me more than one worried glance during the almost silent truck ride here.

As we walked in several hours ago, Kyle told us that we could either sleep in the guest room or on the living room couch. Jonathon graciously claimed the couch for himself (even though it's doubtful that it is long enough for him to comfortably sleep on) and forced Emily and I to take up the night in the guest room, whose queen-sized bed could easily hold us both. Silently, Emily and I changed into sleeping clothes and got ready for the night.

I made a cup of tea for Emily- sleep inducing- which she gladly drank. Sitting on the couch quietly talking with Jonathon and I, she didn't realize how tired she was until she was asleep on Jonathon's shoulder. I didn't comment about how that should have been my shoulder under her head. I gently woke her long enough to lead her by the wrist to our borrowed bed, easing her in and kissing her on the cheek, promising I'd be there soon enough.  

I lied.

It is two a.m. now, and I am far from being asleep. I am sitting at the kitchen table alone, a single light turned on above me, flipping through the entertainment section of the greater area newspaper. The door in between the living room and I is closed, and as I sit quietly, I hope that the sliver of light undoubtedly shining under the door isn't bothering Jonathon. I doubt that, though, because two hours or so ago, he dropped to sleep on the couch with his best friend on the Lay-z-boy catty corner to him.

The newspaper has a few film reviews- though they are hardly good examples of film culture, I would fight to the death about that. The only two movies that have made the review are the spring's usual foul-mouthed romantic comedies. I honestly don't mind the cussing and the sex, but they're so unoriginal as far as the plot goes; we get it: he's a womanizer, she is emotionally damaged and wants nothing but a happy ending. Not to mention, there is never a gay or lesbian couple in them, unless they are minor characters and can be used as a cheap joke.

As I sit mulling this over, I am reminded once again (as I always am when I think about the shortcomings in silver screen characterization) of Adam. I find myself wondering what he's been doing lately... how he's been doing lately. His birthday was sometime last month, and he is six years older than me, so... he's twenty-three. If he went into Law like he always wanted to, he's probably still in school. If he didn't, he must be about to graduate college. I wonder where he ended up attending, and whether or not he has some good friends there. Does he have a boyfriend?

Adam and I were closer in mind, though Carson and I were closer in age. We were good for each other, Carson and I, but after all was said and done, Carson was a social athlete, and I just wasn't.

But Adam... I think about him all the time. I think about him every time I hear anyone being made fun of, every time someone huffs and says 'that's so gay', every time angry words are exchanged. Adam never did get mad at them- the people who made his life hell. And then there's me: no one's laid a hand on me because I'm too afraid to let the world hear that I'm bi, but I'm still losing my head.

I get the feeling that Adam and Emily would get on really well. When people want to say horrible things to them, they just shrug and let them. And when people try to get a rise out of them, they don't let them have it. Unlike me. When people want a rise out of me, I say 'are you sure you don't just want a rise? Because I can give you so much more.'

"You know, Emily and Kyle aren't the only ones who're tired," says a voice behind me, making me jump in my chair.

I turn around to Jonathon leaning up against the doorjamb in between the dining room and the living room.