Thomas and Niko in the City of Trees

Chapter 2 - Part 2

The next day, Thomas and I are just hanging out in the parking lot during lunch. Thomas has done a lot of things to turn the tables in his favor. That's not easy to do in this school, especially when you look the way he does. You have to remember that we're talking about Boise, Idaho. You might already have guessed there aren't a ton of ethnically Chinese people around, but even so, you're probably still picturing too many. I bet there are about thirty students in this school of Asian descent. That's out of more than thirteen-hundred total. I'm not that good at talking about race, so I'll just say that, in general, students who aren't white have to fight harder for respect around here. Thomas is a popular guy. Between the two of us, I'm the underdog in that sense. I'll admit it. But he's made his rise to prominence look super easy, when the truth is that it was never easy. You should have heard the names kids called him when we were younger. Two years ago, he almost got expelled for hitting a kid who called him a word I won't say here. But then the administration reconvened, and after what Thomas described as a super whispery meeting, the issue was dropped. You can bet there were a couple of racist assholes in that room who would've loved nothing more than to send Thomas home for what he did. But sometimes it's all about the optics, which clearly were not looking good by that point.

These days, he's so jacked that I doubt anyone would say any kind of slur to his face. He's pretty obsessed with his workout routines and supplements, and he's always trying to push his protein powders and shit like that on me. I tell him I don't like the way they taste, but they actually taste pretty good. I lie because there's no way I can afford supplements like that, and accepting all his offers would start to feel like charity after a while. I'm sure about that. So I'm not even going to go down that road.

So Thomas and me, we're just bullshitting about something out in the parking lot when out of nowhere he goes, "What do you and Lexie get up to? You know...in private."

When I was younger, I always kind of thought this was something we would talk about when we got girlfriends. I had even looked forward to it. But we never do. We talk about so many other things that it has started to feel like a blank spot in our friendship that needs filling, if that makes any sense. Maybe Thomas feels the same way. Maybe that's why he's bringing it up now.

"We do different kinds of stuff, I guess," I say.

"Yeah?"

"I mean, we mess around quite a bit. At her place, usually, when her parents aren't home."

"Stuff like what?"

I laugh sort of nervously. I can't remember the last time I was nervous around Thomas. "Everything," I say. "You want specifics?"

"Have you gone all the way?"

"Yeah, two or three times."

"Two or three?"

"Three."

"Oh."

I pause, then say, "It hurts for her, so we have to take it slow."

Thomas seems to think that one over for a while. "She's tight, then."

"Yeah. And, I mean..." I just let the words kind of drift off. I think Thomas knows what I mean. Even though Thomas and I are so close, and best friends and all that, we're both shy about body-related stuff. It's weird. I've seen the dicks of half the guys in this school, just from being in the locker room. I've probably spent longer than I should looking at them, if I'm completely honest. But it just so happens that Thomas and I haven't ever had PE class together. Just by chance. I think there were a few moments when we were younger, but I didn't let myself look. I bet I wanted to look. But I just didn't let myself.