he. I don’t know.”
“So like … are you guys … cuddle partners now?” I couldn’t keep my eyes closed anymore. This was getting too juicy. I turned my head to see his reaction.
“Not exactly,” he said wryly.
“Why not? Failure to launch?” I asked, not even sure what that meant, but it sounded good.
Peter smiled. “You are such a dork.”
“Yeah, so sue me. Now tell me what I want to know or suffer the consequences.” I held out my hands making a lameass karate move.
“Fine. We had a moment or whatever. And I thought it meant something, but he apparently didn’t.” Peter shrugged. “That’s about it.”
“Oh, bullcrap that’s about it. No way, dude. Tell me everything and leave nothing out.” I stared at the ceiling and wiggled a little, pointing my toes. “I’m ready now. Hit me with it.” I held my hands out like I was about to start meditating.
He said nothing so I turned my head and stared at him. “Go on. I’m ready.”
“Seriously. I’ve told you everything.”
I slapped my hands down on the mattress. “ Dammit , Peter … if you make me get up, I’m going to be very cranky. I’m on the injured list and you are making this way more difficult than it needs to be. Now fess up!”
He giggled. “Easy does it, there, harpy.”
“Oh, no. Huh-uh.” I shook my head. “You did not just call me a harpy.”
“Okay, you’re not a harpy.”
I tried to flip over on my side, but winced with the pain, giving up and flopping down on my back. “No, as a matter of fact, I’m not. I’m a friend who cares about you and needs to analyze your situation to the ninth degree, which I cannot do without all the facts.” I reached over and grabbed the front of his shirt. “So dish, baby. Out with it. Believe me, it’ll cleanse your soul. You’ll feel lighter than air when you’re done.” I let him go, waiting for his response.
“I’m pretty sure it’s to the nth degree, not the ninth degree.”
“Maybe in your world it is, Mathboy, but in mine, there are nine degrees of analysis, and this one merits the highest level. So go. Tell me.”
Peter started tearing the leaf into pieces. “We had one night after dinner where we just sat and talked for hours. He really gets me, you know? I know it sounds weird … I mean, we’re totally different. He was never bullied in school or whatever. But he has some painful memories of being a bully.”
“I’m not really surprised by that, you know.”
“Yeah, I know. He can act like a real jerk sometimes. We talked about that, too. He has some … difficult feelings he’s dealing with.”
“Like … what kind of feelings?” I had an idea what Peter could be talking about, but I didn’t want to jump to any conclusions out loud.
“I’m not sure if I should say.”
I gave up on being circumspect. “Because he’s thinking he might be gay and he doesn’t want anyone else to know it?”
Peter’s eyes bugged out of his head. “How did you know? Did he say something to you?”
“No. But everyone knows.”
“Nooo…” said Peter, looking as if he didn’t dare believe me.
“Yeeeesss. We were talking about it at the pool last night. Everyone suspects it. I guess he was busted by some girl as having totally bland not-hot-at-all kisses after a formal dance or whatever.”
“Pffft. Well … I can totally vouch for the fact that that is total bullcrap.”
I sat up suddenly and grabbed Peter’s arm, squeezing it hard. “No!”
Peter just smiled shyly.
“Oh. My. God . You did not kiss Trip on the mouth. That did not happen!” I nearly squealed for joy.
Peter giggled. “Well of course it was on the mouth. What kind of girl do you take me for?”
I pulled him close and hugged him to me fiercely. “Holy crap, Peter, this is so exciting!” I jerked away to look at him. “Are you kidding me? You kissed the second hottest guy in the entire swamp?”
Peter pushed my hands off and said prissily, “No. I kissed the hottest
“So like … are you guys … cuddle partners now?” I couldn’t keep my eyes closed anymore. This was getting too juicy. I turned my head to see his reaction.
“Not exactly,” he said wryly.
“Why not? Failure to launch?” I asked, not even sure what that meant, but it sounded good.
Peter smiled. “You are such a dork.”
“Yeah, so sue me. Now tell me what I want to know or suffer the consequences.” I held out my hands making a lameass karate move.
“Fine. We had a moment or whatever. And I thought it meant something, but he apparently didn’t.” Peter shrugged. “That’s about it.”
“Oh, bullcrap that’s about it. No way, dude. Tell me everything and leave nothing out.” I stared at the ceiling and wiggled a little, pointing my toes. “I’m ready now. Hit me with it.” I held my hands out like I was about to start meditating.
He said nothing so I turned my head and stared at him. “Go on. I’m ready.”
“Seriously. I’ve told you everything.”
I slapped my hands down on the mattress. “ Dammit , Peter … if you make me get up, I’m going to be very cranky. I’m on the injured list and you are making this way more difficult than it needs to be. Now fess up!”
He giggled. “Easy does it, there, harpy.”
“Oh, no. Huh-uh.” I shook my head. “You did not just call me a harpy.”
“Okay, you’re not a harpy.”
I tried to flip over on my side, but winced with the pain, giving up and flopping down on my back. “No, as a matter of fact, I’m not. I’m a friend who cares about you and needs to analyze your situation to the ninth degree, which I cannot do without all the facts.” I reached over and grabbed the front of his shirt. “So dish, baby. Out with it. Believe me, it’ll cleanse your soul. You’ll feel lighter than air when you’re done.” I let him go, waiting for his response.
“I’m pretty sure it’s to the nth degree, not the ninth degree.”
“Maybe in your world it is, Mathboy, but in mine, there are nine degrees of analysis, and this one merits the highest level. So go. Tell me.”
Peter started tearing the leaf into pieces. “We had one night after dinner where we just sat and talked for hours. He really gets me, you know? I know it sounds weird … I mean, we’re totally different. He was never bullied in school or whatever. But he has some painful memories of being a bully.”
“I’m not really surprised by that, you know.”
“Yeah, I know. He can act like a real jerk sometimes. We talked about that, too. He has some … difficult feelings he’s dealing with.”
“Like … what kind of feelings?” I had an idea what Peter could be talking about, but I didn’t want to jump to any conclusions out loud.
“I’m not sure if I should say.”
I gave up on being circumspect. “Because he’s thinking he might be gay and he doesn’t want anyone else to know it?”
Peter’s eyes bugged out of his head. “How did you know? Did he say something to you?”
“No. But everyone knows.”
“Nooo…” said Peter, looking as if he didn’t dare believe me.
“Yeeeesss. We were talking about it at the pool last night. Everyone suspects it. I guess he was busted by some girl as having totally bland not-hot-at-all kisses after a formal dance or whatever.”
“Pffft. Well … I can totally vouch for the fact that that is total bullcrap.”
I sat up suddenly and grabbed Peter’s arm, squeezing it hard. “No!”
Peter just smiled shyly.
“Oh. My. God . You did not kiss Trip on the mouth. That did not happen!” I nearly squealed for joy.
Peter giggled. “Well of course it was on the mouth. What kind of girl do you take me for?”
I pulled him close and hugged him to me fiercely. “Holy crap, Peter, this is so exciting!” I jerked away to look at him. “Are you kidding me? You kissed the second hottest guy in the entire swamp?”
Peter pushed my hands off and said prissily, “No. I kissed the hottest
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