Something Like Thunder by Jay Bell

grilling huge meals in the afternoons, or taking a boat out on the lake—all of that had been great. But what Nathaniel loved most were the countless hours spent talking to Caesar.
    His shy guy was long gone. They didn’t have enough time or oxygen for all the words they wanted to share. No longer were they strangers. Nathaniel knew a lot about Caesar, even dumb stuff like his severe allergy, which made it impossible to have pets. Or his passion for wrestling—not just the sport but its history, everything except for the costumed variety on television. Or little embarrassing truths, like how prone he was to nightmares, Caesar shaking him awake more than once in the middle of the night. Nathaniel never minded. Back at home he woke up at least once an hour, checking the door to make sure it was still shut and doing a quick sweep of the room to ensure he was safe. He was used to a living nightmare, so mere dreams were easy. Nathaniel would make conversation to distract Caesar, waiting for him to calm down enough to sleep. What Nathaniel really wanted was to comfort him physically. Surely his arms could do a better job than his clumsy words.
    Unfortunately, the one topic that came up most often was Steph. Caesar really cared for her. This knowledge didn’t dampen Nathaniel’s spirit. He had finally met a guy he liked, one he couldn’t stop staring at. Nathaniel couldn’t wait to share the news with Rebecca. She’d be thrilled for him!
    When she opened the front door, her smile wasn’t quite as broad as his. She accepted his hug, but instead of leading him upstairs to her bedroom as usual, she pulled the door behind her closed and walked to the cast iron furniture off to one side. She sat in a chair, placing her hands in her lap.
    “Have a good time?” she asked.
    “Yeah!” Nathaniel said, too excited to sit. “You wouldn’t believe all the stuff we did, but honestly, the best part was Caesar. We really hit it off, and get this: He’s bisexual!” Rebecca frowned. He pressed on anyway. “You wouldn’t believe how nice he is. Sensitive too. I guess that’s not so surprising, since it took him forever to stop being shy. Now he’s really…”
    Nathaniel trailed off. Rebecca had looked away and no longer seemed to be listening. Her mouth was set in a way normally reserved for when kids at school made fun of her.
    “You okay?” he asked. “Did something happen?”
    “Nothing happened!” Rebecca snapped. “That’s what sucks! We had all those plans together, and you totally ditched me so you could run off with some guy you’re crushing on. Now you show up here, and all you’re doing is bragging about hooking up with him!”
    “That’s not what happened,” Nathaniel said. “He’s got a girlfriend. We’re not together.”
    “Gee, too bad,” Rebecca said sarcastically. “You could still show a little tact and not brag about how awesome your spring break was when mine totally sucked.”
    Nathaniel grimaced. “You’re right.” He angled one of the chairs to face her before sitting. “I’m being a dick. I’m sorry. But you know why I bailed on you. Even with all our plans, there was still a chance that Dwight—”
    “I know,” Rebecca said. Then she exhaled. “Part of me was happy knowing you were safe. The rest was bored out of my mind.”
    “That bad?”
    “Worse. My mom got on this kick about how I’m going off to college soon, and decided we needed to spend quality time together. That meant visiting an arts and crafts fair at the public library. Or taking stupid square dancing lessons.”
    Nathaniel tried not to laugh. “Seriously?”
    Rebecca’s features tensed. “Yes!”
    Nathaniel tried a more sympathetic tone. “I’m sorry. I’ll make it up to you somehow, I swear.”
    “You’re taking me on a date,” Rebecca announced. “You don’t have to put out, but I want dinner. And a movie. You’re also taking me to the prom.”
    Nathaniel grinned. “It’s a deal.”
    Rebecca eyed