by Jay Bell
“What’s your dad do for a living?”
“Roofing,” William said.
“Does that pay well?” Kelly asked, eyes still on the sports car as he parked.
“He does okay, but not well enough to afford that car. He and Mom have been arguing nonstop about it. That’s why he’s been working late, but of course that only causes them to bicker more. At least he’s home before dinner tonight. That’ll help.”
Kelly tried to imagine a roofer working after the sun had gone down. Maybe he wore one of those helmets with a light on them, like miners do. “So, swimming tomorrow?”
William nodded. “We’ll take my car. You’ve wasted enough gas on me. I’ll try to park next to yours. See that beat-up piece of junk?”
Farther along, parked parallel to the street, was a blue Ford Taurus. The car wasn’t a piece of junk by any means, but it did have signs of heavy wear. “That’s what I’ll look for tomorrow,” Kelly said.
“Cool. You know, you could probably come in for dinner. I’m sure Mom made enough.”
Kelly laughed. “I’m so hungry that I’d probably eat everything on the table. Besides, my mom promised me meatloaf.”
“Oh, okay.” William’s hand was on the door handle, but he didn’t open it. “Thanks for talking to me about everything. I feel... I don’t know.”
“Less lonely?”
William brightened. “Yeah. That’s it exactly.”
“As odd as it might sound,” Kelly said, “so do I.”
Martha. At the lunch table. Surrounded by guys like a geeky princess attended by loyal subjects. Of course it didn’t hurt that she was the only girl present. With no one to compete with, she seemed to be basking in the attention. Kelly had to admit he was impressed. Last week she’d been nothing more than a distant memory. Now she was Jared’s girlfriend, and in a way, Kelly’s replacement. So much accomplished in so little time. She certainly was cheerful. And talkative. Kelly had forgotten her hokey accent. Where was she from? Minnesota? Wisconsin? Regardless, like the rest of her, he found it sort of cute.
The more she talked, the more he realized she was nervous. Martha babbled non-stop, but not about topics anyone on the track team cared about. They were happy to stare at her, but everything she said was met with silence she seemed driven to fill. She started to flounder halfway through the meal, Jared incapable of bailing her out. So with a heavy sigh, Kelly started talking to her. Her relief was transparent, as was Jared’s discomfort. This only encouraged Kelly. By the end of the meal, he and Martha were practically old friends. “Kill them with kindness” wasn’t his usual strategy, but it brought him some pleasure now. Regardless, he headed straight to the office afterwards to talk about switching lunch periods.
The secretary insisted it wasn’t possible, which annoyed him because clearly it was. Just not for him. Maybe it was the color of his skin. Or maybe Martha had friends in high places, or had told a convincing sob story. Kelly decided he had enough to be angry about without adding this to the list. He would be able to switch next semester, which wasn’t so far away. Until then, he’d continue to pal around with Martha, just to watch Jared squirm.
His mood improved considerably when he met William after school. Every training session brought him one step closer to winning the triathlon—to hurting Jared back. Kelly enjoyed William’s company too. Everything was easy with him—no unwelcome complications or ill-timed crush. Kelly’s heart was still too busy sulking, and William wasn’t dropping any hints that he wanted more. At least, not until just a few days before the triathlon.
They were at the YMCA, sitting on the edge of the pool after a successful swim. Kelly practically felt high because he’d finally gotten the hang of flip turns, the maneuver swimmers used to change directions at the end of a pool lane. This saved a tremendous amount of time and would provide him an advantage in speed.
“Tomorrow’s the last day to train,” William said. He had his feet in the water and was leaning back on his elbows, stretching out his torso. This made him appear leaner than usual, although plenty of muscle remained on display.
Kelly averted his eyes, sitting cross-legged and draping a towel over his shoulders like a cape. “We should take tomorrow off. Make sure we’re well-rested for Saturday.”
William didn’t look convinced. “I’m still nowhere near as fast as you. In fact, I’m pretty sure you’ve learned more from me than I have from you.”
Kelly shrugged. “Blame the student, not the teacher. One more day won’t make much difference. Save your strength and load up on carbs.”
“Wow, free time after school. What will I do with myself?” After a pause, he added, “Maybe we should celebrate.”
“We haven’t won yet.”
“No, but we’ve been working hard. I figure we deserve some fun.” William looked away, eyes on the water. “You know how to play pool?”
“You mean the non-swimming variety? No.”
“Me neither. We’d be on equal standing for once. Maybe afterwards we can get some of those carbs you mentioned.”
Kelly nodded. “Yeah, okay.”
He didn’t give it much thought after that, not until the next day after school. Instead of meeting at their cars like they usually did, William had suggested they meet directly at the pool hall. He’d texted Kelly with directions earlier in the day, along with the time. Six in the evening. That had taken him aback. Why not head there immediately after class and start playing? What point was there in going home for a few hours first? Kelly remained clueless until his mother raised the question he should have been considering.
“Is this a date?”
Kelly was in the kitchen, gnawing on a raw carrot when she asked. He froze, one cheek still bulging with carrot pulp.
Royal, who was sitting at the breakfast bar doing his homework, started laughing. “He’s terrified!”
“I’m not,” Kelly said after chewing a few more times and swallowing. “I just don’t want William to get the wrong idea.”
“Oh no!” Royal said. “He might think you’re gay!” Then he started laughing harder.
“Hush,” Laisha said, glaring him into silence. Then his mother turned a much more pleasant expression on Kelly. “You said William came to terms with himself, right?”
Kelly shrugged. “He doesn’t talk about it much.”
“Nevertheless, going out with another boy on a Friday night, one who just happens to be gay himself, is probably significant to him.”
“You think so?” Kelly chomped the carrot again and chewed thoughtfully. “Should I cancel?”
Laisha looked down her nose at him. “I’m sure it took a lot of courage for William to ask you out. Find something nice to wear and show him a good time, even if you aren’t interested.”
“That means you’ve gotta kiss him,” Royal said. He grabbed his homework and fled the room when their mother gave him the evil eye.
As soon as he was gone, Kelly turned to her. “Do I have to kiss him?”
“I didn’t mean anything physical. You aren’t a gigolo. But I do expect you to be a gentleman. Take his feelings into consideration while being true to yourself.”
“All I’ve got to do is hang out with him and play pool?”
His mother smiled. “That’s all.”
“That’s what I was going to do anyway.”
“Yes, but now you won’t make that ‘I just pooed my pants’ face when realizing you’re on a date. Go get changed. Your shirt, I mean. Unless you really did have an accident.”
“Ha ha,” Kelly said.
He loitered around the kitchen and finished his carrot, just to prove she wasn’t completely in charge of him. Then he went and did what she suggested. Once upstairs and buttoning up a purple dress shirt, he allowed himself to feel nervous. What if William was standing outside the pool hall, holding a bouquet of roses or something equally humiliating? As Kelly brushed his teeth, he considered an even worse scenario. What if he showed up and William was wearing a T-shir
t and those ripped jeans that revealed his pale skin, or in a few places, tantalizing hints of what sort of underwear he had on. Hot, but not formal enough for a date. Then Kelly would be the one looking hopeful.
He drove to the pool hall wishing his mother hadn’t opened her big mouth. Kelly probably would have gotten through the evening without suspecting a thing. Unless William tried to kiss him. Then Kelly would have to... what? He tried picturing it for a moment, surprised he hadn’t done so already. Ever since Jared, he’d been clamping down on his feelings, even the sexual ones. Heart and hormones lead to hurt. That’s what Kelly wanted to avoid, including tonight.
When he arrived at the pool hall, he knew his mother was right. William was waiting outside wearing a baby-blue dress shirt. His hair was gelled stylishly to one side, and he fidgeted while standing in place. The bouquet of roses was absent, thank goodness.
Kelly parked and got out of the car, greeting him like he always did. No hugs. No looking him over and praising his appearance—even though he did look good. None of that. Just the briefest of smiles and a quick hello before Kelly led the way inside. Or would have, if William hadn’t lunged for the door to open it for him. What did he intend to do next? Carry him over the threshold? Kelly thanked him anyway, noticing a hint of sandalwood when passing by him, a cologne he was sure William didn’t normally wear.
“So,” William said once they were both inside. “Where do we grab some balls?”
“I’m more interested in the poles,” Kelly replied, hoping this banter wasn’t supposed to be flirtation.
William strutted up to a counter, speaking to the man there while Kelly glanced around. The pool hall was just about what he’d pictured. Half a dozen pool tables on either side of the room, clusters of stools set against the wall, and an old jukebox in one corner. A bar filled the space toward the back, a wide chalkboard on the wall advertising drinks and food. Only the heavy clouds of cigarette smoke were absent, but Kelly was happy for them to remain in his imagination.
“This is our table over here,” William said, carrying a tray of billiard balls to the front. “We’re right by the window.”
“Where everyone outside can see how bad we suck,” Kelly said.
William chuckled. “Then let’s hope we don’t draw a crowd. Can I buy you a drink?”
Oh boy. “Sure. How about a glass of champagne?”
“No problem,” William said, hurrying away.
Kelly watched him go, eyes travelling over his body. Normally he didn’t allow himself this freedom, which was surprising. Had they been strangers passing each other at the mall, Kelly would have mentally counted to three and turned around, just for one more peek. Of course he checked out a lot of guys. Yes, William was attractive, but that didn’t count for much. The smile that accompanied William on his return... that gave Kelly pause. He tore his eyes away, noticing the two champagne glasses he was holding.
“Don’t get too excited,” William said. “Ginger ale, but it’s got bubbles and is just about the right color.”
“Close enough.” Kelly smiled in appreciation as he took one. The glass was halfway to his lips when William stopped him with words.
“We need to say a toast!”
“Oh. Right.” Kelly braced himself for something romantic. To the first day of the rest of our lives, or something nauseating like that.
“May the best man win,” William said with a gleam in his eye.
“You mean me, right?”
William shook his head. “Not necessarily.”
Kelly nodded appreciatively, feeling more at ease. “Challenge accepted.”
They clinked glasses, then sipped their ginger ale as if it were delicate and rare.
“Nice vintage,” William said.
Kelly swayed a little. “I feel tipsy already!”
They set their glasses on a nearby table and tried to figure out how to play pool. They didn’t even know how to properly arrange the balls in the triangle, so they scoped out other tables. When this didn’t help, Kelly insisted on putting them in rainbow order.
“Gay billiards!” he declared a little too loudly.
He expected William to flinch self-consciously. Instead he just grinned and grabbed a pool cue. Not familiar with the rules, they took turns trying to shoot balls into pockets, which was challenging enough. A few rounds later, William was clearly getting the hang of it while Kelly still struggled. After watching William pocket three balls in a row, he glanced around, searching for anything to rescue him.
“Hey, they have a dart board over there,” he said. “My brother has one in his room. We should try playing that instead. It’ll be less humiliating.”
“But I’m having so much fun!” William said, leaning over the table to take another shot. This time the cue ball didn’t connect with anything. “Or not. How old is your brother?”
“Royal? He’s thirteen.”
“Lucky,” William said, looking wistful. “I’ve always wanted a little brother.”
“And I’ve always wanted to be an only child. So, darts?”
William shook his head. “I’m hungry. Aren’t you?”
“Now that you mention it. Let me use the restroom and we’ll go. Champagne always runs right through me.”
William laughed, plopping down on one of the stools and looking happy. As Kelly returned, William’s expression couldn’t have been more different. He was staring at the pool table unseeing, his features troubled. Just as they had been when Kelly pulled into the parking lot. Did he still struggle with his sexuality? Kelly stopped and watched him for a moment. The crinkles on William’s brow deepened. He even shook his head slightly.
“You okay?” Kelly asked when he was close again.
“Yeah!” William said, his face lighting up. If their little date was the problem, he sure didn’t show it when they were together. “How about a nice steak dinner to go along with that champagne?”
“Burger King?” Kelly suggested.
“Sounds perfect.”
And not at all romantic. Once they were seated on plastic benches, a deep fat fryer beeping in the background, Kelly felt even more relaxed. A fast-food joint was the kind of place you went to with a friend. So far William hadn’t tried holding his hand, or found any excuse for them to touch. Maybe his mother was wrong. Maybe this wasn’t a date after all.
“I still think we should have gotten extra fries,” William said, nearly finished with inhaling his meal. “You said we needed to stock up on carbs.”
“Yeah, but if we eat anymore grease, our hearts will be too clogged to run.”
“All that fat will make us float better,” William tried. “That’ll help in the pool.”
Kelly shook his head. “I keep telling you, the swimming portion of the race doesn’t matter. The run at the end will determine who wins.”
William leaned back. “Then why did you spend so much time with me at the pool?”
“Because—” The answer caught in Kelly’s throat. Sure it was good to learn how to flip turn and to refresh his swimming skills, but hanging out with William was fun too. Kelly liked that they were both driven, William pushing himself just as hard in the water as Kelly did on land. Most of all, he simply enjoyed spending time with the guy sitting across from him.
“Go on,” William said, as if he could read his mind. “Say it.”
“Say what?”
“Swimming is important too. The most important.”
Kelly’s muscles unclenched. “Yeah yeah. Okay. Just go easy on me tomorrow.”
“Nope.” William grabbed his drink and sucked on the straw, eyes twinkling as he watched Kelly make a face.
“So what happens once it’s all over?” Kelly asked. “Are you going to keep running with me every other day?”
William grimaced. “I’d rather go back to swimming in the mornings. I have the most energy then. Unless you want to keep practicing. Then I guess I could wait until the afternoon.”
“No,” Kelly said. “Th
e Olympics aren’t looking for swimmers. Well, they are, but that’s not how I’m hoping to get there. So I guess we’re done training together.”
“Everything ends eventually,” William said in lofty enough tones, but then that troubled expression returned.
“Of course, there are plenty more episodes of Battle Beasts for you to show me.”
“Beast Wars” William said distractedly. Then he looked up. “I still want to hang out with you. A lot. Every day.”
Kelly considered him a moment. “Is something wrong?”
William sighed. “Sorry. I promised myself I wouldn’t let it ruin our night.”
“It won’t,” Kelly said, not knowing if that was true. “Tell me.”
“My mom,” William said. “After school she sat me down at the kitchen table. She said she needed to talk, but then she just started crying.”
“What? Why?”
William clenched his jaw a few times. “She’s been arguing with my dad a lot. I don’t know why. They always bickered, but lately it’s gotten really bad. Bad enough that she’s thinking of leaving him.”
“She said that?”
“Kind of. She said they might take a break. Then she asked who I’d want to live with.” William’s face became strained. “I couldn’t answer. How am I supposed to? I love both of them.”
Kelly didn’t know what to say. He tried to imagine his parents asking him the same question and knew he wouldn’t be able to choose. Maybe he would go with one of his parents, and Royal with the other. That would be the only fair solution, but William’s brothers were older and already out on their own, so that wasn’t a possibility for his family.
“They just need a break from everything else,” William said, “not each other. I told them to take a trip together. I don’t remember the last time we had a family vacation, and now I’m old enough to stay home. They just need to reconnect.”
“Probably,” Kelly said. “All couples argue.”
“Exactly.” William scowled. “I’m having a talk with my dad this weekend. No stupid car is worth ruining a marriage over.”
