Safety in the Friendzone

by Elizabeth Stevens

  I shrugged. “No idea. Was it okay?”

  She nodded. “Brilliant.”

  I started the car then looked at her. “You look amazing, you know.”

  She looked down. “It took me like twenty minutes to choose what to wear.”

  For her, that was a lot.

  “It took me half an hour to not pick something,” I told her as we backed out of the driveway.

  “So why aren’t you naked?”

  I smirked, telling myself now was not time for a sex joke. “Eden helped me pick it.”

  “Eden? What was she doing in your room?”

  “Not helping me keep you, apparently.”

  She snorted. “And she thought that shirt was going to keep me?”

  “You bought me this shirt!”

  “Oh, shit!” she laughed, then leant forward and had a better look at it as best she could while I was driving. “I did!”

  “You didn’t even remember?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t remember everything I give you, dude.”

  “Can we just make a pact that neither of us will try to dress up next time?” I pleaded.

  “Why? You don’t like all this?”

  I snuck a look at her out of the corner of my eye. “Oh, I like it. A lot.”

  “I went to not an insignificant amount of effort for you, Zane Lindon.”

  I nodded. “I can tell.”

  She laughed. “You’re not supposed to say that. You’re supposed to say I look like a natural beauty or something.”

  I snorted. “I’ve seen you at your most natural. And, baby, that ain’t it.”

  She whacked me gently as she relaxed into her seat. “Fine. I see how it is.” She was trying not to smile, but had to look out her side window to hide it from me.

  “Pact or not?”

  “For what?”

  “For not trying so hard on the next date.”

  “Oh, you think you’re getting a second date, do you?” she teased.

  I grinned. “I was kinda hoping so, yeah.”

  She sighed dramatically. “We’ll see how you do tonight, Lindon.”

  “Game on, Baines.”

  Considering how nervous I’d been, the date went fine.

  I tried to be a gentleman, like I would be on any date; holding doors open for her, carrying popcorn, looking after her handbag while she peed. But it was also better than any other date.

  During dinner, there was no lapse in conversation. We knew each other so well and had years of things in common to talk about without any of that weird ‘getting to know you’ stuff.

  I was just hanging out with my best friend, only I got to hold her hand and kiss her. I didn’t know why it had taken me so long to realise it was perfect.

  Chapter 19: Charley

  It was Mum’s birthday party. Her fortieth. All our friends and family were coming. Some of whom we hadn’t seen since Great Aunt Mildred’s funeral eight years earlier. Some of them, like Zane’s parents and sister, we saw far more regularly.

  Zane and I spent most of Saturday helping Brendan by setting up outside. Mum had wanted a garden party and was under strict orders not to do anything for the whole day except pamper herself, so it was left up to the rest of us to put everything together.

  The bunting was all up and we were on the third string of fairy lights. We had a playlist going under the guise of testing the sound system for later. And we were getting a little cosy.

  “Zane,” I hissed as he came up behind me with the pretence of helping untangle the string of lights.

  His arms were around my body and his head over my shoulder.

  “What?” he asked, innocently.

  “Don’t you think you’re a little close?”

  “No closer than usual. Why?” His voice was smug and it was teasing, but it sent a little thrill across my skin.

  Our date the week before had been so much better than any other date I’d ever been on. We skipped straight over the whole painful ‘getting to know you’ stage and just went right to the teasing each other and being comfortable. A couple of times, Zane had tried pulling typical date behaviour – arms around the back of neck in the cinema, offering to feed me the strawberry from his dessert – and I’d let him. I’d teased him for it, but I’d let him.

  We still hadn’t had any discussions about what we were actually doing and I was feeling okay about that. We seemed to have come to an unspoken agreement that we were keeping it to ourselves until we’d determined if it was working. It did all seem to be going well, but I didn’t think a couple of weeks in was really enough time to tell.

  Still, in the privacy of our own backyards, we acted like any other couple. As long as no one could see us.

  I turned in his arms to reprimand him and he pressed a quick kiss to my lips.

  I looked around and tried to not encourage him with a smile.

  “What?” he asked.

  “Nothing,” I answered as I took the lights over to the tree.

  “Let me,” he said.

  I held them out of his reach. “Shan’t.”

  “I’m taller.”

  I scoffed. “By like ten centimetres at most.”

  “Still counts.”

  I stuck my tongue out at him and grinned when he acted all affronted. The rest of the afternoon was spent moving tables, lifting things over from his backyard to mine, and getting the all-important ice for the drink eskies. We worked seamlessly, anticipating what the other wanted or needed or was about to do.

  Even Mum commented on it when was primped and dressed, acting all surprised that we’d managed to be helpful and not have a single argument. I almost thought we must have given the game away at some point, but she didn’t make any more of a mention of it.

  After people had started arriving, I was in a good enough mood that I was still helping without thinking about it.

  “Can you take this inside and get another?” I asked Zane, holding the empty tray out to him.

  “Can I get a please?” he teased.

  I looked up at him a smiled. “Pwease,” I replied, pouting.

  “Look at these two, will you?” Aunt Beryl cooed, coming over with Mum and Claudia.

  Aunt Beryl didn’t hesitate to pinch my cheek painfully the same way she always did when she saw me. I heard Zane stifling a laugh until she gave him the same treatment. Then who was laughing?

  “Remember when they used to run around the backyard naked?” Claudia laughed.

  “With their cute little tummies,” Mum sighed nostalgically.

  I coughed. “Yes. Well, significantly taller. And more clothed. Though, still as much…tummy,” I said awkwardly.

  “I always said the two of you would end up together,” Aunt Beryl said with a nod. “And look at you now. A perfect match.”

  I wasn’t the only one clearing my throat.

  “Not… Not together, Aunt Beryl,” Zane wheezed.

  I shook my head wildly. “Nope. Not… That’s not a thing.”

  Aunt Beryl merely tapped her nose knowingly before wandering off.

  “Do you believe her?” I laughed.

  Mum and Claudia shared a look and I couldn’t decipher it. My heart stammered in my chest as I panicked about what they’d say next. I remembered them joking once about me and Zane getting together and how much they’d love it. It had only been once, but I didn’t want to get their hopes up in case it didn’t work out.

  “Whatever put that idea in her head?” Zane laughed awkwardly.

  But Aunt Beryl wasn’t the only one who seemed to think Zane and I made a nice couple. And we spent all night telling them we were just friends. Not everyone believed us, but the ones who seemed to all said it was a shame.

  “I swear,” I whispered to him. “If one more person makes a comment about how nice a couple we make…”

  “Charley?”

  “Hmm?”

  “Don’t you think we make
a nice couple?”

  I snorted and elbowed him. “Funny.”

  “I’m not totally joking…”

  I looked at him and smiled. “I know.”

  His smile reached his eyes. “And now you think you’re Han Solo.”

  Brendan had considered it part of our education to watch every ‘Star Wars’ movie, not just the new ones.

  “Well, I’m definitely not Leia.”

  “What makes me Leia?”

  “You look better in that slave costume.”

  He laughed. “Yeah, all right. Next Halloween?”

  I nodded. “Deal.”

  The party was still in full swing. Family and friends were full of food and drink and cheer, and they were dancing the night away quite happily. They weren’t going to miss me and Zane.

  I grabbed his hand and he looked at me.

  “What?”

  I smiled. “Come on.” I tugged on his hand and pulled him towards the fence.

  “Where are we going?”

  “Somewhere a little more private.”

  “I’ll follow where you lead.”

  I chuckled as we slid between the fence. We climbed up into the treehouse and I paused to have a look at the party down below. The music was still loud but you could hear the laughter and some chatter now and then.

  Zane wrapped his arms around my waist and leant his head on my shoulder. I lay my hands over his arms and leant back into him. It seemed like the most natural thing in the world.

  “Your mum have a good night, you think?” he asked.

  I nodded and smiled as I caught her dancing around. “Yeah. I think so.”

  He dropped his nose to my shoulder and kissed it gently.

  We stayed like that for a moment, just coexisting without the need to talk. Eventually, I turned in his arms and wrapped mine around his shoulders.

  “Hi,” he said smoothly.

  “Well, hi.”

  He nudged my nose with his and I felt him start to sway.

  “Are you trying to dance with me?” I asked, pretending to be shocked.

  He shrugged innocently. “I was hoping I was subtle enough that you might not notice.”

  I laughed. “Sure. That works.”

  We swayed together while the song was slower. I leant towards him and kissed him. His arms tightened around my waist and he kissed me back. I could feel the smile on his face and my heart fluttered happily.

  We spent the rest of the night hanging out in the treehouse, not really caring if anyone noticed we’d slipped away or what they thought we were doing. We ended up lying on the beanbag near the door and watching the stars through it.

  We heard the music turn down, we heard his parents head home, we heard mine head inside, but we didn’t feel the need to end the night quite so soon.

  Chapter 20: Zane

  Charley was getting dressed when I wandered into her room.

  “You going out?”

  She turned to smile at me. “I am.”

  “Where you off to?”

  “Meeting Jett and Penny out,” she said as she tied her shoes.

  “What are you getting up to?”

  She looked up at me with a rueful smirk. “We’re going bowling.”

  “Dweebs bowl?” I asked, acting shocked.

  She rolled her eyes. “Yes. We bowl.”

  “You any better than you are on Wii?”

  She laughed. “Not at all.”

  I hovered around awkwardly.

  As she picked up her jacket, she turned back to me. “If you’re angling for an invite, I’m gonna have to ask them first.”

  I shrugged. “No. I wouldn’t… I mean…”

  “Too much?” she asked, her easy certainty falling.

  I shook my head. “No. I mean, I don’t think so. I just didn’t want you to think I thought… I didn’t know if we were there? At the…people knowing…bit?”

  She sighed. “I mean, we don’t have to tell them.”

  “We don’t have to.”

  “I’m pretty sure they already know.”

  “How?”

  She gave me a glare of disbelief. “They’re not stupid. You come and sit with us and start talking about stuff they like, and I’m smiling at you like an idiot? It doesn’t take a genius.”

  “Bleeker and the boys don’t know.”

  She paused, looking like she’d been about to say something then thought better of it. “Well, that’s not surprising. They’re hardly geniuses.”

  I’d concede that. “Yeah, fair.”

  She paused again, then shook her head. “Do you want to come bowling?”

  “Do you want me to come bowling?”

  She shrugged wildly. “I don’t mind.”

  “Well, neither do I.”

  “You always have an opinion.”

  “No, I don’t.”

  “You do. I’m not going into this whole thing if you’re just going to become Mr Indecisive because you’re worried about hurting my feelings. I’m gonna get over being pissed at you making a decision I didn’t want faster than you being indecisive.”

  I nodded. “Okay. I kinda do want to go bowling with you and your friends. But if you’re not ready or uncomfortable about that, I will accept it.”

  A ghost of a smile. “Okay. Thank you.” She pulled her phone out and started typing.

  “So…?”

  “Oh, it’s not up to me,” she said, still looking at her phone.

  “But I mean…a guesstimate?”

  “Penny was an instant yes. Jett’s little dots are blinking.” Her phone vibrated. “And it’s a yes from Jett, as well.”

  “Cool.”

  The smile she gave me wasn’t one of shared celebration. She wanted something.

  “I’m driving, aren’t I?” I asked.

  She batted her eyes and came over to me. “Pwease,” she said teasingly as she took my shirt in her hands.

  I nodded, pretending I was totally put out by the whole thing. “Okay. When are we leaving?”

  “Now?”

  “I need to get petrol on the way, that okay?”

  She shrugged. “More okay than cruising to a gentle stop on Magill Road.”

  I put my arm around her and we headed for my car.

  Things were simple and easy with Charley, like I could try and sing all the parts to ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ all by myself and sound like a tone-deaf cat and she wouldn’t care. Mostly because she was trying it right along with me.

  We were the first ones to arrive and Charley went up to book us a lane.

  “One or two lanes?” the clerk answered.

  “There’ll be four of us…” Charley said, looking at me for my opinion. “So, one?”

  I nodded. “Sounds good.”

  “And games?”

  Charley sucked her teeth while she thought about it. “Four, please.”

  The clerk put the payment through and then got us sorted for shoes and balls.

  By the time I was lacing up my second shoe, Penny and Jett were walking over.

  “Hi!” Penny said when Charley looked up.

  The two girls embraced. Jett and I nodded to each other before Jett hugged Charley. He did then hold his hand out. I slapped his palm and shook it.

  “Lindon.”

  I suddenly couldn’t remember if I usually called Jett by his first or last name to his face. But it seemed weird to call him by his first name when he’d used my last name.

  “Dawson.” I nodded.

  Penny and Charley chatted while the others changed their shoes and Charley was inputting our names. I looked up at the screens.

  “Charlatan, Jetstream and Pinnacle?” I asked.

  Charley nodded and smiled at me. “What’s your nickname going to be?”

  “LindtBall!” Penny said.

  Jett pointed at her. “I like it.”

  Charley snorted. “LindtBall it is.”

/>   “Am I dark or milk?” I asked Penny.

  “Hazelnut.” She nodded her head once.

  “Okay,” I laughed.

  “Penny knows her Lindt balls,” Charley explained.

  “Does she?”

  “I’m strawberry.”

  “I’m mango,” Jett said.

  “What are you?” I asked Penny.

  “Cookies and Cream.”

  “I see that.”

  We sat and chatted while we bowled.

  Charley was definitely not any better than she was on the Wii. I was coming in third. Jett was doing pretty well. And Penny was absolutely wiping the floor with us.

  “Check out the hottie heading to lane four,” Charley said as she went to pick up a ball, kicking her head in that direction.

  Even I turned to look, interested to see what she counted as a hottie what with us hooking up and all.

  “Pass from me. But the guy’s he’s with?” Jett said appreciatively.

  “Wait,” I said, pointing at Jett. “You’re gay?”

  He shrugged. “So?”

  I looked at Charley and Penny. “And you knew?”

  They both shrugged.

  “I don’t feel the need to broadcast it to the world,” Jett said simply. “Did you have to announce you were straight?”

  I blinked. That was a good point I hadn’t considered before. I’d assumed he was straight because I hadn’t been told otherwise. When he put it in that perspective, it seemed weird. It was a pale comparison, but how many of my other assumptions and judgements were equally as unnecessary and wrong?

  I did not like the way that made me feel like I needed to do some soul-searching.

  “No,” I said slowly. “I didn’t.”

  Jett shrugged, but there was a tenseness to his shoulders. “It is what it is. Heterosexuality is still ‘the norm’. Whatever, I’m used to it.” He got up quickly and got ready for his turn.

  Something about him made me think he wasn’t really okay with it, even if he was trying to imply he was. And I didn’t think he should have to be. I just didn’t know what I could do about it.

  A sombre mood fell over us, but started dissipating when Penny got a strike and we all celebrated. After a few more turns, it was all back to normal. When Jett and I caught each other’s eye, I gave him a small smile and a nod. He returned the gesture. I wasn’t sure exactly what it meant, but I felt like it wasn’t a bad thing.