Curtis Salazar

My foot is tapping on the floor, I'm aware of it but I cannot stop it. I look at Warren talk but I'm barely hearing the words coming out of his mouth, cursing under my breath, I turn again — despite telling myself that I wouldn't anymore — to look at Timmy still trying to buy us drinks and flirting with Alex Bailey.

What could they possibly be talking about? Does Timmy even know how to flirt? Why would he flirt with Alex Bailey, the dude's a stoner and if he's not a stoner, then he's a dimwit. Only a dimwit with joke around with Timmy's obvious feelings for him? Alex doesn't deserve Timmy, the more I look at them, the more I come to that conclusion. And he's a college dropout, I mean what possibly could he add to Timmy's life? The funny thing is on a normal day, I don't dislike Alex. We talk, shake hands like bro and exchange greetings. I only dislike him when I see him with Timmy.

Curtis, stop it, Timmy's likes Alex...

"Ahem," Abel clears his throat, hitting my shin with his foot and I snap my eyes to him, unconsciously wearing a glare. "Whoa," Alex retreats raising his palms up with a chuckle. "Calm down Salazar, I'm not the one about to snatch your man. I have my girl."

They laugh and I sigh, rubbing my finger over my forehead, it is starting to ache a bit. "What are you talking about?"

"You know how Bailey is a charmer," Quincy starts, holding in a laughter. "And is sweet talking your boyfriend, making him laugh and blush and charming his way into his heart. Plus his a highschool graduate which automatically makes him hotter than you?"

I scoff at that, "are you kidding me? Bailey?"

Quincy shrugs, "looks like his charm is working well on Timmy."

"Yeah, does Alex know Timmy is your boyfriend now?" Warren asks. "Because it really looks to me like he... doesn't."

I take a bite out of the big slice of pizza I'd taken out for myself before this unnecessary conversation started. "I don't need to tell Alex shit... Timmy's mine." Before I said Timmy's mine I thought it is going to feel weird to say out to them and I might end up betraying myself with a laugh but then, I doesn't feel weird and no form if laughter comes out. It actually feels right saying it, it kinda fits in and maybe it because Timmy has been my best friend for ever and I his. Nobody can take that away from us, I look over at Timmy again; yeah, Timmy's mine.

"Oh that's my guy," Abel slaps my shoulder with a proud laugh. "Completely confident and trusting in himself and his relationship. You guys should leave Curt be." I nod in agreement.

"Tch, I can't help but pick the jealousy aura oozing out of him," Quincy says, fixing his eye on me with a smirk.

I rest a hand on the table and stroke my jaw, "yeah, I know right. Oh, maybe it's you Quincy, I mean there's gotta be loneliness in being soo single, right?"

"Ooo," the guys laugh and we shake hands then jump into another conversation as Quincy tries to defend himself and pull Warren singleness into it. I really try to focus on the argument but then, it's like I'm physically unable to.

When I turn back to them, I see them holding hands and I swear to God something weird pulls at my chest. I scoff, going up to my feet before my mind can have a say in the matter, completely ignoring my friends and making my way over to Timmy. Part of the plan is to let Alex know Timmy and I are dating, what better way is there to let him know than actually letting him know.

Neither Timmy nor Alex see me coming and it's not until I put my shoulder around Timmy that he turns to look at me not startled or surprised. I'm the one who gets a bit surprised even when he calmly looks at me and I blink at him, his eyes looking really light and clear. He raises a brow at me and I exhale, not letting my little surprise show and using my finger to touch his small nose. "Hey, what's taking you so long, boyfriend?"

If Timmy gets taken aback by that he doesn't show, unless his complete silence after is his way of showing it or berating me. I don't look away from him, there's something about his eyes...

"Boyfriend?" Alex asks, interrupting whatever it is going on with me and Timmy's eyes. I can't explain it, it's a look I've never really seen before, a look that has been curious and feeling like my tummy is completely empty without even it's organs. A look that can have me looking into Timmy's eyes until... forever. Strangely I feel like I've never seen it before but then, it feels oddly familiar.

Without my permission and control, a memory flashes to mind. Timmy and I were fourteen years old then and new to highschool.

"Step one," Timmy inhales deeply, touching his crooked glasses back in place. "Talk to as much people as possible. Step two, smile only when smiled too but still don't frown. Step three, whatever you do, do not trip or take lunch to school. Buy or don't eat at all. Step four—"

I cut him off there, "oh my God, would you quit it already?"

"Quit what?" He asked, barely looking up from the piece of paper he held tightly in his fingers.

I walked over to him and grabbed the paper, "reciting this. I think it's stupid."

"Stupid?" He stands up, looking up at me with a glare. I wasn't that tall yet but I was still taller than Timmy. "Of course you'd say that, you're not the one with crippling anxiety!"

"Why are you so anxious? It's just school with the word high in front of it. We'd have about 70 percent of the same students from middle school."

"It's not about same student or not, it's about how I'd lose you!" Timmy screamed at me, his eyes watering.

"Lose me?" I stared at him perplexed. "The fuck Timmy?"

He inhaled deeply, trying to calm down before he set off rambling. "Best friends break up 97 percent  break up when they get to highschool. And it's because of different reasons, like they discover different passion, follow different paths, fall in love and start dating and forget the other, become popular and drop the other because their friendship becomes embarrassing to them and their clique. And in this case, you'd be the one dropping me off because you're already cool and popular and in the fucking hockey team. I, however, I don't even know what I'm going do in there. All I have is my stupid camera and stubborn acnes and ugly glasses and mutant toes!" He looked down at his bare feet, folding his toes in like he was hiding them away and sniffling as he cried.

"Where did you hear all this bullshit stuff?" I slowly asked. We were at Timmy's house and that's because for the first time ever he was running late only for me to come meet him freaking out and reciting nonsense in his room.

"Books, movies, personal stories," Timmy shrugged, putting his hands under his glasses and rubbing at his eyes. "Everywhere."

"Good," I shove him lightly and he falls back on his bed with wide eyes looking at me in surprise. Then I squatted down, grabbing his socks that lay on the edge of the bed. "I was afraid you would say your newly found shaman grandmother in Korea called you to tell you about us. Like some kind of prophecy." I make to grab Timmy's legs and he moves away from me. I look up, glaring at him for a moment and when I make to grab his leg again, he didn't move away.

"Curtis—" he called but I completely ignore him, putting on his socks on him.

"You're more than my best friend and honestly you hurt me by thinking I'd choose friends I don't even know yet or popularity over you, we're more than your stories or books, we're bonded." I carefully dropped one leg and picked the other, avoiding looking at him face. "Your acnes would go and honestly they don't look any worst than freckles. I love your camera, you love your camera, nothing makes it stupid. It's a especially thing what you do with it, I bet people would magnet towards you for it, you'll see. Your glasses make you look so cute and innocent, like you can't hurt a fly," I looked at him now with a smile. "Of course I know better." He lets out a small giggle at that, I looked back at his now sock covered feet. "And even if your feet are actually mutant, it's nothing wrong. That just makes you special and I strongly doubt you're the only one who's second toe is the longest of all toes. I think it's common and there's nothing wrong with it."

"Tch," Timmy made a sound but he wasn't crying anymore.

I put my hand out and he took it, putting his hand over mine just before I pulled him up, making him gasp and bump into me. Timmy frowned, looking up at me, a hand holding my shoulder to steady himself and the other still in my hand. When his eyes met mine, the frown fell off and I could see his bright clear, light brown eyes.

"I'm never leaving you Timmy, it's me and you now and maybe a few extras the on way."

"M-me and y-ou?" He repeated and I just nodded, smiling because my words disappeared at the moment. It was just me and Timmy's eyes.

Talk about bewitchment...

It's the same feeling now, the bewitchment thing...

"Um," Alex calls again and Timmy looks away, looking down at his feet. It made me wonder, what would happen if he didn't always look away? Would I do it? Or would I—"

"Yes, Alex," I speak up, pulling Timmy closer so our bodies were touching. "Timmy and I are dating now."

Alex jaw drops and he looks at Timmy who is still occupied with looking down at his feet. "Wow, I um, I so wasn't expecting that." He turns to me with his craved brow raised, "you're gay?"

I just shrug.

"Wow, Timmy, you're dating Curt."

Timmy looks up then with a semi fake smile, "yeah, I mean, about time right?" His hand moves to touch mine that's on his shoulder and I'm filled with a sense of pride. He didn't shrink away or even stutter at the lie.

Alex kept his eye on Timmy and whether it was unnerving him or not, he didn't show. "I guess." Then he chuckles, running his tattooed fingers through his hair that's constantly changing colors, I don't even know the real one. "It's just so... Surprising?"

I roll my eyes, "yeah, we'd take one ice coffee and a bottle of Sprite and about four Flipz, if you don't mind."

Alex slowly nods, turning to go get our order ready while I bring out my wallet to pay. I hear the muffled sounds of Timmy giggling and I turn to him, "what?"

He smiles so wide, it almost reaches his ears and his eyes disappear into a thin line. "You're buying me Flipz?"

I chuckle, "can we ever come to this dump and not buy Flipz? Tsk, although I'm not being a very good friend by fueling your weird obsession with peanut butter. When you get zits again, I had no hand in it."

He laughs, "I don't care. I could hug you right now? Suddenly coming to this place doesn't seem so bad anymore."

I shrug and in a small voice say, "do it then."

"Do what?"

I smirk, "hug me."

His eyes widen a bit and he looks around, "here?"

I nod, "I mean it would be strange if we just took off to the restroom to hug and it would be of some good to us, the whole PDA shit would be slightly covered and the aim—" Timmy doesn't me finish before he smacks my body with his, wrapping his arms around me. I freeze for about three seconds before an equal wide smile occupies my face and I hug him back. Timmy's so healthy thin, my hands go around him completely and it feels like if I squeeze hard enough, he'd disappear into my body. My hand moves from his back to his neck and I hold him there, brushing my thumb over his hair as my eyes close. It's comforting, hugging Timmy like this. His sweet smelling shampoo hits my nostrils and I take a deep breathe feeling like if I don't let go now, I might want to hold him longer which is weird and so not PDA stuff, just creepy.

I almost get overwhelmed by the slow beating of my heart that I pull away from Timmy and say something stupid, "your hair smells weird."

Timmy frowns, "what?" Then moves his fingers through his hair and smells it. "It does?"

I put my hand out and quickly mess with his hair, "kidding."

"Curtis you big gorilla!" He glares at me and I burst out laughing.

"Uh, here's your order," Alex returns and Timmy apologizes for the noise and thanks him, while I pay and take our order with me.

"Bye," Timmy says to Alex, they share a nod and we start walking back to our booth silently. I know he's not mad at me even though he's still trying to pat his hair back down so I ask a question pertaining the only other reason he has to be silent.

"Are you sad that you lied to your crush?"

He looks like he wasn't expecting the question but he still answers, looking at me and nodding. "Yes, it sucks."

I don't know what to say to that, so I don't say anything at all. We join the guys at the booth and are welcomed with teasing and loud laughter.

*

"So..." I drawl out because continuing is too weird and I don't even know where to continue from. Don't blame me, I never thought I'd be one day sitting on my bed with my best friend and discussing kissing. K. I. S. S. I. N. G... Yeesh.

Timmy and I came straight to my house after spending time with my friends at Mr Been, thankfully nobody got weird enough to sing the kareoke and it was getting late and it is a school night. Timmy took a shower, getting rid of his uniform because according to him he had worn it long enough for one day and wasn't comfortable in it anymore. I prepared snacks for us while he showered and now we were here; sitting cross-legged on my bed facing each other with donuts and popcorn at the centre (I made the popcorn before I found the box of donut in the fridge, I don't know who kept it but it half full so I'm sure the person wouldn't miss three pieces). Timmy's uniform is currently in the washing machine and he has on his sweatpant which he left here and continues leaving here and one of my jersey shirts. It's really big on him but Timmy wearing my clothes is something that is as old as days.

"Shit, uh," he drags too, lifting a glazed sprinkled donut up. "Can we not talk about it? It's too weird."

"Okay, so I should just kiss you anytime in the middle of the hallway?" I ask him, mid bite of his donut and although he has nothing in his mouth, he starts choking. "Right. So deep kiss or just something light? Should there be tongue? Where do I hold you, your ass or head or hips? Do I moan for effect? Or would you be doing that? Is it going to happen in the hallway or class? Do I—"

"Oh my God!" Timmy screams cutting him off and I smirk at him, raising a brow. "Fine, let's talk about it." He drops the donut down, licking his fingers. I nod and he sighs, pulling on his slightly damp hair. "How aren't you freaked out saying that? We're best friends."

I shrug, "who told you I'm not freaking out?"

"Best friends don't kiss Curt," he sighs again. "This is stupid."

"I know but we already stupidly started and it's go hard or go home. I don't want either of us getting laughed at if this gets out that it's fake and Nadia is pretty insane when she gets fixated on things."

Timmy nods understandingly, "yeah, no one can find out. We'd be laughing stocks, especially me. I can't handle that."

"So we have to kiss," I say, gulping. "Couples do that."

"H- how many times?" Timmy asks, not looking at me. His entire pale skin is red with a blush.

I look down at my fingers, this is getting real. "I don't know."

"Okay," Timmy nods, then puts his finger out and starts listing off. "No tongue because, well, just because. No ass grabbing, please." I chuckle at that. Timmy rolls his eyes, "and I don't think there's any need for moaning. It's a fake kiss."

"Right," I nod, then sigh. Holding my head and trying not to concentrate on my pounding heart. I'm kissing Timmy? Timmy my best friend...

"Well," Timmy starts saying and when I look at him, he's twisting and turning his fingers together. "The big question is, c-can you kiss a guy?" He turns as red as ketchup paste. "I m-ean, we can tell people you're gay but, you really aren't Curt."

My eyes lower to Timmy small pink lips that he's currently nervously biting on and my heart skips a bit. It doesn't look any much different from a girl's but it's not a girl's, it's Timmy Liu McKenzie's. It's not just a guy's lips, it's Timmy's. How hard can it be? Then something else hits me, "no, that's not the big question." Timmy looks at me and raises a brow in askance. "The big question is, am I going to be your first kiss?"

Timmy freezes at that and I do too.

I can't steal his first kiss, can I? I don't have the right to.

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Q- which of the drinks that Curt bought is for Timmy or himself?