TYLER
"Do you mind telling me what happened last Friday night?" I heard Klaus ask from behind me as he sat right beside me on top of our usual table here in the common ground of the school. Our class is over, and Klaus and I are just waiting for our other teammates for our soccer practice. I turned to Klaus as he threw a can of cola at me, and I caught it.
I cracked open the can and took a sip, savoring the fizzy sweetness that tickled my taste buds. The question caught me off guard, and I hesitated for a moment. Memories of that fateful Friday night flooded my mind, and I couldn't help but sigh deeply.
"C'mon, spill the tea, Ty!" he excitedly told me, a mischievous glint in his eyes. I chuckled and glanced around us, searching for any prying ears.
"Nope, because I've got nothing to tell you." I laughed, and he just rolled his eyes as if he didn't believe me.
"C'mon, just tell me, did you two kiss?" he suddenly asked me, his voice filled with anticipation. I was taken aback by his question, unable to muster a response immediately. We stood there, locked in a tense silence, our eyes locked as if engaged in a battle of wills. I watched as realization dawned on his face, understanding why I couldn't find the words to reply.
"I knew it!" Klaus exclaimed, his face beaming with joy. His eyes sparkled as he looked at me, expecting a reaction. My heart sank, and I couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Fuck. I had promised Miles that I wouldn't tell anyone else until he was ready. But I guess my actions spoke louder than my words.
"It wasn't just a kiss, right?" he asked me, his eyes searching for confirmation. I hesitated for a moment, my mind scrambling to find the right words. Finally, I nodded, acknowledging that it was indeed more than just a simple kiss.
"We made out, but nothing else happened after that, except we just slept together," I said softly, my voice barely audible. The words hung between us, heavy with unsaid expectations and consequences.
Klaus' eyes widened in disbelief, his mouth opening to voice his thoughts, only to be abruptly silenced by my hand swiftly covering his lips. Surprise and frustration flashed in his eyes, but he remained still, allowing my hand to muffle his words.
"Klaus, I'm begging you; please don't make a scene here; I'll be dead if Miles finds out!" I pleaded with Klaus, desperation coloring my voice. His gaze hardened but then softened as he considered my words. With a reluctant nod, he quietly agreed to keep our secret.
"Okay, we'll stay out of it." Clark's familiar voice interrupted our contentious conversation. Startled, we both turned our heads simultaneously and locked eyes with him. He stood there nonchalantly, a slight smirk etched on his face, leisurely sipping his cola.
"How long have you been standing there?" I asked Clark, surprised, while my hand was still over Klaus' mouth. Panic rose in my chest, my heart racing as I wondered how much Clark had heard and seen.
"Like a while ago, I guess you forgot that we went together to buy some cola, brother," he simply replied as he turned his gaze to Klaus.
An awkward silence enveloped us before Clark's gaze locked onto mine again, a mischievous glint shining in his eyes. "I've been watching your every move and listening to your conversations. You thought I was clueless, didn't you?"
A sense of unease washed over me as I tried to process Clark's words. How could he possibly know our secrets? Klaus was known for being discreet, and I trusted him implicitly. Clark was always the joker, never taken seriously.
"How long have you known our secret?" Klaus asked his twin as he pushed my hand away from his mouth.
"I've known your secret since day one," Clark simply replied, flashing a mischievous smile.
"But... how?" Klaus stammered.
Clark smirked and leaned in, his voice dropping to a whisper. "I have my ways, my friends. It's not just what I've seen or heard, but what I've paid attention to. The signs were all there."
"You're serious?" I repeated incredulously, hoping that somehow he would take back his words or confess to an elaborate prank.
He nodded, his blue eyes sparkling mischievously. "You heard me right, Ty. I've known you for such a long time, and you think sneaking out with Miles at the party doesn't make it obvious? It did."
How did Clark, of all people, figure it out? Was I really that transparent?
"I thought I was being careful," I muttered, my voice barely audible.
Clark chuckled, "Careful? Ty, you couldn't have been less subtle. Your eyes light up every time you see Miles, and you always make excuses at any chance just to talk to him. It was like watching a love-stricken puppy, my friend."
A blush crept onto my cheeks, heat radiating from my embarrassment. I had always been bad at hiding my feelings, but never had it been this noticeable.
"I feel envious; Klaus has a boyfriend, and you've got Miles now too. It seems like I've got to enjoy myself being single," he said, his eyes betraying a mixture of surprise and sadness. I looked over at Klaus, who was also taken aback by Clark's confession.
"What do you mean Klaus has a boyfriend?" I asked Clark, in utter surprise.
"Fuck! It slipped. I'm sorry, brother, but I think it's time to tell Tyler the truth," Clark said to his twin with a grin on his face, obviously meaning to say what he said.
"You're so dead to me," Klaus threatened, pointing a dramatic finger at Clark. But the corner of his mouth twitched, betraying his underlying amusement. Clark, not one to back down from a challenge, crossed his arms defiantly and raised an eyebrow. Klaus then turned to me.
"I'm going to tell you two things, Ty," Klaus said with a nervous yet determined look in his eyes. His words hung in the air, waiting for my response. He took a deep breath, and I could see the weight that had been burdening him for so long slowly being lifted off his shoulders. "First," he continued, his voice steady, "I'm bisexual."
His words seemed to echo in my mind, and I felt a mixture of surprise, confusion, and slight relief. I had suspected that Klaus might be grappling with his sexuality, but hearing it directly from him had left me momentarily speechless. It took me a couple of seconds to process everything before I could respond.
"Klaus," I finally managed to say, a smile tugging at the corners of my lips, "thank you for trusting me enough to share that with me. You know I'll always support you, no matter what."
Klaus's face relaxed slightly, his eyes reflecting gratitude. "I knew I could count on you, Ty," he said, his voice filled with warmth. "Which brings me to the second thing I wanted to tell you." He hesitated for a moment. "Charles has been my boyfriend for years now."
"Charles? You mean Miles' friend?" I couldn't help myself as I leaned closer, trying not to be too obvious. I asked him to clarify if he was referring to Miles' friend, and I was not disappointed because he nodded in answer.
"Well, congratulations, Klaus, but you could've told me sooner; does your family know?" I asked Klaus, feeling a mix of surprise and curiosity. He simply nodded in response, his face reflecting both joy and apprehension.
"Our parents treat Charles like he's part of our family, and both of us sleep together at his house most of the time." In addition, I was even more happy. Who would have thought that my friend is also bisexual like me?
"How about you, Clark?" I asked Clark as I looked at him seriously.
"I'm not gay, and I like girls." His response caught me off guard, but I couldn't help but find his defensiveness amusing. Seeing a perfect opportunity to lighten the situation, I released a hearty laugh, cutting off his sentence abruptly.
"And he's jealous and mad right now because his crush, Erin, might become someone else's girlfriend anytime soon," Klaus teased as he turned to his twin.
"Wait, what?" I asked in disbelief. My eyes widened as I looked at them, puzzled.
"You didn't know?" Klaus' question made me laugh, so I shook my head. Klaus always had a way of surprising me with his words, and this time was no exception.
"He's liked Erin for a long time, and last Friday night he saw Jacob walk Erin home," Klaus said, his eyes locked onto Clark's face, searching for any sign of emotion.
Clark, always the reserved and stoic one, remained silent, his expression unreadable. Klaus continued, unsure if his twin was even listening.
I regarded him thoughtfully, taking a moment to choose my words carefully. "Clark," I said calmly, "you might win her heart if you just keep trying."
"You think so?" he asked, a glimmer of hope shining in his eyes.
I nodded, confident in my assessment. "Yes. Sometimes, all it takes is a little persistence and genuine effort. Erin is worth taking that leap of faith."
"Tyyyyyyy!" A familiar voice called me from a distance, and the twins, Klaus and Clark, rolled their eyes when we found out that it was Jessica.
"Oh my God, I'm out!" Klaus exclaimed, annoyance dripping from every word, and left.
"Me too!" Clark blurted out, annoyed by Jessica's unexpected presence. He stood up abruptly, determined to find his way to Klaus and leave me behind.
"Hey, where are you guys going? Wait for me!" I screamed, and I was about to stand up when I suddenly felt something clinging to my arm. Startled, I turned my head to see what it was and found myself face-to-face with Jessica.
"Hey, Ty, how's your day?" She asked me in her usual tone of voice. I pulled my arm out of her grip, and she looked seriously at me.
"What is it this time, Jessica?" I asked her seriously, and she just smiled. Her infectious grin played on her lips as she raised an eyebrow playfully.
"What's with the tone, babe? I'm just here to spend some time with my boyfriend," she said, grinning mischievously.
"Can you tell me why you are doing this, Jessica?" I asked her with a hint of frustration in my voice, and then I saw her expression change. Her eyes, usually filled with mischief and enthusiasm, flickered with annoyance.
"Doing what exactly?" she asked again, crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes at me. The annoyance in her voice was unmistakable, yet I saw a hint of curiosity flickering beneath her facade of indifference.
"This whole thing, this delusion of yours, is getting worse every day, and it's really disturbing, and in case you forgot, I AM NOT YOUR BOYFRIEND," I told her with a hint of annoyance in my voice.
"Why are you doing this to me, Ty? Why do you keep pushing me away?" She asked me seriously, her eyes filled with a mix of confusion and hurt. Her words hung in the air, sinking into my heart like lead.
"I'm not pushing you away, Jessica; I was just reminding you that I'm not your boyfriend and we're not meant for each other." I sighed.
"Look, we're friends, and you know that, but we can't go beyond that. I'm sorry, but maybe it's time for me to say this: you should stop this nonsense at once!" I calmly told her as I smiled at her. She didn't say a word and just bowed her head, so I just nodded and was about to leave when she suddenly spoke again.
"Is this because of Miles?" she asked me seriously, her eyes filled with concern. I turned to her and gave her a puzzled look, unsure of what she meant.
"You hang out with him often these days; it seems like you're getting closer with that fag. Now I'm starting to wonder: are you somehow into boys too?" She asked, laughing as if what she said was funny. Her squad members also laughed.
"Don't call him that, and why are you dragging him into this mess? What are you trying to do, Jessica? What do you even want from me?" I asked her, annoyed, and she just smirked.
"Hey Jessica, why don't you stop being such a bitch and just stay away from Tyler?" I heard Clark yell from a distance. Jessica stood frozen, her hands clenching as she turned to face Clark. The words hung in the air like a venomous cloud, slicing through the place. The surrounding onlookers gazed at Jessica, their eyes reflecting a mixture of curiosity and judgment.
"You dare call me that!" Jessica's voice quivered with anger, resonating through the ground. Heads turned, and a hush fell over the place as the students sensed the brewing storm between the two fiery personalities.
"Take it back, jerk!" Jessica spat the words at Clark, her voice trembling with a mix of rage and hurt. She refused to let his dismissive attitude suppress her emotions.
As the twins approached her, a mixture of fear and frustration consumed them. "I had enough with you; I mean, we had enough with you! So just back off!" Clark's voice trembled slightly as he softly yelled at Jessica's face. I could see the surprise in her eyes a flicker of realization crossing her face before being quickly replaced with a defensive glare.
"And if anything happens to Miles, you bitches will be the ones to blame, and I won't think twice about getting your asses kicked, so back off and mind your own fucking business!" Annoyed and angry, Klaus threatens Jessica and her companions.
Their disagreement escalated, and Jessica, unable to control her anger, exclaimed, "Then good luck with that because I'm going to make Miles' life a living hell. Ciao!" She laughed and sauntered away, accompanied by her group of friends.
"That bitch!" Clark exclaimed aloud, unable to contain his frustration any longer.
"We should watch Miles' back; he might be in danger at any time," I told them with a hint of concern. The twins exchanged glances, understanding the gravity of my words, before nodding in agreement, acknowledging the change we had all sensed.
"We will; if anything happens to him, don't worry, I'll make that bitch's life a living hell too," Clark said, his voice filled with conviction and an undeniable rage.