A Little Foolishness and a Lot of Curiousity 7/8
Master Post
Chapter Seven
"Hey, Adam!"
Adam stopped and turned toward the sound of his name and saw Cale running down the hall after him. Adam waited for him to catch up, although he really just wanted to get back to the room. Kris had been asleep when he'd gotten back from the infirmary so they hadn't finished their discussion and they really needed to do that. As much as part of him was thrilled that his feelings for Kris weren't one-sided, he also needed to know this was real for Kris and not some weird fascination with someone so completely different than anyone he'd known before.
"Hi!" Cale said slowing his steps as he caught up with Adam. "I'm glad I caught you."
"Hey," Adam greeted him. "What did you need?"
"I was just wondering if you guys were going to Rumors tomorrow night." Cale asked, not quite meeting Adam's eye.
"Oh. I don't really know. I think some of the theatre group goes every weekend but I haven't really made any plans. Why?"
"Well, it's just," Cale started, a blush slowly creeping up his face, "Megan may have mentioned that she and Allison were going to be there on Saturday and, well, I thought maybe I'd tag along if you and Matt were going."
Adam smiled. He'd found all of the flirting between Megan and Cale interesting at the beach but hadn't really thought it would go beyond that day. "Well, we haven't made any plans but if you wanted to go I can see if I can get some people together. I'm sure Kris…"
"Are you sure?" Cale asked, failing to hide his eagerness. "You don't have plans or anything? I don't want you to put yourself out for me."
"No plans," Adam admitted. "Pretty much planned on just hanging around the room, maybe getting Kris to help me work on my solo."
"That would be great, even if it's just you, me, and Kris," Cale answered. "You're sure you don't mind?"
"Not at all," Adam assured him, "But right now I do need to get going so I'll talk to Kris and a few others and get back to you."
"Great and thanks."
They said their goodbyes and Adam headed back to his room, hoping to catch Kris in there this time. He pushed the door open and found the room empty. Kris must still be at band practice. He dropped his bag under his desk and grabbed his cell phone. He still needed to call Brad back and he might as well start making calls to see who was free tomorrow night.
~~**~~
Adam looked up when the door opened and smiled at Kris. "Hang on a second, Dani." Then, turning his attention back to Kris, "Hey, if you don't have any plans do you want to go out tomorrow night? Maybe dinner and then Rumors?"
Kris froze, eyes wide. "I uh, I mean I'm, I don't-"
"If you have plans already, it's not a big deal," Adam said, frowning. What the hell was his issue?
"No, it's not-" Kris stammered. "I don't have plans. I just-I'll be right back."
Adam watched, still frowning, as Kris ran into the bathroom and slammed the door closed. He wasn't sure what the hell had just happened. "Well, that was odd," he said into the phone.
"What was odd?" Dani asked.
"Kris just stammered like I'd threatened him or something and ran into the bathroom."
"Well," Dani said slowly as if she couldn’t understand his confusion. "Yeah."
Adam frowned again. "What do you mean, yeah? I asked if he wanted to go out with his friends tomorrow night. Why would that freak him out?"
"No, Adam," Danielle said, and he could hear the amusement in her voice. "I heard what you said. You asked him if he wanted to go to dinner and to a club tomorrow night. You never mentioned Cale, Megan, Matt, or anyone else. If I didn't know about it already it totally would've sounded like you asked him out on a date."
"No, I-"Adam stopped as his mind replayed exactly what he'd said to Kris. He hadn't actually said-"Fuck! I've gotta go."
"Good luck," Danni said through her laughter just before the call disconnected.
Adam went over and knocked on the bathroom door softly. "Kris, we need to talk. You misunderstood. I didn't-Kris, come out here, please."
Kris remained leaning against the door for several seconds. He couldn’t go out there and face Adam. He'd told Adam last night that he liked him and then today Adam tried to ask him out and he'd freaked out like a twelve year old going on his first date. A date with Adam was what he wanted, right? That was the point, wasn't it? Why tell Adam he liked him if he didn't want to go out with him? He just wasn't sure he was ready for an actual date, where he'd have to tell everyone yet. He also wasn't expecting Adam to ask him out yet. He'd said they needed to talk more and then just suddenly asked him out like it was the most natural thing.
"Kris, seriously, you can't hide in there forever."
Kris was pretty sure Adam was wrong. He could hide in here for a pretty long time. At least until Adam left for dinner. He could sneak out, maybe spend the weekend hiding in Cale and Charles' room. If he timed everything right, he could avoid Adam for a really long time.
"I'm not leaving until you come out so we can talk," Adam said, sitting down on Kris' bed and waiting for the door to open. He could wait out Kris if necessary. Finally the door swung open and Kris stood there, staring at him, eyes still wide but this time his face red with embarrassment.
"You know, the nice thing to do would've been to let me die of embarrassment in peace."
"Are we going to discuss this or do you want to avoid me for the rest of the term?" Adam asked when Kris continued to stand in the doorway like he was ready to go back in and close the door again.
"Is that an option?" Kris asked, a tiny smile on his face. "Because if it is, I'm going with option two."
"Not really, no," Adam answered. "Why'd you run away?"
"I didn't," Kris insisted automatically. "I just-I had to-"
"I asked if you wanted to go out tomorrow night and you suddenly had to use the bathroom?" Adam raised an eyebrow in question. "That's really the story you want to go with?"
Kris walked over and sat down beside him on the bed. It was a stupid story, of course he didn't believe it. "I just wasn't expecting it. I mean, last night you barely reacted when we talked and today you're asking me out and I freaked, okay?" Adam turned to face him, a smile on his face. "Now you're going to laugh at me, really?"
"No," Adam said, his smile dropping from his face. "I'm not laughing at you. I wasn't asking you on a date. Cale stopped me earlier and wanted to know if we were going to Rumors tomorrow. I think he likes Megan. Anyway, I promised him I'd ask you and a few other people and get a group together to go so he could, you know, see Megan without actually looking like he's there to see Megan. Matt suggested maybe us all getting together for dinner in town first, invite Megan along so she and Cale can talk without all the loud music and stuff, that's all it was. I guess I just didn't think about how it would sound when I said it to you."
"So," Kris said slowly, as it all sank in. "Not a date."
"No, absolutely not. Just a night out with friends," Adam assured him.
"Oh."
Adam stared at Kris for a second. The assurances that it wasn't a date should've fixed things, yet now Kris looked hurt and angry instead of frightened and panicked. God, was this how he was with Brad a year ago? Did he put him through this much shit before he dealt with it all himself? He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and willed himself to remain patient with Kris. "Why do you look disappointed? Did you want it to be a date, Kris?" he asked slowly.
"No, I-" Kris started to deny his disappointment and stopped. He did sort of want it to be a date. It was the point of admitting to Adam that he liked him; he had just panicked for a moment. But more importantly, he was upset that Adam didn't seem to want it to be a date. "Why don't you want it to be one?"
Adam's eyes widened as he considered the question. It certainly wasn't that he didn't want to date Kris. He'd happily make tomorrow night a date. "I didn't say I didn't. But are you ready for that?"
"I've dated before."
"Yeah, you dated Katy. Your best friend since you were toddlers, and a girl," Adam explained. "This isn't the same. I'll happily turn tomorrow into a date if you want me to, but have you thought through what that means? I don't care if your friends, or anyone else, know I’m gay. I may not announce it to the school, but I don't hide it either. Are you ready for Cale to know you are though?"
Kris was quiet for several minutes, thinking about what Adam was saying. They would be out with Cale and a bunch of other people. Was he ready for all of them to know? He really had no idea how Cale would react. Or Charles. Or anyone else. Well, okay, he was pretty sure Matt and Josh wouldn’t care but the others? "No, I guess not," he finally admitted. "Why does this have to be so hard?"
"It won't always be. Once you're ready to tell your friends and family, it gets easier. You won't have to stop and think about it so much," Adam assured him, then smiled. "But if you do really want a date, how about Sunday?"
"Sunday?" Kris asked, all the nervousness returning. Was he ready for this?
"Yeah. We have to be back kind of early but we could still maybe go to lunch or an early dinner and a movie," Adam suggested. "I don't want to rush you into anything but you're the one disappointed that what you thought was a date was only a night out to help your best friend get a date."
"We have homework."
"We'll do it tonight so that we have the whole weekend free."
"Yeah, okay," Kris finally said. "Sunday is good."
"Great then we should get down to dinner."
~~**~~
Kris threw himself across the bed to grab his phone before Katy hung up. He'd totally forgotten to call her earlier so now he was glad Adam had said he needed to stop at the library and would meet him back here in an hour or so. He knew what questions she was going to ask and this conversation was going to be so much easier without Adam in the room.
"Hey," he said breathlessly as he pressed the button connecting the call. "I'm so sorry I forgot to call you earlier."
"As long as it's because you were talking to Adam, it's all good," Katy said. "You did tell him, right?"
Kris turned over onto his back and let himself relax. He was glad that he hadn't ruined this with Katy, glad that she was still his friend. "I told him."
"And?"
"And you were right, he doesn't hate me," Kris admitted with a sigh. "Actually we have a date on Sunday."
"Oh my god, Kris, really?" Katy squealed into the phone, forcing Kris to move it away from his ear. "Did you ask him or did he ask you? Where are you going?"
Kris waited for Katy to calm down and stop asking questions. "He asked-well really it started as this big misunderstanding and he wasn't really asking me out and once he convinced me to come out of the bathroom, we talked and then somehow we ended up with a date on Sunday."
"You were hiding in the bathroom?"
Kris sighed. He really should be more careful what information he gave Katy. He quickly relayed the entire incident and waited for her to quit laughing at him. "You done?"
"Sorry," she said, although he could clearly hear her suppressing another giggle. "I'm happy for you. Adam sounds wonderful. Am I going to get to meet him on Halloween? I can still come out for the family and friends weekend over Halloween weekend, right?"
"Yeah, of course you can still come," he replied automatically. "And yeah, I think I really want you to meet him. You'll like him."
"I’m sure I will," she answered. "Have you told Cale yet? Or your other friends?"
"No," Kris admitted. "I'm not-I need time, okay? Let's see how this date goes first."
"If that's what you want."
"I know I have to tell them, and my parents, but I need to get a grasp on all of it first," Kris explained. "But I will tell them, soon. I promise. Now how have things been for you?"
"They're great! There's this guy in my English class," Katy said excitedly. Kris relaxed into his pillow and listened to her talk about the new guy in her class.
~~**~~
Adam sat down at the small table in the corner of the library and opened his laptop. Brad hadn't been home when he'd called earlier but he was sure he'd be online now. He didn't have too long, though. He'd promised Kris he'd be back in an hour so they could work on their homework together. He waited for his instant messenger window to open and immediately saw the name he was looking for on the list of friends online.
Brad? Busy?
Not for you to tell me your straight boy isn't straight.
Fine, you were right, okay? He's not straight.
And?
Was I a confusing pain-in-the-ass when you first met me?
Yeah, until you figured it out.
What did he do?
He had this weird freak out when he thought I was asking him out today.
But then was pissed off that I hadn't actually been asking him out.
Your not-so-straight boy is crazy.
What did you do?
Ask him out.
Tomorrow?
Sunday. Tomorrow we're going out with friends. He's not ready to be that out yet.
His friends don't know?
No. He's not ready to go there yet.
Be careful. Closets are a dangerous place.
I know.
Adam did know he had to be careful here. He really didn't know anyone at this school well enough to predict their reactions. Well, his theatre friends were fine with it but the rest… He needed a way for Kris to know that his friends would be okay with it. That he wasn't going to lose Cale or Charles or anyone else by coming out.
I think he needs reassurance that his friends aren't going to turn on him if he tells them.
Adam wondered if he'd lost Brad, it took an answer for an answer to appear.
Do you think they will?
I don't know. I don't think so. I don't know them all that well but we all got along really well the other day. I may not have told them I'm gay but
You don't exactly hide it either.
Prove it to him, then. Show him his friends are okay with having a gay friend.
How do you suggest I do that?
You're going out with them tomorrow, right?
yeah
Let them see the gay.
This time it was Adam's turn to be quiet. Could he do that? How could he do it without involving Kris? There might be a way to make it work. To let them all, as Brad said, see his gay, but it could backfire so badly and hurt Kris. He'd just have to take that chance.
I think I will.
I've got an idea, but I've gotta go so I can work out the details.
Call me on Monday then. I want details.
Adam logged off and shut down his computer before leaving the library as quickly as he could. He glanced at his watch before flipping open his phone and quickly sending Kris a text that he was caught up in some research and would be a little later than he thought. He then dialed Matt's number.
"Hey, can I swing by your room? I need some help with something."
Chapter 8