I'm Your Wreck

14- What Should I Wear?

The amount of money I've spent on smoothies in the last couple of weeks should be concerning. I tried not to think about it too much.

"Hey, MacGyver," Banks greeted me when he saw me next in line at the counter. Nudging his shoulder toward me, he pointed to the side of his black polo. "Check it out. Finally got my own name tag."

I still didn't know his first name, so I curiously peaked at the shiny new tag on the breast of his shirt and felt a little bummed that it said Banks.

"Nice try," he said with a knowing smirk. "Want your usual today?"

I nodded and then blurted out, "So, I made the soccer team."

His smile brightened and I felt like I won. "Of course you did. Way to go, man."

"Thanks. First game is right after Halloween, if you want to come. I know sports aren't your thing but-"

"I'll be there," he assured me with that easy smile as he scooped the frozen fruit chunks into the blender to make my smoothie. It was passed the lunch rush now, so nobody was in line behind me. I'd learned that this was the best time to show up so that he wasn't rushed. "I won't have any idea what's going on, but Ollie will try to keep me up to speed."

"There's going to be an after party at Chris's house after," I added just before he turned the blender on, muting any possibility for conversation for the next minute or so.

Banks turned his back to clean some of the other blenders until it eased to a stop. As he poured it into the waiting cup, he glanced at his watch and said, "You want to stick around? I still have a fifteen minute break."

"Okay."

After I paid and got my smoothie, Banks went into the back to get somebody else to cover the counter while he was gone and then we found a table in the open cafeteria near a group of students with their laptops out and textbooks covering every surface within a five foot radius.

"Do you have any plans this weekend?" Banks asked, tapping his fingertips absently against the table.

I shook my head, "Not that I know of."

"Tess invited me to this Halloween show in town and I thought it would be fun if you and Ollie went with me," he said slowly. His deep brown eyes seemed to flick off into the distance, seemingly nervous about this idea. "It's on Saturday night, if you want to come."

I raised my eyebrow at him, quickly trying to erase the look of shock on my face. "Oh, sure. Do I need a costume?"

"It's suggested, but not required," he said and then with a laugh, he added, "Why do you look so shocked? You're the one that accused me of being secretive."

"I thought you were cautious?"

"I am." He leaned forward, resting on his elbows. "But you said you won't judge and you can't take it back."

"I won't," I promised him, quick and sure.

From what I'd gathered, he was still talking to Jordan and Tess but would hardly give up any details about either one of them. It was nearly killing me not to know, only because I wanted to be the kind of friend that he could open up to about who he was dating.

"The thing is, it's at a gay bar," he informed me slowly, like he thought this might be a deal breaker for me. My throat immediately started constricting and I swore he glanced down at my wavering Adam's apple.

"That's fine."

"You won't get freaked out when guys start hitting on you?" he questioned me warily before letting out a small laugh and adding, "Because they will definitely be hitting on you."

"I'll let them down easy," I assured him, deciding not to ask him why he thought this possibility was so definite. "Have you been to this bar before?"

He leaned back in his chair, letting his shoulders casually slump back. "Only a couple of times, when Tess is working events."

I almost asked him if Tess was bisexual and if that was why he was worried about talking about her. Did he really think I would have an issue with that?

"I'm excited to meet her," I said, and then a moment later I added, "I've never been to a gay bar before, but it's really not an issue. I'm not homophobic or anything."

"No, I know that," he assured me. "I'll tell Tess to put your name on the list. You want to bring Sam?"

I shook my head no. "We don't really hang out." By that, I meant that the only time we texted was to ask the other to come over for a booty call. Even those texts had become few and far in between lately.

"If I don't have a costume, what should I wear?" I changed the subject.

This made Banks laugh and I quickly looked down at my smoothie before it could make my stomach feel weird. "Absolutely nothing from your closet."

"What's wrong with my closet?"

Another laugh. "You can't wear sweats and a shirt with no sides to a bar, Liam."

"I do have nicer clothes," I objected, tapping lightly against the wet sides of my smoothie cup. "I just don't wear them very often."

"Ah right," he said, grinning. "Your two pairs of jeans."

"Exactly." Even though they'd been sitting at the bottom of my dresser for months untouched and I wasn't even sure if they fit me anymore. Especially now that I'd been getting back into shape for the soccer team. The only difference I'd noticed in my body is more definition in my ab and leg muscles, but it was hardly noticeable.

Banks shook his head in disappointment at me. "I guess it's better than nothing."

Maybe if I looked as good as Banks did in jeans, I'd wear them more. I was smart enough not to say that part out loud.