Little Miss Babysitter

-- 15 --

"So let me get this straight." I took a sip of my iced latte, before slamming it down on the shining redwood beneath our palms, and looking between my wide-eyed company.

"You're gay," Point to Jason. "And he's gay." Point to Russell.

"You're straight," Point to Rog. "And you're hungry." Point to Taya.

"It's not polite to point." Jason joked, and I shot him a death glare that resembled that of a raging Mr. Macafoos, and sighed through gritted teeth.

"This doesn't make sense." I found the faint thumping of blood in my ears to be quite disturbing, and I leaned my cheek onto my arm, exhaling softly. "Is that what you've been meaning to tell me?"

Jason looked red. His eyes were puffy from irritation, and his face was a new shade of scarlet. He looked down at me, his bluing eyes filled to the brim with concern. "Mostly. I've, uh, learned to trust you for a while now, and I thought I could tell you that.. I'm gay."

Russell nodded along, his slick arm draped over Jason's shoulders. "He's told me for weeks now how much it's bothered him, and I figured we could all just, meet up one day y'know, and talk it over."

"I still don't see how this involves you." I grunted, scowling at Russell from the corner of my eye. He smirked playfully, and it only made me despise him more.

"Well, I am dating one of your best friends, so is it not natural that I should know what's going on?" He planted a sloppy kiss on Jason's cheek, making him fluster an unnatural maroon. I could almost see Jason on the verge of fainting, probably not quite adjusted to being so open about his sexuality preferences.

"But that still doesn't explain--" I started to mumble, but I was interrupted by Russell's guttural sigh.

"The 4th of July party, I know." He brought his free hand through his dyed ringlets, and heaved a sigh. "In a way, I am pretty much classified as a cheating, lying dick. I admit that, but I was hoping you'd find out. That blonde girl, well, she wasn't a she, if you know what I mean."

I blinked widely, looking first at Rog, then Taya, observing their equally perplexed faces. I then glanced at Jason, and he was blushing madly.

"It wasn't me..." He hardly whispered, and Russell laughed hoarsley. He coughed, and proceeded to speak.

"Nah. I wish." He winked, making Jason turn a new hue of some strange purple-ish color. One more comment, and he'll be hurling in a bin. Watch. "Without sounding like I have no balls, I liked Jay-Jay back then. And when I saw him talkin' to another guy, well... I went for a rebound."

"So... That girl was actually a guy." I pieced together, my anger somewhat subsiding.

"Exactly. I've been gay this whole time." He sank his teeth into his juicy burger, and I could hear Taya smacking her lips. We all turned our attention to her, and she looked down at her fingers, blushing. Rog giggled a husky man giggle, before whispering something into her ear, making her nod.

"Why didn't you tell me you were gay?" I frowned suddenly, staring somberly into Russell's blackened orbs.

He cocked an eyebrow. "Do I have to repeat it again? I was gay then; just not open about it. If I had a girlfriend, people wouldn't be suspicious."

"So, cheating on me was a better option." I grumbled, and a pointed fleck of pain radiated through my hand. I looked down, noticing a bit of my skin between Rog's thick fingernails, and I glared sternly at him. He released me, a cocky grin toying with his lips.

Russell chuckled, and my attention immediately snapped back to him. "No, but seriously." He stopped laughing then, and stared me right in the eyes. "I am sincerely sorry about that, Ela. If I could take it back, I would."