Playing For The Other Team [REMAKE]

Chapter 19

The next time Jonathan comes over to hang out at Nathan's house, Jennie is all over the place.

She's running around the moment Nathan says that Jonathan is on his way. Either the floor needs to be swept, or a surface needs to be wiped off. Normally, she would be out in the garden or upstairs in her office, and Nathan pretends not to notice her lurking around when Jonathan arrives.

The two boys are sitting in the living room, both sitting with their phones as they chat.

When Jennie walks past for the third time, Nathan can't pretend to not see her anymore. "Hey, Jennie," he calls out to her, and she immediately stops and smiles at him. "Is there, by chance, anything you need help with?"

"Oh, no!" She chirps. "Not at all! I'm just running around making sure things are where they should. Are you two alright? Do you want me to bring anything? Drinks or anything?"

"Why don't you sit down for a moment?" Jonathan suggests. "You look like you could use a break."

Jennie all but throws herself into the nearest seat. "That's so nice of you. I'd love to have a seat." She makes herself comfortable in the armchair she's plopped herself down into. "How are you, Jonathan? Has everything been good?"

"I'm good," Jonathan says. He glances over at Nathan with an uncertain look.

"She knows," Nathan says without looking up from his phone.

"Oh." Jonathan visibly relaxes.

Jennie smiles. "I'm happy for you. I'm so glad Nathan feels comfortable bringing you home. He talks about you all the time."

"Jennie!" Nathan hisses. "I do not talk about him all the time."

"You talk about me?" Jonathan grins.

"I don't," Nathan insists.

The melodic chime of a phone echoes from the kitchen, and Jennie jumps back up. "That must be Annie," she says. "You two call out if you need anything, alright?" She flashes the two boys another smile before she disappears into the kitchen to answer her phone.

Jonathan turns and smirks at Nathan. "You talk about me?" He asks again.

"I-" Nathan shakes his head. "Not nearly as much as she makes it out to be."

"I'm definitely going to have to ask her about it later," Jonathan says.

Nathan lets out a sigh, hiding his face behind his hands. "Please don't. I will die of embarrassment."

"Maybe I'll get to see baby pictures?"

Nathan squirms in his seat. The mere thought of Jonathan seeing any of his old photographs, sends chills down his spine. "I'm going to leave and never come back."

Jonathan laughs, reaching out and patting him on the arm. "I'm joking. Kind of." He glances at Nathan's watch. "I should be heading home. I told mom I was staying back at school for some extra work."

"And you say I'm the one hiding things," Nathan says.

Shrugging, Jonathan adjusts until he's sitting so close their arms are touching. "What was I gonna tell her? The guy I'm dating invited me over, so I'm heading to his house. See you later?"

"Pretty much, yeah," Nathan says.

Jonathan shakes his head. "She'd freak out."

"You haven't told her?" Nathan isn't hurt as much as he is concerned. He doesn't want Jonathan to lie to his mother because Nathan's too scared to come out. Jonathan and his mother seem close, and he doesn't want to be the one who introduces lies between them.