Theo

Jealous

Tania came back two days after Christmas so I walked the couple blocks to the little café she frequents to meet up with her.  I didn’t expect Chelsea to actually be there though so when I saw her seated across from Tania, swigging coffee happily across from my girlfriend, I sighed.  Great.

    I was third-wheeling, I guessed.

    As I stepped into the café Tania shouted, “Theo!” jumping up and running straight into my arms. I hugged her tight, giving Chelsea a sheepish smile and she gave a little wave.  Pulling back, Tania leaned up on her tiptoes, giving me a chaste kiss.  “Did you miss me?” she wondered, fluttering her caramel eyes, dark hair framing her thin face.  Tania was a mix of some sort.   I was pretty sure her father’s side of the family moved here from India but never really bothered to ask; whatever her ethnicity, she was very pretty.

    “Yeah,” I smiled.  “Have fun in the mountains without me?”

    She beamed.  “Yes!  I have so many pictures!”

    “I know, you probably sent me all of them.”  I rolled my eyes as she tugged me to the table, sitting me down next to her.  My phone went off every fifteen minutes she was gone but, thankfully, her preferred method of talking to me was via text.  I’m not big on talking on the phone.

    Tania and Chelsea chatted on and on about their breaks and all the things they did while I swigged on a two dollar coffee, playing on my phone.  I wasn’t sure why I was invited, honestly.  I found myself messaging Phil, asking what he was doing later.

    Games probably, was all he sent back.

    See?  So f*****g simple.  And I’d go over his house and that’s exactly what he’d be doing—sitting on his bed playing video games.  Alone.  I sent a text back asking, Alone right?

    Yeah, was his response.

    Coconut stuff? I sent with a drooling emoji.

    Done.  In the fridge setting, he sent back.

    Yes!!!!!

    “Theo?”  Glancing up, I quirked an eyebrow at Tania.  “Who are you messaging?” she was trying to peek at my phone.

    “Phil,” I said, turning off the screen and tucking it into my pocket.

     Tania looked peeved.  “It’s kind of rude, you know,” she went on.

    “What?”

    “To text while you’re hanging out with actual people,” she rolled her eyes.

    Is she f*****g serious right now?  I’m supposed to pretend to care about a conversation I’m not a part of?  I noticed that Chelsea had ducked her head, averting her eyes uncomfortably.  I stood up, tossing ten dollars on the table.  “Here.  On me,” I said, picking up my coffee and taking another swig.  “I’ve got to be somewhere.”  Like Phil’s house eating a coconut dessert.

    “So it’s like that?” she asked, glaring at me.

     I rolled my eyes.  “Yeah?”

    I heard her huffing as I walked out the door and, about a block from Phil’s house, my phone started going off.  I didn’t have to guess who it was so I just let it ring.

    When I got to Phil’s I noticed Katarina slumped on the couch fast asleep.  She was still dressed in her scrubs, shoes on her feet.  Probably after one of those crazy long shifts.  I pulled her shoes off and tossed a blanket over her, noticing that she snored a little.  Must be really exhausted then.

    Moving into the kitchen, I pulled out that good coconut stuff, noticing that it was still too jiggly to eat.  I mean, I’d still eat it like that with a spoon but I’d be at risk of being slapping in the head by Katarina, muttering angrily in Spanish about what a selfish boy I am.  It’s not worth it.  Tucking it back into the fridge, I noticed leftover rice and beans.  Oh, I could cry.  My luck was looking up.  Pulling it out, I was humming happy tunes when I turned and found Phil leaning against the far wall, watching me with amusement.  “I wondered if you’d make the mistake of breaking into the Tembleque early,” he said, quirking a smile.  “You know, I’m really proud of you for putting it back, Theo.”  I just stood there, pointedly shaking the Tupperware of beans in one hand, rice in the other.  “Of course,” he rolled his eyes, already moving to pull out a plate and spoon for me.

    I watched, grinning, as he put it on the plate for me, tucking it neatly into the microwave with the shield over it for three minutes.  Katarina would kill us both if we didn’t use that stupid plastic shield.  I used to lazily put plates on top of the shield and she threatened to never cook for me again.  I think I almost cried during that conversation and I don’t cry much.  What can I say?  Food is life.

    “Tania is back,” I muttered.

    He gave a small smile.  “That’s good.”

    “Invited me out to coffee today,” I murmured, watching him shift under my gaze.

    “That’s good?”  He raised an eyebrow.  He was wondering why I was telling him this.

    I rolled my eyes.  “Chelsea was there.”

    He chuckled.  “Was it weird?”

    “I was the third-wheel.”

    “Oof.”

    “Right?”  I chuckled, leaning back against the counter, glancing at the microwave.  I could smell it in there, getting nice and hot for me.  My stomach started grumbling.

    When it went off, Phil pulled it out for me, practiced, normal.  When he started mixing the beans, I found myself watching him, thinking he’d make a good wife somebody.  That’s how that works right?  Between two guys . . . Phil would probably be the . . . girl, right?  When he turned, tossing it back into the microwave because the middle was still cold, I watched him hit the button again, putting the Tupperware back in the fridge.

    “Uh, I think I pissed her off,” I added sheepishly.

    He shut the fridge, smirking.  “You?  Never.”  Ripe with sarcasm.

    I chuckled.  “It was stupid though.  She got mad I was texting.”

    “Were you ignoring her?” he wondered, going to the microwave as it dinged again.

    “No?  I mean, I don’t think so?  She wasn’t talking to me the whole time but made it into this huge deal when I started texting for some reason.”

    Phil walked over and set the plate on the table. “You want avocado?”

    “Yes, please,” I said, taking a seat and taking a big bite, almost burning my mouth.

    “It’s hot,” Phil said over his shoulder, picking up an avocado from the counter.

    I did that awkward blow while chewing thing until I could finally swallow.  “It’s hurts so good,” I whined, blowing on my next spoonful.

    He just snorted as he sat down next to me, cutting up a large avocado with practiced movements.  He pulled it apart, giving me a fourth and taking a fourth for himself.  “Aren’t you going to eat?” I muttered, biting into the avocado.

    “Not hungry,” he shrugged.

    “That’s why you’re so—“

    He turned the knife at me with a threatening gleam in his dark eyes.  “So what?”

    Would he stab me for calling him tiny? Probably better not to test him.  I shoved the spoon in my mouth, thankful that it wasn’t like molten lava anymore, chewing in silence as I nervously watched that blade.  I’d seen how skilled he was with prepping and I didn’t want to wind up in a stew.  Once he was sure I’d dropped the subject, he cut the avocado again, popping another piece in his mouth, dark eyes focused downward.

    After a moment of quietly shoveling food into my mouth, Phil muttered, “She’s jealous, Theo.”

    “Hm?”

    “Tania,” he laughed.  “Green with jealousy.  She probably thinks you’re texting another girl.”

    “Oh.”  I hadn’t even thought of that.

    “Girls aren’t that complicated.  You’re just blind,” he chuckled, shaking his head.

    Blind.  I looked at him and grimaced realizing he was probably right.  Phil had been crushing on me since the sixth grade in close quarters and I’d had no idea.  Not that he’s a girl.  Well, not on the outside anyway, right?  I took in the bend of his long neck, the yellowing mark there.  I wondered what the latest bite mark looked like.  Swallowing, I said, “How’s your side?”

    His eyes rose to me, quirking a brow again.

    “The bite,” I said, frowning at him.

    He shifted.  “Don’t worry about it.  No big deal.”  No big deal.  Psh.  He cried like a baby that night, didn’t he?  I frowned at him long enough that he eventually turned, rolling his eyes.  “What?”

    I shoveled another spoonful into my mouth, still glaring.

    “I’m fine, Theo.”

    “Has he been back?” I asked, narrowing my eyes.

    He shifted, shaking his head.  “I didn’t want to put his life in danger like that.”

    “Is he still texting?”  When he didn’t respond right away, I held out my hand.  “Let me see.”

    “Chill out Tania,” he spat, glaring at me.

    I blanched.  “That and this are different.”  He just glared at me, carving into the avocado again.  “Phil.”  I wiggled my fingers impatiently.

    He pressed the handle of the blade into my palm, standing up.  “I’m going up.”

    “Phil,” I snapped, setting the knife down.

    “Only come up if you’re going to mind your own business,” he grumbled, not even looking back before heading upstairs.  I went to stand up but remembered my plate still had food on it and stopped, taking a seat again to start shoveling.  When I was done with this heaven, I was going to whoop my best friend’s ass.  Groaning, I kept chewing, savoring.  God, he could cook.

. . .

When I made it to his room, he didn’t even acknowledge me.

    “Phil.”

    “Theo,” he said back, tone just as bland.

    Stepping in his way, purposely blocking his view, I repeated, “Phil.”

    “The f**k, Theo?  Move.”  He moved to look around me but I just took the controller from his hands, pausing the game.  He glared up at me, defiance written on his face and I glowered down at him, waiting.  He knew what I wanted.  Rolling his eyes, he handed me his phone.

    Harrison was messaging him, mostly question marks apparently since Phil wasn’t texting back.  Relieved, I ruffled his hair.  “Good.”

    He tensed, glaring down at his feet.  I tossed his phone back onto his lap and handed him back his controller, settling back to watch him play.  He resumed, still peeved, but I felt satisfied.

    “You’re a bully,” he grumbled, slicing me with a glare.

    A bully?  Why?  Because I don't want him seeing a guy who hurts him? “I’m protective.”

    “I don’t need your protection, Theo,” he hissed.

    Gripping his collar, I pushed it down revealing the blotched mark.  “Obviously you f*****g do, Phillip.”  He clenched his jaw, already teary eyed.  I was realizing he had a tendency to cry when he got too upset.  He was really upset but I wasn’t having it.  He could cry if he wanted to.  “Look, if you bring Harrison around again, I’ll beat you up too. I’m not playing.”  His cheeks were getting red with anger but I didn’t blink, matching his gaze.  I meant it.

    He started playing again, ignoring me.  I laid back on his bed, too full.

    “How long until the coconut stuff is ready?”

    “It's called Tembleque, Theodore.  It’s not hard.”

    Damn.  Didn’t have to be a d**k about it?  “Yeah, that.”

    “A couple hours,” he grumbled.

    I groaned, rolling over and pulling his pillow down under my head.  “I’m taking a nap.”

    He just grumbled, “Good.”  Pain in the ass.