Whoa, You're What?!

"I think we need to talk." Christine told Raoul as they walked from school a few weeks into the spring semester. Since their talk with Meg, she had realized something. She thought about for months, though not all the time of course. She would obsess over it but then get distracted, having the topic thrown to the back of her mind, which was probably why it took her so long to make her decision.

Raoul turned to her with desperate look on his face, catching her by surprise as he abruptly dropped to his knees on the sidewalk beside her.

"Don't break up with me!" Raoul cried, gripping her hands in his, looking up at her pleadingly. "I thought we had something special! I'll do anything. Anything!"

Christine stared down at him then sighed. Withdrawing her hands from his, she took a step back to glare at him.

"I'm being serious." She stated. "But I'll give you points on improv and acting skills."

Raoul's distressed demeanor promptly disappeared. Grinning, he stood up and dusted his pants off.

"I better get some points. That actually hurt my knees!" he laughed.

"I want to talk about Erik." Christine told him and the laughter cut off.

He looked at her wary. "What about him?"

Christine sighed and began walking again. Raoul following her.

"Just that! Look at how you reacted from what I said. I know we both really like Erik—"

"Oh? Only like?" Raoul snorted and Christine elbowed his side gently.

"But I don't want it to ruin us!" Christine finished.

Raoul furrowed his brows confused. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, when we finally come around to telling Erik how we feel and he chooses one of us, I don't want that to ruin our friendship." Christine clarified.

Raoul let out his own sigh and rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, I see what you mean. And that's if he chooses either of us in the first place."

"Well, if he doesn't then that actually solves that problem because we can bond over our broken hearts together." She pointed out, though hoped that it didn't end up being that case.

Raoul grimaced and Christine knew that he didn't want that to happen either.

"Look." She began, taking his hand in her. "We're friends. Best friends. And we like the same person. That's just asking for trouble. However, there might be some hope for us yet."

"Oh yeah?" Raoul questioned curious but cautious. "What's that?"

"What if he couldn't choose between the two of us?" Christine answered, looking up to meet Raoul's eyes.

"Wouldn't that only cause us to bond over broken hearts?" Raoul replied confused again.

Christine shook her head and began swinging their intertwined hands back and forth between them. "Not if we all are in the relationship."

She saw Raoul's eyebrows shoot up. "What? Like a threesome?"

Christine felt her cheeks warm up and she glared at Raoul. "Really? Why do you always have to use the sexual word all the time?"

"Am I wrong though?" Raoul probed waggling his eyebrows. "Didn't think you felt that way about me Christine, I'm touched."

"Yes, you're wrong!" Christine declared, giving him a slap on the shoulder. "I meant that the two of us could share him. Both be with him at the same time but not with each other."

"Ohhh." Raoul stated awkwardly. Christine watch him from the corner of her eye as he turned away from her, scratching his cheek with his finger.

Christine noticed that his ears were red, realization hit her.

"Wait!" She pulled them to a stop. Raoul didn't look at her, but she stared right at him. "Do you like me?"

Christine could now see Raoul's face so as his cheeks got redder and the color spread, her eyes widen.

"Oh my gosh!" she gasped, dropping Raoul's hand to put both of hers to cover her mouth. "Since when?!"

"Ahh...since forever, I guess." Raoul admitted, still not looking at her.

"B-but you like Erik!" Christine reasoned.

He faced her then, expression exasperated. "Yes, and you know I'm bi. It's possible to like two people at the same time Christine. You're the one that just suggested Erik do it if he couldn't chose between us."

Christine bit her lip, feeling ashamed. "Sorry. I didn't know."

Raoul let out a tired sigh. "Yeah well, this wasn't exactly how I wanted you to find out either."

"I-I don't like you that way." Christine stated firmly. She saw the hurt in his eyes but ignored it to continue. "But, maybe…if this works and we're all together, I might someday…"

Raoul gained huge grin. He gave her a sweeping bow before straightening again. He held out his elbow for her to take to continue their walk.

"I have to charm both you and Erik? Not a problem! I do so love a challenge!"

Christine giggled as she took his arm.

"Antoinette, can I ask you a question? It's a little personal." Erik inquired, as they were about to finish their skype session.

It was the weekend of the end of spring break. Again, Antoinette had been unable to return home, but at least this time Erik was occupied with work with Mr. Khan and his lessons with Mr. Webber. However, he had not seen Antoinette in person since Christmas and it made him feel down. Though, he had to admit being with Raoul and Christine made him feel better.

He had noticed that Raoul had begun to be more flirtatious and considerate towards Christine over the past few months. Erik wondered if he was trying to win the girl's affection in more than a friend way. To be honest, he wouldn't be in least surprise if the two ended up together once they were slightly older. They have been best friends for years and while the same could be said about him and Antoinette, he could tell that the younger two saw their relationship differently. In addition, he would be happy for the two. The two appeared to be a good combination for the other.

Although he had to admit, if such a thing were to occur, where would that place Meg and him? Often times after friends become a couple, they leave their other friends behind. He wasn't really concern for himself since he had Antoinette, but Meg had been with the other two for almost as long as they were with each other. He has never had the experience of being a third wheel, but he was not about to let the girl he saw as his younger sister become one. As he observed more and more the times through the months of Raoul and Christine getting closer, the more he attempted at being with Meg to even it out.

What was strange though was that the times he did, Meg would always have such an amused look upon her face and Raoul and Christine would give him disgruntled stares.

But he digressed.

Right now, he was sitting at the public library. Sitting on the floor, against the wall and in between two rows of math books that apparently no one had any interest in because he was never disturbed or even hushed by another when he was talking to Antoinette in the section.

Antoinette was currently staring at him with a curious eyebrow raise.

"I guess." She answered to his question. "Though I have the right to deny you an answer if I want."

Erik nodded his agreement. She gave him the go ahead and he asked.

"How do you know that you're straight?"

Antoinette's eyes widened and her mouth fell open a little bit. After a few moments she cleared her throat before speaking.

"Why do you want to know?"

Erik scowled at her. "It's not polite to answer a question with a question."

She rolled her eyes. "Fine. I know that I'm straight because when I see a man of a certain type I think they're attractive. When I image myself in a relationship, it's always a man. Sure I find some women pretty but I have no interest in having sex with them. That answer your question?"

Erik felt his cheeks warm up and was grateful that his mask hid them from view. Though by the smirk on Antoinette's lips she probably knew that he was blushing.

"Now your turn." She squinted at him interested. "Why do you want to know?"

"Because I'm not entirely sure that I'm straight myself." Erik confessed in a whisper.

"What!?" Antoinette exclaimed, causing Erik to cringe and glimpse down the row to see if anyone would show up.

A few minutes went by of no one appearing, he relaxed and glanced back at Antoinette on the screen.

"Okay, are you thinking you're gay? Bi?" Antoinette grilled, tone serious but lips containing a grin.

Erik sighed and knocked his head on the wall next to him. He let his head rest there as he answered her.

"None of those either."

He heard Antoinette let out a thoughtful hum.

"How about you tell me about it? Might be able to help with more info." She pushed.

"I guess the best way to describe it would be how one would think of puppies or kittens. I see someone, man or women and they look or act cute but only the way one would equal such thinking to a baby animal. And for those I find beautiful, I would think that the equivalent would be like a work of art. There is an appreciation of the features and characteristics but no desire. I have never felt what could be considered lust. Maybe I'm too young, but I doubt it."

Erik paused. Antoinette didn't say anything and he had to check the screen to make sure that they didn't lose the connection. He saw her waiting patiently for him to continue so he did.

"Yet I find myself sometimes thinking about relationships and myself in one. I see both men and women, doing romantic gestures but never anything, ah, of that nature. Every time I have tried, I just…"

Erik broke off with a frown and squint of his eyes. Antoinette laughed on the screen.

"Erik, relax! Even with the mask on, I can tell that you look completely disgusted right now." She joked and Erik relaxed with a grin.

"So? What do you think?" he asked his longtime friend.

"Well, that sounds a lot like what one of my roommates is. I probably wouldn't have thought of it if I haven't met her. She says it's called asexuality. It's when you're not attracted to anything sexually." Antoinette answered.

Erik contemplated that.

"I'll have to do more research on my own, but it's a start. And it does seem like something that I might be given the definition itself." He told her, watching her nod in agreement.

"I'll ask her more about it, she could probably explain it better than I can." She paused, then got a big grin on her face that made Erik wary.

"How about you talk to her yourself."

Erik frowned. "You're going to give me her number?"

Antoinette shook her head. "No, I mean, come here and talk to her yourself."

Erik raised an eyebrow. "And how am I supposed to do that?"

"Come visit me this summer!"

Erik felt his mouth drop open and shut it after a couple moments. "Again. And how am I supposed to do that?"

Antoinette rolled her eyes. "Dad's driving up here to visit. You can ride up with him and I'm sure dad would be willing come back up to get you when summers over. I'll talk to dad, I doubt it'll be a problem."

Erik felt a surge of excitement. He might get to see Antoinette in person again! Sure he wouldn't be able to work for Mr. Khan or take his lessons with Mr. Webber, but he was sure they wouldn't mind too much.

And mother? Well, he was pretty sure she wouldn't notice that he was gone anyway.

"I'll do it!" he raved, smiling largely.

Antoinette's face lite up and she clapped her hands once together. "Awesome! It'll be great having you here! I'll make sure that you'll have a great time! Promise!"

"It's a promise!"