"I can't believe you, Ulrich! What did you do that for?" exclaimed Odd.
The two boys had completely forgotten about their promise to meet Jeremie and Yumi for breakfast. They had dressed in silence, each feeling awkward and embarrassed. Odd was still in shock. Why had he done that? Why did Jeremie have to open the door at that inopportune moment? And, most importantly, how did Ulrich know how he felt?
"I... I don't know... I couldn't control myself, Odd, and I certainly wasn't expecting Jeremie to find out..." he sighed. "Look, I'm sorry. I didn't want this to happen. I'm just... I'm just a little confused right now, that's all..." he stared at the ground, feeling his face grow hot from embarrassment.
"Hey, guys, where have you been?" called Yumi as the two boys approached.
"Odd slept in," muttered Ulrich. Jeremie snickered and shot Odd a look.
"What are you giggling at, Jeremie?" asked Yumi. "Come on, let's get going. I'm starving."
Odd and Ulrich were silent all through breakfast.
"You gonna eat that muffin?" Odd grunted.
Wordlessly, Ulrich slid the muffin towards Odd, who promptly scarfed it.
"Well, some things haven't changed," quipped Jeremie.
Yumi gave him a look. "What's going on here? Is there something going on here that I should know about, Ulrich? Odd?"
"Nothing," Odd said hastily. "Ulrich, I need to... um... go to the bathroom. Why don't you come with me?"
He grabbed Ulrich by the arm and dragged him out of the cafeteria.
"...Isn't the bathroom that way?" she asked, pointing in the direction they hadn't gone. Jeremie nodded, trying not to giggle. "You guys are being really weird today," remarked Yumi.
Still dragging Ulrich by the arm, Odd searched for a deserted classroom.
"Look, Odd, I'm really sorry about what happened today," said Ulrich. "I'll understand if you don't want to be friends with me anymore..."
Odd didn't respond. Checking to make sure there was nobody watching, he tugged on the doorhandle and found it to be unlocked. He ushered Ulrich into the room and shut the door quietly, ever wary of the constant threat of Jim, who was patrolling the halls.
"I told you that I was sorry..." Ulrich said.
"Don't be," Odd replied. "I was overreacting. It's not your fault that Jeremie doesn't have any manners."
"So... why don't we just put this little incident behind us and try to forget about it?" suggested Ulrich, blushing a little.
"But what if I don't want to forget about it?" asked Odd, looking into his friend's eyes.
"I... I can talk to Jeremie, I'm sure he'll understand... Nobody will ever have to know except the three of us-"
"That's not what I mean, Ulrich," he murmured, slipping his arms around Ulrich's waist. "I've always secretly wished we could be more than just friends. I'd never dreamed you'd do anything like this. I thought you liked Yumi. That's why I hooked up with Samantha."
"I thought it was because of the rumours," said Ulrich.
Odd chuckled dryly. "In case you haven't figured it out yet, to some extent, they're true."
"So you're gay," said Ulrich brusquely.
"Look who's talking," Odd said playfully, pulling Ulrich closer and kissing him softly.
"You know," mused Odd, "I'm not really gay."
"What do you mean?"
"I don't believe in having one set sexual preference. Male, female- does it really matter? Love is love." He sighed contentedly and ran his fingers through Ulrich's hair.
"Odd, I like you," said Ulrich, "but I don't know what to do about Yumi. I don't want to hurt her feelings." he sighed. "I guess I have to tell her about this, don't I?"
"We can do it together. I have a feeling we'll be doing a lot more together from now on." said Odd with a smile.
The two boys had completely forgotten about their promise to meet Jeremie and Yumi for breakfast. They had dressed in silence, each feeling awkward and embarrassed. Odd was still in shock. Why had he done that? Why did Jeremie have to open the door at that inopportune moment? And, most importantly, how did Ulrich know how he felt?
"I... I don't know... I couldn't control myself, Odd, and I certainly wasn't expecting Jeremie to find out..." he sighed. "Look, I'm sorry. I didn't want this to happen. I'm just... I'm just a little confused right now, that's all..." he stared at the ground, feeling his face grow hot from embarrassment.
"Hey, guys, where have you been?" called Yumi as the two boys approached.
"Odd slept in," muttered Ulrich. Jeremie snickered and shot Odd a look.
"What are you giggling at, Jeremie?" asked Yumi. "Come on, let's get going. I'm starving."
Odd and Ulrich were silent all through breakfast.
"You gonna eat that muffin?" Odd grunted.
Wordlessly, Ulrich slid the muffin towards Odd, who promptly scarfed it.
"Well, some things haven't changed," quipped Jeremie.
Yumi gave him a look. "What's going on here? Is there something going on here that I should know about, Ulrich? Odd?"
"Nothing," Odd said hastily. "Ulrich, I need to... um... go to the bathroom. Why don't you come with me?"
He grabbed Ulrich by the arm and dragged him out of the cafeteria.
"...Isn't the bathroom that way?" she asked, pointing in the direction they hadn't gone. Jeremie nodded, trying not to giggle. "You guys are being really weird today," remarked Yumi.
Still dragging Ulrich by the arm, Odd searched for a deserted classroom.
"Look, Odd, I'm really sorry about what happened today," said Ulrich. "I'll understand if you don't want to be friends with me anymore..."
Odd didn't respond. Checking to make sure there was nobody watching, he tugged on the doorhandle and found it to be unlocked. He ushered Ulrich into the room and shut the door quietly, ever wary of the constant threat of Jim, who was patrolling the halls.
"I told you that I was sorry..." Ulrich said.
"Don't be," Odd replied. "I was overreacting. It's not your fault that Jeremie doesn't have any manners."
"So... why don't we just put this little incident behind us and try to forget about it?" suggested Ulrich, blushing a little.
"But what if I don't want to forget about it?" asked Odd, looking into his friend's eyes.
"I... I can talk to Jeremie, I'm sure he'll understand... Nobody will ever have to know except the three of us-"
"That's not what I mean, Ulrich," he murmured, slipping his arms around Ulrich's waist. "I've always secretly wished we could be more than just friends. I'd never dreamed you'd do anything like this. I thought you liked Yumi. That's why I hooked up with Samantha."
"I thought it was because of the rumours," said Ulrich.
Odd chuckled dryly. "In case you haven't figured it out yet, to some extent, they're true."
"So you're gay," said Ulrich brusquely.
"Look who's talking," Odd said playfully, pulling Ulrich closer and kissing him softly.
"You know," mused Odd, "I'm not really gay."
"What do you mean?"
"I don't believe in having one set sexual preference. Male, female- does it really matter? Love is love." He sighed contentedly and ran his fingers through Ulrich's hair.
"Odd, I like you," said Ulrich, "but I don't know what to do about Yumi. I don't want to hurt her feelings." he sighed. "I guess I have to tell her about this, don't I?"
"We can do it together. I have a feeling we'll be doing a lot more together from now on." said Odd with a smile.