It was Wednesday afternoon, the day after they'd snuck out, and Connor just wanted to go home.

To say things were awkward would be an understatement. Jude couldn't even meet Connor's eye. Not even once. And he would know, since he had been staring at Jude ever since they sat down to eat lunch. He really hoped Daria hadn't noticed.

Daria's voice interrupted his thoughts. "Do you guys want to go to the movies again Friday night?" Connor looked over at Jude, smiling at him, hopeful. He really wanted Jude to come with them. In fact, the original plan was for just Connor and Daria to go, but Connor insisted Jude come, too (and Taylor, he had said, but he mostly brought her up so Daria wouldn't get suspicious). His smile faded a bit when Jude kept his eyes fixed on the picnic table.

"I don't think so," Jude finally said, looking straight at Daria and avoiding Connor's gaze.

Connor noticed.

Daria looked a little surprised; Jude wasn't usually one to say no. "Oh. Um, why not?" she asked. Daria was obviously very happy about this.

Jude noticed.

"Um, well..." his voice trailed off as he tried to think of a good excuse. He reached up, rubbing his neck (a nervous habit of his. Connor thought it was adorable.), and Connor couldn't help but noticed that his hands were touching the same spot his lips had touched less than twenty-four hours ago.

"Me and Jude are hanging out that night. At his house. That's why we can't go," Taylor interjected, giving a small smile to Jude, who looked relieved. Was Jude trying to hide that he was hanging out with Taylor? Were Jude and Taylor dating? That didn't make any sense. Jude would've told him...

Wouldn't he?

"Oh, that's awesome! Are you two finally dating?" Daria smiled at them, leaning in, obviously very interested in the fact that if they were dating, they probably wouldn't tag along on so many of her and Connor's dates. Daria had made it very obvious to him that she would much rather go on those dates alone.

Taylor's eyes got wide and both she and Jude furiously shook their heads. Jude's face got a little red as he looked back down to his feet. "Definitely not." That was all that was said on the matter. Daria looked disappointed- to say the least. The table suddenly got quiet. Thankfully, the bell sounded, breaking the awkward tension... well, mostly.

"Gotta go to class. Bye, Connor," Daria said with a smile, leaning forward and giving Connor a quick peck on the lips. Out of the corner of his eye, Connor noticed that this was the first time all afternoon Jude had looked at him.

Daria finally left, Taylor right behind her. Jude got up to follow them, but Connor gently gripped the sleeve of his hoodie, pulling him back. Jude faced him, looking a bit squeamish. "Hey, Jude. Um... about yesterday." Jude now looked like he might throw up on Connor's shoes right there. "We're still friends, right?" That's what he said; not what he meant. What he meant: "We're at least friends, right?"

Jude sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. He took such a long time to answer that Connor was afraid he was going to say no. Finally he looked up, meeting Connor's eyes. "Yeah, I guess so."

Connor smiled. It wasn't the most reassuring answer, but it was better than a no. "So, since we're friends, can you come to the movies with us on Friday?"

Jude shook his head. "I really don't want to, Connor," he said, a bit exasperated. For what felt like the billionth time that day, Connor stopped smiling.

"Why not? It'll be fun. We can hang out." Jude rolled his eyes, and suddenly he looked a bit murderous to Connor.

"Yeah, with your girlfriend!"

"Oh. We're having this conversation again, huh?" Connor muttered sheepishly as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Jude hiked his backpack farther up on his shoulder. "No, forget it. Let's not." He turned to leave, and it seemed like Connor that talking to Jude was just hopeless at this point.

"Jude, wait. Listen, I know you don't like me with Daria. But you were the one who didn't want to date me." Well, that was probably the stupidest thing you could've said in that situation. Way to go, Connor!

Jude scoffed. "That doesn't make any sense!" Jude whisper-shouted incredulously. "I didn't want to date you because you told me you wouldn't break up with her. I don't want to share you. It won't be fun if I have to watch you shove your tongue down her throat every day! It already isn't, and we aren't even dating! I don't want to go on a date with you with her there too, thinking she's the one on the date. Besides, she'll eventually find out anyway. It's just... It would make everything harder."

"It's just pointless to date you without dating her, too! My dad will never let us hang out if I don't have a girlfriend."

Jude was silent, but he could feel the unspoken words on the tip of his tongue. "Well, then that's that." He paused again, using the silence to end the conversation. "I've got to go to class."

Jude had once again left him alone, and this felt painfully similar to the night before. The memory left a bad taste in his mouth.

Connor slammed the car door shut, his dad immediately looking over at him. "Hey, kid," he said as he pulled out of the car lane, "how was school?"

Connor sat back in his seat, thinking over what he was about to say. "Are you only letting me hang out with Jude because I have a girlfriend?"

Mr. Stevens looked quite taken aback by this accusation. Mostly because it was true. "Um, well, I don't know if I can really say that. I let you hang out with him because he's straight, right? You said he made out with some girl in the tent."

Does he try to act like a total douche or is that just his natural persona? The world may never know.

"So, if I broke up with Daria, you'd still let me hang out with him, right? Because he's straight?" he asked his dad, making sure to put careful emphasis on "straight."

Mr. Stevens looked at him, his forehead wrinkled, visibly shocked. "You're breaking up with Daria?"

Connor shrugged. He already regretted bringing this up. " I don't know. But would you let me-"

"Why?" his dad interrupted, a hand reaching to the volume button to turn the radio down. Out of everything, that's the part he cared about. Of course. What should Connor have expected?

"I don't know, I just don't like her that much. I haven't done anything yet, I just meant, you know, hypothetically." Connor's dad let out a sigh, looking back to the road. Connor rested his head on the back of the seat, giving up. He wasn't going to get a straight answer from his father, that much was obvious. He was just as conflicted as ever.

They road the rest of the way home in silence. Mr. Stevens never turned the volume back up.

"You know," Adam said to his son, pulling into the driveway of their small suburban house. "Daria's a great girl. I think you're lucky to have her."

Connor glanced over at his dad while he was speaking, then turned his gaze back out the window, sighing into the palm of his hand. His dad would be a hard one to crack.