Opposites Attract

"Sorry, Keith. I'm just not feeling up to it. Maybe another time?"
"Oh yeah sure. It's no problem. We were both kind of busy anyway, with work and... yeah."
"I'll call you later, okay?"
"Bye."

I rolled my eyes at the dial tone. Why the hell is he being so huffy? All I said was that I wasn't feeling up to going anywhere today. Besides, it's just a football game. I mean, yeah I love football, but it's not like I'd kill to go to one... alright yeah normally I would but...

Okay I just don't want to go to the damn game! It's a lot of reasons. Football, besides flirting, was my favorite hobby for years. I was MVP and my dad and I had never been closer. It's the main reason we bonded in the first place, and going to a game now would just remind me of the man my father actually turned out to be. Then of course Sean comes to mind, especially since he is just as athletic as I was. Face it, I wouldn't have my mind on the game at all.

And I know what you're thinking - what about Keith? He's got to be a distraction too, right? Well... yes. He is a HUGE distraction, but not in a good way. He tries his best to get my mind off of all the drama in my life, but he doesn't even realize that he's part of the drama! I like Keith, I really do, and it's not like one of my usual crushes where it's over after I leave their bedroom in the morning. It's like, if we ever did have sex, I might actually want to stick around after! That's only happened twice before in my life: my first girlfriend, and my last boyfriend, and both of those relationships ended in disaster. So forgive me if I'm not exactly jumping at the chance to date him.

I feel a little guilty rejecting him like this, especially since he's trying so hard. I mean, really - football? He told me himself that he has no clue what's even going on in football and he even told me that "it's kind of stupid that it's nothing but a bunch of hulking guys running back and forth trying to get a ball that has a higher I.Q. than they do, nearly dismembering each other in the process." He said all of this before I told him my opinion of football of course, and he immediately shut himself up on the topic of sports after that. It's actually kind of cute :)

Damn it! Stop it, Dallan. You aren't making this any easier for yourself. He's just another guy, a guy you shouldn't even be attracted to considering how different you guys are: he's a bookworm, I'm a jock; he loves brain-teasers, I love being a tease; he wears dressy clothes, I prefer no clothes at all. We disagree on practically every topic that comes up. Besides the fact that we are both ridiculously attractive, we have nothing in common. He is nothing like my usual hook-ups and probably the exact opposite of my ex Tony, and I was in love with Tony. So, why am I even remotely interested in Keith?

And don't say it's because "opposites attract." That is just way too cheesy.

***

"Hey Ace. How ya holdin' up?"

I sat down in one of the chairs in the visitor's room. After Sean had his meltdown at school, the school's administration strongly advised that Sean gets help for his anger issues, and pretty much shoved the pamphlet for this place in my face after giving me an hour long lecture. Many arguments between me, Sean, and the principal later, Sean was admitted to the Murphy Institute for Emotionally Unstable Children.

I expected Sean to be pissed, but he actually went along with it. That doesn't mean he was happy to go here, but he didn't fight me on it. I guess he realized that he did need help. I wish I could help him, but let's face it - I serve absolutely no purpose in his life.

"I'm good. Some of the lady staff have been asking about you."
"That's nice."
"That's nice? What? No flirtatious comments? You don't want to smirk and brag about your skills and then go to chat them up?" He raised an eyebrow at me.
I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. "It's the Keith situation. I keep turning him down, and I think he's getting mad about it."
"Why are you rejecting him?"
"He wants to go on dates and talk and stuff!"
"I know it's nearly impossible for you to hold a nonsexual conversation but-"
"No, that's just it! Sex has not come up at all with Keith. We just talk and we disagree about everything and we still have fun together and it's just..." I sighed.
"Dallan, we already know that you really like Keith. Why don't you just ask him to be your boyfriend?"
M head shot up. "Because that's a really stupid thing to do!" I snapped. He blinked and I instantly apologized. "Sorry sorry. I'm just stressed. I didn't mean to take it out on you."
"If you don't call Keith and ask him out right now, I promise that I will contact all of your exes and-"
"Stop right there. Even if you could possibly round up all the numbers of the people I've dated, there is still no reason to go to such extremes. Fine, I'll call him. He probably won't say yes, since he's mad at me for rejecting him so much."
"Don't care. Go call him."

I rolled my eyes and took out my cell phone. I was actually kinda hoping that he would pick up, but I mostly wished that he wouldn't.

"Hello?"
"Hi, Keith. It's Dallan." He didn't say anything. "I'm calling to apologize."
"Ow! Apologize for what?"
"For... turning down your dates. I-" He swore and I heard crashes noises. "Keith, are you alright?"
More cursing. "Ah, yeah I'm fine."
"What are you doing anyway?"
"Helping my friend build a gazebo."
"Build a... nevermind. I... I kinda wanted to ask you something."
"Hang on." I waited as I heard the sound of a hammer getting further and further away. "Okay, what did you want to ask me?"
"I... uh... You... You don't seem like the guy to use a hammer." Facepalm.
"What else would I use to pound a nail?"
"No, I mean you don't seem like the construction type. I figured you would-" No! Shut up before you accidentally insult him!
"I would what?"
"Nothing. I was calling to see... if I had left my car keys at your house." Another facepalm.
"Your car keys."
"Yeah I searched everywhere and I can't find them."
"If you had left your car keys here, then how would you have gotten home?"
"I-" Damn it. Damn it. Damn it.
"Dallan, why did you really call me." It didn't even sound like a question. It seemed like he knew.
"I was gonna ask you out but I wussed out."
"I didn't think you were interested in me, since you keep-"
"Rejecting you, I know. It's not that I'm not interested. It's the opposite actually. I just don't know what to do when you make me feel like..."
"...Like what?"
"Not that this would be any easier in person, but do you think we could meet up somewhere and talk about this?"
"Yeah, sure. Uh, I probably won't be done with this gazebo for a while. How about you come by my place around 5 p.m. and we can talk then."
"Oh okay. See you then."
We hung up.

"You forgot your car keys? Really, dude?" Sean smirked at me.
"Shut up. I bet your courting Cory didn't go so smoothly either."
"Not really. It involved a lot of awkward moments and not talking. But it ended well... um well I guess it didn't." He frowned.
"Don't be ridiculous. He's still crazy about you. He calls me everyday to ask if I had gone to visit you yet and he wants to know how you're doing, but he didn't want me to tell you that he was worrying about you because... well I forget, but he is thinking about you so there's no way you guys are broken up or anything. Every relationship hits a rough patch. The ones that were meant to last will make it through."
He smiled. "We've been best friends for years."
"Then do you really think he's gonna give up on you now?"
"No. I know he won't." He grinned. "Thanks, man."
"No problem. Anything else you want to talk about?"
"Yes. Can you please sneak in some better food? They have like no meat here!"
I laughed and mussed his hair. "I'll see what I can do, as long as you stay on your best behavior."
"Why do you feel the need to act like a parent? I liked having my irresponsible older brother." He waved my hands away from his head.
"Truth be told, I hate acting like an adult. I have to make sure that you don't get in trouble, which is ironic considering trouble was pretty much my middle name. I have to work two jobs day and night, both of which suck ass. And I can't hook up with anybody because I'm trying to have a 'serious relationship'. Why the hell can't I just walk around the house naked eating Lucky Charms at four in the afternoon?"
"Because you're a grown-up now. You can't act like you did when you were in college. But you don't have to be one of those stuffy boring dads on cartoons. Just find a balance. Eat Lucky Charms on your lunch break or something."
I rolled my eyes. "Whatever, Ace. See you around."
"Where are you going?" He asked as I headed for the door.
"To sit in the car and try to figure out exactly what I'm going to say to Keith."
"Even though you know you're just gonna forget the whole thing and say whatever random crap comes to mind when you actually have to talk to him?"
"At least I can say I tried."
He laughed as I walked out the door.

***

Since it was my day off and I had time to kill before going to see Keith, I decided to head to the mall and slowly work off my nerves. I felt sort of out of place, though. Normally, I would go to the mall with the sole intent of getting a date, but now I was hopefully soon-to-be off the market. Now all I had to do was shop. Really, when you take away the fun of looking at people at the mall, it's nothing but a bunch of clothing stores and crappy food courts. Why do people come here anyway?

I figured I might as well grab some better looking clothes for tonight so that I might have a better chance of getting Keith to say yes. I went into some random clothing store that looked like the clothes I usually wear. The sales clerk was checking me out - nothing new. I walked over to look at pants when someone called my name.

This someone's voice sounded too fucking familiar.

Don't turn around, don't turn around, don't turn around.

"Dallan!"

Fuck.

Tony.

My ex-boyfriend Tony.

He strode over in his trademark butt-hugging jeans and tight fitting shirts, his arms looking slightly more built than last time and the left had a tattoo that I couldn't see very well. My memory of his soft brown hair was replaced by this startling bleach-blonde hair that fell over his left eye instead of his usual right. Those harsh brown eyes locked onto mine. I blinked hard, hoping it was just a dream and he would disappear, but when I opened them, he was standing two feet away from me. The smirk on his face was new as well.

"Well well. I never expected to see you here, Dallan. I didn't think there was anything that could tear you away from the beach and all the arse back in Beach Town."

How the hell did I forget he had an accent? I guess I just got used to it.

"This is my hometown. I've moved back here."
"Got tired of the beach? I know you couldn't have gotten tired of the arse."
"Actually, I was bored with both."
"Really? That's a stretch. So why did you come back here? You always told me you hated it here."
"No, I said it was boring here."
"Well, you always raved about Beach Town, so I guess I misunderstood. Shopping for new clothes? It's about time. Every time I saw you, you wore the same ragged pants and old shirts."
"They were distressed jeans and vintage shirts. They were supposed to look like that." I seethed.
"Well they didn't flatter you. You always looked much better naked." I blushed. "Anyway, I guess you're wondering what I'm doing here."
"Not really." I muttered under my breath.
"I'm in a band now. My and the gang are on a cross-country tour before we film our next music video."
"You're in a band?"
"I do guitar and vocals."
"But you suck at guitar. And singing!"
He frowned. "I got guitar lessons, and as for the singing, you never seemed to mind when I sang to you at night. It always managed to get you-"
"Tony, who's this?"

A guy came over and stood next to him. He looked like a businessman, dressed in a dull suit and was clean-shaven. He wore sunglasses even though we were in a poorly-lit store, and I'm surprised his spray tan didn't stain the white collar of his shirt.

"Oh this is no one special, just my ex, Dallan."

Ouch. I think I actually heard my heart break out loud. If they heard it, it didn't faze them.

"Ex-boyfriend, huh? Nice to meet ya." He stuck out his hand for me to shake it but barely waited for me to grab it. His phone rang in his pocket and he took it out smoothly before answering and turning his back to us.
"I'll be in town for a week. You should come see us perform. I know you have a thing for under-aged talented guys." His smirk only grew, becoming a permanent fixture on his face.

God, I wanted to punch his perfectly sculpted face.

"Actually, I'm done chasing prepubescent punks like yourself. I've got a boyfriend who is way more mature, masculine, intelligent, and sexy than you could ever dream to be." My eyes widened at the load of manure that just fell out of my mouth.
"Oh, really? I would love to meet him." The businessman tapped Tony on the shoulder and pointed for the door. "Well, it looks like I've got to go. Bring your fantastic new boy toy by the Sirian Arena next Saturday." He nudged the businessman who instantly handed me two tickets and backstage passes as if he were listening to our conversation as well as talking on the phone.
"Why do even carry tickets and passes with you anyway?" I asked. I saw him winking at a few girls who had gathered to gawk at him and shook my head. "Nevermind, I figured it out."
"Hey, every great band needs a few groupies."
"Dude, you are gay. Why are you even bothering with them?"
"I can't go ruining my image by admitting I'm gay. Teenage girls are guaranteed goldmines. Boys don't give a shit about our music. It's all about marketing strategy."
"What the hell do you know about marketing or strategy, or anything for that matter?!" I was l feeling the stress again.
He shook his head and chuckled as he patted me on the shoulder. "See you Saturday, Dallan. Don't forget your new beau."

I watched him and the suit guy leave the store, a bunch of "groupies" following after them. Ugh, can you believe the ego on that guy?! And people say I'm full of myself! I can't believe he actually expects me to show up!

But then again if I don't show up, he'll know I was lying. There is no way I'm gonna look like his pathetic ex so he'll one day write a song about what a loser I was.

But where the hell am I gonna find a guy to pose as my boyfriend?!

My watch beeped, telling me it was 4 o'clock. I had an hour before I went to ask Keith out.

If this were a romantic comedy, this would be the moment where I make out a half-wit plan to get Keith to pose as my boyfriend so that I could impress my ex, and then Keith would find out I was trying to look good in front of Tony and would feel used and stop talking to me until I came up with some elaborate plan to win him back.

But here in real life, I was already bolting out the store to my car. I only had an hour to figure out how to tell Keith what was really in my heart.

***

I don't know how many times I rang the doorbell, but when he answered he raised an eyebrow at me.

"Dallan, it's five o'clock on the dot. I haven't even been home for more than twenty minutes."
"I parked down the street about uh..." I looked at my watch. "Thirty-seven minutes ago."
"What?" He stared at me.
"Wait, thirty-five. I forgot I had to circle the block for a space when I saw I had parked on a fire hydrant."
"Dallan, what are you-"
"Keith, I've been sitting in a car for thirty-five minutes planning exactly what to say to you and I've forgotten all of it by now, and pretty soon I'm gonna lose the balls to do this, so could you invite me in so we can talk?"

He opened his mouth to talk but stopped and stepped aside. We walked into his living room and he sat on the couch with his hands clasped together while I stood and gathered my confidence.

"Okay, so I've been really thinking about this. I've been with a lot of people - you know this - but I haven't actually dated that many people. I wouldn't say I'm afraid of commitment, it's just that staying in long-term relationships just didn't make a lot of sense for me. Everyone was always in my face and it was really hard to tell who the genuine people were. Plus, sleeping around has always been more appealing to me than dealing with jealous girlfriends and shy boyfriends." He made a clearly annoyed sound before I continued. "Uh, yeah. But I've realized that just having sex isn't what I want anymore. My whole perspective of relationships changed when I first started dating Tony."
"Your ex-boyfriend."
"Yes. I... I was honestly in love with him. Up until that part, I didn't even know what love was."
"What is it to you?" He asked me.
That caught me off-guard. "To me... love is... it's like..." I sighed. He looked at me expectantly, but not judgmentally.

I thought about how I felt when I was with Tony, before we started fighting and cheating. I thought back to my first real girlfriend and how I felt, even though I was still just a teenage boy and probably didn't even feel real love but whatever I felt was enough. Then I thought of all the one night stands and drunken partying that I was happy to give up, just for the shot at being with someone who was my complete opposite.

"It's when you can wake up in the same bed as that person and not want to leave before they wake up. It's going downstairs to make them breakfast even though you know there's a high possibility that you'll burn the house down, just because they always smile and say how great your cooking is. It's following them to every concert, store, and restaurant that you can't stand just because it makes them smile. And most of all, it's forgetting about every other relationship you've ever had before that, because you know that nothing else could ever make you feel the same way.

Keith, I'm not a settle-down kind of person. I've been jumping from place to place ever since I was old enough to leave home, and even my most important relationships weren't exclusive. But I haven't had sex in over three months, and I haven't missed it at all. If my college buddies heard me saying that, they would have heart attacks! I didn't think I'd even be interested in a quiet teacher like you, but between you and Sean, I have absolutely no reason to want to go anywhere else. I know I've been rejecting you lately, but that's because I didn't want to get in another relationship where I'd get my heart broken. I'm used to being in control of things, and when Tony ended it, I felt like I couldn't even think on my own. I have a feeling I won't be in control if I dated you."

His stare softened and he unfolded his hands.

"Can you handle not being in control?"
"I can honestly say that I think I can. I haven't been in control of anything since I got here and it hasn't bothered me."
He nodded, then stood up. "That's nice and all, Dallan, but you really haven't told me anything that I didn't already know." I gaped at him. "I know Tony was important to you and that you haven't been the same since it ended between you two, and I know that you've grown and you want to make a better life for yourself and Sean. We're good friends, Dallan, but tell me how me being in your life is going to matter to you. I don't see what us dating has anything to do with what you just said to me."
I blinked. "What? Are you fucking kidding me? I just told you every fear and insecurity that I have, you know about my past, and you know that I'm willing to change for you!"
"No, I know that you're willing to change. I never said that you had to do anything for me."

My eyes widened. He smiled, walked over to me, and kissed me. I was still confused.

"Ooookaay, so what does that mean?" I said.
"It means you're trying too hard. A simple make-up date would've been fine."
"I- Oh, so this means we're dating now?"
He laughed. "Yes, Dallan."
We kissed again. "Hey, do you think next time you could skip your whole teacher talk and just dumb it down for me?"
"I'll see what I can do."