That's What You Get.

John came back –apparently from class- with a couple of guys I never saw before. They said goodbye to each other and those others walked past me to enter the next fraternity house.
I tried to smile at him but his expression wasn’t exactly the same. I felt like I did something wrong but I didn’t know what. That text seemed important, and the fact he asked me to meet him to talk was real big news for me. He never asked me to talk properly. He sat down on the few stairs before the porch of the house and I did the same. He sighed and I thought he was trying to find the right words.
He looked disappointed. John never showed his emotion on the outside but that time, I knew something was torturing him. And I figured that was something that must have involved me.

“So, what’s up?”

I hated that silence, so I tried to get him to talk. He got straight to the point, after that.

“What did you say to Kennedy?”

I should have known he wanted to talk about that.

“I just told him to talk with you because he didn’t believe me”

“Well he called me asking me if I knew something he didn’t about some texts Jules sent me. I didn’t know what to say”

“The truth, may be? You should have told him instead of hiding it”

“It’s not my damn business what he does!”

“But he’s your friend!”

“That doesn’t mean that I have to tell him who to go out with or not! He’s an adult and I’m his friend as long as he needs me! I can’t get in his way! Friends support each other, especially guys”

“I’m just trying to save him from a broken heart! Does it make me a bad friend?!”

“As long as you keep telling him what to do, then yes, you are! Kennedy never told me to stop fucking with you because he is my friend and he’s yours. He knows both of us and he knows we can deal it without anyone else being involved! This is his personal life and you’re not the one who has been asked to judge it”

“I just want my friend back; he’s not the Kennedy I use to know”

“Don’t talk about getting him back like he is a fucking object, for Christ’s sake! You should be his friend no matter what. That girl must be a bad one for him, but he has to realize that on his own. He will open his eyes and come back apologizing. I know that Jules is not the right girl for my friend too, but I’m not the one who will tell him what to do. As soon as I’ll tell him about the text, he will understand you’re right. Happy?”

“I thought I was doing the right thing”

“You got yourself involved too much. You should have stayed out of it and cared about your own stuff”

I sighed and thought that maybe he was right after all.

“Are you going to make him read the text?”

“Yes, and I’ll tell him that you’re just worried. I know that Jules blackmailed you; I’m by your side. She tried to hurt Kennedy, and that’s bad. She’s just being too nice with us because she wants attention. And maybe she’s just insecure, that’s why she did what she did. I don’t know, I don’t know her, we all don’t”

“And why is Kennedy defending her?”

“Sometimes people just don’t want to see the truth because they’re trapped in some sort of 3D world with red hearts all around. Love sucks”

“It really does”

“I’m glad we don’t have this kind of problem”

I looked at him and nodded. Yes, I was happy not to have to deal with a broken heart, and I wanted to avoid that as much as possible. John was right, on everything. Everything he said to me that time made me wonder and think. We never had a serious talk on friendship and after it I was sure he was a good friend. Maybe more than I was, or thought I was.

“I urge you to stop analyzing other people lives; who knows, maybe you’ll find satisfaction in living yours”

“What was that one about?”

“I read it somewhere, I don’t remember where. But it’s true. You should live your own life and stop thinking about other people. It’s not like their life depends on you…saving Kennedy from a potential break up doesn’t make you a better friend than what you already are”

“Where is this coming from? You never wanted to talk about this kind of stuff, and suddenly you look like Gandhi for relationships”

He laughed hard and I couldn’t help but laugh too. The sound of his laugh was nice.

“Don’t get too used to it”

“I won’t. But I like this side of you”

“I like the fact you want to help everybody too. But you need to be selfish sometimes. Like me for example”

“You’re not selfish. You’re just…cryptic”

“That usually works”

“For what it’s worth, it works for me”

He smiled again and got up. He stretched his arms and looked around. The sun was going down and I had to go back. Besides I was sure Kennedy was about to come back, and I didn’t really want to have another fight.

“I’ll see you soon yeah?”

“Maybe tomorrow morning”

“Are you taking this seriously?”
“Who knows”

“Surprise me then”

I walked away and I heard his footsteps behind me. I stopped and turned, laughing. He kissed me gently, and that was weird, then whispered something in my ear.

“I’m not going to class because Jules asked. I am because I want to, and because you were right saying I’m not that stupid…even if I do look like one. And don’t you dare thinking I would stab Kenny’s back just for sex. I wouldn’t ever have sex with Juliet in the first place. I don’t need another girl, as long as I have you”

I smiled again and looked into his green big eyes. That was the first sweet thing he ever told me. I never thought he could have told something like that like to anyone. I found it super cute and sexy. I kissed him again and passionately; then I thought to stop by for a while. No one was waiting for me for dinner after all.

“Thank you John”

“What for?”

“For what you said…you are right this time, and believe me I barely tell this to someone else but me”

“It’s ok” he leaned closer and whispered into my ear again “why don’t you thank me properly in my room?”

I smiled and thought of all the things I wanted to do to him right there and in that moment. The way he was trying to seduce me just whispering in my ear was too sexy and I felt turned on.

“Catch me if you can”

I started to run to the house and got in, running upstairs and waiting for him in his room. He followed me fast, and closed the door behind him. As soon as we were alone his lips were on mine and his hands were wandering all over my body. We did it against the wall, still half dressed, but with such a passion.
Before heading back –this time for sure- to my house, I gave him a long and sweet kiss.

“What was that for?”

“I just wanted to do it. There’s no reason why”

“Well you should do it more often then. I liked it”

I leaned again and just placed my lips on his, softly. He stayed on the bed, just feeling the niceness of the kiss, without asking more. It was a beautiful moment. We never kissed like that before.
Something was changing between us, and I think he felt it too. We were getting closer, but we had still our sex relationship strong. I didn’t know if John was becoming my friend, but he was definitely someone who I could have counted on, from that moment.