The Art Of Loving
Chapter Nine
Ville’s mother rushed him into the house to rest as soon as the boy had recovered. Bam drove the gang to the diner so they could take their own cars home before returning to his house.
He walked in through the garage to the kitchen, where April was cleaning up after making breakfast for the rest of his family. Phil sat at the table cutting coupons and Jess had just walked in.
“Hey Bam. How was breakfast?”
“Ville had an asthma attack.”
“Oh no, is he alright?”
Bam nodded. “Yeah, he’s fine.”
“Are you okay? You seem upset…”
Bam felt strangely daring in a different way than usual.
“Mom, I want to tell you something.”
Why am I doing this?
“What is it, hon’?”
The craving for honesty overtook him and he looked her straight in the eye.
“… I’m gay.”
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
“Ville!”
Ville turned towards the noise, smiling as he saw Bam. The blue-eyed boy waved him over to the gang’s table in the lunchroom, an excited grin on his face.
“Hey man, where were you this morning? I thought I told you that you couldn’t avoid us anymore.”
The Finn laughed. “I wasn’t avoiding you; I got to school late. My Mom insisted on driving me to school after checking that I had my inhaler three times and going over safety procedures or some shit.”
“Do you have your inhaler?”
Ville rolled his eyes, though he was very happy for Bam’s interest in his health, and pulled it out of his pocket to show Bam. “Right here.”
He’s already starting to seem so much more normal…
“So how are you feeling?”
“Fine.” Ville took the seat next to him.
“Are you two gonna call each other those creepy names now that you’re dating or whatever?” Raab inquired. “Like ‘sweetie’ and ‘baby’ and shit?”
“Yeah, what’s the deal?” Dunn added.
Bam blushed and looked down. “I called him that ‘cause was worried about him… But we are dating.”
“You do remember that this is the guy who was stalking you in a really creepy way, right?” Dico looked up at Ville. “No offense.”
… None taken?
Ville just stayed quiet and Bam glared at his friend. “It’s my decision, not yours. I know what I’m doing.”
Bam sighed inwardly.
If only I knew what I was doing…
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
Bam and Ville walked towards their houses, discussing the new reading assignment for their English class.
“I’ve already read it,” Bam informed him.
“She’s not making me, though she ‘encourages’ me to. I had to listen to her explain what the word ‘encourage’ means. She must think I’m the dumbest guy in the world if she still believes I can’t speak English.”
“So you’re not going to?”
Ville gave him a strange look. “Speak English?”
“No, read the book.”
The Finn shrugged. “If I don’t have to, then there’s not much point. I probably wouldn’t even read it I if did have to.”
“You should read it. It’s really good. One of my favorites, actually.”
If Bam likes it…
Ville smiled at him. “Okay. I’ll give it a chance.”
He walked in through the garage to the kitchen, where April was cleaning up after making breakfast for the rest of his family. Phil sat at the table cutting coupons and Jess had just walked in.
“Hey Bam. How was breakfast?”
“Ville had an asthma attack.”
“Oh no, is he alright?”
Bam nodded. “Yeah, he’s fine.”
“Are you okay? You seem upset…”
Bam felt strangely daring in a different way than usual.
“Mom, I want to tell you something.”
Why am I doing this?
“What is it, hon’?”
The craving for honesty overtook him and he looked her straight in the eye.
“… I’m gay.”
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
“Ville!”
Ville turned towards the noise, smiling as he saw Bam. The blue-eyed boy waved him over to the gang’s table in the lunchroom, an excited grin on his face.
“Hey man, where were you this morning? I thought I told you that you couldn’t avoid us anymore.”
The Finn laughed. “I wasn’t avoiding you; I got to school late. My Mom insisted on driving me to school after checking that I had my inhaler three times and going over safety procedures or some shit.”
“Do you have your inhaler?”
Ville rolled his eyes, though he was very happy for Bam’s interest in his health, and pulled it out of his pocket to show Bam. “Right here.”
He’s already starting to seem so much more normal…
“So how are you feeling?”
“Fine.” Ville took the seat next to him.
“Are you two gonna call each other those creepy names now that you’re dating or whatever?” Raab inquired. “Like ‘sweetie’ and ‘baby’ and shit?”
“Yeah, what’s the deal?” Dunn added.
Bam blushed and looked down. “I called him that ‘cause was worried about him… But we are dating.”
“You do remember that this is the guy who was stalking you in a really creepy way, right?” Dico looked up at Ville. “No offense.”
… None taken?
Ville just stayed quiet and Bam glared at his friend. “It’s my decision, not yours. I know what I’m doing.”
Bam sighed inwardly.
If only I knew what I was doing…
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
Bam and Ville walked towards their houses, discussing the new reading assignment for their English class.
“I’ve already read it,” Bam informed him.
“She’s not making me, though she ‘encourages’ me to. I had to listen to her explain what the word ‘encourage’ means. She must think I’m the dumbest guy in the world if she still believes I can’t speak English.”
“So you’re not going to?”
Ville gave him a strange look. “Speak English?”
“No, read the book.”
The Finn shrugged. “If I don’t have to, then there’s not much point. I probably wouldn’t even read it I if did have to.”
“You should read it. It’s really good. One of my favorites, actually.”
If Bam likes it…
Ville smiled at him. “Okay. I’ll give it a chance.”