The Deep End

As it turns out Carl is about fifty million times more annoying than Alan remembers him to be. They had settled for next wednesday to meet, and to be honest Alan was regretting even settling a day to meet at all.

The morning on Wednesday, Alan woke up happily because he sort of missed Carl. Sort of. Then they actually met up and Alan realised how only four months can change a person. Since when did he take such an interest in girls and every detail of Alan's life? If Alan actually had a love life then he would have felt seriously violated at how enthusiastic Carl was to know every little thing about him. They went to the same school, but Carl was too busy reading books on frogs and stalking Kacey Hallroy to talk to him.

And since when did he get a fucking girlfriend?

"So, Alan, got an eye on anyone?"
"Alan, have you seen Jess McGall from school lately?" Alan had, he opened his mouth but Carl was already continuing:
"Seriously, she had every boy drooling after her, well apart from you."
"So, Alan, how are you doing in Maths?"
"Did you get a tutor?"
"Did you know that frogs have teeth?"
"So, Alan, you got a girlfriend?" His smile was no comfort at the enslaught of questions. So Alan replied simply:
"Nope. You?" He only asked that so that Carl might actually say something about himself instead of acting like he was writing a book on Alan's life. Carl smiled blindingly, "I do, yes I do." He chirped, happy at the way it sounded. "It's Kacey Hallroy." Alan managed to slip in a quick 'congratulations' before Carl went off on another tangent. "She's great, and you promise not to tell anyone?" He offered his pinky finger for Alan to shake with his. He did. "We made out yesterday and she let me grope her, it was great."

Alan was almost lost for words. He laughed uneasily, replying with some form of the words 'Good, I'm happy for you and your satisfied hormones'. In an attempt to recollect his thoughts, Alan offered:

"I'm kind of thirsty, want me to get you a drink?" Carl nodded and went with water. Alan was already downstairs when he realised he hadn't taken down his kitten calendar. Fuck. So he made the drinks with haste, and made his way up the stairs, early spilling them thrice.

By the time he had entered his room, Carl was sitting on his bed gazing out of the window with an air of boredom. He passed Carl his drink, and perched on his bed next to him. For a second Alan thought he had gotten away with it, but then:

"You jerk Alan, you didn't tell me you had a girlfriend!" Alan stared at him in perplexion, where had he got that idea from?
"What? I don't..." Carl raised his palm to reveal a slip of paper resting on it with Austin's number scrawled on it.
"Then who's is it?" Carl asked.
"It's just a friend's okay, I am not interested or dating any girl."
"What friend? You don't hang around with anyone at school, and you barely go outside of your house."
Alan sunconciously looked out of the window in the direction of Austin's house.

Unfortunately Carl interpreted it as that he was looking at the house opposite his.
"No way, Esme Fuller, holy shi-"
"No! Not her-"
"Rebecca Mid-"
"Not Rebecca Middleton either. Don't worry, it's nothing, you don't know them anyway."
Silence drowned them as Carl pondered, until he froze and all positive emotions drained from his features.
"Seriously, Alan? Please don't tell me you are actually being 'friends' with that weird goth guy?" He paused, hoping for Alan to protest strongly that he had nothing to do with Austin, instead Alan sat in silence. He must of seen Alan flush red because next thing he knows Carl has seized his shoulders and is shaking him violently.
"What were you thinking?! I have heard some bad things about him, Alan. He's gay, and he's a sinner a-"
"He's my friend, I would prefer if you didn't talk bullshit about him in front of me." Alan snarled, his protectiveness was clearly not helping his whole 'I'm not being dragged into homosexuality by my ridiculously endearing, goth neighbour' act.

"Okay, Okay." Carl held his hands up in surrender, but the concern didn't leave his posture. "Just watch out okay, he's a sinner, Alan, it's part of his act, he wants you to trust him and then he wil-"
"You know nothing about him, Carl, just please spare me the whole 'lead into sin' speech, I have heard it before." Carl granted his wish, and didn't question it.

Alan's mother appeared at the door, beckoning them for dinner. Quietly as they were getting up. Carl whispered to Alan:

"Just watch out okay, and don't let him change you."
"Yeah, yeah, I can assure you that I still believe in God and that I am not gay."

Carl nodded; but didn't look convinced.