Frankly

The joy from the previous response was quickly swept away by such a question.
“What?”
Phil laughed in embarrassment. “You don’t hafta say it, I was just wondering, cuz girls like certain things and I was wondering-”
“If I liked the same things about you?”
“Well, yeah.” They both stared at the coffee on the table, tense and distressed.
Frank rubbed his eyebrow again. “You sure you want to be asking me this? Doesn’t it freak you out?”
“Sorta,” Phil smirked weakly, with too much effort. “I kinda been wondering for a while and you know….but if you don’t wanna tell me, I get it dude, I really do.”
Phil seemed to be almost pleading.
Frank watched him now, Phil’s features shifting with uncertain emotions.
“Well if it makes you feel better, I’m not interested in your ass.”
“Ok. Good” he sounded relieved and Frank’s face fell a little.
“It’s your face.”
Instant chuckle. “My face? What?”
“You have a nice face.”
“A nice face?”
Frank coughed. “Yeah.”
Phil was calming down, his body relaxed and he felt a sudden adrenaline rush through him. It was strange, but he enjoyed the feeling. “What about my face is nice?”
“Ummm….would you like more coffee?”
Franks nerves and stammering made a knot in Phil’s stomach. The need to tease was great, but he felt disgusted for wanting to flirt.
But the adrenaline was delicious.
He picked up his mug and held it in his hands. “Answer the question, Frank.”
Franks face, already several shades paler, was gaping like a fish on land, looking for an answer.
“A couple of girls told me I had nice eyes. Do you think so?”
“They are a nice shade of brown..”
“Hazel.”
“Hazel” Frank corrected.
“Then is it my eyes that make my face look nice?”
Frank covered his face in exasperation. “I don’t honestly know Phil.”
“Then how do you know you like me?”
“I told you it ain’t a physical thing.”
“I know that, but how’d you realize you liked me?”
“Why do you even care? We’re only friends.”
Phil shrugged, guessing the answer himself. “Cuz you’re the first guy to like me, at first its kinda creepy….now….”
“Now what?” Frank eyed him through his fingers.
“Now it just boosts my ego.”
They both cracked a smile and a swift chuckle.
“I believe you , you know” Phil said calmly after the smiles faded.
“About what?”
“About not being gay.”
“Really?”
“Well, I had to really think it over, but I know your not gay. Like….you can’t be gay, cuz you like women, and you can get it up for women. Then I thought you could have been lying to me all those years about chicks, but your not that good at lying. You’re the worst liar I know.”
“Well, thanks Phil.”
“Yeah, well I’m sorry I was such an ass.”
“Its understood, I mean, we’re good.”
“Awesome.”
“But, I know I like you because I do. I can’t be more specific than that.”
“k. I’ll take that.” Phil lifted his mug. “Now I’m ready for more.”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And everything returned to normal. They sat together at school again and never spoke about the tainted feelings again. They were back to being best friends.
“I’m so gonna kick your ass.” Phil growled, leaning forward on the sofa, clutching the control tightly with an intent stare at the screen. Frank stood on the cushion, flailing his arms whilst shoving his control’s joysticks to the side.
“Fuck you. I leveled her up, so I’m taking you down!”
“Oh yeah?”
“YEAH!”
A couple of seconds of furious thumbing and the tv bleeped the end of the battle.
“What?” Phil wailed, tossing the control to the floor.
“Hahaa! I kicked your shiny metal assssss!” Frank jumped on the cushion.
“You cheated asshole!”
“Me? I leveled my character up while you’ve been on WOW, how’s that cheating?”
Phil stuttered, glaring at his control as if it had failed him. “Just is.”
Frank grinned and pushed at Phil’s shoulder. “Your being a baby. Stop crying and lets go to the Orchard, its about time the truck arrives.”
“I’m no longer in the mood for ice cream.” Muttered Phil.
Frank fell into a sitting position and let out air. “You never say no to ice cream.”
“You never beat me before.”
“Dude, it’s just a game.”
Phil glared at him. “No its not.”
“Do you want me to apologize for winning? Dude, the truck’s outside and I wanted a freakin’ rocket, come on.”
“You go on ahead. I’m going home.” Phil stood, picking up his controller and looking for his jacket.
“You have got to be fucking kidding me. Why are you so angry?”
“I told you why.”
Frank put himself in front of the door to block the way out. “No, what is really up?”
“Nothing!”
“Phil-”
“I lost to a fucking fag, that’s what’s pissing me off!”
Frank’s face drained of color. “But…..but I thought…you know I’m not a fag.”
“Whatever, I didn’t mean it like that…I gotta go.”
Phil didn’t look one bit remorseful and Frank’s anger replaced his fear.
“Right,” he moved to the side and pulled the door open. “Don’t bother coming back.”
Phil eyed him with distaste and walked away.
And this time it seemed for good.
Frank collapsed on his bed, numb.
Every single pore felt numb and the air was too thick to breathe.
The shower he took had relieved the ache on his shoulders and mind, but the ceiling wasn’t working well enough to keep the room cool while the heater was on.
He wasn’t a fag.
He hated Phil, the ass.
He hated his feelings for Phil and hated having admitting them to Phil because deep inside he knew that no matter how much Phil pretended to understand and not care, Phil was a mess.
He was unreliable and now a person with no creditability. None.
The popcorn ceiling was graying near the unkempt vent and Frank made a mental note to someday clean it.
Later.
“What an ass” he whispered to himself and sighed as deeply as his lungs could intake.
He knew that the only way to fix this situation was to lie.
Lie to him and lie to Phil.
And make the lie come true, because even if it killed him, Phil was going to be removed forcefully from his heart.
Just, no one could ever know.
And that same night, he had a dream to compensate.
Like the first time he discovered it.
Frank sat up in the middle of the night, his boxers damp and gasping for air.
Wonderful, just what he needed.