“You know, I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s already seen it and loved it.”
“Ugh,” Nikki groans. “We’ll see.”
Wednesday, September 3, 2025
“I have a girlfriend.”
Jude’s voice startles me. We’ve been at the library working on our Psych project for about half an hour, and Jude’s been uncharacteristically quiet. Well, uncharacteristic of the Jude I’ve come to know only over the past week and a half, I suppose. It’s weird to remember we met less than two weeks ago.
I blink up at Jude, waiting for them to continue, but they don’t. “That’s cool! What’s she like?”
Jude shrugs. “Oh, we don’t have to talk about her or anything. I just realized I hadn’t mentioned her yet.”
My gaze drops back to my laptop, then back to Jude again. Jude is watching me expectantly from across the table. I frown. “Well, congratulations! I mean, I’m not surprised. Just felt kind of random for you to announce out of the blue.”
Jude exhales a small laugh. “Fair point. Sorry. I—I guess I’m not…” they trail off, choosing their words carefully. “I usually don’t get along so well with guys like you for very long beforethere’s some weird miscommunication or something. I just feel like I should make sure you know I’m seeing someone before too much time passes and it’s awkward, you know?”
I stare at them, confused. “Guys like me? A weird miscommunication? What are you talking about?”
They shift uncomfortably in their chair, dropping their eyes again. “Do I really have to spell it out?”
“That would be nice, yeah,” I reply.
Jude glances back up at me with a strange look on their face before speaking. “I don’t want you to think I’m leading you on or anything. I don’t know. I’ve been friendly with straight guys before, and somehow it always ends with them asking me out.”
My eyebrows shoot up, understanding finally dawning on me. “Ah, okay. Got it. That’s fair. Although I’m not sure I would classify myself as ‘straight’.”
Now it’s Jude’s turn to stare at me in shock. “Oh. Really?”
“I don’t know, man,” I grumble, immediately regretting my words. “I guess I could technically be straight, but I don’tfeelstraight. It’s…it’s complicated. Forget I said anything.”
Jude chews on their bottom lip. “Okay. I’m sorry for assuming.”
I shrug, hoping this conversation will end soon. “It’s fine. Either way, you don’t have anything to worry about.”
Jude goes quiet again, and when I look back up at them, there’s a furrow in their brow.
“What?” I ask.
“You’re saying I don’t have anything to worry about, because…you’re not into girls?”
My face contorts. “What? No, that’s not—no, I’m saying you have nothing to worry about because I respect you and your boundaries,” I clarify. “It doesn’t matter who I’m into or not into. You’re my friend, and you have a girlfriend. End of story.”
“Oh,” is all I get from Jude.
“Also, I never said I wasn’t into girls.”
“Oh, sorry.”
“But that wouldn’t even matter, because you’re not a girl.”
Jude lets out a soft snicker but won’t look me in the eye. “That’s also true.”
I stare at them incredulously. “Did I do something that made you feel uncomfortable?”
“No, not—” Jude stops, but it’s too late. I know what they were going to say.
“Not yet?”
