Page 47 of Talk to Me

“I didn’t do much,” I said with a shrug. “Couldn’t. I was trapped against the wall.”

He laughed and then stared at me, as if examining me.

“You should do some Peepers videos with me,” he said. “You always seem to know what people want to see in my videos anyway.”

I shook my head violently.

“Noooooo, thank you.” I held my hands out in protest.

He cocked his head to the side. “Why not?”

“That kind of attention does not appeal to me,” I said, then realized how that might sound. “Not that there’s anything wrong with it. You know, wanting to be an influencer and everything, it’s fine. It’s just not for me. But I’m glad that anything I’ve suggested is helpful. I just…no. Fame of any level makes my skin crawl. I don’t even have any social media, really. I like just being me doing my thing and being left alone.”

Theo examined me a moment longer.

“Why were you nice to me?” Theo asked. “You know, in American Lit?”

“Huh?”

“Aside from the whole argument in the quad, you were trying to be nice to me,” Theo said. “When everyone else was being mean to me. I mean, obviously, I’m a horrible person. I did a horrible thing to my boyfriend. Everyone says so, right? So…why were you nice to me?”

I shrugged. “Everyone needs a friend.”

Theo cocked an eyebrow at me.

Laughing nervously, I said, “Okay. Maybe I know what it’s like to be the outsider. Growing up gay in rural Iowa, you know? It wasn’t horrible for me—it’s not the fifties or something—but I was never…people never went out of their way to make me feel welcome. I know how that feels. And you’re not a horrible person. And you needed a friend. So, that’s why.”

The smallest of smiles pulled at the corner of Theo’s lips.

“Okay,” he said.

“Okay?” I asked. “And you’re not mad I don’t want to be in your videos?”

“No,” he said. “Not at all. But you still have to give me your opinions on what you think I’m doing wrong and right.”

“I am very opinionated,” I said as he stood.

Laughing, Theo didn’t make a move for the doors.

“You promised me you were taking me to dinner,” he said, suddenly stern.

“I did. Are you trying to be an ingrate here or what?”

“No, no, no.” He shook a chastising finger at me. “Arthur tricked everyone into paying for us. “You didn’t actually take me to dinner.”

“I drove you in my car,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest. “If that’s not taking someone somewhere, I don’t know what is.”

“You still have to provide a free dinner,” he said. “That you paid for.”

I stared up at Theo, unable to keep the smile from my face, even though I kept my arms aggressively across my chest.

“Okay,” I said finally, “how about this? I have no plans. How about a couple games of Uno? We’ll even play by the official rules.”

Theo laughed. “Deal!”

I shook my head and dropped my arms. Then I jerked my head towards the doors to the dorm building.

“Let’s go, ingrate,” I said.