Chapter 8 #2
“I hope we didn’t keep you up with the TV last night,” Joe said in between bites.
“We were supposed to go to bed early because Anna had to get up for work, but we ended up watching another movie after. We’re awful.
” His laugh was warm, drizzling into Oscar like the olive oil on Joe’s tomatoes. It didn’t make him sound awful at all.
I couldn’t hear you over my thumping heart, Oscar would have said if this were Lucas. But it wasn’t, so he shook his head and took another bite of the delicious sandwich.
“It’s really nice to see Aaron hanging out with someone real,” Joe said.
“Does he normally bring over people the rest of you can’t see?” Oscar arched an eyebrow, allowing his expression to drop as Joe’s face contorted into a panicked expression. “Sorry. I’m rarely ever serious.”
“Oh.” Joe sighed in relief, laughing again.
Oscar would have liked to be the kind of person who laughed all the time. Grandpa had been like that. And Papa had tried, even though he’d had to live with Oscar’s mother and Oscar with her.
“He does have friends and stuff, of course, but they all live out of town…anyway…”
“It’s fine. I’m not spying on him.” Oscar narrowed his eyes. “But it’s good you look out for him.”
“We haven’t known each other long, but he’s really grown on us. Honestly, it’s really easy to love that guy, isn’t it?”
Joe flashed Oscar a face-splitting grin. There was pepper stuck between his teeth and Oscar thought it was a little adorable, even if pepper in teeth would always break his heart. He didn’t want to think about that now.
“So what do you do, Oscar? You’re twenty, Aaron said. Student or do you work?”
“Bit of both.” Oscar popped a potato chip into his mouth and reached for the soda Joe had poured him. “I’m doing Computer Science, but I also beta test games part-time. It’s recent. My professor scored me the gig this summer. Couldn’t exactly do much physical labor.”
“Right, of course! The surgery.”
Joe nodded, as though it was obvious Oscar had removed a part of his body, as though the trans flag had been painted onto his forehead. Oscar shuttered, chewing on his baguette, eyes on everything except Joe.
“Is it hard to get a gig like that? What qualifications do you need?”
“Time on your hands,” Oscar replied, “a shit-ton of patience, and being able to send the right kind of criticism. You have to be meticulous. Test everything, check for bugs. They’ll have had in-house testers run it multiple times, but you’d be surprised what they miss sometimes.
” He shrugged. “It’s fun. Although some levels get frustrating because you have to complete every quest. No matter what. ”
“Does it…” Joe paused, lowering his sandwich. “Does it pay well?”
“I’ve made rent all summer,” Oscar replied. “I mean, it’s not going to get you a Lamborghini or anything.”
“Dude…have you seen my apartment?” Joe ran a hand over his head. “It’d be nice to make some extra money, and I do have a lot of hours I can use. Besides, it would be great if I could find something that allows me to stay home with Coop.”
“Coop?” Oscar asked.
“You haven’t met Coop!” Joe said, eyes widening as though some great epiphanic truth had struck him all of a sudden.
He pushed back his chair, popping the last two bites of his sandwich into his mouth all at once, then dusted his hands on his pants and passed through the only door Oscar hadn’t been through.
It gave him the opportunity to squeeze in a few more bites, to bring this lunch closer to its end a little more quickly without seeming rude.
But when Joe walked out of the room again, Oscar was no longer in such a hurry to leave.
Nestled in the crook of Joe’s arm was a small black bunny with white patches on his fur.
Oscar thought about the bunny headband on Aaron’s head and about Luigi, who shared coat colors with the small furry bundle in Joe’s arms.
“Coop, meet Oscar,” Joe cooed, approaching the table. “You’re not afraid of them, are you?”
“Of bunnies?” Oscar shot him a dead-eyed look.
“My sibling was scared shitless before they got to know Coop.” Joe laughed, shaking his head. “They adore him now, though. Wanna hold him?”
“Yeah.” Oscar pushed back his chair, always a sucker when it came to animals, and welcomed the bunny into his arms as Joe gently set him down, strong, large fingers rubbing his fur as he softly tutted and crooned at him.
“He likes you,” Joe murmured, smiling. Their eyes darted to each other’s at the same time, and Oscar suddenly felt naked. “Hey, Oz, do you think maybe someday you can try and talk me through applying for that part-time gig? If, you know, they’re hiring and stuff.”
“They’re always looking for new people,” Oscar said, because no matter what Oscar had thought of him, Joe was also Aaron’s friend, and he didn’t seem unkind.
And he’d called him dude. And had called his sibling they.
So maybe Oscar was completely wrong about him.
“Besides, I halve my hours at the end of summer, so they’ll need at least someone to match that time.
And you’re not looking for full-time, are you? ”
“Oh no. I still have the gym,” Joe said.
Something in his expression shifted at the same time Oscar felt his own face fall.
“Fuck, you really are a gymbro, aren’t you?” Oscar said before he could seal his mouth shut. His skin heated, and he wished he could reverse time by just two seconds. The air between them had grown stale, and Coop was still in his arms, Joe’s hand exuding warmth so close to his skin. Shit.
And then Joe laughed. He fell back to sit on the floor, rubbing his face, eyes crinkled almost shut. And he laughed.
“I’m a Class B comedian, Joe. It wasn’t that funny,” Oscar mumbled, because that was definitely easier than sorry.
“A gymbro? Oh my God, Oscar.” Joe eased, crossing his legs and flapping his knees, still grinning. “Maybe I am. Fuck. Anna’s gonna love this.”
“I meant it in a derogatory way,” Oscar admitted, taking over petting Coop.
“Oh, I know. Trust me.” Joe rolled onto his feet, landing in a squat, as though to prove he was indeed the monster Oscar had claimed. “It’s my job. I’m a trainer at one of the local gyms.”
“So…you’re like the Captain of the Gymbros.” Oscar’s mouth twisted to the side as Joe’s lips began to tremble again.
You’re getting cocky, Spike.
“General,” Joe said. “But, yeah, no. Maybe.” He shrugged. “I’m an alright guy, I swear.”
“I mean, if you say so, then it must be true.” Oscar tutted down at the bunny shifting in his arms. He missed Luigi, hadn’t seen him in a whole day.
“No, really.” Joe stood, reaching for his plate and Oscar’s, now empty, and taking them to the kitchen sink. “Will you help me get a part-time gig? I’m sure being a video game god can balance the scales.”
“Yeah. I’ll…ask them, next time I send feedback. That sound good?” Oscar asked.
“That sounds brilliant.” Joe’s shoulders dropped as he turned to look at him.
His cheeks dimpled even deeper than Aaron’s when he smiled.
He looked like such a good boy. An honest one.
The kind of boy Ryan pretended to be. “And you’re welcome to drop by the gym anytime, too.
I can give you a couple free sessions and show you I’m more than Gymbro General. ”
“You gonna turn me into a man?” Oscar asked. The bite in his tone jarred on his own ears. But Ryan was still fresh, and Oscar hadn’t had a chance to really respond to him.
“Nobody can turn you into something you already are, dude,” Joe said, turning on the tap. “And if anybody has ever made you feel that way, then fuck ’em.”