Yet a Stranger (The First Quarto #2) - Gregory Ashe Page 0,63

and Devin just made a face like they’d already talked about this a hundred times. Auggie tried to point out all the times he’d written parts just for Devin and Logan. Then, when he got angry, he pointed out that he was the one doing all the creative work. The fight got so bad that Auggie finally left without any of it being resolved, and instead of going to a party with more of his high school friends, he went to bed early. In the middle of the night, he woke up and stared at the ceiling for over an hour. Then he rolled onto his side and deleted the video without posting it.

Thanksgiving started off all right. Chuy was in his room all day, sleeping off whatever shit he’d done the night before. Their mom was in the living room with her boy toy. Auggie and Fer picked up the premade meal, and they worked together in the kitchen to make the dishes that they hadn’t purchased: mashed potatoes and green bean casserole. Fer smoked a joint while they worked, and he looked more tired than ever, but at least he was talking and laughing and giving Auggie the usual amount of shit.

“I don’t get it, Augustus. Why this boner bro who’s like ten years older than you?”

“Dylan isn’t ten years older than me. He’s a senior. That’s, like, three years. Tops.”

“So what do you like about him? Does he have a huge dick or something?”

Auggie flicked mashed potatoes at him.

Laughing, Fer wiped his cheek clean. “Or is he your pussy boy? Auggie,” he moaned, “Auggie, yeah, pull my hair, Auggie!” He ended with a shrill scream.

In the other room, the sound of conversation cut off for a moment, then their mom started speaking again. This week’s flavor was named Carlos. When he laughed at something their mom said, Auggie made a face.

“If that’s what you sound like in bed,” Auggie told Fer, “no wonder you can’t keep a girlfriend.”

“Ha ha,” Fer said, which was so unlike him that Auggie looked up and was surprised to see the hurt in Fer’s face.

“Hey, wait, I was joking.”

“Fuck it. I know; just a little too close to home.” He gave the green bean gloop a giant stir. When Carlos laughed again, Fer stabbed the spoon into the mixture with vicious jabs.

“So, um,” Auggie said. “How are you?”

Instead of answering immediately, Fer picked up the stub of his joint and lit it. “I’m fine, Augustus. Tell me about this boy you like. You sound serious about him.”

“No, I want to hear—”

“Right this goddamn minute,” Fer said, “so I know whether or not I have to buy you a chastity cage.”

Auggie rolled his eyes, but he found himself telling Fer everything, even the things he hadn’t known how to put into words with Orlando: how he’d felt something right away when he met Dylan, and how he very rarely felt anything that strong, especially with guys his age; how that feeling had magnified every time they got close; how Dylan pushed him to be better, forced him to grow, challenged him; how he’d watched Dylan at parties, laughing when Dylan was goofy, but mostly just observing because Dylan was cool, Dylan was reserved, Dylan moved through crowds and stood out because he had that indefinable quality that made him seem like an adult in a room full of children; how he worried that something was wrong with him because he didn’t want to go on dates with guys his age.

“There’s nothing wrong with you,” Fer said. “Well, you’re a total fuckup and probably nothing more than a frat house cum bucket, but there’s nothing wrong with liking older guys. Jesus, Augustus, think about it. Who in their right mind would want to date most eighteen- and nineteen-year-olds? They’re kids; you’re light years ahead of them. Besides, you’ve obviously got a major daddy kink.”

“Jesus Christ, Fer! I don’t—you can’t—what the hell is wrong with you?”

Fer grinned, but it didn’t really make it to his eyes. “Just be careful, ok? It’s not just getting pressured into doing something you’re not ready for, although I’m worried about that too. A lot of guys, the ones interested in someone younger, they do it because they like the control it gives them.”

“Dylan’s not like that.”

Fer mimed jerking off.

“He’s not!”

“Whatever. Tell me again when he’s got his whole hand up your chute and you’re thanking him.”

“I honestly think you need to see a shrink. You are the weirdest person