The Jealousy Game Pt. 01

'Stop lying! I know you followed me here to college! I know you like me more than the other boys in our hometown!'

'Do you really think I would have survived high school if I openly came out? In our damn town?'

'Nik did!'

'Nik is a freakin German Prince! Whereas I was the cute little nerd with big coke-bottle glasses that everyone bullied! Until you pushed my buttons two months ago, I was denying everything. Hiding behind a mask. But I guess I should thank you! You pissed me off so much that I just couldn't fathom another second of holding back. I looked deep into myself, and realized, I don't actually like women sexually or romantically.'

'You bastard! You WILL marry me! This is just a ruse!'

King came out of the locker room with a couple of his teammates, laughing and cheering together.

He heard the last words Molly had to say. 'If this is a ruse, Jeffrey is damn good at acting. He had his tongue shoved so far down my throat in class today that we both were sporting erections. I'm sure you can see them in a couple photos.' King managed to pull me away from the group and Molly fell off my back, mostly out of shock at my anger and King's blunt statement. He then held me tight in his arms as if afraid Molly might try something else. 'Hey beautiful! Are you coming with us to celebrate? Your friends can come too!'

I grinned and threw my arms around his neck and looked over to my friends (Not Molly obviously) and said, 'You guys go ahead. We'll be there later. Maybe.'

King waved his teammates off, (who had the audacity to whistle, of course) and then he picked me up and flung me over his shoulder. 'You're coming home with me.'

'Yes boss.'

King's house was huge. It was a mansion that I swear could fit at least four of my parents' houses in it. But the thing that attracted me most were the gardens. They had beautiful fountains, and gorgeous rosebushes, chrysanthemums, and many other flowers. 'So beautiful!' I mumbled as King placed me on a bench across from a fountain designed to look like a merman was jumping out of the water.

'You know, my parents had this fountain made for me. The moment I told them I was gay, Mom said, "Goodness! Then all these statues in our fountain do no good! We need at least one that has a man on it!" In that moment, I knew that I had the greatest parents in the world.'

I smiled. 'Well, only great parents could make a man as great as you.' I pulled him down onto the bench and climbed onto his lap. 'Damn, that was a cheesy line! I'm sorry!' I hid my face into his chest, completely embarrassed.

'I don't think it was cheesy at all.' He rubbed my back to calm down my embarrassment.

'Hey. Do you mind if I call my parents? I want to tell them I will probably be bringing a boy home for them to meet. But I don't want to be alone in case they don't take it well.'

'Sure.'

I pulled out my phone, and for the moment ignored the explosion of notifications. I dialed home, and waited a few rings. My younger brother, who was about eight answered. 'Rogers residence. Keith speaking.'

'Hey kiddo. Are mom and dad home?'

'No. They are over at the Kleinbergs. But they said to tell you to call mom's cell.'

'Okay. Thanks.'

'Uh huh. I'm going back to bed.'

I dialed mom's cell, and she screeched in my ear the moment she answered. (Was that a mom thing?) 'Jeffy!'

'There's an R in my name mom,' I grumbled. 'Also did you put me on the damn speaker?'

'No. Should I?'

'Are you at the Kleinbergs still?'

'Yes.'

'Please put it on speaker then.' When he heard background noise, he also put his phone on speaker. 'David. Stella. Mom. Dad. I am sure you all were shocked to hear Molly is engaged to me.'

Stella laughed. 'That's quite an understatement! She didn't even know your name when she told us!'

David snorted. 'I was damn certain if "the rogers oldest boy" was going to marry into our family at all, it'd be to Niklaus!'

My parents seemed to agree with David's assessment. My mom however added, 'That's of course because Niklaus is the only openly gay kid around here! So we had no clue who you would marry in reality!'

King laughed loudly. 'In other words, Jeffrey, you spent a year ogling me and drooling over me, and me doing the same to you, and we could have been dating all this time! You nutcase!'

I blushed, not that anyone could see it. My mom piped up and said, 'Oh! Is that mister chemistry partner!'

'Uh, I guess then you've seen the photos!'

'No the video!'

'Mom!!! I do not think you need to see that!' I cried out.

Everyone in the room laughed. But eventually Stella said, 'Our daughter said it was a prank. You and she were madly in love with each other.'

'That's far from the truth.'

'We know. Nik told us what she did.'

'Well that saves a lot of explanation,' I said.

'My daughter needs to learn that using people like pawns in a chess game is not okay. So please continue on with your lives boys. But both of you come back for the engagement party next month. Is that all right?'

'Sure. But Molly keeps harassing me. Is there anything you can do?'

'Don't worry about that.'

'Thanks everyone.'

'Of course!'

I hung up the call and looked up into King's eyes. They were sparkling. As I am sure mine were too. I gave him a quick kiss on the lips then said, 'Should we go inside? It is kind of cold.'

King hoisted me over his shoulder again, somehow I was getting used to this sort of thing from him. 'So am I introducing you to my parents, or are we going to try and dodge them, which knowing my mother will probably be unsuccessful.'

'Well you kinda met mine, so it's only fair, but dodging does sound kind of fun!'

King laughed. 'I suppose we haven't caused enough trouble today!'

'Not in the slightest!'