Why the Straight One? - Chapter 6: Chapter 6

"Do you hate skittles?"
"Umm, that's kinda random, but no, I don't. Why would I hate skittles?" Alan grinned, and locked eyes with Elliot.
"Well, because, you can...taste the rainbow!" Elliot had at that precise moment, taken a drink from his cup. He immediately started choking, and laughing at the same time.
Alan started whacking his back, but it seemed like his choking wasn't going to stop anytime soon. Tears stood out in his eyes as he gasped for breath.
Thomas meanwhile, was sitting in his seat, trying to understand what could be so funny.
"Breath, child!" Alan laughed as he continued to whack the poor guy's back. "Don't die on me! You have so much to live for!"
This only made Elliot laugh harder, which was difficult, seeing that he was still choking on his drink.
I was still trying to decide what to do, knowing that Elliot didn't need some one else to whack his back or ask if he was okay. I decided on staying seated and laughing with them. Definitely the best option.
"You s-saw me taking a drink!" He finally gasped out. "How could you do that to me?"
"Forgive me!" Alan threw himself down in front of Elliot, spreading his arms dramatically. "My humor was only meant to bring discomfort to your brother, but never to hurt you, my prince!"
"You are forgiven! Arise and take your place beside me." Elliot wiped the tears from his eyes, and sighed. "I'm exhausted, but that was so good!"
"I know! I'm the best." Elliot laid his head on his shoulder.
"And modest too." I added, to which Alan nodded solemnly.
"Extremely modest. The neck lines of my shirts are always a respectable height." Elliot burst out laughing again, and buried his head in Alan's neck.
Even Thomas managed a smile, and Alan almost jumped out of his seat.
"He smiles! Looks everyone, he smiles!" The unwanted attention brought a faint ting is red to Thomas' cheeks.
"Alex, why are we even here?"
"Because you are supposed to be hanging out with me today." He looked at the laughing teenagers, who were whispering something to each other.
"Okay, but why are you here?"
"Because, these are the people I want to hang out with."
"But why?" His judgmental look said it all. And here I was thinking he was making progress.
"We aren't forcing you to stay. If you can't handle it, you know where the door is." Elliot interrupted his whispered conversation to tell him. "After all, you never come here anyways. Why make today the exception?"
While the rest of it had been playful banter, I caught the bitterness in his last sentence, and wondered how rude Thomas must have been to make Elliot bitter.
"But babe, I want to play Spades, and we need four people." Alan whined.
"You just want him to stay so you can bug him more." I said, and Alan nodded in agreement.
"Of course! So, Thomas, to flee or not to flee, that is the question." Thomas stared at him for a few moments, and Alan's jovial mood dampened slightly.
"If you want to play Spades so badly, why don't you get Raymond?" I rolled my eyes. This man must want to feel rejected or something.
"You know what? That's a good idea. Unless you want to stay of course." Elliot tried to extend the olive branch, but Thomas had already stood.
"I'm good with leaving. See you later, Alex." He spared me a glance before sulking off.
"Who shoved the stick up that guy's ass?" Alan cried out as soon as the door closed behind him.
"Alan, stop. Go find Raymond or something."
"Your wish is my command, oh prince!" He kissed Elliot's hand noisily, and hurried from the room.
"Sorry that we scared him off." I sighed. I really was trying to spend time with him before our wedding, but he made it hard when he kept running away.
"It's not you. Don't worry." Elliot looked at me for a minute.
"The weddings in what? Three weeks? You guys need some bonding time. Sorry if we made that hard. Alan is a bit much of you aren't used to him." He smiled to himself.
They are so adorable that it's not fair.
"I don't know. I barely know him and I think he is hilarious. He's right about Thomas though."
"Listen, part of why he's acting so weird is-" The for burst open, and Alan came running back in.
"I have found the lost prince, and he is fast approaching!" He plopped on the couch next to Elliot, and I started shuffling the cards.
"I'll have you know that I am an expert at this game, and that Alex and I will totally whip your guys asses. Are you ready?" Raymond sat down across from me. I noticed that he was wearing a shirt this time. Probably a good idea for normal daily activities.
I won't say that I'm not competitive, but Raymond and Elliot take competitive to a whole new level. Must be something to do with being princes.
It was hours later when I left. I could hear Elliot berating Alan for being the reason they lost, and Raymond backing him up.
We kind of crushed them, and Alan had kind of ruined it, so...
I wandered to where I knew Thomas' rooms were. I wanted to talk to him again, and maybe spend some time with him.
I'm mean, sure he was kind of up tight, but he was still going to be my husband, and I really wanted to get to know him better.
I was about to knock on his door when I heard voices. Now you can judge me all you want, but I ask you. If you heard the sound of your betrothed husband talking to someone in his room, wouldn't you listen?
"I know. I'm sorry, I really am. There's nothing I can do though." I'd never heard that much emotion in his voice before.
"I-I understand." It was a woman's voice, and I could hear the tears in her voice. "But it's so hard!" Her sobs were quickly muffled, and I couldn't make out his next words.
"I think it would be best if I went away for a little while. I hate having to see you with that man!"
"I know, I'm so sorry. God, I'm sorry." I felt like I was intruding on something much to personal to be overheard. Any yet, he was my future husband.
I really should have left right then.
"Is there no hope?" The woman's voice was so quiet I could barely hear it.
"None. Too many things are set in stone. But we knew something would come up. The king never approved of us."
"I fucking hate that man! I don't care if he is your father, I hate him so much. He has no right to take you away from me! He has not right to make you marry that man! He-" her next words were cut off abruptly.
For maybe a second I wondered why, until I realized that he was kissing her. To be honest, I don't really know how I felt when I realized that, but I know I was slightly angry.
"I should go. My car is waiting for me outside."
"Where will you go?"
"My mother's place in the country, I think. I need peace and quiet, after life in the palace, and I just need my mom right now."
"I understand. We...we can still be friends though, right?"
"Thomas, not right now, Okay? I need time to get over this, and not have anything to do with you. Please, don't try to talk to me or see me."
I didn't hear what he said, but it sounded very quiet and sad. I suddenly felt my anger gone, replaced with sympathy for him. I never even considered that he could already have liked someone before all this.
"I'm sorry, but that's the way I want it. I-I love you, Thomas."
And that's when I really wished that I had left a long time ago.
"I love you."