Let's Play a Game

For the past few weeks Alec and Gio have kept me company to the point that I have no time for my other friends. We've become so close that we know each other's schedules and what classes we take. They invite me to lunch, they join me when I walk home, or sometimes Gio drives us to anywhere just because we don't want to go home yet. Every time they invite me to eat out, sometimes Gio or Alec pays for my food. One time we went to the park and just stayed there until it was very dark and just talked about random stuff. When we were hungry we went to a diner near the park and ate like pigs. We had burgers, fries, sundaes and cheesecakes. Of course Gio offered to pay for my food again, but that time I insisted that I pay. After that they accompanied me home where they met my mother.

After they left my mother asked me "So is one of them your boyfriend? They both look hot."

I blushed.

"What?! No!" I managed to say.

"Ooh someone's got a crush." She jeered.

I just blushed again.

"So which one?" she asked interested.

I sighed.

"Just tell me!" she said smiling.

"Okay, when I tell you, don't do anything crazy like start screaming like a bunch of high school girls, okay?" I said.

"Promise." She said.

"I like both of them." I said shyly.

"What?!" she said containing herself.

"That's greedy." She joked.

"It's not like they're both my boyfriend or something. Or even one of them for that matter." I said.

"So if you bag one I can have the other?" she mocked.

"Mom that's so gross!!" I protested. And I went up to my room.

Anyways, it's the last day of school for the week and since the results for the swim team have not been posted before, it'll be posted now for sure.

The morning part of my day went by fine. But the next few hours I started to get nervous again. It's lunch time and I'm inside the cafeteria eating lunch with Gio and Alec.

"So you think we got in?" Gio asked me.

"Of course!" Alec said with his mouth full of meatballs.

"Yeah, maybe you two. You both were so fast." I said.

"Think positive!" Gio said.

"Whatever happens we're still on for tonight right?" Alec said.

"Yeah of course!" Gio said.

They invited me to dinner tonight. They said they have a surprise for me tonight. Hmm, I wonder what it is.

After we were done eating we went to our respective classes. For the last class for the day we sat together at the back of the class.

"So, we'll meet you at Log Haven later at 8 ok?" Gio asked.

"Yeah, and wear something a little nice." Alec added.

Log Haven is an expensive restaurant, with a nice homey ambience to it. I've never eaten there actually, although I saw the inside of it once.

"Of course. I wouldn't miss it for the world." I replied.

After an hour of listening to our teacher blab on about sines and cosines, it was time to go home. But for the three of us it's time to check the results.

"Let's go! Hurry!" Alec said excitedly.

They both were so excited we were almost in a running pace to the swimming pools.

Once we arrived we saw Don posting the results.

He saw us arrive, he smiled at us and left immediately.

As we were walking toward the bulletin board I immediately felt nervous and Gio noticed it.

"Hey, it's fine." He said soothingly while putting his arm over my shoulder and patting it.

I just smiled.

We were already in front of the paper and I immediately notice that there were only twelve names in the paper. I felt nervous even more thinking that only twelve got in. Then I realized there were only twelve people who were at the tryouts. Which only meant one thing, we all were accepted!

We looked for our names. Gio and Alec were smiling from ear to ear like me when we saw all of our names in the list.

At the last part of the paper we saw a note, it says: "Training starts next week. Schedule: Tuesdays and Fridays at 4-6 PM"

"Yes! I knew it! I knew it!" Alec shouted.

"See you didn't have to worry about a thing." Gio said to me.

I almost hugged him, but I contained myself.

"Yeah. You're right." I said.

"Now we have a lot more reason to celebrate!" Alec said.

I didn't understand it of course.

"Come on, we need to prepare for tonight." Gio said while pulling us both out of the pools.

After walking out of the school we went our separate ways.

As I arrived home, my mom wasn't there since it's a little early. Since I won't be meeting both of them for at least 3 hours, I decided to take a very short nap. After about an hour I woke up. Feeling energized, I took a shower and changed into something nicer than what I usually wear. I sprayed a little perfume so I'll smell nicer.

It's about 7:40 and I decided to take a taxi. After a few minutes I arrive at the front of Log Haven. As I walk I see Gio and Alec looking very dashing. I walked toward them and we walked together towards the door. A guy at the door asked if we have reservations. Gio stepped forward and said to the guy,

"Gio Callahan, table for three."

"Oh yes. This way please." The guy said directing us to our table.

The table was set nicely for three.

As I was about to pull out my chair, Alec offered to pull out my chair for me.

"Let me." He said and pulled out my chair.

I sat down and the two of them followed.

"So, we got in the swim team!" Gio started.

"Yeah, I'm so psyched!" Alec agreed.

"I know! I can't wait to start training!" I said.

A waiter suddenly interrupted us and asked us for our order.

I didn't know anything from the menu so I told the waiter that I'll have what the waiter suggests.

The waiter suggested a nice big cut of steak with gravy and creamy mashed potatoes with greens.

"Great choice!" the waiter said after Gio and Alec were done ordering.

We talked about a lot of stuff while waiting for our food. We even talked about me coming out to my mother and everything. When the food arrived, the smell was overwhelming and everything looks so good.

"Let's dig in!" Alec said.

When I took my first bite it was like a party in my mouth. The steak was so soft and juicy, it cuts like butter it matches the gravy. The mashed potatoes were luscious.

"Mhmm. It's so good." I uttered after a few bites.

"Good. You're enjoying your food. But fill up. You have to make room for dessert." Alec said.

"We're going to a nice ice cream place after." Gio said.

"Don't worry, I can finish all this and still have room for dessert." I said.

" I didn't know you eat a lot! It's a good thing you have swimming. It'll help you trim down."

After finishing off my food we just sat there and talked about random stuff for about ten minutes.

We paid for the food and left a generous tip.

"So you still up for ice cream?" Alec asked.

"Of course!" I replied.

The three of us walked out of the restaurant into the cold chilly night. The ice cream place was walking distance from the restaurant.

While we were walking we talked about their life. At one point we got to talk about relationships. I found out that both of them never had girlfriends.

I asked why Gio never had a girlfriend he said that he's too young for a serious relationship, and now that he's 18 he hasn't found the right person. I made a mental note when he used the word "person" not "girl" or "woman".

Then I asked Alec why he never had a girlfriend before. He said that a relationship does not interest him before.

"So you mean to tell me that both of you have never in your life had a girlfriend?" I asked.

"It's not hard to believe you know." Gio said.

"Well it is!" is said.

As we neared the ice cream place we continued to chat.

When we entered the place a girl in pink uniform greeted us.

"Good evening! Welcome to the ice cream palace!" she said while looking at Alec.

I think she likes him, but he kind of ignores the looks she's giving.

"What will you be having tonight?" she asked.

"Do you have peppermint chocolate chip?" I asked.

It's my favorite flavor, I can eat bucketful of that ice cream.

"Let me check." The girl said. She went to the back of the ice cream fridge and look for a second then came back.

"Yes. We still have some." She said.

"Okay, I'll have that one, can you add chocolate syrup?" I said.

"Sure! And for you two?" she asked looking at Gio and Alec.

"I'll have chunky chewy toffee" Alec said.

"I think I'll have coffee mocha fudge." Gio said.

"Great! Just your order will be ready in a few minutes." The girl said.

We paid for the ice cream found free seats and waited inside.

After a few minutes the girl comes towards our table with a tray containing three large styro cups of ice cream.

"There you go!" the girl said while giving Gio his order.

"And for you." She continued handing me my ice cream

"and last but not the least." She said perkily handing Alec his ice cream.

"Thanks!" Alec said.

"Enjoy!" the girl said and left.

"So you want to eat here or outside?" Gio said.

"Let's go outside!" I suggested.

"Great, let's go!" Gio said.

When we were outside we saw a swing set on the other side of the road.

"Dibs!" I shouted while running towards a swing.

Alec and Gio were racing with each other for the next swing.

Gio reached the swing first and he sat down immediately beside me.

"Ha ha!" Gio teased Alec.

We were all out of breath once we reached the swing set.

After a few minutes of resting and eating a little bit of ice cream we were able to talk normally again.

I was still sitting in my swing when Gio stood up and said that he has to do something first and walked away. Before he walked away he eyed Alec kind of weird. After Gio left for a few seconds Alec said that he'll check up on something as well.

Alec catched up on Gio and they were walking a few feet away from me. They were talking.

I just continued eating my ice cream while swinging a little. After a minute they came back and I notice Gio looks uneasy and Alec looks nervous.

Instead of Gio sitting in the swing next to me, he stood in front of me beside Alec.

"What's happening?" I said. I stopped eating my ice cream and I stopped swinging as well.

"Listen, Jake, we have to tell you something." Alec started.

"What?" I said, feeling a little nervous.

"Well, umm, I think that I uh." Gio said. He exhaled and continued.

"Well, I think I like you!" he said.

"I like you too!" Alec blurted out.

I squeezed on my cup a little more.

Silence. I can't think of a word to say.

After a minute of silence.

"Haha" I tried to fake a laugh.

"Well yeah that's why we're friends right?" I said.

"Good one!" I said.

Silence.

"It's a joke right?" I asked.

They both look serious.

"Are you serious?" I asked.

Silence.

"Oh my god, please tell me you're joking." I said again.

"I wish." Gio said.

"I don't know what to say." I replied.

I just sat there in the swing.

Silence.

"So what do you say?" Alec said after a few minutes.

"What do I say?" I said.

"We were just eating ice cream and you start saying things like that!" I continued.

"We don't know when's the perfect time to say it so we thought why not now." Alec said.

"So both of you? Seriously? You better not be playing with me!" I said.

"Why would we?" Gio said.

"So what now? What do we do?" I asked again.

"Well we talked about it and we decided that we will both try to woo you and whichever one you don't choose won't have any hard feelings." Alec explained.

"We're good friends. It's just that we both learned that we like like you." Gio said.

"Why now?" I asked.

"Well, the past few weeks with you have been so much fun. Whenever I go home and sleep I dream of you" Gio said.

"Every time I'm around you I feel happy like everything in the world's going to be right. And I haven't felt it before." Alec said.

"So does this mean that the three of us will never hang out again like buddies? Every time I go out it's going to be one or the other?" I asked.

"Of course we can."Alec said.

"Nothing's going to change. It's just that in the future you'll have to choose one us."

"Wow. It's all so sudden." I said.

"Can I have some time to think?" I asked.

"Of course." Gio said.

They looked at me.

"What. Now?" I asked.

"No, I can't do it now. Can I just tell you tomorrow or something?" I said.

"Fine" Alec said.

"Sure, take as much time as you need. " Gio said.

"So what do we do now?" I asked.

"We can finish eating our ice cream or we can go home and give you more time to think." Alec said.

"I think we should go home." I said.

"Okay, you want a ride home?" Gio offered.

"I'm fine. The walk will help me think." I said.

With that we went our separate ways.

To the people reading my story, please, please rate and comment.

If you want you can also email me! I appreciate it!