I was always the outsider. I never really had any real friends.
Not even when I was a kid. I was the boy who had old, ripped clothes and always hung around his little sister. Nobody really wanted to be my friend but some kids took pity on me and sometimes let me sit with them on lunch break.
High school was no different but at least there I didn't even try. I realized that I was better alone. And when my oldest brother got some money and the city started to talk about him, some of them were even scared to get close.
For a long time, it looked like I was destined to not have friends.
I lied to my family a lot of times about that. Saying I was heading out with friends while I was getting beat up in a dark alley, or that I was staying with someone overnight but in reality, I needed to be alone. I didn't care where I slept or if I even slept at all.
I'm glad Lexi isn't like that. That we didn't share the same fate in that department. She has friends and good ones. People who care about her.
At first, I was a little jealous, how could I not? I never had what they do. And I never thought I would. Not with them. They hated me since the first meeting. Why wouldn't they, I was a dick.
When Lexi invited me to go camping, I didn't think anything of it but later I felt like in some way I got close to them there. I realized what I was missing my whole life and it made me...sad.
I realized that if I had friends like them growing up I might have ended up differently.
Last night Jeremy invited me to go out with them. Just guys and a few drinks.
My first thought was that I only got invited because of Lexi. That it was her idea. But when I told her, she genuinely had no idea.
The guys wanted to hang out with me.
And that healed something in me. Something important.
"Well, finally. We thought you'd bailed on us." Jeremy greeted me as I walked up to their table in the back of the bar. The only free seat was on the right side, next to Luca, so I sat down.
"But he arrived just as we were going to order the next round. I'd say he's got good timing." Adrian began to collect glasses from the table and put them in one place. "Beer or something stronger?" He asked me.
"Oh." I looked around, everyone around waiting for my answer. "I'm here by car, I won't...drink."
"Boring." Adrian rolled his eyes. "You and Lincoln can shake hands. What about others?" Some nodded and some answered yes. "You want the same as Lincoln? Coke?"
"Yeah, why not." I shrugged it off and Adrian moved away from our table.
"You know, you could keep the car here," Stefan spoke up. "Come get it tomorrow."
"Leave him alone. He doesn't want to drink, so he doesn't want to drink." I was slightly taken aback when it was Lincoln who stood up for me.
"Zack isn't coming?" I asked Luca.
"Family dinner." He simply answered.
"He drove him here but left. He only stopped for a few minutes." Stefan explained. "And they repeated truth or dare if you know what I mean."
Luca next to me rolled his eyes while the others just laughed.
"Did I miss something?" Adrian returned and took his seat next to his twin. "What are you talking about?"
"Zack and Luc's farewell."
"Ahh." He smiled. "They got the attention of almost the entire bar.
"Because you started screaming," Luca said harshly. "You're like fourteen-year-old teenagers." He crossed his arms over his chest.
"We're just happy for you." Stefan leaned against the table "Is it bad? Although we didn't expect you to find someone who won't be able to keep his mouth shut."
"At least he'll say enough for both of them." Lincoln took a sip from his unfinished Coke.
"Can we leave the topic of my relationship alone?"
"It's the only thing you'll say something to. You can't blame us for that."
"Stop torturing the poor guy. I can see you picking on him from the bar." Destiny appeared at the table with a tray and started placing our drinks in front of us. "Hey, Finn." She smiled.
"Hey, Destiny." I smiled.
"Really no women today, huh? Not even Lexi." She lifted the tray back from the table and placed it under her arm. "God help whoever gets in your way when you don't have her with you to keep you in check." She laughed and left our table laughing.
"That's bullshit." Adrian snorted. "Lexi never held us back. She's not our..." He didn't finish his sentence as everyone gave him a 'seriously?' look. "Okay, I give up." He reached for his beer and took a deep drink.
"Exactly." His twin patted him on the back and I couldn't hide my smile.
It's great to have friends like that.
*****
"Can you move?" Luca interrupted me from the conversation.
"What?" I frowned.
"I need to go to the bathroom."
"Oh." I slowly stood up and let him pass me. "Sorry."
"No problem." He muttered under his breath and started to walk away. I sat down again.
"So where was I?" Jeremy spoke up. "Oh, when I got back..." He continued his story, but my eyes were on Luca, who soon disappeared around the corner.
There was nothing strange about that. But what was strange was the table almost right next to us where three guys were sitting, who came before me. I noticed earlier that they were looking at us, but I didn't think anything of it.
Until now.
One of them, a tall, dark, and bearded guy nodded his head in the direction Luca was going and they all stood up and started walking.
That doesn't look good.
Without saying a word, I stood up and followed them. It was probably just instinct.
I heard voices already at the door.
"You do realize how gross that is, right? I mean, here Tony is shoving his dick into everything that walks, but there's a line." One of them spoke up.
"Maybe he just likes it in the ass, Joey." Another laughed.
"We'll see who he kisses with a broken face." The first one said and before anything could start I walked in.
In a small room where there were cubicles on the left and sinks on the right, three guys stood with their backs to me and Luca in front of them. It wasn't hard to miss him since he was so much bigger than them.
"Is there a problem?" I held the door with one hand.
The guy who was nodding his head back at their table now standing in the middle, turned to me, measured me with his gaze and spoke. "Get lost."
"Yeah, sure, no problem." I let go of the door and stepped into the room. "I'll be gone as soon as you let my friend take a piss and leave. Sounds good?"
"This bitch is your friend?" The one on the right, a shorter blond with slicked-back hair, raised an eyebrow and pointed at Luca.
"That's not his name, but I'll leave it at that this time since I'm sure you didn't ask him before you decided to attack him in the toilets. Or have I read this whole situation wrong? Please don't be afraid to correct me if I have." I crossed my arms over my chest.
There are a lot of things I don't like. One of those things is people who think only their opinion is right. As if the whole world should revolve around them. They are as annoying as gum on a shoe.
"I take your silence as saying I'm not wrong." I walked past them, away from the door, and closer to Luca. "Look, I made a promise to someone I care that I wouldn't pick a fight. So why don't you just leave and we'll all forget what happened here? All your drinks are on me, how about that, huh?"
I've never been the smart one. It was always me throwing up my hands before thinking and never trying to have a normal conversation and sort it out without someone ending up in the hospital.
It looks like things can change a lot over time.
"Are you high?" The middle one frowned. "Did you fall on your head or something?"
Now I know why I didn't solve conflicts with words. Fists are more effective.
"Scum like him is everywhere. They get away with everything, but not today. Not him." He pointed his finger at Luca.
"Okay, look you homophobic prick. I'm not in the mood to be around you any more than I have to." I heard a soft metallic click and noticed that a third guy, a red-haired man with less stubble, had taken out a pocketknife.
"Leave Finn." Luca next to me spoke for the first time. And truly, I'd rather he didn't say anything.
"What?"
"We don't both have to end..."
"Just shut up." I interrupted him. "I guess I like you better when you're quiet. You three," I turned back to them, "just get out." I said tiredly.
"Sure thing." The redhead snorted and stepped closer.
"I'm sorry, Lexi." I breathed hard, but I knew I had to do it.
The redhead tried to lunge at Luca with the knife, but I got in his way, grabbed his wrist, and spun it behind his back. He started screaming in pain before I ripped the knife out of his hand, kicked his knees to make him fall and kicked him in the back with my heel, knocking the breath out of him.
When his friends both saw him on the ground, they jumped towards us at once. They were trying to catch me, but I was a little faster. I grabbed the taller one by the right sleeve, jumped behind his back, and pulled his arm to his left shoulder. I punched him in the right shoulder, dislocating it. He fell to the ground in pain, clutching his shoulder.
The last, blond looked at his friends and did what any decent guy would do. Ran away.
The door hadn't even closed behind them and I was sure he was gone from the bar.
"Fuck this." The redhead picked himself up from the ground and followed him. He almost bumped into Jeremy in the doorway. "Watch it."
"Moron." Jeremy snorted. "What the hell happened here?" He looked at me and Luca and then at the guy in pain on the ground. The guy looked around at all of us and realized that if he tried something again, it wouldn't ed well on his side.
He slowly got off the ground, holding his shoulder, tears on his face, and started walking away.
"Hey! Your friend forgot something." I shouted after him and threw a pocketknife at him, which stuck into the wooden frame, right next to his head.
He looked like he just pissed or shat himself and moved faster, leaving the knife in the wood.
And just like that, my promise to Lexi flew out the window. Or the door.
"Um, hello? Can someone explain what happened?" Jeremy spoke again. "Who the hell was that?"
"Just a couple of homophobic guys with no life." I ran my hand through my hair. Oh god, how am I going to explain this to Lexi? I know I'm not hurt, but still, I made a promise and I broke it. Will she be willing to forgive me?
"Jeez..." He breathed out heavily. "Luca are you okay?"
Luca nodded slowly, his gaze still on me.
"I'm heading out. Thanks for the invite." I slipped past Jeremy and left the toilets. I made my way to the table, noticing that the one next to us was completely empty.
"Are you leaving?" Stefan asked as I started taking things off the table.
"Yes, thanks for the night." I threw some bills on the table. "See you later." And with a hundred words I left the bar and went straight to the car. "Shit!" I screamed and hit the steering wheel as I got into the car.
I know it might be nothing to some people. But for me? I just broke Lexi's trust. And that's not something she just hands out to random people on the street.
All the way back to the apartment I hoped that she would forgive me.
I could lie and not tell her anything about what happened, but that would only make it worse. She doesn't deserve that.
I don't deserve her.
*****
I slowly opened the door and took out the keys. I didn't even have time to put them down and Lexi jumped at me. The only thing I managed to notice was that she was wearing only my T-shirt and bare legs.
"Ugh." She almost took my breath away and wrapped her arms around my neck. She squeezed me so hard that I was afraid she was going to hurt herself.
"You idiot." She pulled away and punched me in my chest
I'm a bit lost. What is going on?
"Why did you run away from the bar?"
"What?" I frowned."How..."
"Luca called me and told me what happened. And the guys said you were upset when you left. Why did you even get behind the wheel in that state?"
"Wait, wait. Stop for a moment." I took a step towards her. "Luca told you everything?"
"Yes."
"And you're angry that I got behind the wheel upset? Not because I got into a fight?" Am I understanding this correctly? Because I'm more than a little confused. "I broke the promise I made to you."
"You think I care? I care if you're okay."
"But when I fought..."
"I didn't like seeing you hurt." She cut me off. "But you protected Luca today and nothing happened to you. Nothing happened to you, right?" I shook my head and she exhaled. "That's good. So I don't care that you got into a fight. The important thing is that you're both okay."
"So you're not really..."
"Oh my God." She took a step towards me, grabbed my sweatshirt and pulled me to her, connecting our lips.
Okay, so I wasn't expecting this.
I don't think I've asked this yet, so....
Jeremy, Lincoln, Luca, Stefan, Adrian. Which one you like the most?.