Friends

I walked into my dorm room and, as expected, found Dexter and Trixie tangled up on the couch, looking like they’d just stepped out of a romance. They were practically fused together—Dexter’s arm around her waist, their lips stuck together. Dexter and Trixie were high school sweethearts and madly in love with each other.

I sighed dramatically, tossing my keys onto the counter. “Don’t let me interrupt, lovebirds. Just pretend I’m invisible. Keep ignoring me like you usually do.”

Dexter barely glanced up, his attention still locked on Trixie as he muttered, “We do that all the time anyway.”

Trixie, however, was less inclined to let me sulk. She untangled herself from Dexter’s grip and bounced up, her face all concern and curiosity. “Camron, wait, what’s going on? You look like someone stole your dessert.”

I flopped onto my bed with a groan, covering my face with my hands. “Jake broke up with me.”

“Oh, no!” Trixie gasped, plopping herself down on the edge of my bed. “That idiot! What happened?”

I sat up and rubbed the back of my neck. “Well, first, he told me we’re in ‘different places.’ Then he gave me some lines about me deserving better, and finally, he dropped the ‘it’s not working’ bomb. Classic breakup speech.”

Dexter, half listening, snorted. “Wow, that’s original. Did he G****e ‘how to break up without sounding like a jerk?’”

I chuckled. "Myabe, he used chatgpt."

Trixie tilted her head, her eyes wide. “And... how are you feeling? Heartbroken? Angry? Do we need ice cream or tequila?”

“That’s the weird part,” I said, scratching my head. “I’m not feeling much of anything. I mean, I should be upset, right? But… I’m not.” I shrugged. “Maybe I was more done with the relationship than I realised.”

Trixie narrowed her eyes, a mischievous grin slowly forming on her face. “Ohhh, wait. There’s more, isn’t there? Spill it.”

“Okay, fine,” I sighed. “After Jake dumped me, I ran into Evans outside the bar.”

Trixie’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Evans? The Evans you hate with every fibre of your being?”

“Yes, that Evans,” I said, laughing despite myself. “He asked me for a lighter, and then we... I don’t know; we bantered for a bit. He said I wasn’t his type. And the weird thing is, it didn’t feel hostile. It was almost... fun.”

Trixie gasped dramatically, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “Wait a minute, Cameron. Are you saying Evans is—”

“Gay? I didn't know,” I interrupted, shaking my head. “And honestly, why would I care?”

“Uh, how could you not know he’s gay?!” Trixie cried, swatting my arm like I’d just missed the most obvious thing in the world. “Don’t you have, like, a ‘gaydar’ or something?"

I burst out laughing. “Apparently, my gaydar’s broken.”

Dexter piped up from the couch, his voice deadpan. “Well, I’m straight, and even I knew Evans was gay. Come on, man. The signs are all there.”

I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, well, thanks for the update. Maybe I was too busy hating him to notice.”

Trixie gave me a playful nudge, her grin widening. “Or maybe you didn’t notice because you actually like him.”

I groaned, falling back onto the bed. “Oh, come on, Trixie. You’re not seriously suggesting that, are you?”

“Why not?” Trixie shrugged. “You clearly didn’t hate talking to him tonight. Plus, you’re not heartbroken over Jake. You’re weirdly chill about it. Could be because your brain’s too busy thinking about someone else... someone like Evans.”

I propped myself up on my elbows, giving her a flat look. “Please. Evans and I can’t even be in the same room for five minutes without wanting to kill each other.”

“And yet, here you are, talking about him instead of Jake,” Trixie pointed out, crossing her arms with a smug look.

Dexter chimed in, clearly enjoying the chaos. “She’s got a point, dude. You sound more interested in what Evans is up to than the guy who just dumped you.”

“Okay, okay, fine,” I said, throwing my hands up in surrender. “Maybe there’s something about him. But liking Evans? That’s a stretch, don’t you think?”

Trixie just grinned, like she knew something I didn’t. “Love and hate are closer than you think, Camron.”

I sighed, rubbing my temples. “Great. So I’m either going to end up dating Evans or challenging him to a duel. Fantastic.”

Dexter chuckled from the couch. “Well, if you duel him, just make sure it’s shirtless. For science.”

I threw a pillow at him. “You’re the worst.”

Trixie laughed, standing up and ruffling my hair. “Don’t overthink it. Come on, let's watch some trashy movies."

I smiled, grateful for the distraction. "Sounds good to me," I said.

As we settled in for a movie marathon, I couldn't help but think about Evans.