05: Nothing more than friends

Andrew opened the door and gestured for Eli to enter like a freaking a gentleman. Eli stepped inside followed by Andrew, who closed the door behind. He led Eli to the kitchen first so that he could grab some snacks.

"What do you want to watch?" He asked as he opened a cabinet.

"We're doing homework first?" Andrew groaned but nodded nonetheless.

"Come on" Andrew said and led him towards the stairs.

"Wait, aren't we going in the living room?"

"No, we're going to my room." Andrew started climbing up and Eli followed.

Eli noticed the pictures that hung on the wall up the stairs. There were pictures of Andrew as baby, as a toddler, as a growing teenager, with his mother and his father. There was another photo of him with his mom, dad and someone else. The guy in the photo had his hand around Andrew's shoulder. He looked a lot like Andrew.

"Hey, come up here." Eli jerked his head to the voice and found Andrew standing at the top of the stairs.

Eli climbed up and followed to his room.

Andrew excused himself to get a shower and asked Eli to pick a movie while he waits. Eli searched Andrew's Netflix but nothing interested him. But then his eyes landed on a series. LOVE, VICTOR

"Found anything?" Andrew asked as he stepped in the room.

Eli didn't look up. He was reading the description and found that it was like a spin off sequel to LOVE, SIMON.

He loved that movie. Loved the book even more. So it was sure that he would love this series too. It was 10 episodes. They could watch up to five, after finishing their homework of course.

"Yeah." Eli said without looking up. Andrew's brows knit together as he wondered what interested Eli so much. He walked over to Eli and looked on the screen over his shoulder.

"Love, Victor" He read out loud.

"Yeah. It's kind of a spin off sequel to-" Eli turned and his breath hitched.

Andrew stood just behind him, his hair was still wet from his shower and shirtless.

Just as Eli has thought, Andrew's abs were perfect. Eli couldn't help but stare at him as he read the description.

"Okay, let's watch it." Andrew said and walked to his closet. he opened it and took out T-shirt. Eli started searching for books.

"We're doing homework first." He said.

"Okay, nerd." Andrew chuckled.

They both sat on his bed with their homework in front of them. Eli helped Andrew with most of his. When they finished, Eli started stuffing his books in his backpack.

"Hey, There's a picture on the wall of you with your mom-dad and another guy, who is it?" Eli couldn't help asking. He was curious.

"Oh, that." Andrew said. His voice had a hint of sadness in it.

"That's my older brother, Justin. He died last year." Andrew said.

"I'm so sorry." Eli whispered.

"No, you don't have to be. It's fine." Andrew gave him a sad smile.

"What happened?," Eli asked, "If you don't mind me asking."

"A car accident. He was returning from a party. All his friends were drunk. He was drunk too but not as much as him. So he took a very idiotic decision of driving. He and one of friends died. The other one who was in the back seat lost his leg." He said and his voice croaked.

"Shit." Eli wrapped his arms around Andrew melted in his arms.

But just for a few seconds. Because he suddenly pushed Eli away.

"Dude, what the hell? What are you doing?" He yelled. Eli couldn't decipher what he was talking about. He frowned and answered.

"What do you mean? I was just comforting you."

"Oh really?," Andrew said, " It didn't feel like that"

"What?" Eli was really confused.

"Look. I'm not gay. Okay? If you're thinking of us as anything more than friends, don't. Because we're nothing more than friends." Andrew said and Eli grew angrier.

"Wow, you're an asshole. Well, don't worry, 'cause now we aren't even friends." Eli snatched his backpack and stormed out the room.

He stomped into house and shut the door quite loudly. He threw his bag on the couch and sat down. He was furious. How could he say something like that? Jerk.

Elena came into the room and sat down beside him.

"You're back early. I didn't expect you home before dinner." She said.

"He's a jerk." He said.

"Whoa. What happened?"

"I saw this family picture in the house and I asked him about the boy beside him in it because I didn't know him. He told me that it was his brother Justin, who died in a car accident last year. He was on the verge of crying so I hugged him and he pushed me away."

"Okay?" Elena said when he stopped.

"He thought I was making a move on him. He said we can be nothing more than friends."

"That asshole." Elena exclaimed.

"Right? I told him not to worry because we won't even be friends from now on."

"That's my boy. Who the hell does he think he is? Accusing my brother of making move on him."

"Idiot."

"Yeah. Even if he is super hot with beautiful brown eyes and that sexy smile, my brother would never make a move on him." She chuckled and Eli glared at him.

"Okay, I'm sorry. But Eli, all of this might be new to him. IF he has feelings for you, think how confused he might be. After all, it's not that easy to accept your sexuality. He must be so conflicted and confused. You should talk to him." Elena explained but Eli was too angry to understand.

"Whatever" He said and stomped his way to his room.

He jumped onto his bed and stared at the ceiling for a few minutes. His anger was subsiding and he thought about what Elena said. She was right though. IF he felt something, it must be confusing for him.

Eli remembered how confused he felt when he first had a crush on a guy. He was in middle school and his bench-mate Victor was his only friend. If he could call it a friendship. They talked only in class and he started liking Victor. And he felt really weirded out at that thought. He was freaking confused back then. He even started to feel that something was wrong with him.

He talked to Elena about it. He told her about Victor and how Victor made him. Elena talked him through. Told him it wasn't anything wrong. Told him he wasn't broken, and that nothing was wrong with him. Talking with her about it all made it a bit easy for him to accept himself.

Right now Andrew might be feeling the same. Andrew needs someone to talk about his feelings. If he has feelings towards Eli, that is.

But what he did was pretty stupid. He did act like an asshole. Eli was just comforting him. He wasn't making any move. He wasn't trying to take any advantage of the situation.

Eli sat up with a jolt and took his phone in his hand. He was about to call Andrew but then stopped. He put his phone back where it was and pulled his sketchbook out. He opened a new page and took his pencil. Drawing will calm me down. He thought about the moment when he was inches away from Andrew's face. He thought how Andrew focused on the screen and didn't realise Eli was staring at him. Ogling at him, to be precise.

Eli started sketching. He wanted to draw that moment. He wanted to remember it always. He wanted to remember how cliché their situation back then was.

I could've kissed him. He was just inches away.

So, I hope you guys don't hate Andrew. He's just confused and scared.

I know that feeling because I've been through it.

I know how it feels when you realise you have feelings for a person of same sex.

Do comment your thoughts and vote.

Thank you so much for reading.