Been Here All Along Read Free

it.”
    I roll my eyes.
    â€œJust so I’m up on all of this, who knows you’re bi?”
    â€œPretty much my whole family except for my great-aunt Alba, but that’s just because she’s senile, you, your parents, your brother, Buster, Sawyer, and Maddie. Why, did you hear something?”
    â€œNope. But who’s going to gossip about you to me?”
    â€œAn excellent point.”
    â€œI guess what I don’t understand is why you seem nervous about coming out to her when so many people already know.”
    â€œAnother excellent point.” I chew my lip. “I guess it’s just different with Ruby because, I don’t know, she might not like me as much after she knows. Or something.”
    â€œIf that’s the case, then she’s basically just an asshole.”
    â€œI know.”
    I make a sharp left into the Dunkin’ Donuts parking lot and gun the engine toward the drive-through.
    â€œYou could warn a guy,” Gideon says, rubbing his throat where the seat belt cut into his neck.
    â€œHey, Gideon, we’re going to Dunkin’ Donuts,” I say.
    â€œThanks for the heads-up,” he says.
    â€œI had a Lord of the Rings marathon last night,” I tell him after I place our order.
    â€œIs that why you were actually running late?”
    â€œUm, maybe,” I say.
    â€œYou watched without me? I thought we were saving it for spring break.”
    â€œWell, we were, but I don’t know, I couldn’t sleep. I was thinking too much about coming out to Ruby. I only watched the first two and not the extended editions!”
    â€œOh,” he says, his voice quiet.
    â€œAnyway, I was thinking—”
    â€œWe’re not having the conversation about the eagles again. We’re not going down that road. Our friendship cannot withstand that debate.”
    â€œI’m not talking about that,” I say, trying to get him to listen.
    â€œGood. I’m not prepared for that debate at 7:32 in the morning.”
    â€œI’m mostly just wondering what would happen if someone swallowed the ring,” I say when I finally park the car on the side street next to the high school.
    â€œWhy would anyone swallow the ring?” he asks.
    â€œI don’t know. But hypothetically, what do you think would happen?”
    Gideon shakes his head and continues walking toward the front doors.
    â€œNo, but really, Gid, come on. I thought we could have a nice conversation about this!” I call after him.
    â€œIt’s not going to end well,” he says over his shoulder as I catch up.
    â€œBut just think about it.”
    He rolls his eyes, but I can tell he’s going to think about it. This is how it is, was, and always will be between Gideon and me.

 
    two
    Ruby
    I don’t really understand why people hate pep rallies.
    I’m head cheerleader. I probably love them by default. There’s a semi-decent chance that I’m biased about the whole thing. But really, what’s not to like?
    People are so anti-pep that the administration had to move all pep rallies to the middle of the day so that everyone would stop cutting them at the end of the day.
    I mean, I guess it’s always nice to get out of school early. Maybe if I didn’t have to cheer during them, I’d want to leave, too.
    But what I really don’t understand is why Gideon Berko is currently sitting in the bleachers going over flash cards. Probably SAT vocabulary.
    Instead of trying to understand him, I just clap my hands and shake my pom-poms even harder. It’s the least I can do for Kyle, who’s so bashful during these things it makes me want to prod him out into the spotlight. His hands are shoved deep into his pockets, and he’s shaking his head just the right way so his hair falls in his eyes. But he’s smiling. He can’t hide the fact that he’s smiling.
    He’s a good boyfriend. An amazing one, even. Probably the