Curtis Salazar

Damn, I'm so brilliant. How didn't I think of this before now? Wonderful.

"We could actually start being together," I say, the idea sounding more plausible as I do.

Timmy looks frozen in place, staring at me through his now crooked glasses like I'm not the Curtis he knows. I laugh and adjust the glasses straight on his face, it's too big, his small nose is barely holding it. "Come-on it's not that unbelievable."

"It actually is," he finally speaks, shaking his head and pushing his glasses in with finger. "Are you even hearing yourself?"

"Yes and if you hear me, you'd see it's a great idea. I'm making sense."

He scoffs, "I doubt that but hit me."

"Okay," I move on the sofa so I'm more comfortable and facing him completely. "I've decided I don't want to date anymore."

Timmy does a loud hard scoff, "yeah right."

"No, I'm serious," I press. "Look, I almost became a baby daddy today. I'm done, really."

"So, I'm supposed to believe that the idea of getting a girl pregnant has scared you off dating?" Timmy fixes his small brown eyes on me, although through the glasses, they look big. "You? The serial dater?"

I think about it, sounds about right. "Uh, yeah. Although it's not just the fear of dating. I'm fed up with highschool girls, they are annoying and clingy and they don't ever want to really date me and get to know me. They just like the idea of being with Curtis Salazar and then they want to trap me and keep me like some possession," I sigh. "Nadia made me realize just how much it sucks. I can do it anymore."

Timmy's eye soften and I start feeling weird in my stomach. I didn't expect all that to come out. "You knew that was the game all this time?"

I force a smile, "not really, probably at my fifth girlfriend."

"Then why did you keep on doing it?"

Now I smirk, "the sex was fun and I guess I didn't mind being used, for a while that is."

Timmy keeps looking at me with those deep brown eyes of his and I can't find it in myself to maintain eye contact. I'm being mushy for no reason, my ears start burning and just when I start raking through my brain looking for something stupid to say to diffuse the mood in the room, I hear a meow. I look up then to find Timmy with both his fist balled up and resting on both his cheeks, his pink lips in a pout and his eyes their widest. He blinks and makes the cat sound again, sticking out his tongue and I can't help but laugh. He's so cute, the cute guy I know. "Fuck off," I can't help but say, laughing and dare I say almost blushing.

Timmy doesn't stop though and just blinks more, meowing and shaking his untamed mass of hair. I can't stop laughing and I don't know if it's because of how cute and weird he's being pretending to be a cat or because of the story behind the act.

I had this pet obsession when I was ten years old and I wanted a pet so bad, I was willing to do anything. Then I was walking by a shelter and I saw a really cute white cat, she was so cute, it was love at first sight. I pestered my parents to get it for me and despite my dad's belief that boys shouldn't have pet, they went ahead and got it for me just so I'd shut up. Before I got the pet, the caretaker warned me that she had an attitude and was super hyper and sensitive. I didn't care and swore on my life that I can take care of her. I brought the pet home, super elated and Timmy and I named her Dolly (Timmy was kinda obsessed with old Dolly Parton at that time).

Anyway, things with Dolly went well for the first week and I just kept loving her more and more until one faithful day, Timmy and I were wrestling on the sofa with Dolly lying on the rug beneath us. One thing led to another and I rolled over and fell, landing harshly on top of Dolly. Dolly shrieked and in defense slapped me with her paw, clawing my cheek with her sharp short claw before scurrying away. There was so much blood but it didn't even hurt that much and when Dolly and I met again, she seemed remorseful, licking my face and meowing. I tried to hide the injury from my parents but I failed and they didn't give Dolly and I a chance anymore. That same day animal services came to take her away. I think that's the saddest I have ever been and I cried and cried.

I sulked for days and wouldn't smile or eat well, until—

"Meow meow," Ten year old Timmy had started making cat sounds as we sat outside on the porch. Me sulking and almost crying and him colouring a picture book.

I glanced at him, "what are you doing?"

"Imitating Dolly," he simply had said. "Did an act in class today and Miss Sabat said I could really imitate and mimic. Do you think she's right or she just said that?"

I shrugged, "I don't know, do it again let's see." And he did it again, he did sound like a cat and at the same time a sea lion. The combination looked so funny in my head, I laughed. "You can I guess."

Timmy smiled, "so do I sound like Dolly?"

My smile dropped, "nope, nobody can sound like Dolly except Dolly."

He pouted, "then if not Dolly, would another cat do to stop you from crying?"

I frowned, "why? Do you want to get me another cat?"

"Nope, I'd be your other cat."

I scoffed, "That's ridiculous Timmy."

"No, it's not," he insisted. "I can imitate well and I can look like a cat too."

"No you can't," I refute.

"I can," he stubbornly pressed trying to make his face like a cute cat. He looked nothing like one.

I grabbed his hands and balled his fist placing them at his cheeks so they almost touched his big glasses. "Maybe now and if you do the lick thing."

"Like this?" He asked, sticking his tongue out to like his fist. I laughed, he looked ridiculous.

"Why would you want to be my other cat? I like you already as my best friend."

"I can be both," he said with a resolved mind. "I don't like you crying and if I become your other cat, I won't ever hurt you, intentionally or not."

I looked down at my feet, my hand reaching up to touch my still sore but healing face. "You don't know that."

Timmy scooted closer until our bodies were touching and he did his 'cat' face, snuggling up to me, his hair tickling my hair as he made cat sounds. "Do I look like I can hurt you? Meow, do I?"

I couldn't control my laughter from the tickle but he wouldn't bulge and go away. "Stop Timmy, go away. Timmy stop!" More laughter trying and failing to push him off.

From that day on Timmy always became my cat whenever I was sad, sulking or feeling bad and I don't know if he knew the exact reason why I was laughing so much that day but whatever the case was, whenever he did it, I remember and I can't help finding it funny. He looks nothing like a cat or Dolly and I like him just like that.

Timmy joins me in laughing and when it dies down, he's looking at me seriously. "So you're really done dating?"

I nod, "yes, I don't want to date superficial highschool girls anymore. Maybe in college, maybe."

He rolls his eyes, "then just stop. Why do you need to lie to do it?"

"Because girls won't leave me alone," I reach for my phone and open a group chat of boys and girls athletes in school, trying to show Timmy how the girls were already hitting on me and asking me out when I'm barely done with Nadia just yet. "Honestly, all this attention frightens me and that's one of the reasons why I date so much and never stay single. They don't attack when I'm openly with someone, at least not so much."

Timmy sighs, a frown on his face as he reads through girls asking me out for dates and chill.

"I know it's not like first world problem but this really messed with me Timmy," I tell him. "At least, if they think I'm gay, they'd back off. Maybe then I'd stand a chance of making true friends and real relationships."

"But it's all a lie Curt," Timmy says. "Think you're gay? Being gay is not a joke, it's serious and trust me, it's not a bed of roses."

I nod, not getting him completely but understanding to an extent. "I know but Kenny's in the team and he hasn't been killed yet. It can be worse than girls attacking me left and right."

Timmy scoffs, getting up the sofa. "It can, trust me." He turns to me. "I know it's a hassle to you but honestly Curt that doesn't even sound like a problem. Going out there and telling- no, lying to people you're gay, it isn't a walk in the park. Saying that could hunt you for the rest of your life. You could end up really hurt or... hurt someone."

I hear him but it's like my mind has been cemented upon. "I still want to do it. I won't hurt anyone, we'd be together—"

Timmy cuts me off, "no, we'd be lying to be together."

"It's just us, we're already always hanging out together," I get up and walk to him. "What's hanging one lying title on top of it?"

"To me," he starts. "It's so much."

"How?"

"I- I haven't ever been in a relationship before. My first time," Timmy trails off, looking at the black screen of the television like it's something interesting. "I don't want my first time to be a lie."

Oh, then it clicked and I smile, grabbing his hand. "Only I don't have to win from this."

"What are you saying now?"

"You've never been in a relationship before and I've heard your geek friends tease you about being afraid to date, you could prove them wrong with this."

"I'm not interest—"

I cut him off, "and I could help you get your guy."

Timmy frowns, "what guy?"

I grin, knowing this has the be worm on the hook that gets the fish. "Your guy," I wink at him wiggling my brows but he still doesn't get it. "Come on, Alex from Gulp."

"Alex from— ohh," he drawls finally getting what I am talking about. I see his color seep into his cheeks right in front of me and my grin is face shitting. Could he be shy or embarrassed? "Wait, why are you bringing up Alex?"

"I could help you get him," I drop the bomb, hoping it blows his mind but he just gives me a deadpanned look.

"How on Earth are you going to do that?" He asks, walking back to the sofa. "Alex doesn't even like me."

"We could change that," I say, sitting down too. "I heard and is a living proof that being in a relationship makes you more hotter and wanted, especially if you're in said relationship with a hotshot, someone like dream." I smirk, "name one guy you could possibly date in town that would be more like a dream than me," I ask, then quickly add. "Except Alex that is."

Timmy shyly smiles, more with his eyes as the corner of his lips barely lift up. "No one."

"See?" I clap my hands together. "We would take us to next level and Alex wouldn't help but see you and want you. Although he's really blind and not worth it if you ask me, but whatever."

"Shut up."

I smile, "so? Would you do it? We'd kill many birds with one stone. I'd be free and you'd date Alex the cash register."

"And barista and assistant manager," Timmy can't help but point out. I roll my eyes.

"Whatever, the guy's really dumb."

"He's not," Timmy says, his voice low and I feel a bit weird. Is this what happens when your best friend sides with another person?

Alex isn't even worth arguing over, I just don't see what Timmy sees in him and I guess it's my place to judge his taste. Timmy just likes chubby emo boys with piercings and tattoos, nothing wrong with that. I don't have any particular taste in girls though, they just need to be small and cute, I guess that's a taste. I don't like Alex though because Timmy likes him so much and yet he doesn't see it. It's messed up, if he wasn't dumb he'd see it, they'd go out and Timmy would be happy. That's the goal. Alex is one dumb fuck.

"Fine, lover boy," I tease and Timmy just rolls his eyes curling himself up to the side of the loveseat that he's taken as his. He still has his school uniform on— dark blue pants that looked kinda ashen in a dim light and stormy weather, white button up long sleeve shirt with the school's crest on left breast side and white socks. Timmy always wears socks, it's cute. We wear an equally dark blue blazer over it with an ash and blue strip tie, these other clothing items were currently resting on the arm of one of the arm chairs here.

Timmy's house wasn't so big, not like mine anyway but it was okay and cozy, I liked it. Some corners of our house feel cold but not hear at Timmy's house. Another thing I like is that whatever food was cooked in the kitchen, the scent spreads throughout the entire place and one can tell or at least guess what's being cooked from anywhere. You can't perceive shit in my home, not unless you enter the kitchen yourself or it's served at the dining table. One thing Timmy and I have in common is that we're mostly left alone to ourselves for the majority part of the days, even weekends. Timmy is an only child and his mum works as a teacher and a pianist, she comes home late and exhausted. I love her though because whatever the case is, her hard work got them this house and is going to take Timmy to any college of his choice and she cooks breakfast and dinner, it's amazing.

I, however, am not an only child. I have two junior siblings who don't care that I exist, completely absorbed in their own thing and I guess I don't care that much about them too either, it's just the way we grew up I guess. My mum and dad both run the Salazar Law Firm, from morning until night and they both come back late, that is if my dad isn't in another country or continent at the moment. We have enough money but I guess it's not enough, I don't know how adult's do their thing. I don't see them all day until night and sometimes not throughout the day even. We get to eat dinner together but that's about it. My parents care more about appearances than bonding as a family and getting to know each other. I'm not complaining much though, it's because of them I get to ride any car of my choice and buy anything I want, works out in some way I guess.

Timmy's eyes is closing shut and I grab his legs pulling them so they aren't curled in and are stretched out on top of mine. "So," I poke his foot. "What do you say, you're in?"

"No, it's stupid."

I groan and nearly throw a tantrum, "come on, please. Regardless of the reasons, it'll be fun for us. Don't you want to see how I'll do with being gay?"

"Pretending to be gay," he corrects. "And no, you'd suck."

"Come on Timmy, I'd do anything."

Timmy groans, sounding like he wants to sleep. "Being gay isn't a choice and it'll be lying."

"But it'll be lying with me," I trace my name on his foot and he tries to pull away because it tickled. "I believe it's totally worth it."

I see him roll his eyes even though they are closed. "No."

What now Curt? Think, you've gotten bring in the big guns for this. "Uh," my mouth starts speaking before my brain. "I'd buy you your dream camera."

Timmy eyes snap open and I smile, knowing I've got him.

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