Only You Page 3
“Why didn’t he say anything to me?” Mark asked, “Have I really been that oblivious to everything?”
Knowing Mark wasn’t really looking for an answer, David and Wasso sat down on either side of Mark. Mark stared at the rings and gloves in his hands. Dropping them into his backpack at his feet, Mark said quietly “I didn’t even realize I didn’t have them on. I’ve gotten so used to not being able to wear them in the kitchen that I didn’t realize.”
Looking at David Mark asked, “Have you really been doing my assignments for me? I didn’t know I had any.”
“Um, yeah,” David replied nervously, “Linder noticed you hadn’t written down the due dates on your calendar and when he looked to see if you had any of the work done…” David shrugged, “Linder figured it was the least he could do to help you out.”
“Help me out. Damn it, I thought I was handling everything ok.” Mark muttered.
“Um, Mark, not to upset you more but,” David said ignoring the dirty look he got from Wasso, “We’ve all been worried about you. Why are you so surprised that Linder’s been worried the most?”
Mark looked at David a long moment before answering, “It’s not that I’m surprised he’s worrying, this is Linder after all, but why would my schedule be stressing him out? He’s not the one who’s doing sixteen hour days, I am.”
“Exactly” Wasso interjected, “You’ve been doing sixteen hour days. You’re not sleeping and the way you’ve been acting lately is wrong. Of course what you’re doing is affecting him, he’s your boyfriend.”
“What?” Wasso asked seeing the surprised looks on both David and Mark’s faces.
“That’s the first time you’ve ever called Linder my boyfriend. You usually avoid all comments about our relationship.” Mark explained.
Wasso shrugged, “If I’m going to lecture you about your relationship, I should stop being a dick about it. But that’s not the point. Mark didn’t you notice how you greeted Linder earlier?”
“What about it?” Mark asked.
“Think back to before you started working with Chef Robertson,” David said taking over from Wasso, “How would you greet Linder when you saw him at lunchtime? You would hold your arms wide open for a hug, call him sweet mushy names and then not let go of him until the bell rang. Today you barely even looked up when Linder approached you.”
Ignoring Mark’s stare, David continued, “Linder told me, after I poked at him a bit, that although he’s been sleeping at your house every night, he gets no time with you. You come home tired, crawl into bed, and go to sleep with your back to Linder. Linder knows why you’re putting yourself through this. Linder want to support you but he’s hurting. He hasn’t gotten any attention from you for a month; none of us have really but it’s Linder we’re talking about now. He misses you and doesn’t understand why you’re pushing him away.”
“I don’t mean to.” Mark said morosely putting his head in his hands, “I didn’t even realize.”
“We know,” David said gently, “And so does Linder. He’ll calm down and he’ll know you didn’t realize.”
David realized what he had just said and gave a little laugh. Mark and Wasso looked at him. “I just realized that Linder actually lost his temper. I keep forgetting that Linder has a temper, he loses it so seldom. I think Wasso and I must be rubbing off on him.”
With a weak smile, Mark said, “Yeah, but I always thought it would be David, not me.”
“Why me?” asked David pretending to be very put upon, “I’m always calm, collected and I’m the coolest of us all. Linder has no reason to get angry with me.”
Mark tried to laugh and knocked David with his shoulder. “Calm, collected and cool – three words I wouldn’t associate with you on one of your good days.”
“Hey!” David replied pouting just a little bit. “I’m cool. Right Wasso?”
“Sure kid, you’re cool.” Wasso reassured David with a snicker.
“Fine. Be that way,” David huffed. Turning towards Mark, David continued more seriously, “Mark, try not to stress over this too much. I’m going to go find Linder and see how he’s doing.”
Standing up, David leaned over and gave Mark a kiss on the cheek. “Don’t worry Mark. I’m sure Linder’s somewhere feeling guilty over this all and too afraid to come back and say sorry. I’ll find him, drag him back here and you guys can make up all gooey-like.”
Wasso tugged on David’s arm causing him to fall over Wasso’s lap. “Be good kid or else I’ll beat you up.” Wasso brushed David’s hair out of his eyes and touched David’s cheek before gently pushing David off his lap and onto the ground.
David stood up and brushed off his pants. After a quick grin at Wasso, David walked off to look for Linder. Once David was out of sight, Wasso turned to Mark.
“Why don’t you skip class this afternoon and get some sleep. You’re going to be useless in class after we all jumped on you.”
“Maybe you’re right,” Mark sighed, “I’ll go home and get some rest. If you see Linder or David, can you make sure Linder knows where I am? Oh, and tell him that if he wants, to come over after school. I don’t have to work tonight. I meant to tell him that and ask him to spend the evening with me…”
“Sure thing Mark.”
***
Linder sat down on the hallway floor with his back against his locker. His anger was starting to dissipate and it was slowly being replaced by guilt. He shouldn’t have yelled at Mark like that, Mark was under enough stress already. Linder knew he shouldn’t have added to it. But, damn it, Linder was so damn tired of pretending everything was ok. It had been days since he’d even gotten a real hug from Mark and even longer since more than a peck on the lips before sleep. Linder was getting angry again but this time at himself. Linder didn’t know why he was being so selfish, it was Mark with the crazy schedule and barely any time to relax, not Linder, why was he so was upset about this.
Linder glanced up from staring at his hands when he noticed David sit down beside him. Linder leaned back, putting his head against his locker and looking up at the ceiling.
“I messed up, didn’t I?” Linder murmured.
“Nah, you didn’t mess up,” David replied, “You were angry and hurt and it’s been a crazy month. Everyone’s allowed to blow off steam every once in a while.”
“Even at the expense of someone else?” Linder questioned, “Mark has enough to worry about he doesn’t need to worry about me too.”
“Linder,” David said seriously enough to have Linder look at him, “Mark needed to know the truth. You’re a surprisingly good actor – Mark had no idea you were feeling like you are. Wasso and I could see it but we’re on the outside of all of this so it was easier for us to see. Mark knows we’re all supporting him in his decision to work with Chef Robertson but he also needed to know that he wasn’t paying attention to the more important things.”
Linder frowned at David. He and David had become close friends over the past months because of their relationships with Wasso and Mark. They were able to talk to each other about the problems and frustrations of their relationships, and since Wasso and Mark were best friends, the four of them were together a lot. But Linder kept forgetting how smart David was. David often came off as a brat with a sarcastic mouth but David could be very caring and had developed a canny ability to read his friends.
“But I shouldn’t have yelled at him like that, everyone saw.” Linder said blushing at the thought.
“Yeah, we all got a show with our lunch. Who cares. Everyone who eats lunch around us had to have known about you and Mark by now, if not they’re blind and dumb since you guys are usually all over each other.” Mark said smiling so Linder knew he was only bugging him.
“Right. All over each other. Not lately. Do you know how long it’s been since…” Linder broke off shocked that he was about to spill information about his sex life to David.
“Since what?” David asked, “Since you hugged? Since you kissed? Since Mark’s paid attention to you? Since you fu-erm-had sex?”
Linder looked away and wouldn’t answer David’s questions so David continued, “That’s exactly what he needed to know Linder. He needed to see you again and I think he will now, or at least he’ll try harder. Come on, let’s go get something to eat since we both left our food outside.”
Linder let David help him off the floor and fell in beside him as they headed towards the cafeteria. “You really don’t think I’m being selfish about all this?”
David stopped and turned to Linder. With a laugh David slung an arm around Linder’s shoulder and said “You? Selfish? Yeah right. Now, if it was me…I probably would’ve blown up within the first week and been pouting every minute of every day at the fact that I wasn’t getting any sex.”
Linder looked at David for a moment then laughed. Maybe David was right, maybe it was okay he had yelled at Mark. Maybe Mark really did need to see the way things really were.
***