Page 186 of Pride High 3: Yellow

They bumped elbows again.

“I want to finally shoot a short film,”younger Omar went on to say.

“Two out of two,” Anthony told him. “If a video yearbook and endless birthday videos don’t count, thenRecord Store Girldoes.” He was referring to a moody monologue that Omar had shot with Silvia earlier in the year.

“I did a final edit on it at work recently,” Omar confided. “Which was bittersweet, believe me.”

“How is the new dynamic going?” he asked. “I haven’t seen you guys as friends yet.”

“It’s good, although the sexual tension between us is sky high now. It’s torture. I caught her checking out my package the other day. I mean, Iwaspointing at my little dude and asking her if she missed him, but you know, she totally looked.”

Anthony snorted. “The romance is real.”

“It’s embarrassing that the only live music you’ve seen is at weddings,”his younger self whined on screen.

“You’ll be fine,” Anthony assured him. “We’ve got concert tickets.”

“To freaking Nirvana!” Omar said. “I’m so jealous. If you and Cameron break up before then, you’re taking me with you.”

“Don’t count on it,” Anthony replied. The mere thought of Cameron made his insides flutter.

“Sex!”younger Anthony declared.“We expect to be rolling in it.”

“Oh, you’re rolling in it all right,” Omar told him. “With a hot dude who’s got calloused carpenter hands. Which is a good thing apparently.”

“I never should have told you that,” Anthony said with a laugh. “And hey, you got to hook up withtwodifferent people! If we’re counting Ricky.”

“I definitely am. I need to bump up my score. Especially now that I’m back to rolling around by myself.”

“Or at least go on a date, you know?”younger Omar grumbled on screen.

“Damn, dude,” said his older counterpart. “I forgot how desperate we were.”

“I didn’t.” Anthony watched himself look at his best friend with transparent longing.

“Whoa, I can’t believe I missed that!” Omar glanced over, his dark eyes shining with affection. “I’m really lucky. It’s flattering.” He stopped the tape, since their message from the past had devolved into silly banter. “Man, I’m so glad I know who you really are now. Huh… I guess that’s been the theme of the year for me.”

“Maybe we’re all still figuring it out,” Anthony suggested.

“And that’s okay, but when it comes tous—” Omar thumped on his chest. Right over his heart. “—we should be figuring it out together. You and me. Step by step. I’m up for it.”

“Me too,” Anthony agreed. “It didn’t feel right to hide part of myself from you. Of course it was a little more complicated than simply being gay.” Falling in love with your straight best friend… What a beautiful burden.

“For sure,” Omar said, “but now that we’re past that bump in the road, let’s never make the same mistake again. I feel like best friends should be able to tell each other everything. Even stuff you wouldn’t say to your girlfriend. Or boyfriend.”

“Like the time you peed your pants on the way home from Worlds of Fun?”

“Why does everyone keep bringing that up?” Omar said, shaking his fist at the sky. Or in this case, his bedroom ceiling. “For real though. I’ve got your back. No matter what happens.”

“Same here,” Anthony said. “I’ll always be there for you.”

“So if I get sent to juvie like Diego?”

“I’ll commit crime after crime until they throw me in there with you.”

“Perfect,” Omar said. “That was some serious bullshit, huh? The dude lit a piece of toilet paper on fire. And yeah, a house got a little singed, but so what?”

Anthony nodded his agreement. “The punishment doesn’t fit the crime.”