Vincent Kinsington

"Why are we doing this again?" I asked Alex.

"Because Mateo and I are going to get an apartment together at the beginning of next month and I want to get a start on looking for the right apartment."

"You also said he insisted on paying half the rent," I said, "and he can't afford half the rent here."

We were at my apartment complex waiting for the manager to come out of her office so she could show us the 1 bedroom for rent.

"That's true," Alex relented, "but someday he might be able to afford half the rent. Just indulge me. I want to look at the luxury apartments I can't have yet."

"Fine," I said.

The manager came into the lobby at that moment. She smiled grandly when she saw us. She was always pleasant.

"You said you were looking for an apartment to share with your boyfriend?" she asked Alex but her eyes drifted to me.

"I'm not the boyfriend," I said.

"No, he's my friend," Alex said. "My boyfriend couldn't make it today."

"That explains it. I was confused because Mr. Kinsington already lives here. Well, shall we look at it?"

Alex nodded his head eagerly. The apartment layout was exactly the same as mine. Alex and Mateo would obviously put their bed in the bedroom and not in the living room like I had. The tiles in the bathroom were blue and white instead of black and white like mine were. I preferred the black and white. Other than that, it was an exact replica of my apartment. We thanked the manager and went our own way.

"I wish Mateo could afford half the rent here," Alex said in his quiet voice as we made our way to the parking lot. "I think it would be fun to live near you. Especially if you started dating Chet. Then all four of us could hang out all the time."

A part of me did like the sound of that, but a bigger part of me wanted more private time with Chet than not. I agreed with Alex verbally though.

We got in his car and drove to the next set of luxury apartments. They made the assumption I was his boyfriend too. Alex made it clear that I was just a friend. Alex was looking at the bedroom in the second set of apartments when my phone beeped with a text.

Favoritesoccerplayer: IMU

Me: IMU2 good luck on your game

Favoritesoccerplayer: TY

Such a small missive, but it meant so much to me.

We were looking at the third apartment complex when my grandma called me. I stepped into the hall and answered. "Hi, grandma."

"Hello, Vinny. I've been waiting and waiting for you to bring that boy around, but you haven't."

I glanced back at the open apartment door, but Alex was completely focused on the apartment. He couldn't hear my grandma's side of the conversation anyway.

"Are you alone?" I asked her.

"Don't worry," she said. "No one is home right now but me. So when are you bringing him by. I really want to meet him."

"Soon, grandma," I said. "I haven't even told Alex about him yet."

"Really? I thought you told Alex everything. Okay. If that's the case I forgive you for not bringing your boyfriend by. Bring him soon though. Are you going to come home for dinner tonight? Jasmine is going to be here," she said that as if it was a great enticement to me. I liked Jasmine. That was why I didn't want her to go to family dinners. I worried every time that my mom would say some off handed racist remark and hurt Jasmine.

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"I'm going to Alex's tonight," I said. "He and his boyfriend are going to move in together soon. I'm helping him look at apartments right now."

"Isn't that something his boyfriend should be doing?"

"He will," I said. "He's on the university's soccer team and the team is out of town right now. We're going to listen to the game tonight at Alex's house."

"And where is your boyfriend? I figured you'd be with him."

"He's on the soccer team too," I said.

"And Alex doesn't know," she stated.

"Not yet. I'll tell him soon." Alex and the manager were finishing up in the apartment. "I've got to go, grandma. I'll talk to you later."

Alex and I finished saying our goodbyes to the manager. We went and looked at the next few apartments before we drove back to his house. His mom was home already waiting for us. She had ordered French food.

"My sons," she said when we entered the house. She gave Alex a kiss on the cheek and then she came to me and gave me a kiss on the cheek too. She took my hand and pulled me to the dining table.

"How is school?" she asked me as we settled around the table.

"Good," I said.

"How's your crush?" she asked.

I looked at Alex.

"Well," he said, "I have to tell her things like that. She's my mom. And it's not like she is going to run off and tell your family."

"Who else did you tell?" I asked him. The food was dispersed between us while we talked.

"Trevon, but I didn't tell him who."

"I told him who," I said. I had also told him I was now dating Chet. "You haven't told Mateo?" I was both curious and afraid of how Mateo would react.

"No," Alex said. "He's starting to like you, but I don't know how well it will go over if he finds out you and Chet have a crush on each other. I guess I better tell him soon. You know, in case you two start dating, it would be good that he could mentally prepare himself. Maybe I'll tell him tomorrow when I see him."

"I hope things work out between the two of you," Allison said to me. "I've never met Chet, but if he's anything like Mateo then I know I will like him."

"But my family," I said.

"If they kick you out, you can just move in here," she said easily as if it was that simple. "Alex is going to be moving out soon anyway," she said. "I'll have empty nest syndrome. It wouldn't be so bad having my other son staying here for awhile. Mateo has stayed over a few times. I like having more people in the house than less."

"Mateo has slept over?" I asked surprised. As far as I knew, Alex and Mateo hadn't had sex yet. Unless Alex was keeping things from me again.

"Just slept," Alex said sounding disappointed. "Mateo won't do anything in my mom's house. His words not mine."

"I even told him my bedroom was across the house and I wouldn't be able to hear anything," Allison added as we ate.

"You wouldn't mind it?" I asked her.

She shrugged. "It's not like I think Alex is a virgin. I know he's not. And I like Mateo. He treats Alex well. It's not like one of them can get pregnant. And I know Alex is careful so no worries of STDs." She was so different from my parents.

When we finished eating, we went into the living. I thought we would just be listening to the game, but Alex found a broadcast where we could actually watch it.

Allison sat in her favorite chair. She flipped through various artists and their works on her phone. Alex and I sat on the couch. I tried to pay attention to what was happening on the field, but instead I found myself trying to get a glimpse of the sidelines through the players on the field. I smiled at even the tiniest, bluriest moments of Chet on the sidelines.

As I had seen and heard in the last few games, the coach put Mateo and Chet in during the last part of the first half. Allison finally looked at the game when she heard the announcer say 'Lopez'. I had only recently - during the last home game - learned that Lopez was Mateo's last name.

I studied Chet on the field. My heart beat a little faster watching his sharp gaze and focused demeanor. And the thighs under the shorts probably contributed too.

After several back and forths along the field, Chet had the ball. I didn't know the person who passed it to him. It wasn't Mateo although Mateo was close by. My breath hitched in the back of my throat as Chet kicked. It went high and to the left. The goalie wasn't going to make it in time. Except it hit the rim and instead of bouncing into the net, it bounced back out. Chet had been so close to making a goal passed that goalie.

"You're right," Allison said to Alex. "He does it have it bad for that kid. I've never seen him look at anyone that way."

"Me neither," Alex agreed. They were clearly talking about me.

"You really like him," Allison said to me.

"Yes," I admitted.

"Does he like you?" Allison asked.

"He does," Alex answered for me. "I saw the look Chet gave him last time. Believe me, they look at each other in the same way."

"Then don't let your family stop you," Allison said. "Ask him out. I promise I'll support you if something happens with your family."

I knew she meant it, but I also knew if my family kicked me out I wouldn't impose on her. I loved her and I knew she loved me, but she wasn't really family even though she called me son and I sometimes called her mom. Especially if Alex wasn't there. It would be awkward. I would figure something out on my own.

"You have to ask him out," Alex said when I didn't answer right away. "Or I could convince him to ask you out but then you have to say yes."

"Mateo might hate me for it," I said. Part of me really was afraid Mateo would hate me, but a part of me knew I was already lying to all of them. Chet and I were already very much together.

"He might," Alex said, "but I'm confident I can smooth things over with him."

"No more excuses," Allison said. "When will you ask him out?"

"After the Division I tournament," I said. Chet and I would tell Alex and Mateo then that we were already dating. I hoped they wouldn't hate us for not telling them sooner.