jed's things to avoid in life
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<h2 class="author">Ell Peck</h2>
<h1 id = "link-0" class="title" >Jeds Things to Avoid in Life</h1>
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<div id = "chapter-0" class = "chapter">
<p id = "para-1">Jed didnt do relationships. That was just one of his rules. Actually, it had become such an important rule to him that he added it to his very official, <em>highly</em> scientific List of Things to Avoid in Life. They were too complicated, and the touchy-feely stuff usually left him feeling inadequate about his ability to be there for someone. He also just didnt have the time, with his fifty-hour work week and all that. So not wasting his time trying to care for another person, especially considering that theyd probably notice pretty quickly how little he was able to care for them and ultimately leave him to be on his own again. So why bother, right?</p>
<p id = "para-2">He was sitting on a crowded, noisy train on his way to visit his parents in his childhood hometown. He didnt necessarily enjoy going there again, but this weekend was his moms birthday, and he loved her too much to skip it. Even though his grandma would also be there, who he had a particular grudge with after finding out a few years ago about her dislike of a <em>pretty important</em> part of his life. So he wasnt particularly looking forward to talking to her about “the girls she envisions him marrying.”</p>
<p id = "para-3">He looked out the window, the lush, pine-plastered mountains in the distance slowly creeping by, and imagined what it would be like if he really <em>was</em> as much into girls as his grandma wished he was. Its not like he hadnt thought about it. Of course, it would be easier for him to be straight. In fact, maybe his rules about relationships were only so airtight because he was afraid of being bullied. He didnt enjoy the thought of holding hands with his boyfriend, only to be attacked by some idiot in an alley. But his other reasons were good, too, right? He <em>was</em> a little emotionally unavailable at times. He <em>did</em> have that horrible work week. <em>Yes</em>, he thought to himself. <em>Those are good enough reasons to avoid the perfect, storybook romance you dreamed of as a kid, damn it.</em></p>
<p id = "para-4">After leaving the train, he stopped in the middle of the platform and looked around to get his bearings again. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed something odd. He turned to face the front window of a small bakery, the glass protecting delicious looking pastries and cakes that were quietly sitting in a large vitrine. But that wasnt the odd thing.</p>
<p id = "para-5">He started closely inspecting the head of the person standing behind the register, currently handing a glazed donut to an old lazy. After a few seconds, the person turned in his direction, and started looking directly at him. And there he was, standing in the middle of a train station, locking eyes with the <em>last</em> person he wanted to see in this town. He smiled and waved awkwardly, and the person behind the register did the same, before turning back to the old lady and finishing their transaction.</p>
<p id = "para-6">Jed, clearly having lost his mind, thought it would only be right to go inside and say hello. A little bell that was mounted behind the door rang. Now, he was standing right in front of him. His long, wavy brown hair had the same elegance as it did the last time Jed saw him, as if nothing had changed. Davy mustve been sat in a time capsule for the last four years, because he still looked exactly as beautiful as he did all those years ago at school. No, better. Davy had broad shoulders and a wide frame. His arms were thick and muscular and Jed imagined them again, wrapped around his body, warming him. Protecting him.</p>
<p id = "para-7">“Jed! I didnt know you still lived in town,” he said with a smile that penetrated all of Jeds defenses.</p>
<p id = "para-8">“I dont, actually,” he stuttered. “Im visiting my parents.”</p>
<p id = "para-9">“Ah, that makes sense. Train station.” Davy laughed awkwardly and pushed the hair out of his face with his hand. His motions were smooth and soft, and Jed couldnt help but notice the veins in his arms twitching as he moved his hands. <em>Jesus Christ</em>, he said to himself. <em>Get a grip.</em></p>
<p id = "para-10">“How have you been?” Davy asked and raised an eyebrow.</p>
<p id = "para-11">“Ive been pretty good, actually,” Jed mumbled, still mesmerized by Davys movements. The grip clearly hadnt been gotten yet. “Im working at a pretty big software company.”</p>
<p id = "para-12">“Thats awesome,” Davy said with a very real, supportive air of enthusiasm.</p>
<p id = "para-13">“And you?”</p>
<p id = "para-14">“Been working here to help with uni. That shits really expensive, man.” Davy chuckled.</p>
<p id = "para-15">Jed nodded his head slightly. “Yea, I can imagine,” he said.</p>
<p id = "para-16">“Anyway, its cool that youre here. Do you maybe want to catch up some time?”</p>
<p id = "para-17">Jed froze. <em>Oh my God</em>, he thought. Had Davy really just asked him on a date? Okay, well. Not a <em>proper</em> date, but...</p>
<p id = "para-18">“Uh, yea, that sounds great,” he mumbled. If Davy was a mirror, hed probably see his entire face turn into a tomato right now. <em>Oh, God.</em> “Im free the whole weekend,” he continued.</p>
<p id = "para-19">They exchanged phone numbers, and Jed breathed a sigh of relief when he exited the bakery. Thankfully, Davy didnt seem to have noticed how awkwardly Jed was acting around him. Was he even acting that awkwardly? Possibly. Probably.</p>
<p class = "rule">***</p>
<p id = "para-20">Only a few days later, Jed arrived at a coffee shop that he used to go to with his friends after school sometimes. It was small, filled with small nooks with comfortable looking armchairs that had colorful blankets thrown over them. Taking in the romance that this place clearly emitted, he sighed to himself. <em>Oh God, this is a</em> proper <em>date, isnt it?</em></p>
<p id = "para-21">He waited in the entryway of the café until Davy arrived. And <em>boy</em>, did he arrive. He walked into the room wearing a jean jacket over a black logo tee and jeans. His hair was blowing in the wind let in by the open door, and it reminded Jed of their first encounter at the train station. The whole outfit made Davy seem strong. For a second, Jed imagined what it would be like to be scooped up by his strong, muscular arms like a princess. Like a <em>prince</em>.</p>
<p id = "para-22"><em>Get a grip</em>, he thought to himself.</p>
<p id = "para-23">“Hey man,” Davy said with a smile as he saw Jed. <em>Hey, man?</em>, he repeated in his head.</p>
<p id = "para-24">“Hey Davy,” said Jed with an awkward half-smile. He tried to wipe it off. “You look,” he started, but he didnt know how to finish.</p>
<p id = "para-25">“Gay?” Davy suggested. “I know. I just love this jacket so much.”</p>
<p id = "para-26">“Thats not-”, Jed stuttered. “I didnt ... you look <em>good</em>." He hesitated. Why did he <em>say</em> that?</p>
<p id = "para-27">“Thanks. You dont look too bad yourself,” Davy said and started making his way towards one of the seating nooks. He brushed Jeds arm with his own while passing him, and it made that place tingle with... with something.</p>
<p id = "para-28">Jed realized that he didnt even know for sure if Davy was into guys. He wondered for a second if that comment about his jacket was confirmation that he was, in fact, gay. Was anything hed done so far confirmation that he was?</p>
<p id = "para-29">A weird feeling of unease creeped up in Jeds chest, and it immediately entered his heart. <em>What if hes not even into guys?</em>, he thought to himself. He didnt do relationships anyway, though, so why would it matter -- right? They were too complicated, too time-consuming, and too draining of the small amount of emotions that Jed had. So it was of no value to know whether Davy was into him or not.</p>
<p id = "para-30">He really enjoyed the idea though. As he watched Davy sit down on a sofa in one of the nooks, he imagined what itd be like to be on that sofa with him. Sitting next to him. Close. Kissing him. Davys hand moving closer to Jeds--</p>
<p id = "para-31">“Are you coming?”, Davy called and waved. <em>Oh God</em>, Jed thought to himself. <em>Hopefully not.</em></p>
<p id = "para-32">Jed started walking towards him, and Davy started patting the spot next to him on the sofa. He wanted Jed to sit next to him. <em>Great.</em></p>
<p id = "para-33">Of course, being the gentleman he was, it was only right of Jed to actually go ahead and sit down next to Davy. That was the only reason, <em>of course</em>.</p>
<p id = "para-34">They both ordered drinks (hot chocolate) and food (cheesecake and apple pie) and started chatting about how theyd been since school. Davy talked about his university courses and the bakery job and how hed sometimes see his old friends at the train station, and Jed was <em>fascinated</em>. It wasnt that Davys stories were actually <em>fascinating</em>, but somehow, because <em>he</em> was the one telling them, they seemed more alive than Jed ever thought a story could be.</p>
<p id = "para-35">When Jed started talking about his job, about the long work hours and about his family, Davy turned a bit to face him. Now they were sitting closer, almost opposite one another, and Davys gaze seemed to be locked onto Jeds eyes while he told his stories. Hed never met someone, Jed thought to himself, who seemed so genuinely interested in his life. Somehow, the two of them were just fascinated with each other, it seemed. But Jeds rule was clear: <em>No relationships</em>. They were a waste of time, and that was a final, reasonable, and educated decision.</p>
<p id = "para-36">That was, of course, until they started talking about Jeds homophobic grandma. As soon as he mentioned that his grandma didnt approve of his sexuality, Davys smile faded, and he rolled his eyes. The sight made Jed chuckle.</p>
<p id = "para-37">“Relatable?”, Jed asked with a tiny grin.</p>
<p id = "para-38">Davy tutted. “Oh God, dont get me <em>started</em>."</p>
<p id = "para-39">He shifted a little on the sofa, and they were sitting even closer to each other now. Was he doing this on purpose?</p>
<p id = "para-40">“My moms the same way.”</p>
<p id = "para-41">“Your <em>mom</em>? Thats terrible!", Jed hissed.</p>
<p id = "para-42">“Eh, Ive been getting by alright. I dont need her, you know? Its her loss.” Davy began smiling again. “Ive got enough people in my life who support me.”</p>
<p id = "para-43">“Thats good,” Jed responded. Overwhelmed with the flood of endearing sentiments rushing through his chest -- the homophobic mom, the sweet sentiment about Davys chosen family, and just how close to each other they were sitting right now -- Jed couldnt stop himself from saying more. “Id support you too, you know.”</p>
<p id = "para-44">“You know what,” Davy began. <em>Oh God</em>, Jed thought to himself. This was it. Hed ruined it. <em>Youre getting a bit creepy</em>, thats what Davy was about to say. Right? Hed said too much. But Davys smile didnt fade. Instead, he chuckled and put his hand on Jeds shoulder.</p>
<p id = "para-45">“Youre great to hang out with, Jed,” Davy continued. “But I really have to go now, sadly. I really want to see you again, though.”</p>
<p id = "para-46">Jeds cheeks warmed up, and he began to smile again. “Me, too,” he said shakily.</p>
<p id = "para-47">Over the next few days, Jed kept daydreaming about Davy. His cute smile, his wavy hair and his muscular, strong arms. He kept picturing, over and over, how Davy grabbed his arm when they sat so close in the café. He shouldve kissed him then and there. No, it wouldve been too soon. Plus, they had another date lined up. Because he hadnt seen town in a while, Davy came up with the idea of hiking to the top of the nearby mountain and looking down at the cityscape from there.</p>
<p id = "para-48">But maybe he shouldnt get closer to Davy, he thought. He didnt want to give him the wrong idea. His list of rules was very strict, and Jed intended to continue following it. No relationships, because they are too complicated and time-consuming. But Davy couldve happily consumed all of his time without Jed even remembering that his list of rules <em>exists</em>.</p>
<p class = "rule">***</p>
<p id = "para-49">There he was. Strong as always, wearing a t-shirt that made his muscular upper arms even more pronounced than usual. Today, his long, silky hair wasnt flowing over his shoulders, though. He had tied it up into a ponytail, presumably so it wouldnt bother him during their hike.</p>
<p id = "para-50">Jed approached him on the parking lot close to the hike trail leading up the mountain, and Davy turned around slowly.</p>
<p id = "para-51">“Hey,” he said in a rough voice. He cleared his throat, before saying “hey” again, less raspy this time.</p>
<p id = "para-52">“Hi. Im excited!” Jed blurted out with an unusual amount of confidence. <em>The rules, damn it</em>, he thought to himself. <em>Get a grip.</em></p>
<p id = "para-53">“Me too. I packed some snacks for us, as well,” said Davy and pointed to his backpack. He shifted his upper body and laughed, causing what sounded to be loose food items to rustle in the bag.</p>
<p id = "para-54">Halfway up the trail, Jed started getting exhausted. It wasnt that he was out of shape (hed been working out occasionally because of the part of his List of Things to Avoid in Life that read <em>getting out of shape</em>, of course), but something about this hike was different to him. Stopping on the trail, he grabbed a bottle of water out of his backpack and started gulping it down without hesitation. Davy stopped as well, and observed Jed as he almost finished the entire bottle.</p>
<p id = "para-55">“Want to take a break?”, he asked slyly.</p>
<p id = "para-56">“Shut up, I can do this!”, Jed blurted out without much thought. <em>Oops.</em> “Im just-”</p>
<p id = "para-57">Davy cut him off. “Well, I know you can, but you can also relax with me for a little while.”</p>
<p id = "para-58">Relaxing sounded like a great idea to Jed. He wiped his mouth and chin with his forearm and looked over at Davy, who had already found a nice bit of grass to sit down on. <em>Laying down on the grass together</em>, he thought, remembering this very fantasy having been stuck in his head for the last few days. <em>Of course. Damn it.</em></p>
<p id = "para-59">Jed walked up to Davy and looked down questioningly. Davy looked back up at him and smiled.</p>
<p id = "para-60">“Come sit,” he said with a grin, pointing to the ground right next to him. Jed did as he was told.</p>
<p id = "para-61">And now, there they were, just like in Jeds <em>stupid</em> fantasies. Sitting next to each other, looking out over the forest and a small part of town, with Jed feeling the cool, green grass underneath him.</p>
<p id = "para-62">“You know,” Davy began. “I used to think that you were kind of weird. In school, you know. I only realized afterwards that...” He hesitated. Jed turned his head to see the expression on Davys face, but there wasnt much being expressed there at all. Eventually, Davy continued.</p>
<p id = "para-63">“I think I realized that I had the tiniest bit of a crush on you.”</p>
<p id = "para-64">On... <em>what</em>? Jeds heart skipped a beat. What had Davy just said? Clearly, Davy was out of his mind. Or Jed was. Was he dreaming? Was he passed out from exhaustion somewhere, laying on the path, with Davy wondering what hed gotten himself into? Jed shook his head. <em>No.</em> This seemed to real to be a dream.</p>
<p id = "para-65">“You... you did?”, Jed stuttered. Davy chuckled.</p>
<p id = "para-66">“I think so, yea. You were always kind of cute, and seeing you at the train station the other day... I dont know, it felt like a sign.”</p>
<p id = "para-67"><em>A sign</em>, Jed thought to himself. He could kind of see that. The hunky, adorable student who worked in a bakery, with his long hippy-like hair, believing in <em>signs</em> and probably <em>soulmates</em> and what have you. This made sense to Jed. But the fact that Davy was saying all of this to <em>him</em> made no sense at all.</p>
<p id = "para-68">“Are you serious? I--”, Jed paused, trying to formulate a coherent sentence in his mind. Davy was looking at him with a sense of desperation in his eyes. <em>Tell me that you like me too</em>, they seemed to say.</p>
<p id = "para-69">At this point, Jed went over the options in his mind. The rules, the meeting at the train station, the <em>coincidence</em> of it all. Maybe he believed in signs, too. Maybe he believed that, out of all the people he couldve met that day, Davy was just the perfect one. Maybe, he thought to himself, his rules didnt actually matter that much after all.</p>
<p id = "para-70">“I actually really liked you too. In school. I always saw you with all of those girls and I thought, you know. I thought Id never have a chance. Especially since you seemed so...” Davy cut him off.</p>
<p id = "para-71">“So straight?”, he said and laughed.</p>
<p id = "para-72">“I guess, yea.”</p>
<p id = "para-73">“Well, Im not. I mean, I am. Im bi, actually,” he explained.</p>
<p id = "para-74">“That makes sense,” Jed responded, not really sure what else to say. They were both silent for a moment, but their gazes were still interlocked. They were sitting close enough together now for Jed to feel both of their breathing warming up the air between them.</p>
<p id = "para-75">“Do you want to...” Davy began, but he paused. Jed wanted a lot of things right now. He imagined moving closer to Davy, putting his hand on his thigh, maybe lower, deeper, and going through Davys hair with his hand. He didnt, however, know what Davy wanted. So he didnt do anything.</p>
<p id = "para-76">“Can I kiss you?”, Davy asked after an uncomfortably long silence. Jed didnt answer with words -- how could he possibly answer that question without melting into a puddle then and there -- but apparently, his wide smile was enough indication to Davy that Jed <em>did</em> want to kiss him.</p>
<p id = "para-77">Davy moved in closer, grasping Jeds hip with one hand, and as Davy leaned in closer with his head, Jed could see the veins in his arm twitching as he moved.</p>
<p id = "para-78">Jed closed his eyes, and he felt Davys lips touch his own. He felt him reaching around Jeds body with his other hand, fully enclosing him in his strong embrace now. It felt good. Jed wanted to continue, forever, staying here and kissing Davy until the end of time.</p>
<p id = "para-79">This was good. To Jed, it was the perfect place to be.</p>
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@ -166,9 +166,18 @@
"name": "Emily's Fake Boyfriend",
"summary": "Emily's aunt keeps going on about her love life. To solve this problem, she pretends to be in a relationship with her best friend, Ben, who'd much rather have a real relationship with her. How will an evening with the three of them at the same table play out?",
"id": "emilys_fake_boyfriend",
"cat": ["Short Stories", "Featured"],
"cat": ["Short Stories"],
"date": "4/2/2021",
"book": true,
"discuss": "https://twitter.com/Ellpeck/status/1378014977999659016"
},
{
"name": "Jed's Things to Avoid in Life",
"summary": "Jed's rules are clear: No relationships. They interfere too much with his life, and he's not made for them anyway. But then, he sees his old crush from school in his hometown. Will he break his own rules for Davy?",
"id": "jed_things_to_avoid_in_life",
"cat": ["Short Stories", "Featured"],
"date": "4/23/2021",
"book": true,
"prompt": "https://blog.reedsy.com/creative-writing-prompts/contests/90/submissions/63882/"
}
]