please don't be a player hater

Ian could sense something was brewing with Derrick that night at the show. But Ian couldn't exactly figure it out. Instead, he ignored it. He wanted to have some fun. He'd hoped Derrick would have some too. So they danced. Or jumped mostly through the night until they'd had enough, but they were still riding high after the show. Or at least he was. He couldn't say the same about Josie or Max. It was complicated. He guessed.

He saw Josie leave once, but she'd came back to the show in a definitely bad mood. He felt kind of bad for Max. This was his first concert ever. And everyone seemed to be bailing. He'd hoped they'd all go out for breakfast afterwards, but no on seemed to be in the mood.

"So, what's the problem?" Ian asked Derrick face to face a few days later. A part of him wasn't sure he wanted to know.

Derrick only fumed. He didn't want to talk. He made up some excuse he was going to be late for class.

"Fine. But we're gonna talk. We've got time after school." Ian didn't want to  prolonged the agony anymore than he had to. He couldn't remember the last time they had a disagreement over anything. Not that they agreed on everything. It was just easier to let Derrick decide where to go, what to see. Ian thought this was possibly the first time he'd ever been in this sort of situation. They were happy. What had happened?

Finally after the last class and the half hour he could kill before work, he met up with Derrick who was getting in Josie's car with Max.

"Wait up!" Ian was pissed now. "We're suppose to talk."

"Then talk." Derrick gave Ian an ominous look.

"Well, I know you're mad at me." Ian definitely found it apparent now.

The car doors shut. Josie wasn't waiting in the school parking lot. Max looked out the back window as if he were a puppy that might be meeting his impending doom as Josie peeled out of the parking lot.

Ian looked back at Derrick. "What did I do?" He squinted hard as if he hadn't a clue.

"How come you didn't tell me? Jules is gay." Derrick spat back in a huff, hugging himself angrily.

"Jules is not gay." Ian scowled.

"What about that guy he was with?" Derrick glared back.

"Your jealous." Ian cracked up. "Unbelievably... jealous." Ian kept smiling as if this was the best joke ever.

"He wasn't this mate." Derrick was still in the thick of it. "He was your boyfriend, wasn't he?"

"Jesus, Derrick! You can't get all drama on me, over Jules." Ian scowl soon turned into a laugh as they walked toward the wide open field by the school.

"He probably kissed you, didn't he?" Derrick swelled a frown as they walked together.

"Its not a big deal." Ian held on to his back pack straps.

"Did you?" Derrick wouldn't let up with the questions.

"A snog here and there." Ian didn't think much of it.

"What!" Now he was really setting Derrick off.

"He was drunk. I was drunk. It was nothing. And it was a way long time ago. I don't think he remembers. I barely do. He liked to get in fights and then.." It was best not tell Derrick anymore.

"He's gay." Derrick looked at Ian as if he better watch out.

"He's not that gay." Ian shook his head, no. "He likes them all." Ian shrugged. "But I don't see him really hooking up with this Jonah."

"How do you know?" Derrick looked worried as they plodded through the plush meadow.

"Body language." He told him. "I know how he is when he takes fancy to someone. He's like a shark, circling and charming, you know."

Derrick looked at him a tad pissed still.

"Don't worry so much, man..." Ian reached out and put his arm around Derrick to draw him in. "He really isn't in to me.  I do know that, for a fact. You know." He smiled then. He knew a place they could be alone. He'd certainly do his best to take Derrick's mind off Jules.