Page 85 of Talk to Me

“It’s the barycenter,” I said. “I swear. Earth doesn’t actually revolve around the sun. Everything in the solar system revolves around a point in the galaxy called the barycenter. Even the sun. Sometimes the sun occupies the same space as it, but the sun isn’t what we’re all circling.”

“Lies!” Theo exclaimed dramatically. “You’re trying to hoodwink me!”

I laughed at his dramatics.

“It’s a Google-able fact, bro,” I said. “You don’t have to believe me. You can look it up.”

Theo shoved his coat off onto his chair back and took a sip of his coffee before leaning in to stare directly into my eyes.

“Where did you even learn this?” he asked, playfully. “You’re not even a science major. I doubt you watched any documentaries over break.”

“I saw it in a journal article I was reading…for fun.” I blushed.

Theo grinned at me.

“You read science journals?” Theo asked. “For fun?”

“Shut up.” I waved a dismissive hand at him and picked up my coffee for a sip.

Theo stared at me for a few moments, the grin on his face widening.

“Stop staring!” I barked playfully.

“All right, all right.” Theo sipped his coffee. “I won’t mention what a nerd you are. For now.”

“Thank you.” I sighed and shot him a grin over the rim of my coffee mug.

“So,” Theo said, “we’ve barely spoken this entire week! We haven’t caught up. How was Christmas? Did Santa think you were naughty or nice? Did you eat a lot? How’s your family?”

“Whoa,” I said. “Calm down, sir.”

Theo grinned.

“Yeah,” I said, “I made the Nice List. Got some new, fancy earbuds, a phone case, money, snicky-snacks. That kind of thing. New underwear and socks. You know how moms are.”

“New underwear, eh?” Theo gave me an odd look.

I shrugged. “Yeah. We have to get practical gifts every year so Mom and Dad don’t feel like they’re spoiling us too much.”

“What kind?”

“What kind of what?” I asked.

“Underwear.” Theo clarified, looking away casually to sip his coffee.

I stared at him blankly for a moment, wondering if it was my imagination that he was acting too nonchalant.

“The kind that keeps my junk and my butthole from having direct contact with my britches,” I said.

Theo snorted into his cup and I grinned.

“What about you?” I asked, nudging his shin under the table with the toe of my sneaker. “Did you get anything cool from Santa?”

He shrugged and rolled his eyes.

“Mom and Dad threw some cash my way, we had Christmas lunch and they disappeared. I barely saw them the whole time I was home. I spent most of my nights going to shows or watching movies. I should have just stayed here, to be honest.”

My heart hurting for Theo, I started to reach across the table to take his hand. Thinking better of it, I grabbed my coffee cup instead. Unfortunately, Theo had noticed the gesture and smiled at me.