The bubble shattered violently and I turned my head to look behind me as the music, lights and hazy air came crashing back to normal speed. Benji was clamoring off of Gus's lap, eyes darting between Logan and me and the crowd. A rush of fear bolted through me and I looked too, but since we'd ducked past the curtains, I couldn't see anyone and felt a little reassured no one could see me either. Just Benji and Gus, who looked a little perplexed to have stopped making out.
"Hey! Uhhhh..." I said, glancing stupidly down at Logan, who looked both surprised and amused. "I - uh - I..."
"Oh, hell yeah, guys!" Said Gus, seeing Logan and me, but unaware that anything more significant than noticing each other had just occurred.
Benji crossed the lounge alcove in two strides, leaving Gus with a confused outstretched arm.
"Gurl, what the
fuck
am I looking at?" He asked as he slid into the cushions beside me and Logan, wearing the giddiest smile I'd ever seen. "Holy shit, does Josh know?"
"Know what?" I responded, pulling an innocent face and looking back down at Logan. "Oh my god! How did
you
get down there?!" My cornered mind was grasping at straws and had evidently chosen humor.
Logan laughed loudly, breaking the tension in my chest.
"I don't know," he chortled. "Just gravity, I guess."
"Oh. Ha. Ha." Said Benji, as Gus pulled into the seat beside him.
"Look," I said, abandoning the jig, but feeling anxious about Benji's reaction, "it literally just happened. No, I haven't said anything to Josh, so could you please n..."
"Ooooooh," interrupted Benji, holding his hand dramatically over his mouth. "Gurl, this is
high-grade tea!
BITCH!! You have to tell him!"
"What!? Why?"
"Because he'll fucking
love it!
" Benji said matter-of-factly, emphasizing the last words with a flourish of his hand.
"Seriously?"
"Fuckin' YEAH! Absolutely, he would! And honestly," he raised a theatrical eyebrow and looked significantly at Logan and Gus, "between us, I've always kinda had my suspicions about you."
Logan chuckled again, but I was aghast at the idea that Josh's friends had already suspected I might've been kind of gay - though, reexamining my current position, I thought better of protesting. Instead, I chose to silently dismount from Logan's lap, settling down next to him on the couch.
"Suspicions?" Piped up Gus, incredulous at the word given the circumstances.
"Oh right," said Benji, taking pity on him. "Danny, over here, told us all he was straight." He playfully wiggled an accusatory finger at me. "You little bisexual slut, you!"
I opened my mouth but didn't know a thing to say back, so I closed it again and shrugged with open palms instead.
"
*tchyah*
," he scoffed with a satisfied smirk. "Bitch, you really had us going with that whole cargo shorts schtick."
"What?" I defended. "It wasn't a schtick! That's how I actu..."
The sound of the table scraping across the floor cut me off and we all turned to see Josh and Cornelius laughing hysterically on the floor, evidently having both just tripped and fallen on the step to the lounge. Allan and Ty were coming up behind them, clearly shepherding the other two drunken messes.
"Hey," Allan said with lighthearted exasperation. "These two definitely need to get back home, I think Ty and I are gonna take 'em."
I jumped up. "Oh, I'll come with you guys!"
"No, no," said Ty, waving me back down. "We totally got it, you guys should stay and enjoy the night!"
"No, I should come and help Josh," I protested reaching down to the still giggling heap that was my brother to hoist him up.
Allan actually grabbed my hand and pulled me a little away this time. "No, seriously, you should stay," he gave me a significant look. "We- uh... we kinda saw you making out with Logan."
A sudden tide of panic rushed up in my chest.
"Don't sweat it!" He said quickly, seeing the look in my eye. "You've got a couple things going for you - first, Josh was surprised but really excited about it," he giggled, "but also jealous that you bagged a pornstar for your first... well... for your second, anyway," a knowing twinkle passed between us before he cleared his throat to continue, "and second, he's so drunk right now that I honestly don't even think he'll remember anything about tonight. So actually, you can still tell him yourself when you're ready."
"Wow, uh... I don't even know what to say."
"Say you'll fucking close the deal, bitch!" He said conspiratorially and waved Benji over from the couches.