"Suspended, again, really?!" He exclaims and though it was phrased as a question we both knew very well that it wasn't one.

Heck, I didn't even need to see his face to know he's giving me the same look he always does when he finds out I am 'expected to not come to school for the next two to three days'. It's a look that I have practically memorized by now. A look that is a mix of shock, which at this point is surprising itself because it's not anything new, and 'you messed up again, really Sam?' Like a somewhat shocked bitch face. Somewhat.

That usually leads to him pacing around the room for a little bit until he calms down and gives me a sigh/look that just screams 'disappointment'.

"Come on Sam, what is this? The second time only this month?" He asks and I sigh, rolling my eyes, "Hey, it's not my fault that Mr. Stupid Face was being a dick"

"Yes, yes it was." He shook his head, "He doesn't act like a dick until you start acting out-"

"You know just as well as I do that's not true and that I have just as much a right to act like a dick back when he's the one who starts it in the first place" I try.

Though it didn't work out so well since he was persistent, "Yeah, I know, but Sam, this is getting out of hand. You're just-"

Another eye roll, "This is getting out of hand?!" I exclaim, "Really? And you think going to school and learning about how gay is wrong and getting in trouble for having an opinion that's different than one in the 20th century is fine? For someone who's a genius, you're not sounding very smart right now"

"Fuck Sam, will you just fucking stop cutting me off?" He says, looking annoyed, "I'm trying to talk to you"

Yup, I'll shut up now. It takes a lot for him to get annoyed like that. And even more so for him to start cursing. More than once.

Though since it wasn't as usual, he soon enough realized what he was doing, stopped and took a deep breath in, as he usually does in that exact order.

"Can you just let me finish for once without you interrupting me? Please, Sammy, that is all I ask of you." he pleads and I knew he was right.

He always is, no surprise there.

And I do have a tendency of cutting people off when I am really angry and feel like I need to get my point across.

My best friend is no exception.

"Alright, sorry Bar. What'd you want to say?" I ask and he sighs, "thank you. As I was trying to say: this is getting out of hand. Not just on your part, because I do agree that that is complete bullshit. But you really need to tone it down. Keep to yourself a bit. Or else it won't just be suspension but expulsion from school too."

"Come on, you think I care about school?" I mutter, honestly, "school got ruined for me in tenth grade and it's all stupid anyway."

"That's not true" Barry objects, shaking his head.

"Plus: no one even likes going anyway" I add and my best friend sighs.

"Actually, I like going," he says and if anyone else were to say it, you'd think they were joking.

But no, with Barry, it's serious.

"And you're the only one." I laugh, "No one just willingly comes to school like you do. No wakes up and says, 'I can't wait to go to school today'. Like, you don't even have to go because you already know everything, yet you still go whenever you want because you want to."

"Well, technically I don't know everything. That's impossible." Barry corrects and I sigh, "You have an IQ of 180, that's like Einstein"

"Actually Sam, it's 181 and Einstein had an IQ of 165" He corrects me again, and there he is, Barry, always having to be right about everything.

No matter what it is.

I don't even know why I stick with him.

Oh right, actually I do.

It's because no matter how much of a smart ass he is, and he is one, a big one, we've been best friends for over twelve years and he's literally the only friend of mine that has actually stuck around this long.

The rest usually leave after a week or so because I'm apparently not the best person to be friends with.

I'm different.

But so is he.

Which is actually what makes us work well together.

"And I have an IQ of 118, your point?" I ask, raising a single eyebrow and he looks at me with a shrug, "I mean, that is considered above average."

"Just barely"

"I mean it's still-" he began but I cut him off with a "Point Barry, point"

"Sam," he says seriously and I know he told me not to cut him off but, "Bar, you were getting off-topic"

"I know, but you didn't have to cut me off." He glares, crossing his arms with a, "I was getting there"

Crossing his arms? Annoyed look on his face? It's time to apologize.

"Sorry, pal" I frown and only moments later, when he looks content with my apology, he continues on, "What I was trying to say was: soon you'll be eighteen and out of high school and if you keep acting out like this you can get in big trouble. Bigger trouble than you've ever been in before."

"Oh yes, going to jail for liking men." I scoff, "America at its finest"

"America hasn't been at it's finest for years"

"Yeah, ever since-" I start, before getting cut off by the voice I know as Barry's moms calling out from downstairs, "Sam, honey, will you be staying for dinner?"

Barry looks over at me and I look back at him.

"Yeah mom," he calls out, raising his voice to make sure she hears him, "he'll stay."

"Alright then, dinner is almost done. I'd give it a half-hour, tops" she says and when it was quiet once again, it was safe to say that she had returned to the kitchen and left the two of us to continue talking amongst ourselves about whatever it was before she had interrupted.

Which left me to smile at my best friend, who took a seat on the end of his bed and patted the space next to him for me to join, "what if I had plans?" I question and Barry smiles.

"You don't have plans, you never have plans. I'm your only friend." he mocks and after hearing that, I accept the offer of the seat.

I mean, he's not wrong.

"But hey, it's not my fault you're the only one who wants to hang out with a homosexual"