“Please. I don’t often ask you for a favor.”

“You’re joking, right? Last week, you asked me to…”

“Fine,” Adam interrupts his brother. “But this is important to me. Please.”

“Why don’t you ask the guys from the team?”

“Because I’m not going to make Caleb wait until after training when he can’t even swim. Look, the car is all yours until this is sorted, okay?”

Liam caves. That has actually nothing to do with the car – although that’s a nice bonus. Liam actually likes Caleb, even if they never really talked that much, and he doesn’t mind doing something for him. He just doesn’t want Adam to get used to his younger brother doing things for him.

“Fine. I’ll take him to and from school on practice days. But next time I’m invited to a party you’re designated driver for me and Maisy.”

“Urgh. Why do you have to make everything so complicated? Alright. But if you ever puke in my car, I’m telling the parents that you were drinking.”

“See? Compromises,” taking the keys from his brother. “How are you going to get to or from school on training days?”

“Tom will be my ride.”

Liam stops the car in front of Caleb’s house and suddenly feels nervous. What is he supposed to do? Honk? Get out and ring the bell? Call Caleb? Does he even have Caleb’s number anywhere?

Thank God the other boy puts him out of his misery by getting out of his house less than a minute later, leg in a cast, hobbling to the car on crutches.

He gets in the car, smiles almost shyly, and says: “Thank you for picking me up.”

“No problem.”

“Adam said that it took some bargaining. Honestly, I can take the bus if it’s a problem.”

‘Adam said’. Really? Doesn’t Liam’s brother have anything better to do than tell cute boys that his little brother is being a pain?

Liam shrugs. “I was just being difficult with him on purpose. I really don’t mind. It’s three days a week, and when Adam is driving us, we are picking you up anyway and I have to get up extra early for practice or stay late after school. So it’s a win-win situation, really.” Then he realizes the context and adds: “I mean… except for your leg. I didn’t mean it like that.”

“I know. That’s fine.”

Caleb. Always so nice. Probably because deep down, he doesn’t give a shit what Liam is saying or thinking.

Liam stays silent, trying not to say anything stupid again and Caleb doesn’t restart the conversation, probably not super thrilled to be stuck with his best friend’s little brother.

Why does life always have to be awkward?

Thankfully, Practice is just once a day and Adam will be with them to get back home. That’s his best quality: be a buffer.

“Friday, after dropping Caleb home, I’m taking the car,” Liam tells his brother dinner.

He almost expects Adam to argue, but he simply says: “Fine. That was the deal anyway.”

“Deal?” their mother asks.

“Yeah. Caleb has a cast for another four weeks and it was stupid to have him sit by the pool and do nothing on practice days. So Liam agreed to take him to school when I have morning practice, and home when I have twilight practice.”

“They could both wait in school like your brother does,” their mother comments.

“I know Mom. But it only makes sense to make Liam wait.”

“Because I don’t matter?” Liam asks, glaring at his brother.

“No, half-brain. Because it’s two against one and you don’t have anyone to give you a ride home. Whereas now, it’s two of you, one of me, and Tom said he’d drive me.”

Liam doesn’t mind his brother calling him ‘half-brain’, or whatever else he might call him. There has always been this banter between them and even if Liam has been moody lately, they do actually get on quite well and there is no nastiness behind their words.

Liam can tell from the way his mother is looking at him that he will not like what she will say next. “So it’s just you and Caleb in the car?”

“We can pick up hitchhikers if you’re worried we’re not eco-friendly enough.”

“Very funny. No, I was wondering… does he know? About you?”

“Yes, mom. The entire school knows about me.”

“And is he comfortable with… everything?”

“Mom, you’re the only one uncomfortable with it,” Adam interrupts her.

Liam won’t say it out loud, but he is grateful for his brother and the way he supports and protects him, especially since coming out. Liam glances at his father, eating in silence, not taking part in the conversation. Adam is wrong. Their mother isn’t the only one uncomfortable with this.

“I can take Caleb to school,” Samantha offers with her ridiculously adorable smile. It’s probably because she’s eight, but she’s still genuinely kind and selfless, and she says everything with a face that melts even Liam’s heart.

“That’s a great idea, Kid,” Adam tells his little sister, “but I’m pretty sure that to be allowed to drive, you need to be able to see over the wheel.”

She rolls her eyes at him and that’s the little glimpses Liam can get at the type of teenager she is probably going to be when her nice little girl persona will fade away. He almost hopes she won’t just be sassy but that she’ll be properly terrible, and then maybe a coming out won’t seem so bad. But then he looks at her adorable face and he hopes she’ll stay sweet forever.

“I know that!” she replies. “But I can teach him how to ride the bus.” And isn’t that the sweetest offer ever?

“I’ll ask him tomorrow,” Adam promises and Sam looks both proud and pleased. Somehow, Liam has a feeling that if he were here, Caleb might be making plans with her so she could indeed teach him how to ride the bus. Because he is kind like that.

“Where are you going on Friday?” Adam asks and Liam knows he is trying to change the subject.

“I’m taking Maisie to the cinema.”

“Like a date?” his mother asks and Adam sighs. Liam doesn’t even react anymore. Surely, she must know how useless it is to push like that. Suddenly, he’s not so hungry.

*

A couple of days later, it is time for Liam to take Caleb home from school. They both walk to the parking lot just in time to see the rest of the team disappear in the changing rooms and Liam notices the way Caleb looks at them.

“Do you miss it?” Liam asks as they both get in the car.

“Swimming?”

“Yeah.”

“A bit. But it’s not like it’s gone forever. It’s just… I don’t know. You know I’m a bit awkward around people. Even with you. I see you every day when your brother picks me up and we barely even talk.”

“I get it,” Liam says, inserting into traffic. “I’m your best friend little brother. Not the coolest thing in the world.”

“Hum… I’m a junior too, you know? It’s not like I could look down on you for being younger. Not that I would anyway. It’s just that I’m a bit socially awkward. But when I am with the team, it’s different. I feel like I belong. Like I’m not just awkward. So… yeah, I guess I don’t really know who I am when I don’t have the team.”

“Sorry.”

Caleb smiles. “Don’t look so sad. It sounded more dramatic than I intended. I’m not with them in the pool for a little while, but they’re still my friends. And that’s a lot of friends. I’m not lonely, I’m just… it’s different when we’re in the pool, you know?”

“I guess I don’t. But yes, that’s a lot of friends. More than me.”

Caleb shrugs. “Some people are a one-friend kind of people. I think that without the team, I would pretty much only talk to your brother.”

“And that would be such a sad life,” Liam answers and is surprised when it gets him a laugh from Caleb. “What happened to your leg?”

Liam isn’t entirely sure that he is allowed to ask that, but Caleb answers without hesitation. “It’s the most boring thing ever. Do you know the little concrete stairs next to the store by the park?”

“I do.”

“I went to get some paper for the printer because my mom was finishing a presentation, I slipped, I managed to restore some balance so I didn’t properly fall, but I still landed funny and there I am. The bone isn’t properly broken, it’s cracked. Still hurt like hell, though.”

“You slipped?”

“Yeah. Apparently, it was yogurt, but I didn’t really go back to investigate.”

“Fair enough. And… we’re there.”

“Thanks for the ride.”

“You’re welcome. See you on Tuesday.”

“I’ll see you before then. You just won’t be driving.”

“Right. Sure.” Liam knows he’s smart. He has the grades to prove it. So why does he constantly make himself look so stupid in front of Caleb?