Read Online Missed Connections by Tan-ni Fan - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Tan-ni Fan
Tags: LGBTQ romance, anthology
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his friends were trying to set him up with some guy or other but he'd put a stop to it as fast as he could.
The whole event was unmemorable, but he remembered that much of it. Stanny asked him about it when they were having milkshakes, but Rob only told him the short version: "One day I just realized that I liked boys like that, and I only liked girls for friends. It wasn't a big trauma or anything."
Stanny said, "Nothing's ever a trauma for you, is it?"
"I'll get mine someday, probably. But it's totally not my fault your life is so full of drama, Stanny. You make that happen all by yourself."
Stanny made a face but he couldn't deny it. Though intelligent and sweet, and almost completely without malice, Stanny had managed three suspensions and a series of anxious meetings last year, and he had only graduated from eighth grade because the middle school administration didn't want him on their campus for another year.
"I don't get it," Rob said. "I mean, everybody's got something to be mad about, and if you said that's why you do stupid shit, I'd totally sympathize though you still shouldn't do it, but you say you're not pissed off or anything. You just haul off and break the faucets in science room for no reason."
"I wasn't trying to do that," Stanny said. "I was just fidgeting."
"There's got to be drugs for that, or something."
"That's what I said, but Dad doesn't like the idea. He just lectures me about resisting impulses when they come up."
"No offense, but George is not necessarily the right person to talk about impulse control. After all, plastic owls," Rob said. He didn't have to say more. Stanny nearly fell off his stool laughing.
"So, did you decide who gets to ride with you instead of Dad and Sera?" Stanny asked.
"I figure you all will let me know who wants to," Rob said.
"Me, Maria, and Emily. Letty definitely doesn't because she hates your car and Jaime—"
"Hates me. There are two people in the world who hate me and I can't figure out why either of them feel that way."
"There's another one?" Stanny asked. "And Jaime doesn't need a reason, he hates half the world."
"Yeah, there's the reader for my last class at university. Maybe he doesn't actually hate me but he really doesn't like me. He gets a look on his face like I smell bad or something."
"Maybe you do," Stanny said. "What? I mean, maybe you smell bad to him. People have different chemistries and stuff."
The roadside rest
George had to lecture Stanny about not doing anything stupid before he would let them go, and Sera had to triple check that they knew to meet them at Casa de Fruta for breakfast.
Rob agreed to let Emily and Maria take turns driving, but first he caused them to roll their eyes by saying, "I drive first so I can explain the car. It's not like other cars."
They made it twenty miles before Stanny started lobbying for driving lessons.
"No, Stanny, we're not going to do that," Maria said. "When we get back, maybe you can talk Rob into doing it in a nice safe empty parking lot. But nobody's tubing the road trip because you want to get behind the wheel and drive into a cow."
"There's no cows here," Stanny said.
"But there are cliffs," Emily said.
"You guys are no fun," Stanny said.
"Gosh, you're right," Rob said. "Don't you have a Gameboy or something?"
"No, I live in the here and now," Stanny said.
"So, are you excited to see your childhood sweetheart again?" Emily asked.
Rob waited to see what Maria was going to say. He didn't know she had a childhood sweetheart.
"Aren't you going to answer, Rob?" she asked.
"What did I miss? I was waiting for the answer to the last question."
"Emily asked were you excited to see your childhood sweetheart."
"… I don't think I ever had a childhood sweetheart. Did Mom say something about somebody?"
"Yeah, but she didn't have to. There's like a dozen pictures of you and that boy snuggling and there's the valentines too if that wasn't enough."
"Valentines?"
Emily slapped his shifting
The whole event was unmemorable, but he remembered that much of it. Stanny asked him about it when they were having milkshakes, but Rob only told him the short version: "One day I just realized that I liked boys like that, and I only liked girls for friends. It wasn't a big trauma or anything."
Stanny said, "Nothing's ever a trauma for you, is it?"
"I'll get mine someday, probably. But it's totally not my fault your life is so full of drama, Stanny. You make that happen all by yourself."
Stanny made a face but he couldn't deny it. Though intelligent and sweet, and almost completely without malice, Stanny had managed three suspensions and a series of anxious meetings last year, and he had only graduated from eighth grade because the middle school administration didn't want him on their campus for another year.
"I don't get it," Rob said. "I mean, everybody's got something to be mad about, and if you said that's why you do stupid shit, I'd totally sympathize though you still shouldn't do it, but you say you're not pissed off or anything. You just haul off and break the faucets in science room for no reason."
"I wasn't trying to do that," Stanny said. "I was just fidgeting."
"There's got to be drugs for that, or something."
"That's what I said, but Dad doesn't like the idea. He just lectures me about resisting impulses when they come up."
"No offense, but George is not necessarily the right person to talk about impulse control. After all, plastic owls," Rob said. He didn't have to say more. Stanny nearly fell off his stool laughing.
"So, did you decide who gets to ride with you instead of Dad and Sera?" Stanny asked.
"I figure you all will let me know who wants to," Rob said.
"Me, Maria, and Emily. Letty definitely doesn't because she hates your car and Jaime—"
"Hates me. There are two people in the world who hate me and I can't figure out why either of them feel that way."
"There's another one?" Stanny asked. "And Jaime doesn't need a reason, he hates half the world."
"Yeah, there's the reader for my last class at university. Maybe he doesn't actually hate me but he really doesn't like me. He gets a look on his face like I smell bad or something."
"Maybe you do," Stanny said. "What? I mean, maybe you smell bad to him. People have different chemistries and stuff."
The roadside rest
George had to lecture Stanny about not doing anything stupid before he would let them go, and Sera had to triple check that they knew to meet them at Casa de Fruta for breakfast.
Rob agreed to let Emily and Maria take turns driving, but first he caused them to roll their eyes by saying, "I drive first so I can explain the car. It's not like other cars."
They made it twenty miles before Stanny started lobbying for driving lessons.
"No, Stanny, we're not going to do that," Maria said. "When we get back, maybe you can talk Rob into doing it in a nice safe empty parking lot. But nobody's tubing the road trip because you want to get behind the wheel and drive into a cow."
"There's no cows here," Stanny said.
"But there are cliffs," Emily said.
"You guys are no fun," Stanny said.
"Gosh, you're right," Rob said. "Don't you have a Gameboy or something?"
"No, I live in the here and now," Stanny said.
"So, are you excited to see your childhood sweetheart again?" Emily asked.
Rob waited to see what Maria was going to say. He didn't know she had a childhood sweetheart.
"Aren't you going to answer, Rob?" she asked.
"What did I miss? I was waiting for the answer to the last question."
"Emily asked were you excited to see your childhood sweetheart."
"… I don't think I ever had a childhood sweetheart. Did Mom say something about somebody?"
"Yeah, but she didn't have to. There's like a dozen pictures of you and that boy snuggling and there's the valentines too if that wasn't enough."
"Valentines?"
Emily slapped his shifting
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