10 Days

~2~

I was so nervous to talk to him.

“Hey!” I said, trying not to let him hear my voice tremble.

“Hey future brother-in-law!” Ashton said excitedly. “What’s up man?”

I cringed every time someone called me that. Maybe it is because I’m gay, I dunno.

“Literally me.” I said, cracking a lame joke. But it was followed by deathly awkward silence. “Because I’m in a plane right now.”

Ashton let out a forced laugh. A forced pity laugh.

“Listen man,” Ashton started. “I wanted to ask you this in person but you won’t get here until Thursday night and the wedding is Saturday, so I have to ask you now.”

“Okay.” I said.

“Will you be a groomsman for me?”

I was taken aback by that offer. “You want me to be a groomsman?”

“For sure!” Ashton said. “It’d be a good way to get to know you and I’d love for you to be a part of your sister’s wedding. I mean, you couldn’t be a bridesmaid!” He let out a laugh.

Why not? Why THE FUCK NOT, ASHTON? Fucking gender roles? Excuse you, bitch, the gender I was assigned dictates whether or not I can be in my sister’s wedding? And weddings are fucking sexist anyway, with all the gender segregation and everything. Whatever, at least he’s trying to be nice.

“That would be great, thank you!” I said, trying to sound enthused, not triggered.

“Great! We’re wearing royal blue with black ties, and the rehearsal is Friday at 3 PM at the church. I have to run, but see you then, man!”

“See you then!” I said back before hanging up. I was trying to decided if I was excited about this or not.

I was going to be one of Ashton Irwin’s groomsmen.

Notes

Yes, another gay character, I know, I can only write in LGBT