Sigh…I feel like such a jerk. I didn’t get to the other WIPpets last week. I should be able to this week, though, since I’m not on vacation.
Not a whole lot has happened in my personal life since last time, so nothing exciting to share. Instead, I’ll go right on to the excerpt. Last week, we saw AJ’s relationship with Luke. This week, we meet his other friends.
WIPmath: 12/2 = 12 divided by 2 = 6 paragraphs
Saturday nights were for Piet and Donny. They met up at the alley a mile from campus. Piet still looked washed-out and his big frame was leaner than it should have been, but AJ was glad to see he’d put back on some of the weight he’d lost when he was sick. He’d cut his thick mop of blond hair, and he resembled his older brother much more closely now. Donny looked fantastic as always, his well-defined muscles obvious even under his casual clothes. The slight strain around his dark eyes was hardly noticeable when he grabbed AJ in a fierce bro hug.
A couple of shared pizzas, a pitcher of so-so beer, and a game and a half later, AJ was finally beginning to relax. It had taken him almost the whole time to turn his brain off and enjoy. Up until then, he’d been distracted with thoughts of Adam the Annoying and Luke’s situation. It was bad enough Piet had asked three separate times what his problem was, and his score reflected his distraction.
AJ was broken out of his fog by the sound of Piet’s voice. In response, he said, “Huh?”
“Dude,” Piet said. “You’re up.” He frowned at AJ. “You are all kinds of not with us tonight. I know I’ve already asked, but come on. This isn’t fun.”
“Sorry,” AJ muttered. “Issues at work.”
He didn’t like to talk about Luke with the guys. It made Donny uncomfortable, and Piet was never sure what to say. It was the same when he went out with Luke and Connor—they couldn’t have cared less about what AJ’s straight friends were up to. He’d never tried spending time with all of them in the same place, in much the same way he compartmentalized, organized, and sorted everything else. It was a special talent, keeping all the boxes in his life tidy.
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Nice snippet. Adam the Annoying made me laugh.
LOL, thanks! 🙂
Very telling, the way he compartmentalizes things. Nice snippet!
Thanks! Yes, he’s good at it, and that theme will show up later.
Compartmentalizing is such a guy thing. It’s a good skill to have as long as you remember everything impacts everything else in some way or another. I have friends (and family) like that. These folks belong there and those folks belong here and never the twain shall meet. Well. Maybe. But I’d likely have to set ground rules for communication first. 😛
Yeah. I tend to compartmentalize too. I find it super weird when my “worlds” collide, and I try to keep them apart as much as I can! But some things naturally overlap, and that can be all right too.
Good interaction. I like how much it shows how AJ handles himself and his relationships without actually telling. Good stuff!