TWELVE FALLING INTO PLACE

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The next day, Norman received another phone call. Normally he hated talking on the phone, but he supposed if he was friends with the Pogues he would have to get used to them. He expected it to be from John B, but Norman couldn't bear to speak with him after yesterday's events. It was too complicated now, too confusing. However, as he looked at the caller ID, it was a call from Kie.

"Hey, what's up?" he spoke as casually as possible as he picked up the phone, arms crossed as he stared out his window at the waves crashing against the shore. He knew she was probably calling to come to pick him up for whatever they were getting into today, but he didn't know if he had the heart for it today. The treasure hunt could definitely carry on without him and if things were messed up with John B, there was no reason for him being there. It wasn't like he was actually friends with any of them. He was pretty sure JJ had it out for him, but he could live with that.

"So... I went surfing with John B and the boys yesterday and uh, I brought up the time John B kissed me and --" Norman didn't know why he was listening to this, but he let her continue anyway, "And you know what he told me? You guys kissed. Not once, not twice, but three times! Who was going to tell me this? I'm normally so good at sensing that shit, but you guys were right under my nose this whole time!"

Norman's eyes widened as he choked on nothing the moment those words left Kie's mouth. He tried to cover it up with a cough, but really he was just attempting to regain his composure. With a choked-up voice, Norman spoke into the phone, "I'm sorry... what? I have no recollection of any events ever taking place I think John B is... on drugs. On drugs."

"If I was with you right now I would smack you upside the head, you absolute dumbass!" she exclaimed, "I have an amazing gaydar, but I did not count on you and John B! I had to know there was a reason he kept inviting you. Not that I'm mad he kept inviting you, you're actually really cool for a Kook."

"Thanks?" he tried to say, but one thing stuck with him, "Also, gaydar isn't real, Kie. If gaydar was real and any of us were going to have it, it would be me."

"It's real when you're actually gay," Kie scoffed and although Norman did a double-take in person, he didn't say anything. "Just tell me what's going on with you guys so it doesn't get in the way of this stupid treasure hunt! He told me you literally ran away after he kissed you yesterday! What the fuck is going on?"

Norman sighed before admitting, "I've never had a crush on a boy before! And I'm scared! I'm absolutely fucking terrified, Kiara! Also, I know John B is confused, too, and two confused people entering something they don't quite understand is literally the worst idea known to mankind."

"You really have feelings for him, don't you?" Kie asked after a beat of silence, her voice calmer and more pensive than it had been before. Clearly, something had struck her that made her sober up from the initial bewilderment.

He didn't know what to say. He didn't know how any of this was supposed to go, all he knew was that he really liked kissing John B, but he despised all of the confusion that came along with it. it was just a bad idea all around. First of all, a Pogue and Kook could never work, second of all, John B and Norman would never work. There was too much animosity, too much confusion, they had fucked it up from the start. To go any further under the guise of something that made sense would be relationship suicide. Norman couldn't go along with this if he was still figuring out himself, he had to remind himself of that.

After he went too long without answering, he heard Kie ask through the phone, "Rocky?"

"I don't know," was the answer he finally forced himself to give, "I honest to God do not know, Kiara. I think I do, but I'm not even okay with my own sexuality, there's no way I am comfortable admitting any sort of feelings about anyone right now. I'm already so fucked up, I can't take it."

"You're not fucked up," the girl spoke so gently, Norman wasn't even sure he heard her correctly. "Take it from someone who went through exactly what you're going through right now. Your world feels like it is entirely changing, everything you brushed over before suddenly has another meaning, another relevance. You wonder if the signs were there the whole time, if you've been lying to yourself for years, or you wonder if you're just faking it. It's scary, I know."

"Fucking terrifying," he breathed out as he let himself sit down on the ground, leaning with his back against his wall. He needed to chill the fuck out. "I don't know if I can keep going on this treasure hunt with everything that's going on with John B and I. I need to figure my shit out like really badly. Besides, you guys really don't need me except for the occasional biting remark."

Kiara laughed at that, saying, "I disagree. We like having you around, even JJ was saying how "surprisingly cool" you are the other night on the docks. Also, John B I think really likes having you around, whether it's for stupid crush reasons or not. That being said, I won't force you to hang out with us if you don't want to. I know someone is gonna miss you, though."

Norman chuckled, feeling surprisingly better just by letting Kie talk him down, "He can deal. Thank you, Kie, really. I'll see you at Midsummer?"

The girl groaned, "Yeah, you will, my parents are forcing me to go. See you then, hopefully, sooner, though! Bye, Rocky!"

Laughing gently, he said, "Bye, Kie."

Then, the call ended and he was alone again. He sighed, getting up to open his window so he could hear the waves as well as see them. Every time he watched that scene now he was reminded of the night with Alisha. Speak of the devil, he heard the front door open and his mom speaking with someone downstairs. He had a feeling Alisha would be knocking at his doorframe any moment now. It had been a while since they'd spoken, so it would be nice to see her. However, as he turned around at the sound of footsteps, it wasn't Alisha in the doorframe. It was the other half of the Turner twins, Lila.

"Lila?" he asked with a furrowed brow, confusion evident in his voice, "What are you doing here?"

The girl didn't beat around the bush, instead, shaking her head and asking, "You and Alisha aren't dating." It wasn't a question.

He shook his head, "No. Is that... all you came here to say?"

He liked Lila, but she had always been on the quieter side with James taking the reputation of the loud twin ever since they were young. Outspoken and bold were never used to describe her, but she and Norman had never been especially close regardless of any shyness from the girl. So, a surprise visit from her like this was even more of a surprise than it would have been if Alisha were standing in front of him right now.

The girl shook her head, "No, I just... you're really close with Alisha and I need help."

Norman remembered something Alisha said to him that night she kissed him. With a smile, he nodded and patted the spot on the floor next to him. Lila sat down with a sigh.

"So, you guys are very much not together. What were you covering up? Thinking she was taken, especially by you, absolutely crushed me. So, I won't sue you for emotional damage if you just tell me what was so detrimental that you guys had to fake a relationship just to hide it from us."

The boy sighed thinking of how he was going to tell her or what lies he was going to spit out. However, he knew there was something he could use without it being a complete lie. Lying by omission wasn't as bad, after all.

"She told me she thinks she really likes you. She also told me you guys hooked up, but I was hoping you were aware of that already," Norman admitted with a small smile, "I mean, I'll be honest, we were covering up something on my end, too, but that's not something I'm ready to share."

"She said that? I don't care about you right now, hold on, she said that?" Lila asked with a smile stretching from ear-to-ear as the excitement was clear in her voice, "I thought I was totally kidding myself when I thought she actually liked me, but she does?"

Norman nodded, " As far as I know, yes. You should ask her to be your date to Midsummer. I think she'd really like that."

"You think?"

"Yeah, she would," he said with a shrug, "I think things got way too complicated in our friend group, don't you?"

She nodded, "Definitely. James punching you in the face was not something I expected. Gemma's still mad at him for it. Hell, I'm still mad at him for it! It was stupid and he should have known that Alisha is not controlled by any of us and she can make her own decisions. Ugh, men."

"Yeah, I felt that one," the boy agreed with a sigh, "We need to talk more. I feel like I've been so separated from you guys. I don't know what happened."

The girl shrugged, her voice sad as she spoke, "We grew up. Grew apart. Who knows? I miss you too, though. Where have you been?"

He groaned, gently hitting his head against the wall behind them. "Dude, I've been hanging out with Pogues! Who have I become?"

Lila laughed, smacking him gently on the stomach, shaking her head disapprovingly, "Hey, they're probably nice than we all are. The lack of money humbles them, makes them kinder."

He laughed outwardly at that, "You can't say that! Even though you're probably right. Ugh, what have we become? Hey, weird question, how did you figure out you liked girls and only girls?"

"Oh, my God!" Lila exclaimed and he already knew he had given himself away. "Are you...? I'm not gonna ask. Uh, remember when we kissed when we were like fourteen?"

Norman nodded, "I do, thank you."

"Okay, I felt absolutely nothing and then I kissed a girl for the first time, I think it was like that same game of Truth or Dare, it was some random Kook, but man was it different. Ugh, since then, no going back," Lila explained, "Why? Did you kiss a boy? Did you like it?"

"Calm down, it's really not that big of a deal!" he said with a sigh, "But yes. To both. That's all I'm going to say about it, though so no more questions!"

The girl groaned, "Ugh, you're the worst! Whatever, we're not done talking about this. Anyway, we're going out on the boat and you're coming because we all miss you and I know for a fact James and you made up so you're going!"

He didn't argue, he was just glad to feel like he had his friends back. "Yeah, yeah, okay. Let's go."

With a sigh, he stood up from the floor and he actually felt okay. He needed some stability in his life right now and he knew his friends were there for him even if things had gotten a little rocky the past few days. He and James were okay, Lila didn't hate him, Lila and Alisha were finally going to go on a date. Things felt like they were falling back into place. Maybe, if Norman was lucky, they would fall back into place in his own life, too.

that's RIGHT bitches i made kie gay because she and Sarah were definitely ex-girlfriends and her and pope have absolutely no chemistry!! she just hasn't told any of the boys because she's scared but that'll be a plot point later anyway gay rights!!