Sasquatch to the Moon

34: Three Flags

The whole townhouse has a rustic antique vibe around it, the doors are dark and heavy and most of them don't fit all the way right in their casings. The trim is ornate and looks somewhat hand-crafted. However, the ceilings seem to be modern plaster, which is good, aesthetically and for what I'm planning.

His bedsprings creak a little when I hop up onto his comforter, pins in-mouth, flag in-hand.

One corner down.

Two.

Three.

I hear a creak downstairs and accidentally drop the fourth pin.

"Rocket? Why are your shoes here?" He calls into the house.

"No reason!" I yell back, scrambling to find the fourth pin from where its definitely lost in his sheets.

Unfortunately, I find it with my hand. "Ow, fuck!"

"Any reason you're standing on my bed with a pride flag?" Håkon is leaning against the door, arms crossed, looking at me with a slight smile.

"Nope." I push the fourth pin into the ceiling. "Thought you needed better decor. It contrasts beautifully against your incredibly drab room." I gesture around at the hardwood floor and other, dark themed wooden furnishings and white walls. "Your room is boring. I need more posters."

"I'm slightly offended you find my room boring, I think it's alright." He's watching me as I look around.

"No, no, what are you into?"

"Hockey, uh, mostly hockey and you."

"Yeah, yeah, but if I'm going to date you, you need more spice in here." I frown. "Maybe I should frame a huge photo of myself and stick it in here somewhere."

"You really want to spend the night looking at a photo of yourself?"

"Not really, good point." I hop down off the mattress, glancing around. "Maybe we could hang up a jersey or two here and there."

"Eh, maybe I should just find a plant." He drums his fingers against the doorframe, waiting for me to say something else. Apparently he's restless with it. "So, do we... have anything else to do? When do you think we can start dating? It's been bugging me all week."

Oh, I was not prepared for this conversation. "Frankly, I don't know. I feel like the decision should be up to you since you're the one learning with it, but then again I feel like you might get ahead of yourself and say now."

He puffs out his cheeks. "Maybe now is a good choice."

"No," I respond, probably too quickly. "I want you to do another thing."

"What is it?"

I clear my throat, suddenly nervous. "I want you to call Svea, that haunts you, I know it does, I want it off your head."

"Oh, I," he pauses. "I haven't talked to Svea in four years, how am I supposed to just call her out of the blue like that?"

"I don't know, Yets, I don't, but it's been on my list for a while and it makes sense."

"I'll send her a text or something, see if she's around for a call in the first place." He lets out a long sigh followed by a groan. "What am I supposed to say? Hey I'm sorry I treated you badly when we dated, I wasn't actually into girls?"

I'm not making any eye contact with him, I can't, this just feels awful and weird and I'm requesting something that he really doesn't want to do.

My phone goes off in my pocket and I've never been faster to pull it out. Although it's a notification that my storage is full, I wince at it. "My mom clogged the sink again, I need to go, sorry."