Sadde raises an eyebrow, then stands up. "How about we don't force our delightful friend to go elsewhere because of our" your "problems?"

Theo looks at him. That's not how he meant it, but whatever. He stands up and says, tiredly and somewhat meekly, "Ok."

"Seeya later, Willow."

"...bye," she says, sounding a bit remorseful.

Theo follows Sadde out of the cafeteria.

Sadde just leads him to the hall, between rows of lockers, leans back against a wall, and asks, "So?"

"So," Theo responds a little darkly.

"...dude, you're the one whose face did the things, I can't tell you what you're thinking."

"Yeah, I already got that you can't read minds."

"...okay, so should I just tentatively assume the answer's 'no'?"

"I don't know. It was a 'yeah, probably, I'm totally open to the idea' earlier."

"He speaks! Fantastic. I still want to know what you were thinking."

"I just... I don't know? You seemed a little... shoot-down-y."

"I did not!" he insists. "What does that even mean?"

"I don't know... kinda aggressive and annoyed, like you were just going to say 'no' to everything I suggested and you didn't even realize you were doing it."

He opens and closes his mouth a few times before saying, "Really? I didn't mean to sound like that. I'm sorry."

Theo looks down at the ground, not really knowing what to say to that, then looks back up. "I mean, I don't know? I was open to the idea, but I wasn't sure if you were, and then I thought you... weren't."

"Well. Not to put too fine a point on it, I'm not exactly a saint. Last night was not my first or tenth rodeo, so to speak. It would not be unusual for that to be a one-time thing, I was not expecting it to be anything more than that, and I was cool with it, even with the inevitable and completely justified rumors that would spread around school. And we've just met. So it's not that I'm not open to the idea, it just hadn't really occurred to me as a matter to be considered."

Theo looks down again. "Right." He looks at Sadde and says, "That's fine. I mean, it wasn't my first 'rodeo' either. So – can we just go back to the cafeteria now?"

"Nope! If you want to be an item I wanna know details! Which kind of item are we? How does the fact that I'm not always a boy figure into it? What are the expectations?"

"I was just saying. I wasn't... actually... saying. And I'm pretty thoroughly gay, so I don't know."

"Man, this is going to be a complicated relationship. Do you want me to suggest stuff?"

Theo half-smiles at that. "Uh... I guess?"

"Well, I don't mind only being with you when I'm a boy. What are your feelings about exclusivity? And terminology? Do you want to be the walk-hand-in-hand kind of item or the makeouts in the middle of the halls kind of item?"

"Exclusivity would be nice. I don't really know about terminology but I guess I'd be your boyfriend?" Theo says a bit tentatively. Then he continues, a bit sarcastically: "Oh, and makeouts in the halls, obviously. Rub it in Brad's face as much as possible."