Chapter 8. Friends with My Bully

“Did you think that when you were young, as well?” I asked nonchalantly.

“I thought that until high school,” Austin said as he continued eating.

“But you were abusive to me because you were jealous, right?” I just came out and asked. Austin blushed bright red as he started choking on his food. He quickly grabbed his wine and chugged it to clear his throat before looking at me.

“It…well…yes, but…I…it was…” He sighed and looked down at his plate. “I was not just jealous of you…I…you were my first crush…I bullied you because I hated that you were allowed to be smart and because I got mad anytime you smiled at others. Your intellect got you a lot of attention…I did not want the attention you received. I wanted your attention and wanted to be smart with you,” Austin confessed. “You are the person who made me realize I was gay because after you left, I still only liked you in a romantic way. I tried dating other people, but they were all so stupid…” he grumbled.

“I