"Who is that?"

I glance over to see Arthur at the weights, lifting 200 lbs like it was nobodies business.

My parents made me take him out the house, again, so I decided the gym. I wanted to work on my bod, but here he is, showing off even more than me.

"Somebody stupid." I mumble, making Dylan shove me playfully.

"Joe it's just Wills exchange bro."

Joe is the guy that owns the gym. Dylan and I pay membership and the most money of course. So obviously we're friends.

"Exchange Brother? What type of rich shit is this?" He asked, shaking his head in disappointment." Kids these days-."

"You're only twenty two. So you have no right to act like your fifty."

"Far from it." Making him flew as we rolled our eyes.

"Besides, it wasn't my choice. I wanted them to have sex and make me a brother. Not," I point to him, seeing him talking to a girl,"that - wait what the hell is he doing?"

We watch as the girl gets in the same spot he was in. He changes out the weights and smiles. Resting it above her as she tries to lift it and he spots her.

"Isn't that the girl who always blows off your help?" Joe asks me, and I sneer.

"No! I have a girlfriend, I wouldn't do that..." I trail off, getting pissed that he was spotting the girl I've been trying to spot for some time now. Here he is being a bitch...

"What are you going to do?" Dylan asked, making me have to now decide.

"I don't fucking know! Let me think and I'll figure it out!" I hiss, making them look over. Suddenly Arthur lifts the weight up and puts it back in its resting spot, rushing to me.

"William, want spot?" He asked, making me frown.

"The fuck? Aren't you spotting her?" I asked, and he looks over his shoulder at the girl who's waiting.

"She appear out of nowhere. I bored." He says, shrugging.

I hear Joe and Dylan snicker, making me roll my eyes.

"You disgust - Wait!" He begins to pull me along as he pushes me onto a mat. Grabbing a 100 lbs weight like it weighed nothing, and just dropped it into my hands.

Since I wasn't prepared for him to do that all my fingers popped by the applied weight, and he cocked his head." Finger okay?"

"Yes you deafass! What if you broke something!"

"I die." He said, and finally saying something I could agree on.

"Not to mention you blew off that girl." I had, lifting as he spotted me.

"She fine. Not type."

I snort, wondering what his type really is.

"What's that? Your type?"

"I like whatever interests me." He murmurs, making me frown.

"So...you're what? Asexual or some shit?"

"I am me." He finishes, lifting up the weight and putting it in place." No judge. It rude."

He was walking back to her, making me wonder what I said wrong. But at least he's leaving me the fuck alone. But I don't know why he's so angry over that.

No reason to get upset over me asking what he likes. I asked before and he said he had no preference. He just liked what he liked. So he's Bi?

I don't know why I care so much, but he's always leaning onto me so. I want to know what he is before I beat his ass over something he can't help.

"What'd you do?" Joe asks me, handing me a Gatorade as I shrugged.

"I asked him what he preferred."

"Why the hell would you do that? Are you interested in dick now-."

I glared at him, silencing him immediately.

"Say that again and I'll stop coming here," I warn, shaking my head," Anyway, I asked him because he's always trippin' up and somewhat...flirting with me. So I wanted to make sure if he was gay or not before I begin getting all uncomfortable and shit."

I immediately regret telling Joe as I realize...he's a big homophobe. His eyes divert to Arthur as he smiles at the woman.

"He's gay-?"

"I don't know. Probably not. Maybe it's just my imagination-."

"No way! I never saw it! But now that you bring it up, he looks like it too! This can't be happening. I won't be having him in my gym and staring at men and making them uncomfortable!"

I frown, shaking my head.

"I didn't say any of that. Just wait-."

Joe was already running over to him as he yanked Arthur off to the side - tried to at least. But it only made him move and inch and look down at him.

I rushed over, Dylan behind me as Joe was digging his finger in his chest.

"I don't have time for people like you making my customers uncomfortable. They come here to workout, not have men like you stare at their asses!"

Arthur cocked his head, looking at me.

"I do not do such! I just got here-."

"Don't give me that bull! William here told me how uncomfortable you make him and he thinks you're gay!"

I glare at Joe, pissed off.

Not only was he embarrassing him, but I never said he was...exactly gay. I'm trying to figure that out and now Joe is putting words in my mouth.

"I make you uncomfortable?" He asked me, and before I could oblige Joe is grabbing him by the arm as he begins to yank him towards the door. Making a whole big scene as he shoves Arthur out and throws his water bottle at him.

"And stay out there and exercise somewhere else you bitch!"

I watched as Arthur looked lost, and everyone was just as confused as to why he kicked him out. All over a damn misunderstanding... I shouldn't have even told him...

Dylan walked past me as he shook his head, going outside as he stood in front of Arthur. Arthur looking down as they talked and Arthur was suddenly looking at me, shrugging, then shook his head.

I sneered, looking at Joe as he was nowhere in sight. Probably because he just embarrassed himself like a freak.

The woman too rushed out suddenly. Holding her gym stuff as she went to him. Now all three of them were talking and he looked baffled as they spoke.

In the very end Arthur looked hurt and Dylan was walking back in while the woman stayed out there.

When he tried to walk past me I stepped in front of him, glaring at him." What is it?"

"Dude, that was messed up. Saying he was gay-."

"Joe put words in my damn mouth!"

"Arthur told us how he treats you. How he gets up on you and called you beautiful and has a tendency to get in your personal space, but he said that's what he did with people he trusted and liked. In France, things like that were fine-."

"We aren't in damn France!"

"You need to understand he isn't from here. He doesn't understand or know that yet. Well, I told him that he can't do that here and that it's fine. But dude, that's low, even for you." With that he went around me, pissing me off as Arthur talked to the woman.

I saw her grab her phone and he was...blushing through his brown skin as she typed something. She showed him, making him nod, then she smiled. Hugging him as she walked off.

Making me sneer, he knew that I was into her... Despite having an airhead girlfriend...

I walked out, Arthur instantly looking at me as he began to back up.

"You know that's not what I said, right?" I asked, folding my arms as he frowned.

"I not know. Dylan told me what not okay and okay. I know better now. I sorry for make you uncomfortable," he grabbed my hands and nodded at them - but soon let go quickly," Je suis désolé." ( I'm sorry ).

I don't know what to say as he looks back at the gym, then back at me.

"Where I go?"

"Let's just leave." I say, and he frowns.

"You not done?"

"I am now. Let's go." I walk past him, going to my car as today has not gone the way I wanted.

I don't know why I'm feeling bad now, but I am.

When he's being embarrassed by someone else because of me, it feels weird. But when I do it I think it's fine...

By the time we're in the car he's looking out the window. Avoiding looking at me and hasn't said a word. A first for me, I'm not sure how to respond to him completely ignoring me right now...

"Angry?" I ask, and he snickers.

"At you? No. Lost is all."

I looked at him, but faced back forward as I was driving.

"At the gym-."

"Forget gym. I not feel well." He interrupts, and I just keep facing forward.

He's getting butthurt over what?! I apologized - Wait no I didn't... He needs to learn that the truth hurts, someone else told him for me, he should be thankful I didn't!

Forget him. He'll be all over me later on today. I'm not even worried.

****

"Arthur, what's wrong?"

My mom asks, since we are all eating dinner, he is being super quiet. He won't look at anyone is just eating.

"I fine." He says, and my parents decide to glare at me! I shrug, and they nod at him. Knowing they want me to ask him what's wrong, I roll my eyes.

"What's wrong?" I ask, even though I know.

"Miss France... Miss friend... I want to go home..." He says, and my parents frown sadly. I look at him, wondering why he wanted to leave.

"What happened that makes you want to leave? Is William being mean, you can be honest."

Arthur looks at me, and I don't do anything. Just hoping he doesn't tell them why he feels this way.

"It America. It weird. I still not understand how it works. I do one thing, I being bullied out gym. Not understand me, how I am. Place is weird and judges... I not like. I just want to be a place where I am understood." He says, my parents nodding as I fold my arms.

Looking at him, he rubbed his eyes and I didn't know if he was crying or not. But I suddenly felt bad for him... He's crying because of me...? I made a big guy like him cry...?

"Arthur we didn't know you felt this way... Would you like to go back-?"

"I'm sorry."

They all look at me, and he cocks his head at me.

Instead of saying it in English where my parents will know what I did, I do the apology in French.

"Je suis désolé, d'accord? Pour la chose de gym et être une telle chienne. D'accord? Je m'excuse parce que je me sens mal, j'ai délibérément essayé de rendre votre expérience mauvaise, et je me sens horrible ... Je suis désolé." ( I'm sorry, okay? For the gym thing and being such a bitch. Okay? I'm apologizing because I feel bad, I purposefully tried to make your experience bad, and I feel horrible... I'm sorry. ) I admit, and he looks at me differently.

My parents looked lost as they glance between us and Arthur doesn't even try to hide the look of disgust that comes upon his face.

He shakes his head, looking at my confused parents then looks at me. Chuckling then standing as he shrugged.

"Tu avais raison, nous ne sommes pas et ne serons jamais amis." ( You were right, we aren't and will never be friends. ) He sneers with a grin, walking out as he leaves all of us baffled. Especially me.

I just apologized and he dare talk to me like that...?...why do I feel worse though?

"What just happened?" My dad asked, and I smiled; trying to play it off.

"Him and I didn't want to discuss our plan in front of you."

"Plan? He looked upset and hurt and-."

"Mom mind your own business!" I growl, making my dad smack his hand on the table at me. Making me roll my eyes.

"Who do you think you're talking to?!"

"You two. There's no one else I could be talking to." I hiss, and my dad glared at me. Making me roll my eyes again as I left my shit. Going up the stairs as I walked to my room. But when I passed Arthur's room I heard him talking to somebody in French.

Lucky me, I know the language so I could make out what he was saying.

"Je n'ai pas de vrais amis, je pensais en avoir fait un ... mais il veut ma vie ici et être traître - je m'en fous! Je veux juste partir. Je ne suis pas heureux. J'en ai marre de retenir ma colère d'être un gars parfait ..." ( I have no true friends, I thought I made one...but he wants my life here to be treacherous - I don't care! I just want to leave. I'm not happy. I'm sick of holding back my anger to be some perfect guy... )

I smirk, knowing he wasn't all that-.

"J'essaie d'être moi. Je suis. Mais ça fait mal quand j'essaye d'être moi, une seconde, William essaye de m'arracher ... Je l'aime ... Je l'ai fait au moins - je ne sais pas ça suce mon pote!" ( I am trying to be me. I am. But it hurts when if I try to be me, for a second, William tries to tear me down... I like him... I did at least - I don't know it sucks my friend! ) He exclaims, and I blush.

He doesn't mean that like - but wait. He literally just acknowledged that I tear him down...so he knows?

I wait to hear what else he has to say, but it gets awfully quiet. Until the door is flung open and I see him looking down at me, glaring at me.

"Hey-."

"It rude to listen to my conversation. Mind own business. You not my friend, I not your friend. You got what you wanted." He then slammed the door in my face, making me flinch at how loud it was.

No...it was the way he treated me...that's a first.

He's usually kind and considerate and never does shit like this to me. Like slamming a door in my face and sneering at me in French...he'd never do that...

How I was wrong...