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Ola sat on her bed leaning back and letting her short legs dangle off of the side as she tapped on her phone screen checking her emails nothing new then closing that tab and opening up Facebook instead no new notifications but there were new things in her feed a picture of Aimee and Steve looking very much back together with her lips pressed against his cheek she was happy that taking her to the junkyard seemed to have helped just a little bit and then that they all got the bus together an act of solidarity that would have surprised her if anyone but Maeve had planned it, seemed to have given her back some of the confidence that she’d lost.
“Careful like that.”
Ola turned her head to face Adam she’d almost forgotten he was there as they sat in comfortable silence. Her reply was a confused.
“Huh?”
“Lying down with your phone over your face. Last time I did that I dropped it right on my nose.”
Ola laughed softly and rolled over onto her stomach stretching out her arms in front of her then folding them underneath her chin and resting her head on them.
She looked up at Adam in slight disbelief.
“Really?”
He nodded and pointed to his noise.
“Yeah, right here.”
He tapped the bridge twice.
“You can ask Eric if you like I was Facetiming him when it happened, I thought he was gonna piss himself laughing”
Ola made a face at him that roughly translated to that could only happen to you Adam
She was about to verbalise that thought when her dad’s voice came booking up from downstairs.
“Ola parcel for you”
She’d been waiting for it for days now, part of the reason why she’d been checking her emails was for a delivery notice she uncrossed her arms and pushed herself up off of the bed scooting back till her feet touched the floor.
“Coming Dad”
She shouted back.
“Be right back man”
Adam leant back in her desk chair so far that it threatened to topple over, she left the room and ran down the stairs tempted to take them two at a time but she managed to stop herself.
Jakob had taken the parcel and left it at the bottom of the stairs he’d returned to his usual spot on the sofa his feet rested on top of the new coffee table they’d gotten to replace the old one Ola sighed wearily.
“Fötter från bordet”
“Jaja. Min dåliga förlåt”
Jakob had his feet crossed at the ankles but he uncrossed them and dropped them back to the ground, Ola gave her Dad a thankful smile as she took the last few steps down the stairs, she bent over to pick up the box at the foot of the stairs.
“Is Adam staying for dinner tonight?”
“Lemme ask him.”
Ola shouted up the stairs.
“You eating here Adam?”
A loud thud followed by an even louder and angrier fuck surprised her, she knew that chair was going to topple over.
“Is he okay?”
“Think he knocked my chair over. What’s for dinner?”
“Meatballs, mashed potatoes and lingonberry jam. From the batch me and your sister made with the lingonberries from the garden last week.”
Upstairs she could hear the chair being righted again and Adams heavy footsteps walking across her floor until he was standing on the landing in front of her.
“You almost killed me Ol”
Adam huffed at her he was flushed clearly embarrassed about falling over but other than a bruised ego he appeared injury free.
“Sorry, Dad wants to know if you’re staying for dinner? We’re having meatballs and mashed potatoes before you ask.”
Adam always asked as if he was weighing up whether to eat at hers or at home or even occasionally at Eric’s if he was hanging out with her before going to his she often did the same thing before going to see Lily.
His culinary palate had definitely widened since their friendship and dating Eric. From what she had learnt Michael had a very bland taste in food and Adam had never tasted Swedish cooking let alone Nigerian or Ghanaian food before.
She remembered him telling her that one of the first times that he had dinner at Eric’s how his whole family had gone overboard making different bowls of food for him to dish up himself, he’d loved the jollof rice and piled his plate with it, he’d dished up some Asun and suddenly found himself chugging a pint of milk as Eric rubbed his back while his eyes watered and he coughed and spluttered no one thinking to warn him that it contained ghost peppers. Ola smiled at the memory of him animatedly telling her the story.
“Yeah, I’ll stay for dinner Mum’s out with Jean so she’s not expecting me back for a while.”
Jakob joined the conversation with a sudden clap of his hands.
“Good that’s four for dinner more like six though with how me and Adam eat”
Jakob stood up and headed to the kitchen Ola was still holding the box and finally made her way up the stairs, Adam reached out and took the box from her tucking it under his arm without being asked to as they walked back into her room.
“You phone beeped while you were downstairs.”
“Thanks, just drop that there I’ll get to it in a minute wanna check this first.”
Adam dropped the box on to the bed it bounced slightly. Ola sat down and picked up her phone she turned the phone to her lock screen a picture of her and Lily greeted her they were smiling, and she had on the makeup and outfit that Lily had picked for their Barbarella date Lily always had to lean down for pictures together but in her heels, it was almost comical she was bent so awkwardly her chin perching on Ola’s shoulder.
She unlocked the phone to a text from Lily, the message was a picture of Gingerbread Aliens decorated with purple icing and silver spray completely untradional but unabashedly Lily the caption read Finally made your dad’s recipe! 😁
Ola held the phone out to show Adam he smiled then pointed to one in the middle.
“That one’s got a tentacle dick!...Tell her to keep it for me.”
“You got it; you can open the box while I text her back if you want.”
Adam stood up from the chair he’d plopped back down into when they came into the room and began tearing into the box whilst Ola texted.
They look great! You coming over with them? I’m sure Dad would love a taste. Adam wants the Tentacle dick one in the middle.
She dropped the phone back on the bed just as Adam finished opening the box, she was about to take it off of him when her phone went off again, she didn’t open it the message on the screen said.
Out in an hour, I’ll make sure Adam gets chooplak (that’s tentacle dick in Gamavaloran)
“One minute”
Ola went down the stairs and let her Dad know that Lily was coming over with gingerbread in an hour then went back up to Adam who was suddenly on his phone.
She took the time to message Lily back saying.
I let him know see you soon xx.
She closed the message app her background changing to the home screen a picture of her Lily, Adam and Eric pressed together on the screen Adam and Eric in matching gold and burgundy makeup taken during their double date before Barbarella had started.
Ola grabbed out the contents of the box 4 plastic bagged flags in total she laid them out on the bed in front of her and practically squealed with excitement. Adam looked at her and covered his phone mic with his hand.
“Everything alright Ol?”
“Yeah, come here when you’re done”
“Gotta go Eric. Yeah, see you later. Love you too”
“I thought you were going home after this?”
“I was but Eric’s folks are out for the night so gonna head over.”
“Do you want a lift?”
“Only if you don’t mind, I know Lily is coming over.”
“It’s grand her and Dad are gonna want to talk about the gingerbread for ages anyway.”
“Thanks”
He smiled at her appreciatively before continuing.
“So, what’s in the bags?”
Ola grabbed up the middle bag the way it was folded only purple was showing she handed it to Adam.
“It’s for you open it up”
She smiled at him warmly hoping he’d like the surprise. Adam opened the sealed plastic bag pulling back the top from the sticky glue strip he grabbed a corner of the material inside the bag and pulled.
The plastic bag slowly fluttered to the ground leaving Adam holding a folded square of fabric he looked at it confused then shook it letting it unfold. He stared at it for a few moments like he was trying to remember why the pink, purple and blue stripes seemed familiar.
“Is this?”
Ola answered the question before he even finished saying it.
“Yeah, it’s your flag”
Adam looked at the Bisexual pride flag happily before he surged forward to give Ola a hug picking her up and squishing her tight to his chest at this point in their friendship, she’d gotten used to it and rested her head against his cheek waiting for him to put her down again.
“You didn’t have to do this Ol. I love it thank you so much. What’s in the other three bags?”
“My flag, Lily and Eric’s I thought we could wear them to Pride or put them up in our rooms you know celebrate it”
“Can I see them?”
“Sure, man you can give Eric his for me later when I drop you off”
Ola proceeded to open up her Pansexual pride flag.
“Why’s it look like something you’d find in a baby’s room?”
He was mostly joking but curious too she laughed at him before explaining the colours to him.
“Pink for women, Blue for men and Yellow for nonbinary people”
He made a pleased hum at the explanation grateful for the insight.
She looked at the other two flags that she had gotten.
For Eric, she’d bought him the traditional Rainbow flag since she didn’t know how he felt about the newer Gay man flag plus she figured that the bold vibrant colours were more him.
Lily was still figuring out what sexuality felt the most like her so for now Ola had gotten her the Progress Flag she could always get her another one when she found the label that suited her the best.
Eventually Adam grabbed up his flag and wrapped it around his broad shoulders like a cape Ola did the same and picked up her phone snapping several pictures of them together.
A few silly ones of them sticking out their tongues or crossing their eyes, one of Ola sucking in her cheeks while Adam puffed out his. Adam flipped off the camera in another whilst Ola threw up peace signs beside him another had them with their arms around each other’s shoulders pulling their flags even more into view.
They went through the pictures picking their favourite ones and Ola got to posting them making sure to tag Adam in them and cross post them to Facebook and Twitter from Instagram.
Otis was the first to comment a simple.
Looking good guys.
Then almost immediately afterwards.
Did you know that the…
A long post about the history of both the Bisexual and Pansexual flags followed. Ola skimmed over it and made a mental note to reply later. Adam was laying back on the bed scrolling through his phone at some point he’d set up Spotify and Ezra Furman was playing in the background Eric had introduced him to her music and he’d quickly become a fan. Her heartfelt lyrics of I wanna be your girlfriend were interrupted by Jakob shouting upstairs.
“Ola! Lily är här”
“Thanks Dad”
“Och middagen är klar”
“Come on Ad grubs up”
“Good I’m starving. Your girlfriends here too yeah”
Adam paused the music halfway through the song and pushed himself up off of the bed as she went to do the same Adam practically pushed her out of the way in his attempt to leave the room and run down the stairs for food, Ola closed the door behind him and made her way down the stairs.