What If… This was real? by Heather Mar-Gerrison

When I thought about us being ‘just mates’, it occurred to me how we must have looked like boyfriends to the outside world for a while anyway… I wondered why that didn’t bother me more.
We used to share milkshakes with two straws, looking into each other’s faces and laughing like little kids when he blew down the straw and the bubbles splashed up into my face.
I’d also always put my arms around him from behind and rested my chin on his shoulder when we were on holiday together, alone at the end of the pier, looking out over the sea… For chrissakes, we’d been in a relationship half our life. Why hadn’t I ever noticed?
Jonas and Dante are lifelong friends.
Dante is out and proud and Jonas is proud of him for being so out there about his sexuality – and is equally proud to be his best friend.
Trouble is, by the time Jonas starts to figure out that the feelings he has towards his best friend are more of a romantic nature than them just being the best of friends, Dante has already had about a dozen boyfriends and is well into the gay scene – something Jonas knows little to nothing about…
Instead of facing reality and coming out, Jonas hides himself away in the closet and dates girls all the way through his first three years of university.
He’s finally decided that now is the time to come out and to tell Dante the truth – that he’s gay and in love with him, only actually forming the words are harder than he ever thought they would be – and Dante, being completely oblivious to his best friend’s plight, has about as much sensitivity as a house brick.
Still, a ray of hope shows itself by way of Dante needing a favour. One that Jonas grabs onto with both hands.
Dante needs a fake boyfriend to get a bothersome ex off his back.
Well, it’s a total no brainer for Jonas. He gets to spend the summer with his most favourite person in the world – and gets to kiss him. Something he’s been dreaming about for around ten years…
The only downside to the whole thing is going back to being ‘just friends’ when the ex has been dealt with and the summer break is over…