Checking up with curly man {for Joel, Spencer}

[bachjones]

 It had hurt Bach, the things Joel had said, but drunks always spoke ugly truths and he simply wasn't good with women when there was no sex involved anyway.
He was pretty sure Joel was a friend and the man was nice. And nice people didn't deserve hangovers.

So here he was, in front of Joel's store, a fried egg bagel and a few aspirin in a cheap plastic bag his only company.

Comments

[bachjones]

"Okay. Look at you, teaching me all these things. Do you like teaching? Do you not do it sometimes?"

Bach still didn't understand why people would turn something fun in something foul, but decided to let it go. Sort of. "Do you have favorite places?"

[just_another]

"A teacher?" he asks, shaking his head. "No. You have to be good with people to do something like that." And Joel is uncomfortable with people one-on-one most of the time, the idea of having to speak to a whole crowd makes him feel sort of ill in a way he doesn't like to dwell on for very long.

"Favourite places? Websites? I do most of my inventory ordering online." He knows that's not what Bach is asking, but Joel isn't about to detail which websites he's visited lately to make sure he hasn't completely forgotten how to make someone feel good.

[bachjones]

"You're not good with people? What am I, chopped liver?"

He hums. "Something like that. I don't know what you do on the internet outside porn and e-mail. What do I do? What do you do?"

[just_another]

"I'm not good with people," Joel insists. "Especially big groups of people. I stammer and I trip over my words and I turn red. You've seen and heard that plenty of times." It doesn't mean he doesn't like certain people, just that he's a big of a mess.

"I use it to keep in touch with my family. Other people use it to learn. Social media. You can get movies online, you can watch TV. Shopping. That's a big one."

[bachjones]

"You're just a bit awkward, that's all."

If Bach's really honest, he's a bit done with this computer thing now. "You want to show me anything else on the computer and the internet?"

[just_another]

"Yeah, just a bit awkward," Joel says with a huff of laughter and he's not sure if anyone would really describe him as just being a bit of anything. Almost everything he is seems to be an extreme. He's not a bit of a homebody, he's a recluse. He's not a bit of a jerk, he's exceedingly rude. But only sometimes.

At the question, he shakes his head. "Not unless there's anything in particular you want to see besides pornography. You can find that on your own."

[bachjones]

"You're more a bit of a solo when it comes to that, I think." Bach could easily imagine having sex with Joel, with or without other people around, but he won't follow that idea home right now.

"Okay, I guess I can go 'round and tell everyone I have an e-mail address right now."

[just_another]

Joel tends to do most things on his own, but he's not quite sure what Bach means by that and he's also not sure he really wants to know. Sometimes he thinks it's best not to have Bach explain everything, if only because he's sure most of these things will end up with Joel blushing and stammering, which he prefers to avoid.

"You can," he agrees. "Here, I'll..." He trails off, digging his phone out of his pocket and opening his e-mail app. He enters Bach's contact information, then sends him an e-mail. It's nothing important, just his own contact information in return. "Now you have my e-mail address and your first e-mail."

[bachjones]

He gives him a sweet nudge. "You're the best teacher I ever had, man. And I only had like five so that's not easy to achieve. I will send you an e-mail back as soon as I can find another computer. Maybe at the library?"

[just_another]

Joel laughs at that, reaching up to rub the back of his neck and he's embarrassed by the compliment, but he's pleased, too. He has no interest in becoming a teacher, but he doesn't think he minds helping people one-on-one quite so much. "The library has many computers and they're free to use," Joel agrees with a nod. "Although, you might have to sign up for a library card."

[bachjones]

"yeah .. I'v e heard that nice people work there. I'm sure they're super helpful in getting me a library card as well."

His stomach rumbles and he takes it as his cue. "I have to go, I think."

[just_another]

"There are some good people at the library, yes," Joel agrees with a huff of laughter, then nods when Bach says he has to head off. "Alright. Thanks for coming by and thanks for breakfast." It was unexpected, but quite kind, and sometimes Joel still isn't sure how he's managed to make all these friends and while he knows he's still awkward around them sometimes, he does truly appreciate them.

[bachjones]

"No problem, man. No problem. But Joel? Don't drown fears in alcohol next time, okay? You have someone by your side to carry them with you now.'