friendly sense of the term. The guy was cute, smart, spunky, and strong. He’d stood up for Ellis before they’d even been partnered in English and started talking. He wasn’t even put off or uncomfortable talking about gay rights, and jacking off in front of Ellis.
They were becoming friends, and the last thing Ellis needed was to fall in love with a friend, especially a straight one who had a girlfriend to boot.
It didn’t matter that rather than looking at the straight couple going at it on the screen, Dale had kept his eyes on Ellis the entire time. It didn’t matter that Ellis was sure he’d seen Dale look at his hard-on when he’d first opened his jeans.
None of it mattered because Dale couldn’t want Ellis. Even if he wasn’t exactly straight, he was still dating Stephanie, and there was no way Ellis would be responsible for their breakup. Not that Dale had suggested in any way, shape, or form he might like Ellis like that, of course, but Ellis wouldn’t have considered it even if he had. Probably. Maybe.
Ellis swore and leaned his forehead against the cool tile in front of him. Maybe he really needed a boyfriend. He was seventeen years old, nearly eighteen, so it would be normal for him to have one, and he did want to have a special person. He just wasn’t sure he could.
There were two major problems to get over. One, he had to find a guy he liked and who liked him back enough to want to be with him. Two, the guy had to be okay with being out. Ellis didn’t want to have to hide a relationship, but he knew finding a guy who thought the same way was next to impossible. There was a reason no one was out at school, and he knew it couldn’t be because he was the only gay guy there.
Ellis grabbed his shampoo and wondered if maybe he wanted too much as he slathered it in his hair. He wanted a guy who was out, but he wasn’t, even if most of the school already thought he was gay. As he rinsed his hair, he wondered why that was.
Was it because of the way he dressed or maybe the way he moved? He didn’t think anything made it obvious, unless someone had caught him ogling the football players—but then if someone had, Ellis would have heard of it. There was no way something like that wouldn’t have angered people, and the only one who messed with him on a regular basis was Mark.
Ellis froze. Had Mark seen Ellis do that? Was that the reason Mark was bullying him? It wasn’t like Ellis did it often, but sometimes he couldn’t help himself.
He finished rinsing and turned the water off. He got out of the shower and dried off, then hung the towel around his hips. He’d been so anxious, he’d forgotten to bring clean clothes with him to the bathroom.
Once in front of his dresser, Ellis hesitated. He was in the mood for something comfy, but he would have to go down and eat with his dad later. He shrugged. It wasn’t like his father would mind seeing him in pajamas.
He took out his favorite pair, the ones with the rubber ducks stamped on them. He put on a gray T-shirt and hung his towel, then finally flopped down on his bed.
He’d lied to Dale—he didn’t have homework to do, unless he wanted to work on their project or on the Fiction Writing one. He dismissed the first right away. He didn’t need to be reminded of Dale at the moment, even though he knew he should decide what he was going to do the next day. He didn’t want to ignore Dale, especially since they had to work together, but he knew things were going to be awkward.
Ellis knew who he wanted to talk to. He took his phone from the inside pocket of his bag and dialed the number he knew so well.
“Hey!”
“Hi, Matt.”
“I really don’t like the sound of your voice right now.”
Ellis felt a little hurt. “Do you want me to call again later?”
“What? Don’t be stupid. I meant you sound down.”
Ellis snorted. “I wasn’t exactly down half an hour ago.” He clamped his lips together, but it was too late.
Matt latched on to
They were becoming friends, and the last thing Ellis needed was to fall in love with a friend, especially a straight one who had a girlfriend to boot.
It didn’t matter that rather than looking at the straight couple going at it on the screen, Dale had kept his eyes on Ellis the entire time. It didn’t matter that Ellis was sure he’d seen Dale look at his hard-on when he’d first opened his jeans.
None of it mattered because Dale couldn’t want Ellis. Even if he wasn’t exactly straight, he was still dating Stephanie, and there was no way Ellis would be responsible for their breakup. Not that Dale had suggested in any way, shape, or form he might like Ellis like that, of course, but Ellis wouldn’t have considered it even if he had. Probably. Maybe.
Ellis swore and leaned his forehead against the cool tile in front of him. Maybe he really needed a boyfriend. He was seventeen years old, nearly eighteen, so it would be normal for him to have one, and he did want to have a special person. He just wasn’t sure he could.
There were two major problems to get over. One, he had to find a guy he liked and who liked him back enough to want to be with him. Two, the guy had to be okay with being out. Ellis didn’t want to have to hide a relationship, but he knew finding a guy who thought the same way was next to impossible. There was a reason no one was out at school, and he knew it couldn’t be because he was the only gay guy there.
Ellis grabbed his shampoo and wondered if maybe he wanted too much as he slathered it in his hair. He wanted a guy who was out, but he wasn’t, even if most of the school already thought he was gay. As he rinsed his hair, he wondered why that was.
Was it because of the way he dressed or maybe the way he moved? He didn’t think anything made it obvious, unless someone had caught him ogling the football players—but then if someone had, Ellis would have heard of it. There was no way something like that wouldn’t have angered people, and the only one who messed with him on a regular basis was Mark.
Ellis froze. Had Mark seen Ellis do that? Was that the reason Mark was bullying him? It wasn’t like Ellis did it often, but sometimes he couldn’t help himself.
He finished rinsing and turned the water off. He got out of the shower and dried off, then hung the towel around his hips. He’d been so anxious, he’d forgotten to bring clean clothes with him to the bathroom.
Once in front of his dresser, Ellis hesitated. He was in the mood for something comfy, but he would have to go down and eat with his dad later. He shrugged. It wasn’t like his father would mind seeing him in pajamas.
He took out his favorite pair, the ones with the rubber ducks stamped on them. He put on a gray T-shirt and hung his towel, then finally flopped down on his bed.
He’d lied to Dale—he didn’t have homework to do, unless he wanted to work on their project or on the Fiction Writing one. He dismissed the first right away. He didn’t need to be reminded of Dale at the moment, even though he knew he should decide what he was going to do the next day. He didn’t want to ignore Dale, especially since they had to work together, but he knew things were going to be awkward.
Ellis knew who he wanted to talk to. He took his phone from the inside pocket of his bag and dialed the number he knew so well.
“Hey!”
“Hi, Matt.”
“I really don’t like the sound of your voice right now.”
Ellis felt a little hurt. “Do you want me to call again later?”
“What? Don’t be stupid. I meant you sound down.”
Ellis snorted. “I wasn’t exactly down half an hour ago.” He clamped his lips together, but it was too late.
Matt latched on to
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