will be able to tell, this time."
Theo frowns.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
he asks, knowing full well about the metaphorical neon sign above his head.
He's just really hoping it's not as obvious as it feels.
Riley gives him another pointed look,
which he figures is reply enough.
"So," he says, instead, after a
while. "Are you two together now?"
Theo actually blushes, knowing that he's
referring to Max.
"Maybe," he mutters, unable to
completely hide the small smile that creeps into his expression.
"Yeah."
Riley smiles, then. His expression is a
mix of brotherly teasing and genuine happiness, and Theo is eternally grateful
that him and his brother so close, despite being four years apart in age.
"Good," Riley says. "That's
good."
He looks straight ahead, as they keep
walking.
"You know what this means, right?"
Riley says, and Theo looks at him.
"What?" he asks, and Riley sighs
quietly.
"Mom and dad are gonna find
out," he says. His voice is neutral, just a little bit sad. "You
should be the one to tell them."
Theo sighs. For the first time since last night,
he feels his stomach drop. He knows what their parents are going to think, what
they're going to say. They wouldn't like Max, at all. Especially his dad
probably wouldn't even give him a chance. He would just take one look at him
and decide that he's some deadbeat who's out to corrupt his son, and not want
Theo anywhere near him.
"Let's not get ahead of
ourselves," Theo says, slightly subdued. "Don't think we're quite
there, yet."
Riley nods slowly, understanding. Then he
half-smiles.
"Well, I should meet him, at
least," he says, looking up at Theo. "I think I should know what kind
of guy my brother's boyfriend is."
Theo blushes again, looking down at the
ground. He still can't quite comprehend that Max is his boyfriend . He has
never even had a boyfriend, never had any relationship like it, at all, and now
he's with Max. Max. The gorgeous, amazing, really smart guy he has
fallen for so completely, and who now, for some reason, has fallen for Theo and
actually wants to be with him. It's just surreal, really.
When they reach the school, Theo and Riley
go their separate ways, and Theo can't help but look around a bit as he makes
his way to the main building's entrance. On one hand, he's anxious about just
how obvious the arrow above his head is (Riley practically said that everyone
would be able to see it this time, after all), and on the other, he can't help
but scan the area for Max. It's almost as though he needs to see him,
just to make sure that last night actually happened.
Theo doesn't see him, though, not for a
few hours, at least. It's not until right before the last class before lunch,
that he sees him.
It's odd, Theo realizes, that even though
he and Max have spent so much time together lately (and done so much, he
remembers, blushing to himself), and even though they're actually a couple now,
apparently, they're still practically strangers at school. After weeks of
basically ignoring each other in front of other people, it has become a habit,
so much so that Theo doesn't really know what to do when he spots Max, several
feet away.
Max is over near the end of the hallway,
in a little crook by a window, where he's perched on the windowsill. One black
boot is firmly placed against the surface of it, knee pulled up, the other leg
dangling over the edge. He's leaning with his back against the window frame,
the entire left side of his body pressed against the glass of the big window,
and he's got a closed notepad in his lap.
He's not alone; a few of his friends are
standing or sitting nearby. From a distance, Theo recognizes Jay, a skinny guy
who somehow looks even skinnier with all that black and those heavy,
silver-buckled boots, and Rachel, a girl whose blond hair has been knotted into
long, pale dreadlocks, in stark contrast to her black makeup. There's also
Beth, who looks a little more common in comparison, with dark brown, curly
hair, and
Theo frowns.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
he asks, knowing full well about the metaphorical neon sign above his head.
He's just really hoping it's not as obvious as it feels.
Riley gives him another pointed look,
which he figures is reply enough.
"So," he says, instead, after a
while. "Are you two together now?"
Theo actually blushes, knowing that he's
referring to Max.
"Maybe," he mutters, unable to
completely hide the small smile that creeps into his expression.
"Yeah."
Riley smiles, then. His expression is a
mix of brotherly teasing and genuine happiness, and Theo is eternally grateful
that him and his brother so close, despite being four years apart in age.
"Good," Riley says. "That's
good."
He looks straight ahead, as they keep
walking.
"You know what this means, right?"
Riley says, and Theo looks at him.
"What?" he asks, and Riley sighs
quietly.
"Mom and dad are gonna find
out," he says. His voice is neutral, just a little bit sad. "You
should be the one to tell them."
Theo sighs. For the first time since last night,
he feels his stomach drop. He knows what their parents are going to think, what
they're going to say. They wouldn't like Max, at all. Especially his dad
probably wouldn't even give him a chance. He would just take one look at him
and decide that he's some deadbeat who's out to corrupt his son, and not want
Theo anywhere near him.
"Let's not get ahead of
ourselves," Theo says, slightly subdued. "Don't think we're quite
there, yet."
Riley nods slowly, understanding. Then he
half-smiles.
"Well, I should meet him, at
least," he says, looking up at Theo. "I think I should know what kind
of guy my brother's boyfriend is."
Theo blushes again, looking down at the
ground. He still can't quite comprehend that Max is his boyfriend . He has
never even had a boyfriend, never had any relationship like it, at all, and now
he's with Max. Max. The gorgeous, amazing, really smart guy he has
fallen for so completely, and who now, for some reason, has fallen for Theo and
actually wants to be with him. It's just surreal, really.
When they reach the school, Theo and Riley
go their separate ways, and Theo can't help but look around a bit as he makes
his way to the main building's entrance. On one hand, he's anxious about just
how obvious the arrow above his head is (Riley practically said that everyone
would be able to see it this time, after all), and on the other, he can't help
but scan the area for Max. It's almost as though he needs to see him,
just to make sure that last night actually happened.
Theo doesn't see him, though, not for a
few hours, at least. It's not until right before the last class before lunch,
that he sees him.
It's odd, Theo realizes, that even though
he and Max have spent so much time together lately (and done so much, he
remembers, blushing to himself), and even though they're actually a couple now,
apparently, they're still practically strangers at school. After weeks of
basically ignoring each other in front of other people, it has become a habit,
so much so that Theo doesn't really know what to do when he spots Max, several
feet away.
Max is over near the end of the hallway,
in a little crook by a window, where he's perched on the windowsill. One black
boot is firmly placed against the surface of it, knee pulled up, the other leg
dangling over the edge. He's leaning with his back against the window frame,
the entire left side of his body pressed against the glass of the big window,
and he's got a closed notepad in his lap.
He's not alone; a few of his friends are
standing or sitting nearby. From a distance, Theo recognizes Jay, a skinny guy
who somehow looks even skinnier with all that black and those heavy,
silver-buckled boots, and Rachel, a girl whose blond hair has been knotted into
long, pale dreadlocks, in stark contrast to her black makeup. There's also
Beth, who looks a little more common in comparison, with dark brown, curly
hair, and
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