Chapter 15

The conference was on a Saturday in the morning. My parents drove me to the school where we would meet with the principal in her office. When we got there, we had to wait a few more minutes until Eli and his parents came, too. It was awkward, to say the least. I let my parents take the two seats in front of the huge desk, and I only stared at all of the trinkets, books, and family photos the principal had scattered around.

There was a knock at the door and Eli entered. What surprised us was that he came in alone. The principal asked him where his parents were and to let them into the office. He only said that his mother wasn't feeling well, and his father was at work, leaving him to attend this conference by himself.

"I would much rather prefer it if your parents were here," the principal said.

Eli sighed sadly and replied, "Again, I'm sorry. But, I'm more than capable in deciding what needs to be done in this situation between Calvin and I."

"I respect your opinion, Mr. Gateman, but this is a very adult matter..."

"I still have my common sense, ma'am," he argued with a straight face, "If you let me participate in this discussion, you'll see that I'm capable of arguing my side and that my parents don't need to be here for a decision to be made. Will you please let me be here? I know you don't want to be here more than any of us."

The principal cleared her throat and shifted her gaze to the side for a moment. "Fine. You may stay and speak for yourself."

"Thank you."

It was a strange conference since Eli was doing most of the talking. He explained to the principal what we had lied about to my parents last night; that we were already dating before and the photos were only playful. The adults grew awkward the more Eli explained. It was almost comical how he talked about a game of nude photo taking with a plain, straight face. Once he was done talking, the principal went on to say that there should be a separate discussion with our parents about "sexual activity". But, on the brighter side, I don't have ISS for P.E. now! Detention is still a thing though...

"You do know that Calvin can be charged with invasion of privacy, Mr. and Mrs. Tae?," the principal stated. Appa went a little wide eyed first, and once he translated for Umma, she did, too.

Eli jumped in almost immediately. "But it was consented. There was no direct discussion, but the both of us consented to our actions. If it was any other situation, I would file charges. But, since there was consent and there were no major repercussions to my well-being, I will not be pressing charges against Calvin Tae."

"Are you absolutely sure, Mr. Gateman?," the principal asked, a hint of disbelief in her tone.

"Yes. I will not take back my statement."

After that, the principal and my parents had a short discussion of their own, leaving Eli and I to stand together in silence. While the adults were focused on each other, Eli gently and slowly started linking our fingers together and I blushed. Taking it a little farther, I clasped his hand in mine completely and held it. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him smile and I blushed fully.

Finally, the conference was over and all of us were able to leave. My parents and I walked out of the office with Eli right behind us. Once we were outside of the building, we had to part.

"I'll call you later," Eli told me as I gave him a hug goodbye.

"I'll be waiting then," I said, smiling up at him. He stroked a hand through my hair and flashed me a handsome grin, which had my heart thumping hard against my chest.

We left each other to go home. Umma and Appa both wanted to sleep-in more, and I was hoping to spend my Saturday playing video games (my parents will only allow Saturdays now until my punishment is over).

While on the car ride back home, Eli texted me.

Eli: Wesley called last night after I got home.

Frowning, I texted back, asking: What did he say???

A few moments passed before I received another message.

Eli: He asked if I was on drugs or if you threatened me to be with you. I thought it was funny, and I told him I truly wanted to be your boyfriend. I could tell he really wanted to cuss me out but he wouldn't. Guy's a total bitch.

Me: Well, I'm glad he didn't say anything to you. He hasn't said anything to me yet... >_>

Eli: Maybe he won't since you're my boyfriend.

Me: You think so? He's too much of a dick to leave things alone. -_-

Eli: Even if he does do something, I'll take care of it. You just stay cute.

Me: Oh, stop it!~~ ('∀' )

Eli: Nope. Never will.

I tried to contain my giddy chuckling so my parents wouldn't look at me weird, but it was hard. I was already desperate for that phone call later on.

•••

Monday came and I was a little nervous walking in. Eli texted me in the morning, telling me that whatever happens I just have to stay calm and tell him if anybody messes with me. I told him not to scare anyone that does, but he texted back with a 'No promises'. God, he's hot.

I met Yani at the usual spot without any trouble, and the first thing she said to me when I came within two feet of her was, "You came out already?!"

Smirking, I said, "Uh, did my stories about gay porn browsing not give you the hint?"

She rolled her eyes at me. "You know what I mean, gringo."

I chuckled and sat down next to her on the floor. "Yes," I started, "we came out already."

"Why?"

"We thought that by coming out all of the ridicule people have towards me now would die down. Why chastise someone who took nudes of his own boyfriend?"

Yani rubbed her chin and murmured, "True. So Eli agreed to it?"

"Eli came up with the idea."

She nodded, impressed. "Wooowww. Good on him, then. Still can't believe he's so cool with having a boyfriend, knowing him."

"Me too, but I try not to question him about that too much," I replied, "If he likes me, he likes me! Why should I worry about otherwise? I'll let him like me all he wants."

"How romantic," she remarked playfully.

"Aren't I just sooooo romantic?," I said, falling across her lap dramatically.

"Yeah, super romantic. So romantic that you constantly send pictures of yourself with Cheetos cheese and crumbs on you mouth and bare chest. At like one in the morning."

"I swear to you, I wasn't high last night."

"You don't need drugs to do what you do, gringo."

"Shit, you right."

The both of us laughed together, smiling wide. Yani sighed when she was finished and started petting my hair. I just lay on her lap staring up at her or the ceiling above. I couldn't help but keep smiling even way after I had stopped laughing. Everything felt normal already and I was happy because then it must be the same for Eli. There was no weight on my shoulders anymore after nearly a whole month of keeping everything inside. This was amazing.

•••

Wesley was back to giving me stare-downs in physics again. When no one has been looking, I raised up a paper that I scribbled on with the word 'JEALOUS?' on it. His face went red and I snapped finger guns at him.

During the rest of my classes, no one criticized me for being a pervert anymore (even though I still am, haha). Instead, a lot of the girls were giving me attention.

"So, like, is Eli really your boyfriend?," one girl in Spanish had asked.

The teacher interrupted from her desk and told the girl to speak in Spanish.

The girl rolled her eyes and rephrased, "Is he really your novio?" The teacher wasn't impressed.

I nodded to the girl's query. The other girls around me leaned toward me and kept asking me questions.

"How long have you been dating?" "I thought he didn't like anyone? He's always scary." "So, is he, like, gay now?" I answered all of their questions truthfully, except for the first one, which I lied and replied with two months instead of one at this point.

"What's he like?" The girl sitting behind me chimed in.

I thought about all of him: his warm eyes, his soft hair, his wonderful smile, his soothing voice; the way he holds my hands tight, the way he hugs me like I'm the only thing that matters, the way he worries about me, the cute texts he sends me in the morning and at night, our phone calls; his witty jokes and sarcastic comments, his random compliments that always mean something. Everything.

"There's too much that I can't put into simple words," I eventually answered, "He's just not who everyone thinks he is. He's...ahh, he's amazing in every little way."

"Awwweee," all of the girls cooed and the teacher told him to pipe down.

Stuff like this happened for other classes, too. All of the girls were captivated by my descriptions of Eli and how we met, which I lied about because I can't ever tell anyone how we actually got into each other. Although, the guys annoyed me sometimes with their sly remarks on Eli. Some would just be plain mean (but I was grateful when the girls backed me up), and others would be subtle and irritate me. One guy went as far as to say, "What happened to that guy's taste? Guess he doesn't know the difference between a math tutor and a fuck buddy." I wanted to punch him, but the girl sitting behind him smacked him for me. I still heard about people talking about my confession on Friday, and how they thought I was more weird than I already was.

At lunch, Christian Sorhinsky and a few of his friends came to Yani's and my booth. He was back to smiling, and he told me, "Hey, Calvin! I just wanted to say that I'm sorry about the trash talk I said about Eli. I didn't know he was your boyfriend..."

"It's all good!," I chimed, and gave him a thumbs up.

"Why'd he punch you, though?," one of the guys said.

"Oh," I chuckled, "well, I don't wanna point fingers but...Wesley was threatening to ruin my rep when he found out about the photos. He thought I was just being a perv, though. He confronted Eli and I, and Eli had to make it seem like nothing was going on so that Wesley didn't use that against me. I didn't want Eli to get shit, either."

Sorhinsky scoffed and remarked, "Collins is always trying to fuck with you, isn't he? Dumbass."

"Yeah, but it's alright now."

"Well, if you and Eli ever need anything, hit me up," the senior said happily, "I don't know the dude well, but if he's good enough for you to like him, he's alright in my book."

"Thanks, Christian," I replied, smiling.

He and his friends waved me off as they left. When I turned back to Yani, she was smiling at me. I laughed and asked, "What?"

She shook her head and answered, "It's just nice to see people taking this well."

"Not everyone is too happy," I retorted.

She shrugged. "Still. Considering Eli's reputation, I didn't think so many people would want to make it a big deal. I just hope they don't get in the way too much."

"They won't. And if they do, I won't be affected by them. Eli's still my boo, regardless of what people say...!"

"Hey, speaking of your boo, here he comes." Yani pointed behind me and I turned in my spot to see Eli sauntering over. I started smiling and waved at him excitedly. He sat down next to me in the booth and immediately wrapped his arm around my waist.

"Hello, darling!," I chimed, pulling a British accent.

"Hello, dearest," he greeted back, smiling. When I glanced at Yani, she stared at him with a look of disbelief. I forget now that no one has ever really seen him smile. If I recall, he always gave the photographers shit when it was picture day for the yearbook. (In the end, they always let him keep his scowl or blank look).

He looked up at Yani and nodded at her. "Hi, Yani." She smiled and greeted him back.

I poked his shoulder and asked, "Hey, has anyone bothered you today?"

"No, but then again I'm not a very approachable person," he replied nonchalantly. "I know people are talking. Has anyone bothered you?"

I nodded. "Don't worry! It's mostly been a bunch of girls fangirling, for some reason."

"It's the 'bad-boy-gone-soft' trope that's reeling them in," Yani remarked before she took a bite of her salad.

"Oooooh, that reels me in too," I said. Eli chuckled and adjusted his arm so that I leaned into him easier.

"Nothing from Wesley?," he asked, his smile faltering for a few moments.

I shook my head as I ate some rice. "Just the usual," I murmured past food.

"Don't talk with your mouth full in front of your boyfriend," Yani chided.

"Whaaa?" I stuffed more rice into my mouth. She rolled her eyes at me.

As soon as I finished the food in my mouth, I laughed and said, "Nah, it's alright. Right, honey?" I turned to Eli and he wiped at my mouth with my napkin as he nodded.

Grinning, I added, "Besides, he definitely didn't mind the first time I talked with my mouth full." I cocked my eyebrows suggestively and Yani almost choked on her food. Eli just covered his mouth, half suppressing a snicker, half trying to hide his surprise. Yani just held her head and whined, "Oh my god, Calvin, whyyyyyy?"

"Because you're my bestest friend and it's my job to love and torture you."

"See what you've gotten yourself into?," Yani said to Eli, pointing at me with an open palm.

I opened my mouth but Yani pushed her hand against it and said, "Don't make that comment perverted either...!"

"Aw, c'mon, it was perfect," I mumbled against her olive-toned skin. She shook her head but still bore a smile.

When she pulled her hand away, I turned back to Eli and asked, "Has Wesley told you anything yet?"

"No, but he looks pretty annoyed," he replied, "I think he'll try doing something soon."

"He has nothing left against us, though," I said.

"He has his messed up ideas, douchey personality, and his hands," Eli grumbled.

I tensed up a little and murmured, "Shit, you don't think he'd actually try to beat me up, do you?"

"Have you already forgotten about the mall incident?," Yani interjected. "If he was so willing to hurt Oscar, imagine what he could've done to you--what he could still want to do."

"He doesn't like being made a fool out of either," Eli remarked, "even though he's nothing but a dumbass."

"Be careful from now on," Yani warned me, "Don't let all of the 'fangirls' cloud whatever Wesley could be planning. Going out with Eli probably only makes him hesitate."

"She's right." Eli squeezed me closer and I had to wrap my arm around him too so it wouldn't be squished. "You tell me if he does anything at all, even it's just looking at you funny."

"Don't fight him if he does," I said.

"I'll only do it if he gives me enough reason to."

"So, then you'd still do it?"

Eli shrugged.

"Don't. You'll get yourself in trouble."

"I'm already trouble. 'Bad-boy-gone-soft', remember?"

"Eli..."

He sighed and remarked, "I'm sure Yani would do the same if Wesley hurt you."

"He's right," she murmured into her water bottle as she drank. When she set it down, she added, "Hell, I'd join Eli. He can hold Wesley down while I smack him with a chancla."

"I'll definitely look forward to fight him, if that's the case."

I managed a chuckle and shook my head at the two of them. "Why don't we hope he doesn't hurt me at all?"

"That would be the best case scenario," Yani responded.

"Yes, and no one fights anyone at all," I said. "Why don't we stop talking about fighting before people start a rumor?"

"What should we talk about then?," Eli inquired, stealing a piece of tortilla that I had on my tray. I let him eat the whole slice.

Yani leaned forward as she asked, "Why don't we talk about you, Eli? What are you like?"

Oh no.

The dark haired delinquent glanced to the side, thinking. Yani narrowed her eyes, taking note of that hesitance. I bit my lip shifting my gazes between the both of them. Before Eli could answer, the bell for the end of lunch period rang and I suddenly let out a sigh of relief.

"Welp, looks like we best get going!," I announced as I pushed against Eli, urging him to exit the booth. I grabbed onto my lunch tray and threw it into a nearby trash can. When I turned back, Yani had gotten swarmed with a few other girls that she talks to. Eli still stuck by my side and I ended up grabbing onto his hand as we made our way through the crowd of students to leave the cafeteria. (Actually, it wasn't hard to maneuver through people since there's always a space around Eli that no one ever crosses. Well, except me, of course.)

Eli walked me to my next class (graphic design) and dropped me off. Before he left, I hugged onto him and he leaned forward, kissing the top of my head.

"I'll see you in PE," I told him.

"And after school."

"Nope, got detention," I chuckled.

"Then, maybe I should screw shit up to meet you there," he joked.

"Please don't," I said, smiling wide. I lifted my head to look up at him and stared into his dark brown eyes. Just when I was about to reach up and kiss him, he started pinching my cheeks and moving them.

"Whamm are youuuu doinggmm?," I murmured.

"I couldn't help it. Your cheeks look soft and squishy," he answered blatantly.

I chuckled and stuck my tongue out at him, which he kissed. I gasped and felt myself blush while Eli grinned at my reaction. I shook my head and grumbled, "Tease."

"Can't help it. You're cute when you're flustered," he replied, leaning his forehead against mine. Then, he placed a tender kiss on my lips and said, "Go on into your classroom."

"Okay. Hurry before you're late," I warned him. He waved at me as he made his way down the hall to head to his class. I watched him for a few seconds before ducking inside graphic design and taking a seat next to Oscar.

Before I could set my backpack down, he leaned forward and asked, "Dude, was that Eli Gateman?"

I nodded.

"Wait....you two are dating?"

I nodded again.

"You, and Eli Gateman?"

I nodded thrice more.

Oscar stared at his computer with wide eyes. "Jesus, you are crazy. Since when?"

"To be honest...," I started, leaning forward to whisper, "nearly since Sorhinsky's party. We're a month now."

"Holy crap. You've handled him for that long?"

"Well, I think the correct question is, he's handled me for so long?"

"True."

"Alright," the teacher announced from her desk, "today we'll be starting a new project. Open up Photoshop!"

•••

The week flew by without any complications whatsoever. Eli had no trouble at all, and all of the "fangirl" business started dying down. Sad; I was kinda liking my little group of emotionally invested, teenage girls looking to get into gay shit. Oh well.

It was Friday afternoon. School ended an hour ago. I was able to spend some time with Yani helping her take care of her younger cousins since she has to babysit for some money. This could just be like any regular hangout, except for the fact that her little cousins are literally Oh Crap™.

"Dammit, Hernan!," Yani scolded when Hernan's little sister, Julia, came crying to her saying Hernan stole her doll. "What did I say about stealing Julia's muñeca?! Tía gave me permission to get the correa!"

"You wouldn't hit me!"

Yani turned to me and demanded, "Gringo, give me your belt."

"But it's holdin' up my pants."

"Gimme the belt."

"Stop harassing el chino," Hernan exclaimed in a snarky tone.

Yani glared at him, then started tugging at my belt anyway. I let her unbuckle it, slip it out from my belt loops, fold it in her hands, then clap the two halves together. Hernan went wide eyed as soon as Yani took a step forward, then bolted out of the room a second later, dropping Julia's doll. She shook her head and walked back to me, grumbling, "Huerco..."

"I see Hernan is as daring as ever," I commented as I grabbed my belt.

Yani sighed heavily as she sat down at the island kitchen counter with me. "I'm just glad my parents are out with my aunt and uncle. If they were here, I'd have to be a whole lot nicer..."

"If they were here, both your parents and your aunt and uncle would rip them a new one," I retorted.

"True." She then got up to grab a drink from the fridge. While she did that, the youngest kid, Frankie (full name is Francisco) came up to me with his little tablet in hand. He wanted me to sit him on my lap, so I picked him up. I looked down at the tablet screen and just saw a toy review video about Power Rangers action figures. Children entertainment these days.

Yani turned back around and slid me a class of Kool-Aid to drink. As she shut the fridge with her foot, she asked me, "Hey, I need to ask you something important."

"Shoot," I replied, before sipping my red juice.

She leaned her elbow on the counter, her head in her hand, and asked, "So, I was starting to wonder about what kind of person Eli is..."

"Ay-ay-ay," I said, mimicking Spanish. She shot me a look and rolled her eyes.

"Anyway," she continued, "I thought, maybe soon we can all hang out. My punishment is gonna be over once I finish babysitting today so I'll have my car back. We can go to, like, the mall, or go out to eat, or something."

"You just want to analyze Eli?," I questioned, adjusting Frankie on my lap since he was sliding off.

"Sure."

"But won't it be awkward? Someone's gonna end up being the third wheel, and I'm sure it's not gonna be me."

She furrowed her brow as she thought. When something came to mind, her face brightened and she said, "How about a double date then?"

I chuckled. "Okay. Who's gonna be your date?" I picked up my glass to drink some more punch.

Yani shrugged at first, then answered. "Oscar?"

I nearly spit out my juice all over the top of Frankie's head and set down my glass. Yani cocked an eyebrow at my reaction and asked, "Would he not like that?"

"Pffft, would he--uh, I mean, yeah, sure," I said. "I think it'd be nice for him to hang out with us." The dude is gonna piss his damned pants when I tell him this.

Yani beamed and chimed, "Great! Then it's a double date. Sunday."

"Sunday?"

"At three o'clock P-M," she added on, "I can pick you up from your house, and we can pick up Oscar, too. Tell Eli to meet us at the mall, since that'll be the easiest place for us to hang out at."

"Uh, alright then."

Yani smiled again, but it disappeared when we heard a loud bang down the hallway. She got up, shouting, "Qué paso, niños?!"

"Nothing," Hernan's voice called back, obviously hiding the fact that he did so something.

Julia's voice called out, "He was trying to hang from the shower curtain bar and it fell!"

"Cállate, Julia!," the nine-year-old boy scolded.

"Both of you, cállense!," Yani yelled as she stormed down the hall.

Frankie, his eyes glued to the tablet screen, grabbed my glass of Kool-Aid and drank it, hiccuping afterward. I shook my head at him and started paying attention to the video he was watching. That's when I came to realize something...

Can these channels ever use any other god damned background music other than Kevin McLeod's Carefree? Like, damn.