Oh Boy! (BL)

19 - Cloud Nine (1/3)

The two weeks after our kiss in the rain passed by like a dream. It were weeks of secret glances and shy goodbye kisses in the parking lot behind Book Den or the hospital. All of this was new to me, all unfamiliar; and yet, I somehow knew what I had to do. How to respond when Clay's pinky would touch my hand under the table in the cafeteria, or what he was thinking when his eyes began to sparkle, the moment they met mine. It was a time that made me feel invincible because I knew he was by my side.

And while I tried my best to keep the whirlwind emotions in my heart disguised at school, all resistance broke the moment we left school grounds. Matt, I guess, was the first one to notice. Chuckling he would keep on teasing me for my red cheeks or the dreamy sighs that escaped my lips whenever I thought of Clay. And...I was fine with it. Somehow, having the people closest to me know about my feelings was...liberating.

Clara and Lisa screeched when I told them that there was someone I like, even though they were not exactly the ones I told about him. I was holding mom's hand, telling her that there was an extraordinary boy in my life now; someone kind and gentle, protective and caring, and...yes, I did mention that he was the most handsome boy I'd ever met.

I imagined what she would say had she been awake. Felt her arms embrace me and happy tears fall onto my shoulder. "You would love him," I whispered close to her slim hand I was holding.

"Sooo, there's a special someone in your life now?", asked Lisa when I was just about to go home. She was wiggling with her fair eyebrows and strangely reminded me of Matt when he was teasing me.

I blushed. "Yeah."

She beamed. "You need to introduce him to us!"

"Us?"

"Your mom, Clara, and me!" She pouted. "We need to take a close look! See if he's good enough for our precious boy!"

"He's too good," I whispered, knowing she couldn't hear me. Aloud I said: "I need to ask him first..."

Clara waved with her hand that was now free of any bandages; only one of the many signs that so much time had already passed since my world had been turned upside down. "Banalities. Just tell him the family wants to meet him. Done deal."

Deal...somehow, I kept on wincing whenever someone spoke of deals and bargains. I hadn't spoken to Holland since I'd rejected her request after the photo shooting. Oh, she had reached out several times, upping the sum if I managed to make Clay go to Glimmer Ball with her. I never replied. Nor did I have the intention of putting Clay's feeling out in the uncertain again.

Never again.

He was mine now, and I wanted to keep him for as long as it would last.

I hoped it would last forever.

The situation at school...well, it didn't change much. Except that people slowly got used to the nerd hanging around the soccer players, and they tended to either accept or ignore my existence. I was perfectly fine with that. Only a few people seemed to be bothered - all of them part of the Thunderbirds. They gave me suspicious looks from narrowed eyes that I returned...well, by looking down. I guessed no one really understood what happened on the day I returned from the dead and Clay skipped practice to take me home where he cuddled with me on my narrow sofa-bed for hours.

Of all the Thunderbirds, it was Alvarez who seemed to be the most confused; given the way he began frowning the instant his dark eyes fell on me. Unfortunately, he was in my PE class, watching me when he thought I didn't notice. But I always did.

In the changing room, I kept my gaze lowered. The other boys, on the other hand, didn't even try to make it secret that they flat-out stared at me when I took off my hoodie and revealed my too-thin body with a big red scar on my shoulder. Even Mr. Spencer gave me a brief look of confusion when I entered the sports hall, but he didn't comment on it. Did that mean, he'd spare me this session?