In Between Codes

Chapter 5

When they finished, Tomy stood there, panting slightly but happy. His chest swelled with pride and satisfaction. The crowd of inspectors clapped lightly, murmuring among themselves. Tomy caught a glance from Laura—she gave him a quick smile of approval. 

But then his gaze shifted to the boys sitting on the bleachers with Mr. Lopez and the inspectors. A Moe and his friends were snickering, pointing at him, and laughing. Tomy's stomach dropped, and he could feel the heat of embarrassment creep up his neck. He was in the cheerleading squad. He was a boy but in the all girl's cheerleading group. 

Then he overheard one of the inspectors, a woman in her late 30s with a professional air, speaking to the others as she watched the girls disperse. Her voice carried to Tomy's ears.

"I enjoyed the routine," she said, "though I wish the boy had worn an outfit that blended a little better with the rest of the team."

Her words combined with Moe's mockery hit Tomy like a brick, and the warmth he'd felt just moments ago evaporated. Suddenly, the air in the gym felt too thick, the walls too close. He quickly turned and ran out, not wanting anyone to see his tears. 

As Tomy stepped into the hallway, he felt a soft touch on his shoulder. 

"Hey!" Laura called out, her bright smile instantly lifting his spirits.

"You were amazing!" she said, her tone warm and sincere. "You really nailed it out there, Tomy. I knew you had it in you!"

Tomy managed a small, shy smile. "Thanks."

"Seriously," she continued, "you've got some serious potential. Don't worry about the boys—some people just don't get it." She paused for a moment, then added, "And you know, if you're interested... we have a spot on the squad if you want it."

Tomy blinked, a bit taken aback. 

"Just think about it. And know that the girls' team will gladly have you back anytime. You're already one of us." She winked and turned toward the door, heading off to catch her ride home.

****

Tomy walked through the front door, but instead of heading straight to his room, he lingered by the stairs for a moment. He knew Samantha would try to talk to him the minute he stepped inside his room and he still refused to engage with her. So he turned toward the kitchen.

"Mom?" he called out, glancing around.

She looked up from the stove, a little surprised. "Tomy? Everything okay?"

"Yeah... I just, uh, wanted to know if you need any help with dinner," he said, shifting uncomfortably. 

His mom raised an eyebrow, clearly puzzled. "You offering to help? That's a first." She smiled but shook her head. "No, sweetie. I've got everything under control tonight. Thanks, though."

Tomy hesitated, then pushed on. "What about cleaning or running errands? I can do that too."

His mom's smile faded slightly as she regarded him. "I really have everything under control, honey. What's going on?" Her voice softened. "You seem... restless."

Tomy shifted on his feet, glancing down at the floor. "I've got a lot on my mind," he muttered, avoiding her gaze.

She paused, sensing there was more, but didn't press. "Well," she said after a moment, "why don't you go outside and get some exercise? That always helps me when I'm feeling off."

Tomy frowned slightly. Exercise. It wasn't his thing. But he could hardly say no now.

"Yeah, I guess," he said, before slowly heading toward the back door.