The Riveting Lives of Russell and Sal

Chapter 9

The car ride home was, unfortunately, uneventful. They only talked about class. Sal never got his goodnight kiss, though he hadn't expected one. But he called me a dork! He swooned over the memory, and had to fight back a smile when he walked through the door. Brenda was in the kitchen washing dishes, while Tyler watched TV in the family room. "Did you have fun?" Brenda asked.

At the same time, Tyler asked, "How was your date?"

Sal's breath caught. He knows!

"What are you talking about?" Brenda asked Tyler. "He was hanging out with his new friend."

"Sure he was." Tyler winked at Sal.

How does he know about my feelings towards Russell?

"I wasn't on a date," Sal said. Technically it wasn't, as much as he wished it was.

"Look how you're dressed." Tyler gestured towards his outfit. "You and your friend went on a double date. It's okay if you did. You're allowed to. What's her name?"

"Tyler!" Brenda shot Tyler a look.

"I want to know who she is."

Relief flooded through Sal's body. His secret was still safe. "I'm not lying. It was just me and Russell. Do you need help with those dishes?" he asked Brenda.

"No, I've got it." Brenda glanced up from the pan she was scrubbing. "I'm thinking of buying new pots and pans this weekend. These ones are so old."

Sal couldn't help but think of Russell, and his apparent love of pans as he walked upstairs. Of course, the one person he falls in love with has to have some freakish pan fetish. But if he wanted Russell to love him, he'd have to be supportive. And his initial reaction must've appeared the opposite, given Russell's mood change. He thought of what Brenda said about her pans, and how she wanted to buy new ones. How convenient, he thought. I could give him one of her old pans. What better way to show my support of his pansexualness.

Monday morning, Sal shoved a pan inside his backpack. Brenda, true to her word, had bought a new set of pots and pans the previous day. He had asked her if he could have one of the old ones to give to a friend.

"Why would your friend want a 20 year old pan?" she asked, frowning up at him.

"They're an artist, and want to use it for their latest project," Sal answered.

Brenda looked like she wanted to ask more questions, but didn't. "Take it."

So he had taken it and shoved it in his backpack. He would give it to Russell during lunch, when they were alone in his secret eating spot. Sal remembered how Russell was dead-set against eating lunch with him. But maybe after their date-that-was-not-a-date, he'd change his mind.

* * * * *

Most students would pack up five minutes before the bell, regardless of whether the teacher was finished or not. But Russell was better than that. He was polite, attentive, and teachers loved him for it. Unlike Sal, who only seemed to keep one notebook in his backpack at all times, and packed it early along with everyone else.

Thinking of Sal had been putting Russell's stomach in knots lately. Ever since he came out to him, he struggled to focus on anything. Especially on his SAT's. His scores probably suffered for it. He fiddled with the coffin pendant on his necklace, and felt Sal's eyes on him. Whenever Russell would so much as glance over his shoulder, Sal's head would jerk down to his notebook. Russell was almost certain he had been staring at him.

If he didn't know better, he'd swear Sal was crushing on him. But he doubted it. When he had told him he was pan, he only stared. Russell had been hoping it would've sparked excitement on Sal's end. But he didn't seem excited at the prospect. If anything, he seemed mildly disturbed. Of course he had to be the "there's nothing wrong with it, but keep it to yourself" type.