20 First Kisses

The Family You Choose

Family isn't always blood. It's the people in your life who want you in theirs. The ones who accept you for who you are. The ones who would do anything to see you smile, and who love you no matter what.

-ANONYMOUS

Simon

After lunch, I run to my room to grab something for class that I forgot this morning. I'll be late to class if I don't hurry, but I'll be in more trouble if I don't have the book.

When I step into the room, I don't expect to see Baz there, and when he looks up at me, I know that he didn't expect me to show up there either.

I freeze in my tracks as I take in his appearance. His eyes are puffy and red, and he's wiping tears away from his face as he turns away from me.

"What are you doing here?" He sneers. "You should be in class."

"So should you," I say.

"I don't feel like going," he says.

I should probably leave it at that, let him sit here if he wants, but something about the way that he looks and the tone of his voice keeps me from leaving.

"What happened?" I ask. I've never seen him like this. I don't think I've ever even seen him cry before.

"Please just go away," he says.

"Only if you tell me what happened." I move across our room to sit beside him on his bed, and even though he glares at me, he doesn't tell me to get off. Taking that as a good enough reason to say, I scoot just a bit closer to him so that I'm sitting right in front of him.

"It's nothing."

"It's not nothing. You look terrible."

"Thanks," he says drily.

"That's not what I meant. I just mean that you're obviously not alright."

Baz shakes his head and starts to get up, but I reach out to grab his arm, pulling him back to the bed.

"Why won't you just leave me alone?" He asks, yanking his arm out of my grasp.

"Why won't you tell me what's wrong?" I counter.

"You wouldn't understand."

"Try me."

"If I tell you, will you leave me alone?" He asks, obviously just wanting to be rid of me as soon as possible.

I shrug. "Maybe."

He sighs and slides a shaky hand through his hair. The tears have momentarily stopped, but I think it's just for show. He's trying to hide his pain from me, but I can see right through it. He's obviously hurting, and I want to know why so that I can help him.

"I got a letter from my father today." He shakes his head and laughs drily. "He couldn't even be bothered to tell me in person, or at least call."

He pauses for a moment, and I patiently wait for him to continue.

"He said that I could hide who I am or I wasn't allowed back there." He doesn't elaborate on that, but I think that maybe I know what he means. It can't be that he's a vampire. His family has to know about that already. It has to be something else. "I had to choose me," he continues, "but I miss them already. It's horrible, right? To miss the people who abandoned you?"

"No, it's not," I say softly. "I miss my parents, and I never even knew them."

"He said that he'll send me my stuff, but I'm not welcome in his home ever again. I'll never even see my siblings again." A sob breaks up his words, and I hold out my arms for him to fall into, surprised when he actually does.