Amidst The Reverie (boyxboy)

Chapter 12: First Day Back

It's Eli's first day back at school and he's absolutely terrified.

He doesn't know how to properly talk to people again after being hospitalized for 2 weeks and on house arrest for a month. 

His father insisted on home schooling him, suddenly becoming caring and protective over Eli. Too protective. 

But he didn't complain. At least his father cares now. 

But that still didn't made him somehow happy. 

There were days where he would just lay in his bed, thinking about his mother. About how she played with his hair on the afternoon as he lay on her lap. 

Or about his father telling dad jokes continuously.

Or about Mateo, who's like a lost puppy following him around everywhere. Whose smile makes his heart flutter, whose words makes him melt and whose eyes makes him warm inside.

His sun. 

Sometimes the memories are too much that he couldn't do anything but lay there the whole day. His father coaxing him to eat, to sit, to talk, to do anything. But he couldn't. He just can't.

Olivia visited him almost everyday after school. She brought him school notes and homeworks so he wouldn't be left behind. He was thankful with the distractions. He would work on them when his mind would wander to the memories. 

They gossiped about the latest news in their school; who's dating who, who got suspended. But what Eli was always looking forward and also dreading is when Olivia talks about Mateo. 

He wants to know how he's doing, but at the same time he doesn't. He had to remind himself that this isn't the clingy, romantic, annoying, puppy-dog eyed Mateo. This isn't his Mateo. 

He repeated that over and over again. 

'not him'. 'not him. 'not him'.

And even as he walked down their school corridor, he repeated that mantra in his head. 

His heart pulsating as he walked through students who stared at him like he was a fresh blood and they were all starving zombies. Their stares sticks to his skin, their whispers passing in the air, all the while Eli is trying so hard not have a panic attack. 

"Hey." Olivia whispered next to him. Rubbing soothing circles in his back. "You okay?"

He only nodded, blinking a few times. He sighed.

"We don't have the same subjects today, I'm sorry I can't accompany you." She furrowed her eyebrows and pouted, looking extremely sorry. 

"It's okay." He said, bumping his shoulders with her. 

"No, it's not." She sighed, playing with her blonde hair. "But good thing Mateo could look after you." 

Eli almost stopped breathing.

"What?" 

"You have like 3 subjects with him today. I checked." She said, looping her arms on Eli's. "So don't worry okay, if you feel any pain or if something happens. ANYTHING. Come find me immediately."

'Does heart ache count?' he wanted to ask. 

He really really doesn't want to see Mateo. He wanted to avoid him at all cost. But at the same time he yearns for him, wanted to see and touch him. He wanted to breathe the same air as him. 

Okaaaay, that's kinda creepy. 

Olivia walked him to his first class. English. 

They found Mateo already sitting on a chair in the back row, when he saw them both he waved his hand, flashed them his swoon-worthy smile and points to the chair next to him.