a/n: elly and jazmyne's outfits for the dinner!
tw: homophobic slurs; homophobia
Noah kisses Benjamin and smiles. "Have fun at the competition, Bebe. You're gonna do great and be all smart and shit."
Benjamin smiles, "Thank you. My dad is coming to pick me up after since it's gonna take till school ends but, I'll text you after okay?"
"Alright."
"Oh! And tell Elly not to worry. She's gonna need all the encouragement she can get."
An announcement comes over the school speakers for all the students apart of the S.T.E.M competition to make it towards the front of the building so they can leave.
Benjamin smiles and kisses Noah again. "Okay. I love you. Give Elly my best."
"I love you, too. Have fun." Noah watches as he walks away and meets up with Amira. He turns back to his locker, setting his textbook inside.
Elly walks over and looks around. "Where Benjamin?"
"Stem competition. So proud of him. Wanna plan a small dinner celebration for him."
"Very sweet, compa."
**
Benjamin opens his laptop as Amira sets the robot down on the ground. Benjamin looks over at another team member and nods.
"Okay...I wrote the code in java...You know it right?"
The team member, Josh, nods. "Yeah. Do you want me to control it?"
Benjamin shrugs, "Just in case. We have to go get the robot weighted so if you want you can just go over it and make sure it all seems right."
"Alright."
Benjamin smiles and walks over to Amira. "Ready?"
Amira stands up, "I'm nervous!"
Benjamin nods. "Me too! Extremely but, we got this in the bag just...Be positive, okay?"
**
Noah sits in his car during lunch, waiting for Lucas to join him. He feels his phone vibrating and grabs it, smiling when he sees Benjamin's contact.
Lucas gets in the car, nodding. "Sup man."
"Hey...", Noah puts the phone up to his ear, "Hey, bebesita. How's the competition going?"
Benjamin smiles. "It's...It's going so great, babe! We have the highest score right now and our last task is after the lunch break."
"Is this one the field one? Where you did all the sensory thingys?"
"Well, the sensors were for everything but I get what you're trying to say."
Noah chuckles and nods. "Well, as long as you're having fun, that's all I care about."
Benjamin smiles. "What're you up to?"
"Lucas and I are about to get something to eat."
"Okay. Well, I will call you once the competition is over. I have to go to my dads but I'll make sure to call you, okay?"
"Okay, bebesita. I love you. Have fun."
"I love you, too."
**
Elly pulls her pants over her boxes and lets out a sigh as she buttons them up. She grabs her shirt, slipping it on and looking at herself in the mirror.
"You've gone through so much worse, dumbass. Don't let a fucking dinner ruin you.. ."
She grabs her shoes, slipping them on and them sitting down in her desk chair. She puts her head in her hands, taking a deep breath.
She stands back up and shakes her head, fixing her hair. "You can do this. If you have the balls to come out then, you're practically built for this."
Elly nods, shoving her phone into her front pocket before grabbing her keys. She walks out of her room but walks right back in and grabs her lighter and baggie with spliffs.
"Just in case... ."
Ana looks over, "Are you ready?"
Elly nods and they walk out the house together.
**
Benjamin checks his phone for what he thinks is the fifth time. He looks around, still waiting for his dad to pick him up.
Finally, after what feels like years, his dad finally arrives.
Benjamin swings the car door open, getting into the seat and then slamming the car door shut. "Took you long enough."
"Wasn't even that long, Benjamin."
"Try an hour dad! Everyone else is gone, this is embarrassing."
"Whatever. How'd your stupid little competition go?"
Benjamin scoffs and holds up the trophy. "Well we won, so."
Benjamin's dad doesn't say anything about that and Benjamin looks out the window.
He thinks to himself, "Great son, so proud of you...Thank you, dad, I worked really hard.", But in reality the car ride was completely silent.
Once they finally arrived at his dad's house, Benjamin stormed inside and went up to his room.
Benjamin's dad sets down his keys, walking over to his girlfriend and giving her a small kiss.
She looks over, "Where's Benjamin? Dinner is almost ready...Oh! How'd his competition go?"
Benjamin's dad shrugs, "He did good I guess." He reaches past her, grabbing the bottle of whiskey. He pours himself a glass and smiles, "Dinners smells great by the way."
Upstairs in Benjamin's room, he sits down on the bed, calling Noah.
Noah answers on the first ring, excitement in his voice. "Hey, princesa! How did it go? Did you kill it?"
Benjamin smiles widely. "We got first place! We won a trophy and everything!"
"Good job, beautiful...I knew you would. Knew it. Is the trophy nice?"
Benjamin nods, "Really nice. The team gave it to me to hold onto until Monday. It gets to be placed in the trophy case in the front of the school. Our names are engraved on it, this is so cool!"
Noah smiles. "Fuck, I'm so proud of you."
**
Elly rings the doorbell, wiping her sweaty hands on her jeans. Ana looks over at her, laughing to herself at how nervous Elly looked.
Jazmyne opens the front door, smiling widely. "Hi! Come in."
Jazmyne smiles, leaning in a kissing Elly once before escorting the two in the kitchen.
"Mom, Dad, this is Elly, and her mom... .".
"Ana, Guerra."
Veronica and Xavier walk over smiling. "It's nice to finally meet you. Welcome."
Jazmyne turns and smiles, "Oh, also, these are my three older brothers. Korey, Elijah, and Meech."
Ana looks over, waving. "Nice to meet you."
Elly smiles at Jazmyne's parents. "Nice to meet you."
**
"So, Elly. Jazmyne tells us you play basketball, is that right?"
Elly nods, throwing her arm around Jazmyne's chair. "Yeah, I play as small forward and shooting guard."
Xavier nods, taking a sip from his cup. "That's impressive. You thinking of going pro?"
Elly shrugs, "Ah...I mean it would be a dream come true but, I don't know I feel like there's so much more I could do."
Jazmyne smiles, "She's being nice. She really good, like really. She scored like, half the points on her first game."
Elly looks over at her, "No need to gloat."
Veronica looks over at Ana, smiling. "What are your thoughts on her playing basketball? Any big accomplishments yet?"
Ana looks up and shrugs, "Uhm...I'm not really...Into sports, it's more of a thing for her and her father."
Veronica laughs. "Well, don't I get that. My two boys, Korey and Elijah love football but I don't know a single fact."
Elly looks over at Meech, "You not a sports guy?"
Meech shakes his head. "No-."
Korey laughs. "Meech can't even hold a football right. He's more of a tech guy. Likes to built shit."
Veronica shakes her head. "Language."
Elly shrugs. "I think it's cool...You liking to build stuff and whatnot. Our friend Benjamin is like that and he's crazy talented."
Veronica smiles, "Well, that's very nice of you to say."
Ana snorts and grabs her wine glass. Veronica looks over and furrows her brows. "Excuse me?"
"Don't let her fool you. Elenor is no saint. At all...She's the complete opposite to be exact."
Elly shakes her head and looks down at her plate. Xavier sits up, "I beg your pardon? She's been nothing but wonderful to our daughter."
"It's what she does. Elenor acts out like a hooligan and then plays the victim card anytime she gets."
Elly looks up at Jazmyne, shaking her head. "Ma. Just cause you have a problem with my sexuality doesn't mean-."
"Do not interrupt me, Elenor."
Veronica's eyes widen, "You don't accept your daughter?"
Ana looks over. "No, I don't actually. The whole idea makes me sick. Even looking at her makes me sick. And don't get me started on how she dresses. Wanna be a boy so bad."
"That's just who she is, Ana. We can't change that. And if she's comfortable in the way she dresses, what really is the issue? Isn't the point of being a parent to accept your kid and make them feel safe?"
"No, because I did not raise a fucking dyke, I raised a young woman who wears dresses and isn't convinced herself of some cockamamie theory that being gay is okay!"
Elly looks up and shakes her head. "That's enough, Ma. Please, just stop...Uhm, Mr.Harris, where is the bathroom?"
Xavier points to the bathroom and Elly gets up and leaves the table. Jazmyne looks up with teary eyes, looking over at Ana. "I hope you know that what you say about her, hurts other people too."
Meech shakes his head, "How could you say that? About your own daughter with...No remorse?"
Ana looks over, "Because it's something I believe in. It's disgusting and I won't stand for having a faggot as a daughter-."
Xavier slams his hand down on the table. "Enough! Ms.Guerra, I think you've overstayed your welcome. I would like you to leave."
Ana scoffs and gets up from the table. She walks over to the front door, grabbing Elly's keys out of her jacket pocket and slams the door shut.
Veronica looks over at Jazmyne, nodding. "Why don't you go check on Elly, love?"
Jazmyne nods and stands up while wiping the tears off her face. "Okay."
**