The Boys of Blueberries

21

Career Day and Sabina doesn't want to do this.

"I told you not to reschedule your photoshoot," Tristan mutters again beside her, head turned towards Maya's parents. Her dad is an architect and her mother is a civil engineer. "You could be reading thirst tweets by now."

Sabina, despite her anxiousness and slight regret, tries for a smile. "Well, at least you can keep your jealous side at bay."

"Why would I be jealous?" he whispers, putting a hand on her knee and squeezing it. "I may not be thirst tweeting, but I'm the only one who's touching. They should be the ones jealous."

Sabina bites her lip and pushes his hand off, clearing her throat. "We are at Brandon's school. Shut up."

He grins, leaning back and throwing an arm at the back of her chair.

Sabina's leg bounces. She looks around the classroom—all colors and big letters and small desks and small chairs. Little breathing bodies everywhere, parents fussing over their little costumes.

There's an itch underneath her skin. Sabina tries to ignore it.

When Brandon's name is called, Sabina sucks in a sharp breath. Tristan stands up first and reaches his hand out to his son with a smile. "Okay, up you go, bud."

Sabina stays frozen in her seat for two seconds, unwilling to move even with everyone's eyes on her, until her boyfriend looks back at her. "Babe. Coming?"

She shakes her head, shouting at herself to snap out of it, and stands up shakily, mustering up her smile. "Yeah."

Brandon's small hands wrap around Sabina's big one, and he drags her and Tristan with all his might to the front of the room. Sabina gulps as soon as she's faced with Brandon's other classmates and their parents, and she looks down at herself, brushing her hands over her dress—light blue with puffed long-sleeved made of denim jacket fabric.

She changed clothes ten times until Tristan had enough and snapped at her that she looked amazing no matter what and that they had to go or they'll be late.

Brandon lets go of their hands and puffs his chest out, loudly saying, "Good day! I'm Brandon Bishop, and I want to be a blueberry farmer someday."

Black pants to avoid stains, a sunhat, and a cute plaid shirt. Sabina feels a surge of admiration in her chest out of love for this boy of blueberries.

"This is my Papa," he says, turning to Tristan. "And this is my Mama."

Sabina almost chokes on her saliva.

That wasn't in the script.

Tristan finds her hand quickly and squeezes her fingers once, almost reassuringly, before he lets go. "Hello. My name is Tristan. I'm a secretary for a publication company, but I also stream and play games in my free time."

He looks at Sabina and smiles at her.

Sabina clears her throat and steps forward. "Hi, I'm Sabina. I'm a model and an editor for The Fit, the country's leading lifestyle magazine. Thank you."

When they sit, Tristan leans in and whispers, "I'm sorry, I told him to leave the introduction to me."

"It's okay," Sabina whispers, not looking at him.

"Kyle, don't freak out, please."

"I'm not." Sabina swallows the bile in her throat. She looks around the classroom again, feeling her heart rate speed up. She's not sure, but she thinks the walls are closing in on her.

Sensing her mood, Tristan lets it go. He also promised they would leave as soon as it was over, as soon as Brandon was done taking pictures with them and with his classmates.