Hidden Love

Chapter 13

The next morning I woke up to realize that Hope was unusually quiet. So I went to talk to her to see what was up.

"Hey. You okay?"

"What? Me? Yeah, i'm good."

She sounded a bit choked up.  

"I know when things aren't okay. I can tell. Its the best friend powers."

She chuckled. 

"It's just, Elliott. He posted a photo of him hanging out with another girl."

I stood silent, allowing her to collect her thoughts. Then she spoke again.

"It's just,I thought we were going to be a thing, I really wanted us to be an item. I really do like him. I do, I just.. waited to long or whatever. I don't know. Maybe I'm overthinking it."

"Hey, shes like a five. Now you?-"

I she looked up at me.

"You're a ten. If he doesn't see that, then he obviously doesn't deserve you. Like I said, she's a five, he's just being nice."

She laughed and I gave her a hug. 

"Thank you Alex."

She smiled at me, and I made an ugly kissing face back. We both laughed again and went about doing the morning routine. I used my dads bathroom to do my stuff, and Hope used mine.  

A few hours later, she was playing her guitar. I invited Kevin over too. We just listened to her play, and I helped her write a couple of songs. One of them was based was about feeling helpless in a situation that is out of your power. That one had a heavy influence on me.

An hour later, I was laying on my bed with Kevin. Hope was out with her father, and my dad and Sara were out at dinner. It was Kevin and I.

"I'm so glad we're going to see Fall Out Boy. I still can't believe it, and I could not have asked for a better birthday gift for my eighteenth birthday too."

I kissed him on the cheek and he smiled.

"I'm surprised my parents even let me... but there is another thing."

I looked up at him. He wasn't looking at me, and he looked sad.

"Yeah, whats up?"

"They almost didn't let me go because they found out you're gay."

"Wait what? Who? Your parents?" 

He sighed heavily. 

"My parents. Yeah."

"But... they've met me before. They fucking love me. Hold on. So me, being gay is suddenly going to ruin it for them?"

"Apparently..." 

I muttered shit under my breath.  

"That is a dick move. Aren't your parents atheists?"

"I don't know. I don't follow their religious habits. I just know that they are apposed to me going to that concert with you because of it. Or maybe I heard them wrong. I don't know. I was kind of freaked out about them finding out about me." 

He sounded nervous and worried. I was too.

"I really don't think that they care all that much. They shouldn't. We're already dating. What are they going to do? We graduate next year. They can't keep us apart." 

When I looked at him, I saw that his eyes were beginning to water. I got up and grabbed the tissue box in my room, and handed it to him. When he looked at me, he let go. He started to cry.

"Hey, Kevin. It's okay. Its all going to be alright. I'm here. I'll always be here. Remember that."

I pulled his head up, and looked into his eyes.

"I love you Kevin. I love you so much."

He kissed me so hard that I could feel out teeth slightly knock into each other. After the kiss, he hugged me hard. It was a warm hug. Just as we were about to pull away, Hope barged in with an explosion. 

"Guess what you gays!" 

She sounded excited, and she looked it too. Kevin was the first to reply? 

"What?" 

"Did you realize that you are wearing that shirt backwards?" 

Kevin laughed and gave me a high five for my comment. 

"Oh ha, ha, ha Alex you're so funny... It's how the shirt is made you dweeb." 

She looked down at her shirt with uncertainty. 

"I think that's how the shirt is made... anyways. Since you losers are horrible at the guessing game, i'm just going to have to tell you." 

"Oh thank god. I don't ever actually guess with that shit." 

Kevin tried not to laugh. Hope was amused.

"Alright then. I see how the game is played. Looks like i'm not gonna tell you." 

She turned her back to us and pretend to care. After a minute or so, Kevin and I begged her to tell us what she was talking about. 

"Okay, so since now you guys are paying attention. I can tell you." 

She looked so proud of her self. It was pretty funny. 

"We are going to the beach tomorrow!" 

I was slightly disappointed, but it still sounded fun.

"Sounds great Hope!" 

Kevin is always so positive. 

"I was hoping we were gonna do something with more air conditioner but that sounds fun. 

We all laughed.