Camilo's Journey

Chapter 35:

The next day Camilo and Spencer grudgingly got out of bed and ready just in time for the meeting with the school board.

"You two look wrecked, everything okay?" Alex asked in the 5 minutes before the meeting started. Camilo and Spencer had shrugged and sighed in unison and shared a little smile. Where they okay? Camilo didn't know but for now he had Spencer by his side and that's all that mattered to him in that moment. He held Spencer's hand and didn't ever want to let go because he was letting him.

"Well hopefully today cheers you both up." Alex said and they shifted to let Claudia, Noah and Eric on the screen. They all seemed to be sharing a nervous energy.

"You should all come to London someday, they have a really cool lgbtqia youth centre here that Camilo and I went to yesterday, you'd all love it." Spencer said suddenly, he somehow sounded tired but enthusiastic.

All four of their faces seemed to light up.
"That's amazing! I wish they had something like that here." Eric said.
"It's so heteronormative out here." Noah sighed.
"That is the world we live in." Claudia sighed.
"But maybe we just have to go to London to get away from it." Alex said with a smile.
"Absolutely." Spencer gave a brief smile. "So before everything starts Camilo should probably tell you something." Spencer added.

Oh this was how he was going to play it. Way to throw him under the bus. Camilo shook his head.
"No, let's get through this meeting first." Camilo said quickly. Their four friends just stared at him and Spencer.
"Oh so, you're keeping them in the dark too." Spencer sighed.

Camilo got annoyed, what was his deal?
"Spencer," Camilo huffed. But their hands were still joined at that sides and Spencer didn't seem mad at him, maybe just a little annoyed.

"Guys, let's do this after okay! We need you on our sides." Noah surprised them by speaking up, his voice taking on a pleading tone. Eric rubbed circles into Noah's back. Poor Noah looked anxious and maybe a bit shaken.

"Sorry Noah, are you okay?" Camilo asked.
Noah sighed.
"It's okay, I just need you guys right now. My parents are putting pressure on me to come back home and I'm trying fight them on staying here."
Camilo remembered Eric telling them about how Noah's family had treated him and he felt sick.

"Noah, we're so sorry. If there's anything we can do please tell us." Spencer said. Noah just nodded.
"Just be on my side." He said.
"Always." The four them said almost in unison.
"We love you Noah!" Claudia said and hugged his side. He smiled at her.
"Okay! Are you guys ready to get down to business?" Alex said looking over their shoulder.
"As much as is possible." Camilo said.

Suddenly they were in the midst of it, Spencer clinging to his side because there on the screen suddenly was his father. Camilo wished he could shape shift other people or make them disappear entirely. Unfortunately there was a limit to his power.

It was a horrible experience for all six of them as the board talked so dismissively about them, saying the opinions of six kids compared to the rest of the entire school body was nothing to be having this meeting about. Camilo wanted to argue that there were most definitely more than just the six of them that were queer at the school but Mrs. Mitchell stepped up and said that for him, and then some.

"The attitude of this board is exactly why young adults don't stand up and ask for the rights they deserve at this school, these six young adults are very brave and deserve to go to the prom with ever they choose to go with, no matter their gender." Camilo and Spencer exchanged smiles as Mrs. Mitchell pretty much tore them all a new one. She was such a badass! They just hoped it would be enough.

The biggest shocker though was Spencer's dad standing up to speak against the rights of his own son. It made Camilo feel sick.. again. And Spencer cried into his shoulder and Camilo worried he wouldn't be able to stop.