angel baby (heavy editing)

23.5

Eighteen.
      Chris thought he would feel different turning eighteen. Everybody seemed excited to turn eighteen and he should have been to. He would be able to drive, to drink, to vote. They all mattered but the only thing that filled his thoughts was the dread of moving to another house later in the week. Chris had tried to persuade his mother but she wasn't seeing reason. He hated her so much. He didn't really hate her but his mind seemed to think so. Chris didn't understand himself half the time. Every morning, he would wake hoping he was fully "healed" or "recovered" but when he thought of bright colors, especially red and how weak it made him or how the thought of speaking and communicating with people on a particular day made him physically sick, he knew he wasn't completely "recovered". He wasn't sure if he was better like his mother said he was. He didn't know what could trigger him. He hated moving, he wanted to pull his hair at the thought but he wasn't showing any reaction to the news that his mother wasn't really his mother and that his biological mother was someone else. Chris didn't know how how to react to that. Kathy said he was in denial. It wasn't denial. Or was it? He still couldn't understand emotions much, his and others.
  The morning went by as usual, except the birthday wishes from both his mother and sister. His mother had to rush to work and he would go to school with Kathy. His mother's new job took up all her time. Chris hated it but Kathy told him if he didn't want them to starve, she had to. The matter was left at that.
       The moment Chris arrived at school, he knew something was odd. The moment he stepped into the hallway, eyes were on him, more than usual and people whispered pointing at him. He wanted to run away. It felt like needles were pricking at his skin. He stayed close to Kathy since there was no where to go. He watched Kathy glare at everyone but that didn't do anything to stop the glaring. He was going to cry. It was his birthday and he was going to cry.
He felt Kathy's hand grab his.
"Come on. Let's hurry to class. I hate this fucking school"
The staring didn't stop, even during classes. How he hadn't bolted or had a panic attack was a miracle.
When lunch period came, Chris needed answers. He wasn't going to survive the day if the staring didn't stop. Kathy was right. He hated this school.
"Barkis, why are people staring at me?" He asked his best friend as they walked out of their geography class with the intent of going to the cafeteria.
She shrugged distracted, "it's something about you and Oliver being switched at birth"
Chris stopped walking and blinked before falling into steps with Barkis. He wasn't quite sure but he was almost certain Barkis was in a terrible mood. He didn't know what to do. He needed someone with him. Kathy would have stayed with him and try to ward off the stares but they weren't even in the same grade and Kathy had to go to a tutor during lunch break because she was nearly away for a month.
"Gosh I can't believe I had a B minus. In Geography. Geography of all things. My parents are going to kill me", Barkis lamented.
Chris seemed to understand why she was in a terrible mood. The teacher had earlier distributed test scores. Chris also had a B minus but he wasn't bothered. He didn't even need to subject.
"You are in a bad mood because of your test score. I'm sorry" he said to her.
"No, no love. It's not your fault"
"I know it's not my fault, I was just trying to be civil. Kathy says that's important"
Barkis smiled at him. Why was she smiling? She was sad two seconds ago.
"You're adorable but you're right. I'm sorry. I'll just have to make up for it during exams or I'll really be dead. I'm sorry for neglecting you. It must have come as a shock when you found out. Is it even true?"
His mother, nobody had tried to deny it so it probably was.
He nodded.
"Oh honey. I'm so sorry. What a tiny miniature world though. The chances of it happening and the chances of it happening with Oliver, that's crazy"
Chris wanted to reply that it happened more often than people would think but at the moment he saw Derek and that same feeling he had in his stomach when he sat by the rail road with Oliver every night for the past week hit him like a wrecking ball. He was waking towards Derek before Barkis could get another word in. He hurried after him and when he was close enough, he taped him. Derek turned and a smile Chris regarded as beautiful stretched across Derek's face. Chris liked the way it made him feel.
"Chris, it's so good to see you"
Chris was sure Derek liked him the way he liked Derek. Kathy said she'd seen the way he would look at him. She also said he deserved to be in jail for coming unto a minor but what did Kathy know? Derek never came unto him. And maybe she was wrong about it. Maybe Derek didn't even like him that way. Derek was still the only person he wanted to kiss with tongue. Kathy had done it before, with her boyfriend that no one knew she had, except him. Kathy always denied they were boyfriend and girlfriend but Chris knew better. Did he? He wanted to try it with Derek and maybe Oliver too. He didn't understand his feelings for Oliver. Maybe they weren't feelings. It might just be teenage lust. What he felt for Derek was real. He was thinking like a child. He hated it. He hated that sometimes his thought process validated what people thought about him. Calling him cute or adorable as if he was a puppy. He wasn't one. He also hated the way people swooned at him when he spoke. He hated his voice. It was annoying.
The sudden arm on his shoulder made him remember he was in Derek's presence before he was lost in his thoughts.
"You're thinking quite hard. Are you okay?"
Chris nodded.
"That day, you drove me to the hospital.  I never said thank you like I should. Thank you"
"That was over a month ago, don't mention it"
"But I have to or it'll be rude"
Derek smiled at him. He liked his smile. He really did.
"You're welcome, Chris. How is she now?"
"She's alright. She came back to school two days ago"
"That's good. That's really good. Also before I forget, happy birthday, Chris"
Chris was sure stars shone in his eyes staring at Derek. Derek was the best.
He smiled at him.
"I really wish you would smile more. You're more beautiful when you do", Derek whispered the last part.
I would do anything for you.
He blushed nodding.
"Um, listen I don't know how to say this and honestly I think I'm crazy but I would like to take you out tonight as a birthday present. You don't have to say yes. It's weird and incriminating because I'm not supposed to be involved with a student and to anybody's eyes, it would seem I had been waiting for you to be of legal age which I haven't but I have. Jesus, I'm in the middle of a large body of student asking another student out. I must be out of my mind but what do you say?"
Chris giggled because he found Derek's rambling cute, not like a puppy cute but cute. It shocked him because he never giggled.
He was about to say yes but remembered Oliver. They were supposed to meet tonight. And they would or Chris would feel miserable but Derek.
"I can't tonight. I have to meet Oliver"
Derek frowned. Chris hated that. He didn't want to see it.
"Oliver?"
Chris nodded. Derek seemed to want to ask further questions but changed his mind and said,
"What about tomorrow night?"
"I can't. We meet every evening by eight by the abandoned rail road, ten minutes away from where I live"
Derek looked further confused but he still didn't ask questions.
"Okay, what about lunch on Saturday. I could take you to lunch"
"But my birthday would be over"
Derek smiled at him again. He really liked it. 
"Then it's a date. What do you say?"
Chris eagerly nodded.
Derek smiled even brighter. He wanted to see that all the time.
"Okay, I'll text you further details"
"But you don't have my number"
Derek smirked this time.
"I'll see you later, Chris"
He walked away. That gesture and half answer would piss Chris off on a normal basis but this was Derek and he liked Derek.
He felt a presence beside him. He turned and faced Barkis. He thought she left. He was glad she hadn't.
"What was that?"
"Derek is taking me to lunch on Saturday"
Barkis turned to face him, mouth agape. She closed it and said,
"You shouldn't tell just anyone that. So Derek, huh and you're gay?"
Chris nodded and said nothing further as they walked together towards the cafeteria.

(A/N: I apologize for every error. It's embarrassing at this point. this is one of my longest chapters. I wish every chapter was like that but the shorter the better, am I right? I'm most definitely wrong. Thank you for reading!!!
Also I said eighteen is the official age to drive, though I know it's sixteen for many countries but since Oliver isn't set in any country, (that's up to everyone's imagination) I'm going to leave it as it is. Though I've mentioned the Borgheses are from Italy and currency spent is euros, it's not set in a particular country. I literally have none in mind. I also crossed two thousands reads. I have no words. I don't. Thank you so much!!!!)