DUSTED MELODY [BL]

chapter4: UNINVITED GUEST

The sun beat down on Enzo like a happy but annoying friend. He trudged home, the failed math test burning a hole in his backpack. The big red F felt like a spotlight on his mistakes. Mrs. Rodriguez's voice, disappointed like a teacher who knew you could do better, replayed in his head.

Everything felt messed up. Music, basketball, homework – it was all a jumbled mess. The fight with his parents, the weird email from "M," and now the confusing text from "J" all swirled in his brain like a loud, messy song.

He needed to get away from it all. He took a longer way home, a path that led past the park. He laced up his shoes and ran hard, trying to outrun the worries in his head. His feet pounded the ground, a beat against the frantic drumming of his heart.

By the time he reached his house, he was sweaty and tired. He reached for the doorknob, but then he stopped. There was a boy on the porch, about his age. He looked pale and sad, tears streaming down his face. Enzo didn't know why, but the sight made him mad. He wasn't in the mood for someone else's problems.

Muttering "Weirdo" under his breath, he decided to ignore the boy. He slipped around the side of the house, through the back gate, and disappeared into the cool darkness of the kitchen.