June 23, 2010
Dylan
"Are you sure we need to do this?" Dylan asked worriedly as he, EJ, Teddy, Ken, and Steven ate lunch together. Last night, EJ had called Dylan and told him what Mr. De Guzman had said. At first, Dylan felt relieved that his boyfriend had spoken to someone who could give proper advice, but when EJ mentioned Mrs. Go, Dylan didn't know what to make of it.
"Yes," EJ replied.
"But what if she's still mad at us for what happened last year?" Dylan questioned.
"If she is, that's on her. She's more than old enough to let bygones be bygones. And if what Mr. De Guzman said is true, then you have all the more reason to talk to her," Theodore said, sipping his lemonade. There was a slight shimmer on his eyelids that would surely make some of the teachers reprimand him if they ever take notice.
"Teddy is right," Steven agreed, nodding. "We need more allies among our teachers. If talking to her and getting her side helps, then all the better."
"Just try to talk to her. If nothing comes of it and she's still angry because of what happened, then move on. We have bigger problems, like the rumor spreading like wildfire in school. The administrators are breathing down our necks, wanting to know who's dating whom so they can put a stop to it."
"Look, Dylan, I get that you're nervous—I am too—but we need to do this." EJ looked into Dylan's eyes, and somehow, it made him feel less anxious.
Dylan took a deep breath and nodded.
"Okay, if we really need to do this, then we should."
****
EJ and Dylan were inside the Guidance Office. Classes had already been dismissed so the went ahead with the plan even if the what may happen is scary. They sat on a velvet sofa that felt comforting against the palms of their hands.
Dylan's heart leapt to his throat because of what they were about to do. "What if something bad happens?" he asked EJ.
His boyfriend turned to him, his fingertips lightly touching Dylan's cold, trembling ones. "Then we will try to move past it. I know it'll be hard, but we have to stay strong."
There wasn't much left to say because Dylan knew EJ was right. If things went awry, they would stay by each other's side. Dylan looked around the room. There were posters that said, "Need Help? Talk to a Guidance Counselor," and "Guidance Counselors Are Pro-Students, Not Pro-School." The latter poster resonated with Dylan. Would this place be somewhere they could feel safe? If so, why hadn't they spoken out when the two girls who were exposed got separated and were forced to attend a conversion therapy?
A door on the right side creaked open, and Mrs. Go stepped out of the office. When she saw Dylan and EJ, she smiled. This time, it wasn't her usual pinched, almost knowing smile—it was a friendly and motherly smile that started to put Dylan at ease.
"Russell—I mean, Mr. De Guzman told me you wanted to speak with me?" she asked in an unusually gentle tone.
EJ and Dylan nodded nervously.
"Yes, Mrs. Go. We would like to speak with you, if that's okay," EJ responded.
Mrs. Go nodded. "Okay, come with me into the office over there."
They followed her to a room at the end of the hall. The cold from the air-conditioning unit sliced through their skin, making them shiver. Mrs. Go sat at one end of the room and motioned for them to take seats in front of her.
YOU ARE READING
Somebody to Love (bxb) (Complete)
Ficção Adolescente(COMPLETED) Dylan and EJ came from two very different worlds. Dylan was born and raised in Albay, Bicol, where he was surrounded by the familiar comforts of his school, friends, and everything he had ever known. However, the 2008 recession forced...
