The Tuxedo Man (boyxboy)[Wattys 2016]

Chapter 34 - Under Control

[Photo: Braydon Keane Raines. Video: Survivors by Selena Gomez] 

I was ready for school while everyone else was still asleep, which is something new. Slinging my bag over my shoulders, I grab my set of keys from the bowl and head on out the door, where the sun has just risen and the neighborhood peaceful. Somewhat to my surprise, I found the black Lamborghini that I recognize parked outside my house, the man inside who was banging his head to a song visible from where I stood. 

I head over, locking the house gate behind me as he notices my presence. I open the door and sink in the passenger seat, placing my backpack on my lap. 

"I was planning to walk to school today, surprised I found you here," I say, pulling on the seatbelt. 

He turns down the song he was playing, which was the beat drop from Selena Gomez' Survivors. "Driving you to school's become a habit. It's just weird going to work without it." He smiles. 

"Selena Gomez, it looks like you know her, huh?" 

"Hey, I had a childhood too, okay?" He retorts, giving me the hand. "Hello, Wizards of Waverly Place? I loved that shit." 

I chuckle as he switches gears before driving away. 

_ . _ 

I was by my locker, grabbing the books that I needed for the set of morning classes I had, one of which were with Jordan, which is a nice way to start the day. I think I'll miss having the boys as my company, it'll be nice to reminisce all the testosterone-filled experiences we've shared and all the things they've made me do out of peer pressure, none of them were illegal, okay? Yeah, just needed to get that out of the way. 

This morning has felt different, it felt slightly better than the mornings I've had for the past weeks. I assume it's most likely because the things that have gone wrong are now right, or at least beginning to be right. I wanted to talk to mom this morning, thinking that she was heading to work early but I realized that she needed the sleep due to the late shift she worked last night. I guess I could talk to her later since things can now wait, knowing that she's already apologized to me. All we had to do now was to explain things to each other. 

As I close my locker, I was greeted by Ruth staring at me with a smug smile and wide eyes, clearly hiding behind my locker door with the intention of making me jump. Joke's on her, I remained perfectly calm.

"Oh, hey." I greet, checking the books I had in my hand if they were the right ones. 

She retires from the pose, looking like she's been let down. "Nothing really gets you? For the past three years, I've only made you jump like twice." 

I give her a sympathetic smile, although it was laced with pride. "Even if you throw a fucking dildo at me, I will not flinch." 

"Well, you're used to seeing dildos anyway." 

I smacked her. 

"Well!" She perks up. "I stared at you with the intent of not scaring you, but to remind you of something that's coming up." 

I look at her with furrowed eyebrows for a moment, then getting what she means. I roll my eyes.

"My birthday is so far away, Ruth." 

She looks at me with a face that looks like I've betrayed her. "It's literally this Saturday!"

"Which is four days away, which is ninety-six hours, which is five thousand, seven hundred sixty minutes, which is three hundred forty-five thousand, six hundred seconds." I argue. "Far away, isn't it?"