Don't Hide Your Love Away

2

"Dexter! Mr.Estrada wants you!"
I looked up from my worksheet.
I wonder why this time...
Ms.Wellingtin, a skinny brunette, smiled at me.
I stood up and grabbed my bag, walking up to the door
"See ya." My friend Gale said.
I smiled before running to the door and pulling it open, and slipping out into the empty hall.
I continued walking at a slow pace, listening to my footsteps loudly echo off of the wall.
But after a few minutes I noticed mine weren't the only footsteps.
I looked up and saw Meghan McCain standing right in front of me.
She smiled at me.
"Hi Dex." She said in her warm, soothing voice.
"Hey." I said.
She flashed me a warm smile before looking down at her feet.
"You ok?" I asked, tilting my head.
She gulped, and nodded.
"Y-yeah. I-I have to go!" She ran off, leaving me dumbfounded for a monet.
But, finally I walked off to the office door and pushed it open, walked over and sat down on the big leather couch.
I sat in silence for a few minutes until Mr.Estrada's door opened.
"Dexter, I wanted to let you know that your grades are great. Exactly what I want to see. Oh and here."
He handed me a school spirit pin.
I nodded and thanked him.
He gave me a look, and I looked to the ground nervously.
"I will call for you when I need you." He said, eyes locked onto mine. "Understand?"
"Yeah." I said.
The bell rung I walked out of the office, sighing.
Without a warning, running feet pounded towards me. I looked up, seeing my favorite face.
"Dex!" Julian, the star quarterback on the football team ran up to me. Oh, he's also my best friend. His friend Miles was with him too.
"Hey Julian, hi Miles." I said smiling.
"Hi. Look, the football team and I are trying to get ready for homecoming but we need some floats for the halftime show but we have no one to make them annnd I wanted Daysha to, but she is mad at me. Because I said flowers were a stupid idea." He said quickly.
I looked up into his eyes.
"You can't tell Daysha her ideas suck, or she will be mad." I laughed, getting a little smirk from Miles.
Julian frowned, glancing at Miles.
"But I don't want flowers." He huffed.
"How about we talk it out with her then?" I suggested.
Julian shrugged.
"Alright... you're better at this than me." He said, patting my back.
I'm not really good either...
Stop... don't be sad.
I looked up at him and smiled.
Miles licked his lips, turning as a girl approached saying something quietly, before nodding and leaving us.
"Well... let's go." I said as he led me outside behind the school, where Daysha and Ally were sipping on coffees at a metal outside table.
I walked over and sat down across from Ally.
"Hi Ally. Hi Daysha." I said smiling.
"Hi! Love love LOVE the outfit Dexy." Daysha squealed.
"Hi Dexter." Ally said, looking up from her painting she was working on.
"Hey Daysha... I heard about the whole float situation... is there any other ideas you had... beside flowers?" I asked.
She sighed.
"The flowers were really expensive and they are quite rare- I paid a lot to get them." She said, exasperated.
"Maybe... we can start a school garden, and plant them... along with many other flowers." I suggested.
She smiled at the idea.
"Yeah!" She said happily.
Julian walked over and sat down beside me.
"Hey, Daysha... look I'm sorry for being an asshole." He said
Daysha rolled her eyes.
"That's just your personality." She giggled giving his shoulder a playful punch.
Julian rolled his eyes.
"So... will you make the floats... possibly more school themed? Like school colors, maybe the actual mascot? The cheerleaders could perform a routine or something." He asked.
Daysha flashed a wide smile.
"Well if I knew you had some actual ideas for the float, I wouldn't have been mad you didn't agree with my idea!" She squealed happily.
Ally laughed quietly and covered her mouth, smudging electric blue paint on her face in the process.
"Oh you've got... some paint on your face." I said to her.
Her eyes widened in shock and her hand flew to her face.
"Where?"
And now there was a royal purple smudge on her nose.
I laughed quietly and grabbed a napkin.
I dug through my bag for my water bottle and dampened the napkin, then leaned over the table and carefully wiped off the blue smudge, and then the purple.
Her lips curved upwards, and she flashed her perfect white teeth in a sincere smile.
A light rose colored her cheeks.
"Thank you." She said.
"Awe... that was so cute!" Daysha giggled.
I looked at her.
"How?" I asked.
"You cleaned her face. That was like so romantic." She gushed.
Ally looked down as the redness on her cheeks spread to her whole face.
My eyes widened in surprise.
"I was just being nice." I said.
"Riiiiiight." Daysha said munching on a fry.
"Didn't look it." Julian said.
I stood up, feeling a bit overwhelmed.
"It was just what a good friend would do. I-I wasn't flirting" I said, starting to panic.
Ally smiled a weary smile.
"Dex, it is ok. We know you weren't flirting." She said.
I nodded and smiled.
"Staying on this topic... do you actually have a crush on anyone? I've never seen you crush on any lady ever." Julian asked, raising a brow.
I quickly shook my head.
"No."
"Oh em squee we totally need to set you up on a date then!" Daysha squealed, spilling her fries all over the table.
"Heh that isn't necessary." I said.
They all looked at me.
"Why not? It'd be fun." Ally said smiling.
"Yes! We will find you a date!" Daysha yelled, shining a beautiful smile.
I wriggled out of her grasp and Julian slung an arm over my shoulder.
"You know who is reallly hot? Danita Floyd." He said.
"Oh. Cool." I said inching away from him.
"Do you think she's hot?" He asked.
"I mean, she's pretty..." I said, glancing into his eyes for just a second.
"Oh em gee she is SO goals, just like you. She would be PERFECT for you." Daysha gushed.
"Who is?" Cookie Hyung asked walking up beside me.
"Danita." Ally said smiling.
Cookie smiled.
"Yeah... know who is even better looking?" He said softly.
"WHO IS?" Daysha asked, intrigued.
"Alyk Michealis." He said blushing.
He's gay- wow... I had some notion... they're real close anyways.
"Awe! I love gays! They are so adorable- LGBTQ+ PRIDE!" Daysha screamed happily.
I inched away a tiny bit, but didn't leave.
Cookie smiled happily.
"Well, you should send him a secret note, then maybe you'll end up together." She added, smiling again.
"Thanks for the idea... I am actually going to try it." He said before walking off.
I sighed, before looking at my friends.
"Ok back to the finding you a date-"
Ring!!! The bell rung and then a voice called everyone down to the auditorium on the intercom... saved by the bell.
Mr.Estrada walked up to the podium at the front of the bleachers where the whole school was currently sitting.
"Alright. Students, this Friday we will be having a family spaghetti dinner tomorrow after school in honor of....."
Everything that came out of his mouth was muffled after that... I heard a loud ringing and felt like passing out.
Stop... don't think about them...
Suddenly the sound came back everyone was laughing.
Except my buddies, who stared at me curiously.
"You good?" Julian asked.
I nodded, giving him a smile. Convincing enough apparently.
---
After school I walked out the front doors, soon joined by Julian.
"Have you checked the school gossip site? It's fucking crazy nowadays." He said putting in an earbud.
"I haven't seen it yet." I admitted, combing my fingers through my hair.
"Check it." He grabbed my shoulders, and I felt an odd sensation... shit...
"I will... I have to go." I said quickly, patting him on the shoulder before walking away.
After about 40 minutes I turned on my street and walked along it to the luxury apartment complex I had been staying at.
I opened the door, and the doorman, Chad, looked up at the sound of the bells jingling.
"Hey Dexter. How are you?" He said with a smile.
"I'm doing awesome!" I said flashing a smile, which he returned.
"Well have a nice night." He said.
"You too."
I walked up the five flights of stairs, then took the elevator up to the thirtieth floor.
Yeah... it's a big building.
I got out my key to my room and unlocked the door, slowly pushing it open.
I stepped in and released a big sigh.
"I guess I should check the school gossip page... Apparently..." I said to myself as I walked over to my bed, grabbing my laptop and opening it.
I got onto the school's site and scrolled through all the messages.
Omg Danita is so pretty!!! I love you girl!!!
Daysha... I smiled slightly and continued scrolling.
Then I stopped.
DEXTER IS SO FUCKING HOT GOD I WANNA SUCK HIS-
I quickly scrolled down through many confessions from people about their love for me.
Can they like... not?
I sighed... maybe I should write something... no.
But it is anonymous if you choose...
It's decided then.
I scrolled to the top and began typing.
After hitting enter, I slammed my computer shut.
I rolled off of my bed and over to my dresser.
Sliding open the top drawer slowly, I gulped and pulled out a photo.
A teardrop splashed onto the photo, followed by several others.
I stashed it away and wiped my face dry.
"Don't cry don't cry." I said quietly as I sauntered over to my bed and flopped down.
My cellphone rang suddenly, and I bolted up in surprise.
I grabbed it and checked the caller id.
Julian.
My heart dropped.
Why is he calling me? Damn it my voice better not crack...
I answered and put the phone to my ear.
"Hey Dexter." Julian sounded worn out.
"Yeah?" I asked.
"So on the school's page, I read a post... someone has a really big crush on me. Fuck I wish I knew who. I wonder if it is Danita... or Ally... or Daysha." He said in a dreamy tone.
"There's like seventeen hundred kids in the school. It could be anyone." I said.
"Anyone?" He said.
"You hoping it isn't anyone... unattractive?" I sighed.
"Kinda..." he said.
I looked down at the ground.
"Well I guess you will never know."
He chuckled.
"Unless Nathan can help..." I could HEAR his smirk.
"What do you mean by that?"
"Maybe he could reveal who wrote that."
"Isn't that... kind of screwing up the whole point? It's supposed to be anonymous, and if they really want you to know, they will tell you when they are ready." I said calmly.
Julian sighed.
"I guess you are right, though I really wanna know who it is."
They popped into my mind and tears sprung from my eyes without warning.
"I gotta go." I said slamming the phone down, hanging up.
I got off my bed and walked over to the fridge, pulling open the door and grabbing a twelve pack and a whole bottle of bourbon.
I opened the bourbon and guzzled some down.
Mama would be soo fucking proud of your pathetic ass..... and Maríanne and Andrea... and Camila... and Sofia and Isabella and Valentina and Olivia and Fabiana, Adriana, Maite, Manuela, Carolina, Bianca, Florencia, Josefina, Guadalupe, and Paola... and Papa...
I took a beer bottle and flung it at the wall.
God I hate myself.