Cinderfella

Chapter Five

Ethan looked around the cafeteria, searching for a place to sit. All day, anyone who didn't know about him sitting with Mikey had offered him places to sit. In class, girls giggled when he smiled at them and Liam's basketball friends had invited him over and over to attend the next game. Except for the seniors who had picked on Mikey throughout first hour, everyone was nice enough.

A group of girls pulled out a chair next to them. "Hay Ethan," one girl said sweetly. "Looking for somewhere to sit?"

Ethan smiled warmly. "Thanks, but I'm looking for a friend I met earlier."

The girls all smiled. "Well, why don't you go find your friend and bring them here. They'll be welcome."

Ethan walked off in search of Mikey. He found him in the back of the cafeteria, sitting alone and writing in a beat up notebook. Ethan tapped him on the shoulder, making the smaller boy jump.

"Do you always eat alone?" Ethan asked, sitting down next to him.

Mikey shrugged. "I don't usually eat. I can't afford to eat the school food, and it's too long of a walk in the morning to school, the food would go bad."

Ethan pulled out his lunch bag. "I've got some extra food that I'm not going to eat. You can come sit with me and some friends I made and talk if you don't want to eat."

Mikey looked up from his notebook. "Who invited us?"

Ethan pulled him to his feet. "Just some girls I met in History. They're kinda cute."

Mikey followed him through the cafeteria. A few people whispered as they walked by, and Mikey seemed to shrink in on himself as he walked. He pulled weakly at Ethan's hand.

"I think I should just go back to my old table. They probably don't want me there."

Ethan stopped next to the table full of girls. They smiled as he approached, but they collectively frowned as Mikey looked at them. Still, the girl who had offered Ethan a chair pulled out another.

"Glad you guys could join us," she said sweetly.

Ethan sat next to her with Mikey on his left. The girl next to Mikey scooted away, turning to her friends and making a disgusted face. Mikey rubbed his arms out of nerves. Ethan saw what was happening and took Mikey's hand under the table, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"This is my friend, Mikey. Do you guys know him?" Ethan asked.

The girl next to Ethan pulled him close. "I wouldn't hang out with him. You're cool, he's not," she said loud enough from Mikey to hear.

Ethan looked back at Mikey. "Why is that?" he asked.

The girl looked to her friends for support. "He's weird. He doesn't like girls, and he doesn't have friends. I would really be careful hanging out with him. You're really cool, and everyone wants to hang out with you. But if you keep hanging out with him, you'll be a social outcast."

Mikey tapped Ethan on the shoulder and leaned over to whisper in his ear. "I'm not comfortable here. They don't seem to like me. I'm going to go to the library and get some books for a project."

He left before Ethan could say anything. The girls all relaxed as soon as he left the cafeteria.

"Good riddance," one girl said. The rest sniggered.

Ethan stood up and left, not giving the girls another look. He walked out of the cafeteria, determined to find Mikey.

He found him in the back of the library, curled around his notebook. Mikey flinched as he heard someone approaching, but relaxed when he saw who it was.

"Can I sit?" Ethan asked. Mikey slimed and nodded, tucking his notebook away. Ethan set a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry I dragged you over there."

Mikey shrugged. "There's no need to apologize. Like I told you earlier, I'm not exactly popular. No one in this school really likes me."

"Why is that?" Ethan asked. "All you've told me is that no one likes you. Is there a reason why?"

Mikey bit his lip nervously. "Ethan, I really like you. And it's been so long since I've had a friend that I am hang out with and who's in my grade. I don't want to risk it by you not liking what I tell you."

Ethan wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "It'll have to be something pretty bad to push me away. I promise you, unless you've killed people, I'm not going to hate you."

Mikey smiled up at Ethan. "I'm still nervous. I-I never really got to tell anyone. Tyler just found out and told everyone. You'd be the first person I chose to tell."

Mikey took a deep breath, shaking with the pent up nerves. "Ethan, I'm-I'm gay."

Ethan shrugged. "I'm not going to hate you because you like guys, I do too. And girls. I'm pan myself."

Mikey sobbed in relief. He latched onto Ethan, his fingers burying themselves in his shoulders. Ethan wrapped his arms around the smaller teen, letting him cry on his shoulder. "You-you really don't hate me," Mikey laughed. "You don't hate me!"

Mikey squeezed him tighter. Ethan set a hand on his head, pulling Mikey's face back to look at him. "I don't hate you Mikey," Ethan said gently. "And that's no reason to hate you."