Dragon's Hoard : One Shots

Hold the Phone [Teen LGBT+ boyxboy]

It's halfway through lunch on my first day at my new high school. Rather than go to the car and suffer through that awkward first day moment—you know, the one where you stand with your lunch tray and look around at a room full of strangers in search of someone to sit with—I've decided to eat my lunch at my locker. I would have gone outside, but it's pretty cold for the first week of May. I also considered sneaking my lunch into the library, but then everyone started sitting on the floor in the halls, and that was that. Problem solved.

I take out my sandwich—which I packed so I could avoid that awkward cafeteria moment I just mentioned—and sit down on the cold marble floor. I'm wearing jeans, and I pull the hem of my hoodie down for extra warmth so I can get comfortable. Then I put in my earbuds, pick my favorite playlist, and relax against my locker.

I'm just starting to tap my foot when a pair of white sneakers, half-hidden by dark blue jeans, stop in front of me. Obviously, someone's wearing them, but that's all I can see from my vantage point.

I look up and spot a boy my age. He looks kind of cute, or he would have if he wasn't frowning at me for like no reason. He's tall and skinny, with short black hair and glasses that make him look kind of nerdy, but in a hot way. He has one hand extended, like maybe he's going to help me up, and he says something that's muffled by my loud music.

"Sorry, I can't..." I take out my earbuds, realize I'm almost shouting, and quickly lowered my voice. "...hear anything. What did you say?"

"I'm going to have to confiscate your phone." The boy raises an eyebrow and waits like he thinks it'll actually happen.

Confiscate my phone? Yeah right! I'm going to let some random boy bully me and steal my phone on my first day. He looks all tough, glaring down at me with his arm still extended, and I quickly scrambled to my feet. I don't like him towering over me... at least not by quite so much, I amended, when I realize he's still much taller than I am.

My heart races like mad. I've never been bullied before, and I'm totally freaking out on the inside, but I can't let him know that. It's just one of those obvious things, like avoiding a caf full of strangers on the first day of school. Unless I want this next two years to be hell, I have to stand up for myself now.

"No," I say the word firmly, glaring right back at the boy. I would say more, but I'm worried my voice might crack or worse, that I won't be able to get the words out.

"No?" He looks surprised. Maybe no one has ever had the guts to stand up to him before.

"No," I repeat more firmly, his reaction making me brave. As long as I don't give him my phone, there's nothing he can do. Except hit me, but we're in the middle of the school hallway. He wouldn't dare, not in front of so many witnesses. At least, that's what I hope.

"If you don't give me your phone, I'll write you up for detention."

"You'll what?" I ask, trying not to laugh. What kind of fool does he take me for?

"I don't want to, but I will."

"Write me up for detention?" I start to smile. "You think I'm stupid?" Does this kid really think he can convince me he's a teacher? Even if he is much taller, he still looks around my age or at most a year older. He could be one of those boy geniuses who finished college at fifteen, but then why is he wearing jeans, sneakers, and a hoodie? And why is he teaching high school instead of working somewhere like Nasa?

"Yes? I mean, no?" He looks around nervously and I notice that some of the kids who were hanging out in the hallway are watching us and snickering. None of them have their phones out, so I figure this isn't the first time something like this has happened. "Look, I don't want to do this, okay? Just give me your phone. You can get it back from the office after school."

"Yeah, right." I roll my eyes.

"I'll do it." He threatens. "I don't want to, but I will."

"You said that already." I cross my arms and raise an eyebrow, feeling tougher by the second. "Plus I don't believe you."

"I'm warning you." He waits several seconds and then takes out a pad of paper and a pen from the pocket of his hoodie.

I take in the words 'detention slip' written at the top and then the curious glances people are shooting us. Are they all waiting to see how this prank plays out or is this guy actually a teacher? What if he does look young for his age? Maybe he teaches gym or something and that's why he's wearing a hoodie?

"You're a teacher?" I ask, just to be sure. Not that I'd just hand over my phone if he says yes, but still.

"What? No." He looks shocked and a few kids sitting nearby giggle. "I'm a hall monitor."

"You are?" I frown. My old school didn't have hall monitors but I know what they are, just like I know to avoid the caf and stand up to bullies. "I thought they only had hall monitors in elementary school."

A few of the kids watching us snicker and the boy's cheeks start to turn a bit pink. "Oh, um..." His eyes narrow slightly. "Are you new or something?"

"Yeah, my family and I just moved here." I tell him. "I'm Taylor."

"I'm—"

"Justin!" A guy runs up to him and slaps him on the shoulder, hard. This new boy is taller than me but still pretty short compared to Justin.

"Hey, man." Justin returns the shoulder slap greeting and I wince inwardly. "Taylor, meet Mike. He's hall monitor for the second half of lunch."

"Hi," I say cautiously. Call me paranoid, but there's still a chance that this is all part of some elaborate prank. The whole Hall Monitor thing seems legit, but I'm not giving anyone my phone. It has my music, my Snapchat, and the numbers of all my friends back home. I'm not just going to part with it unless I'm a hundred percent sure I'll get it back.

"Hey, Taylor," Mike, who seems friendly enough, raises a hand in greeting. I quickly return the gesture, before he reconsiders and goes for my shoulder.

"Taylor's new." Justin adds. "I just finished explaining the no-phone rule." Justin gives me a pointed look and I quickly stuff my phone into my backpack. I look back up in time to see Justin hand over the pad of detention slips to Mike.

"See you later." Mike waves and heads off down the hall.

I glanced around and notice that no one else has their phones out. I'm not even sure how I missed it, except I guess I never thought to look. Back home, everyone was always texting or posting selfies at lunch, but here kids are just sitting, talking and eating lunch. Weird.

"Thanks," I tell Justin. This time it's my turn to blush.

"No worries." Justin gives me a crooked smile. We maintain eye contact for a split second longer, and he blushes a bit too. "Wanna hang out in the caf for a bit? I need to buy lunch, and then I can introduce you to some people?"

"The caf? Sure." I smile, forgetting all about my uneaten sandwich as I follow Justin down the hall. 

◈ What did you think of my first attempt to write an LGBT+ story?

◉ Where you live, can kids use phones at school? What about at lunch? 

◈ Do you agree with Taylor's Rules? (a) don't eat in the caf alone on your first day; (b) stand up to bullies; and (c) hall monitors are for elementary schools 

◉ Do you think Justin is into Taylor?