Lemon Boy and Me - Tyrus Fanfic

Chapter 8: Good Talks

Cyrus' Monday had gone significantly better than TJ's. School was the same as usual, and he went straight to the kitchen to do his homework.

"How was school, Cy?" his mother asked.

Cyrus opened his binder and looked up at his mom. "Fine."

"Talk to any cute boys?" 

Cyrus' face paled. "What?"

"I said, did you talk to any cute boys?" she sipped her herbal tea and sat at the seat across from him.

"Why, um," Cyrus shifted in his chair. "Why would you ask that?"

"Because of this." she removed a crumpled paper from her apron's front pocket and smoothed it out on the table.

Cyrus suddenly found it hard to breathe, and his palms became sweaty. It was his journal entry from Sunday, before he left to go to the Spoon. The one where he talked about his crush on TJ.

"I found it on your bedroom floor when I came in to see if you had cleaned it like I asked you to on Sunday morning. I read it to see if it was important or if I could just throw it away." she told her son. "It's important."

"Mom, I can explain-"

She cut him off. "No need to. Cyrus, I'm okay with this. In fact, I'm so happy that you know who you are. I just want to know why you never told me you were gay. Or, whatever you are. I guess I shouldn't assume you aren't bi. Regardless, you know you can tell me anything." 

Cyrus let out a shaky but relieved breath. "Gay. And I know I can, mom. I just didn't tell you because I didn't feel like it was the right time. I'm not ashamed or anything. And I'm happy you know now."

"I'm glad you aren't ashamed, because you shouldn't be." his mom smiled warmly. "And, by the way, your room still isn't cleaned."

Cyrus laughed and rolled his eyes good-naturedly. He gathered his backpack and binder, and the wrinkled paper in one arm, and hugged his mom with the other. While making his way upstairs, he may or may not have wiped a tear that had escaped.

________________

After the conversation at the swings with Mary, TJ went home and retired to his room for the day. He'd felt better in the moment, because she'd made him laugh, but it wasn't permanent relief. It didn't change what had happened. He smacked himself on the side of the head for being so dumb, for letting Rodrick take his phone, for not getting it back soon enough. Everything that had happened was his fault. He needed to quit the team. He needed to move as far away from Jefferson as possible. Word of what Rodrick found would be out in no time, and TJ's life would be over.

He rolled onto his side, staring at his alarm clock that read, "12:30". He'd been laying in bed for hours and couldn't sleep by any means. How he'd be able to face the next day was lost to him.

The moment TJ stepped through the doors of the school, all of his awful thoughts and worries about the day came true. Kids in every grade whispered and stared as he made his way to his locker. He avoided all eye contact, which was strange and foreign to him, because he was usually very social and not shy in any way. The state of his locker was no surprise. Various phrases and words were scribbled on it with marker and pen, and some were etched into the metal with compasses from math kits. Phrases and words he could never repeat. Phrases and words students would be suspended for saying out loud.

He turned and left, not bothering to open his locker and put his books in it. He kept his backpack under his desk during class and his head down the whole day. Fatigue got the best of him, and he didn't want to look anybody in the eye. Basketball practice was on that day, and TJ couldn't care less. As he exited the school, his coach jogged up to him.