The Name Game ➸ Tyrus (COMPLETE)

3

TJ'S POV

At 3:07 PM, I sauntered up to Cyrus' locker--Locker 124. I already knew which one was his, as I had seen him standing by it or getting books out of it countless times.

. . .What? It's not weird! I'm just a very observant person. Maybe a little more so when it comes to Cyrus Goodman. . .

Cyrus was putting his books away, unable to see me approach him from behind. "Hey, Cyrus!" I exclaim, expecting him to scream and possibly punch me. Instead, Cyrus spins around and smiles, and I'm instantly met with his nose practically touching mine. He pulls his face back out of instinct, and maybe fear, but I don't pull away. I look into his eyes and return his smile, no words being exchanged as we become the only two still standing in the hallway.

"Ahem," I hear. Cyrus and I both turn towards the source of the voice and I see Buffy, scowling at me. "Are you ready to go, Cyrus?" Cyrus nods silently and then gestures to me. "We discussed this, Buffy. TJ is coming, too." I look down at Cyrus and smile, surprised at how assertive he was being. Buffy rolled her eyes and squinted at me. "Cyrus, I don't know why you insist on bringing him to our group hangout. And you-" she started, pointing to me. I gave her a bored look in response. "I don't know what angle you're working, but using Cyrus to get whatever you want-" "Buffy," Cyrus cut her off. "I invited him, and he was hesitant to agree. But I think that this will be good for you, and him. It's about time we stopped this petty war, and TJ agrees."

I nodded and made a little "mhm" sound, which only made Buffy glare at me harder. "Whatever," she started in. "You can come, but if I come to find out that you're just using Cyrus for your own personal gain, I will end you. Are we clear?"

I walked up to her and got real close to her face so that our eyes were level with each other's. "Crystal."

After the whole group had met up outside the school, we were on our way to The Spoon. I was walking next to Cyrus, Buffy was next to Marty, and Smiley Guy was next to Andi. Nobody seemed to question what I was doing there, although I'm sure I would become a topic of interest in their little group chat later on. Marty Lake gave a small smile and a wave when he saw me approach with Cyrus and Buffy. He was on the basketball team with me and came out as trans just a couple of years ago. He was just a really cool guy.

The Spoon was one of my favorite hangouts to go to with my teammates, especially since my sister, Amber, works there and always hooks me up with free food. As the group of us walked inside, I could already see my sister's blonde ponytail swinging around as she rushed from table to table to jot down orders. Andi led the group to a big table near the washroom, and we all sat down to order. Amber immediately sped over to our table and gave me a knowing look, darting her eyes from mine to where Cyrus was sitting next to me.

Amber knew that I had been in love with Cyrus since I met him. . .when we were seven years old. I know Cyrus doesn't remember, but I had met him a long time ago at a bakery here in Shadyside. We were both only kids, and my sister and I had went to the bakery with our mother for a treat to celebrate my Tee-Ball Team's win from that morning. I saw Cyrus sitting at one of the tables while his mom ordered something called "challah", which is a type of Jewish bread. I was instantly drawn to him, watching him color in a picture of a rainbow as he waited for his mom to finish ordering. I broke free from my mom's grasp, walking over to him and saying, "Hi, I'm TJ. I like your picture. The colors are pretty. What's your name?" Cyrus smiled at me and replied, "I'm Cyrus. . .I like your name, TJ. Does it stand for something?" I opened my mouth to answer, but a sly smile spread across my face instead. "Oh, um, I don't want to tell you because it's a surprise! I don't tell anybody my full name!" This clearly took Cyrus aback, and he responded, "Do you think you'll ever tell anybody?" I thought about it for a moment, slowly nodding my head in response. "Yeah, I think I'll tell the boy that I marry. Cuz he can't marry me if he doesn't even know my name!" This made Cyrus laugh, and I grinned. He shot me a devilish grin back. "You're funny, TJ. Maybe I'll be your husband someday, and then you'll have to tell me your full name!" I laughed alongside him at the time, but he had no idea how much I thought about it since that day.

Since meeting Cyrus, and knowing that there was only one elementary, middle school, and high school in Shadyside, I always tried to find a way into his life. He was part of an exclusive group of friends in elementary school that he still kept to this day: Buffy and Andi. In middle school, the three started to branch out and make new friends to add to their group: Marty and Smiley Guy. I had no idea how to present myself to Cyrus after so many years. Then I got my first job at Jackson Street Gym and started getting into Motocross. I was busy with my teammates and the children at work, while Cyrus drifted more towards the Science Bowl team and Theatre. I'd be lying if I said I didn't go to every theatre performance the school put on, though. I also had a bit of beef with Buffy sophomore year of high school regarding basketball, but he never actually got involved. This year, junior year, I had actually managed to get three classes with Cyrus, and I sat by him in every single one. I don't think he really noticed me until now, though. How do you tell someone you've been in love with them for 10 years? And how do you do it when that "someone" is another boy?

I gave my sister a small nod of acknowledgement, as if to wordlessly say "Yeah, this is the guy I'm in love with. He's sitting by me! We are literally sharing oxygen right now. Also, I love him." Amber smiled at the group and scanned each of us over. Her eyes stopped on Andi, and I watched her gaze travel down her face. Andi smiled widely at Amber, which had my sister turning crimson red. I stifled a laugh and gave her a look. My sister was such a lesbian; I think that her bravery and pride really helped me come to terms with my own sexuality. After we had all ordered food and milkshakes, Buffy started talking about some teacher who was giving her a hard time in class. I watched Marty put his arm around her shoulder and pull her close to comfort her. I was envious of them--knowing they got to do that in public without fear of backlash. I sighed and looked at Cyrus' seat, as he had left to go get something from the front counter. He came back with a huge chocolate muffin and a plastic knife, cutting the treat in half and handing me one side. "What's this?" I asked him, watching intently as he grinned. He replied softly, "You said you wanted to share a treat here. I love double chocolate-chip muffins, and I think you'll love them, too."

I love something, alright.

I took a bite of the muffin and almost immediately spit it back out; it was REALLY sweet. Cyrus watched as my face contorted and giggled, snatching the rest of my half away and popping it in his mouth. "More for me," he said happily, already done with my half and working on his own. I rolled my eyes and ruffled his hair. It was really, really soft. "Okay, whatever you say, muffin," I shot playfully back. Cyrus' eyes went wide when I used the nickname, and I swear he was starting to blush.