The Graduation Complication | Tyrus

First

Cyrus's POV

The late spring air sweeps in through my window, filling the space with the buttery scent of pollen and blossoming flowers. It's cool out, but TJ and I create our own heat, kissing atop my bed, sweetening the butter into butterscotch with our tongues. It's the one hobby that never gets boring. I always look forward to tasting his coconut chapstick and feeling his hands dancing along my spine. Since eighth grade, this has been our sport, and frankly, the only sport I'm good at. 

When our lips separate, his eyes linger on mine, following a string that connects them together. As a grin grows on my face, I can see the terror in TJ's expression building by the second until he's staring hard at me, shaking his head. 

"Don't say it."

My grin only gets bigger. 

"Cyrus..."

His eyes plead for me to rethink my decision, but I'm stubborn.

I let out a laugh as I drawl the word, "Niceberg."

TJ falls back on the mattress, unleashing an exasperated groan. "That was one time!"

I bend over beside him, smiling. "And it was an adorable one time."

He quickly forgets about being mad as I return my lips to his, and he pulls my waist down to him, prolonging the parting, but unfortunately I can't stay. I push myself away and stand up on the floor next to my boyfriend who remains lying on the bed, his head tilted in my direction.

"You can stay, but I have to study," I tell him. 

"You can study me."

"Unfortunately, you won't get me an A in political science."

He frowns, and I spin around to go to my desk to begin setting up my school books. While I'm taking out a pencil, TJ asks another question.

"Is that last year's yearbook?"

I look back, seeing his head hanging upside down off the bed, and his focus fixated on the book sitting out of place on my bookshelf. 

"Yeah," I say, going over to pick it up.

He rolls back onto his bottom as I sit down on my bed again beside him. When I peel the cover up, the pages naturally fall open to the page spread with both TJ's photo and mine. 

"I was looking at this," I say, pointing to where his name is printed. "Even the yearbook calls you TJ Kippen. You've managed to get through all of school without anyone knowing your full name."

"Yeah, it was a good run. Too bad that's gonna end soon."

"What are you talking about?"

"My sister told me how our principal refuses to use nicknames at the graduation ceremony," TJ explains. "At hers, he exposed the kid who went by 'Q' his whole twelve years. So when I walk the stage, everyone will find out that I am Thelonius Jagger Kippen, and it will no longer be a Kippen secret. I guess it had to come out someday, I just wasn't ready for that day to be Saturday."

I admit a large part of my motivation behind my next sentence is my desire to remain among the few people who know TJ's real name, but that doesn't counteract my genuine caring for the boy who's wanted to see how long he can keep his name hidden. 

"It's not going to be Saturday," I state. "Your name will not be spoken. We will make sure of it."

TJ smiles at my determination but doesn't look nearly as confident as me. 

"And how will we do that?"

_______________________________________

TJ's POV

Cyrus and I sit across from Buffy, Jonah, and Andi at a table in The Spoon. I listen as Cyrus puts forth his request to our friends, and right away, Jonah doesn't understand the severity of the situation.

"This is stupid," Jonah states. 

The girls, although equally as confused, are slightly more willing to go along with it. 

"So you want us to help you guys come up with some big plan to make sure TJ's name doesn't get said over the microphone at the graduation ceremony?" Buffy summarizes. 

"Precisely," Cyrus confirms. 

"TJ's name can't be that bad," Jonah says. 

"It's not. It's adorable, and I love it with my entire being," Cyrus responds, "but TJ thinks otherwise."

I nod, supporting that point. 

"What even is your name?" Andi wonders. 

"That's a Kippen secret," I say. 

"Wait, but if only Kippens know it, then how come Cyrus knows it?" Jonah asks. "He's not a Kippen."

Both girls just look at him with faces that say 'seriously?' 

"He might as well be," Buffy says. She looks to Cyrus and me again, asking, "So do you guys have any thoughts on how to do this?"

"Not yet," Cyrus answers. "That's why we wanted your help."

"I don't want to spend the whole first half of the ceremony sitting with Cyrus and waiting for my lifelong secret to be announced."

"You know you won't be sitting with Cyrus, right?" Jonah points out. "Seating is alphabetical by last name."

I immediately flick my eyes to Cyrus who looks right back at me. He won't be sitting next to me? That doesn't seem right. 

"I don't like that," I say.

"I have an idea," Cyrus responds.

I put my arm around him, squeezing him into a side hug as I say, "That's my muffin."