Rhen sat in at the DMV with his mother and waited for his name to be called. Rhen always found it ridiculous that the lines at the DMV were always so long. He and his mother had gotten in line two hours before they were able to check-in. Then they had to wait in the stuffy waiting room for about forty-five minutes when the woman from the counter called out. "Five minutes, Rhen." Rhen groaned. All he wanted to do was take his driver's test and get his license.
"How much longer, Rhen?" Rhen's mother asked in Greek. When they had moved, she had tried her best to learn English, but after about six months, she gave up and had her son translate for her.
"About five minutes, mama," Rhen responded with a sigh. He leaned back on his chair and spread out his legs so he could get comfortable.
The seconds ticked by slowly until, finally, Rhen's name was called. He sprang wildly from the chair and followed the woman outside.
The woman stopped at a silver car. "Just hop right in and your instructor will tell you what to do from there." Rhen thanked the woman as she walked away. Then he lowered himself into the vehicle.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Aetos." The deep and silky voice of his instructor made Rhen freeze. He slowly turned his head from his seatbelt to the passenger side. When his eyes landed on his instructor, his heart stopped. To Rhen, he was beautiful. The boy looked to be about twenty-two years old or so, but that didn't matter to Rhen since he was almost nineteen. His emerald green eyes shone with the reflection of the sun while his curly blond hair caught the rays and glowed. Light freckles dances across his nose and his thin pink lips curved up into a warm smile. The collar of his black AC/DC tee hung low, exposing the top of his chest and collarbones, and his fitted denim joggers wrapped around his thin waist loosely. Rhen had all but forgotten how to breathe.
"I... um-" Rhen cleared his throat awkwardly and scratched the back of his neck, looking away from the older boy. "Afternoon." What are you doing, you little skatá!? Rhen scolded internally as he dropped one had to his lap in an attempt to cover himself. Get your emotions in check!
Rhen's awkwardness seemed to amuse his instructor because he let out a light chuckle. The sound of his joy sent shivers down Rhen's spine. How was he supposed to get through this test, much less pass if this myth of a man was his instructor? Could he ask for a different person? Or would that be another forty-five minutes? Rhen held back a sigh and focused on the task at hand. It was too late to turn back now.
"Let's get started, yeah?" Rhen nodded as a response to the question. "My name is Elijah Hemmings, but you can call me Eli if you'd like." Rhen glanced over at Eli and caught the subtle wink that Eli had sent him. Rhen's ears and face grew hot.
Rhen snapped his gaze back in front and swallowed harshly. "Sure," he said, biting the inside of his cheeks. "So, um... Eli, what do you want me to do first?" As soon as the words left his lips, Rhen internally flinched. Why did that sound so... wrong?
"Why don't we drive around for a bit then I'll have you do some other maneuvers." There was an amused taint to Eli's voice that Rhen did not miss. It made his mind go fuzzy. "Don't worry, Rhen, I'll tell you what to do." Rhen gripped the steering wheel with a death grip and nodded. Throughout the whole test, Rhen forced himself to concentrate on driving instead of Eli's obvious hints. He needed to keep his emotions under control before he got hurt. Again. He had tried to set his mind straight, but Eli's beautiful voice snapped him back every time, putting a trance over the black-haired boy.
Rhen almost didn't realize he had finished the test until Eli clicked his pen closed. "Amazing job, Rhen!" he exclaimed with a mischievous grin. "You passed with flying colors. A rainbow of them."
Rhen's breath caught in his throat and his eyes widened. He was definitely uncomfortable now. "I-I..." Rhen swallowed back his barrier and let his emotions take control. "I'm sorry, but you're really beautiful. And thank's for passing me."
This time it was Eli's turn to blush, though he accompanied it with a smile. "Of course, babe. And you're beautiful too." Eli looked down at the clipboard in his lap before speaking again. You know, I feel like I should celebrate with you, but..." He sighed. "I'm not allowed to give out my phone number to my testers." He glanced at Rhen with a suggestive look.
Rhen got the hint and scrambled to grab the pen from Eli and write down his number on Eli's arm. "I'd love to celebrate with you." He pulled Eli's hand up and planted a small kiss on his palm. "See you later." Rhen sent him a wink just like Eli had done to him earlier and stepped out of the car.
For the first time in a long time, Rhen felt free. No acts, no lies, no hiding, and he loved it. Maybe I'll do this one thing for myself. And then I'll be truly happy.
