Third period lets out and I head straight to my locker. I'm hoping that Peter got my letter. I open the metal door to find a small piece of paper barely holding on to my jacket sleeve that I left hanging in my locker. I pick it up and read it. I smile at the words and look around the hall. I catch Peter's eye as he walks past me. He has this triumphant smile plastered on his face. I chuckle under my breath.
"Who you lookin' at?" I startle as Justin pops around my still-open locker door.
"No one. I was just grabbing my books for fourth period." I grab my textbook and try to hide Peter's letter behind it, but Justin spots it.
"What's that?"
"Umm... n-nothing."
"Nonsense," Justin says, his Australian accent thicker than usual. "What are you trying to hide?" He reaches for it but I quickly open the textbook to a random page, drop the letter into the book and snap it closed so fast, I almost crush Justin's still reaching fingers in the book's pages. He jerks his hand back.
"Sorry." I say.
"Fine. Don't show me." He looks put out.
"It's private."
"Yeah, everything's private with you these days," Justin mutters. "Do you have a date or something?" Suddenly his frown turns into a smirk. "Who is it?"
"Umm..." I hesitate. Do I tell him my darkest secret or lie? I hate lying to my friends.
"It is a date! I knew something was off with you toda-"
"Shhh! Not so loud!" I hiss.
"God, you don't need to have such a hissy fit." He says defensively.
"Let's just get to class." I tuck the textbook under my arm, close my locker door and start walking to fourth period.
I can't stop thinking about Peter and his note. What am I supposed to wear? Is this even a date? Ugh, this is so frustrating. I can't tell anyone about this event.... thing with Peter.
"Mr. Black." I look up from my textbook and find Mr. Samson staring back at me, "Thank you for joining us." The whole class snickers. "Would you mind answering the question?"
"I'm sorry, what was the question?" I'm sure I didn't sound sorry in the slightest.
Mr. Samson frowns at me. "Can you analyze the sentence that is on the board?"
"Analyzing... and done," I say.
"Can you please explain what you analyzed? If you did the work, this should be easy," The teacher says with a smirk.
"I didn't read the book." The smirk slowly slips off his face and I grin. "I didn't believe I had to, seeing as how I already learn all the answers to every question in class." There's an audible gasp and Mr. Samson's jaw hardens but he turns to another student to ask the same question. Mr. Samson isn't the kind of teacher you talk back to. That's why I love doing it so much - because it pisses him off. I go back to pretending to read my textbook when I'm really thinking about the thing with Peter.
As soon as the final bell rings, I am jumping out of my seat, shoving my books in my backpack and racing out the door. I am halfway to my locker when Justin catches up to me.
"Where the hell do you think you're going?"
"Umm... to my locker?" It comes out like a question.
"I need to talk to you about that little paper you were trying to hide earlier." Oh no, not this again. "When I walked up to you at your locker you were grinning from ear to ear. I can't remember the last time I saw you that happy about something so simple. Please, just tell me what it is. I want to be the judge of whether she's right for you or not." Damn, did he just assume my sexuality?
"Umm.... I was invited to go out to a diner." I say hesitantly.
"Ooh! Who with?"
"That's for me to know and for you to never find out."
"Dammit, man! Now you have to tell me!"
"Like hell I do."
***
After school, I walk in the front door of my home and head straight for my room. I fling my bag at the wall and fall face-first on my bed. What the hell happened today? Did I just get my first date with a guy? I turn my head to the side and stare at the poster of Zero Effect hanging on my wall. They're my favorite band. Every band member is around my age, seventeen, and they play gigs all over the state and are hoping to become big enough to go on tour around the world.
I need to get my homework done but I have zero desire to do anything but lie here.
"Erm... what are you doing?" I jump at the sound of Mark's voice behind me. I sit straight up and turn to face him.
"I'm lying face-first on my bed thinking that I don't want to do my homework..." I trail off. "Wait. Why are you in my room?"
"I was about to head out with Tess. We're going to the shake shack.... Wanna come?" I'm tempted to say yes just to have something to do. I mean he did offer, but I also know that it was just out of kindness because his tone implies he doesn't really want me to go.
"Nah, I think I'll be fine here. I still have to do that unwanted homework that's due tomorrow." I roll my eyes and look back up at Mark.
"Ok, cool. I guess I'll see ya later then." He walks out the door without a glance back at me.
I fall back on my bed again. I need something to do. Then I remember the last small note Peter had left me in my locker and I sit bolt upright. I walk over to my backpack and reach inside for my fourth period textbook. I flip through the pages until I find the page where I'd stuffed the note earlier and pull it out. I smile at the numbers on the page.
I reach for my phone in my back pocket and unlock it. I type Peter's number into the new message icon in the top right corner of the texting app and send a quick message:
Me: Hey, Peter!
I didn't think he would actually respond, but just seconds later his reply came.
385-625-4859: hey, sebastian! don't ask how i know it's you, i just do.
Me: Oh. U know u can call me Bash, right?
385-625-4859: well i do now
385-625-4859: what are you doing right now?
Me: Lying on my bed doing literally nothing... hbu
385-625-4859: cool! i'm sitting in my car in the parking lot of the school
Me: What?!! U still haven't left the school??
385-625-4859: what can I say? i like the campus ;)
Who is this person who actually likes school? I don't think I've met one person in my entire life who has genuinely liked school before. I quickly put Peter's name in his contact information.
Peter: so what do you think about saturday @4? like i said in my note, i can pick you up :)
Me: Sounds gr8! I'll be ready 4 u :)
I smile and put my phone down. Now I can focus on homework.
YOU ARE READING
Send Me You
RomansPeter Haystring is out to everyone. Except his parents. His siblings know, the whole school knows, hell even the old man next door knows. But Peter knows that if he tells his parents, he'll know the toe of his mother's boot. Sebastian Black is stil...
