I came out. I actually came out.
Elijah looked down, beginning to heat up as Dustin remained quiet. He tilted his head before giggling to himself. "What's so funny?" he asked.
"I always knew you were a bit fruity but now it all makes sense. I'm so happy for you," he exclaimed, hugging him over the table.
"Same to you."
"I'm guessing you got the feels for Matthew right?" he asked, leaning back. Elijah's face blushed from awkwardness, smiling from embarrassment. "Is it that obvious?" he smiled awkwardly.
"It is, but no one will think about it since everyone thinks you're straight. I could see you two together, especially after that photo Inga posted on GOSSIP. Wouldn't be surprised if he had the same feelings for you," he answered.
"HUH?"
"Yeah. At least, I think so. If you're afraid of showing him your true self, then don't. Matthew is one of the most understanding people we've met and I'm sure you two could still be friends after you come out to him. Maybe you could even shoot your shot with him," he replied.
"What if that ruins our friendship? What if he can look at me the same way?" What if he leaves me? AHHHH!" he cried. Dustin looked confused at him, before rolling his eyes.
"That will never happen. Even if he doesn't like you in that way, you two will still be friends," he replied.
"It's better than nothing. Now that I think about it, I don't think he would be able to like me. I'm awkward, boring and I'm not attractive. My body is frail and skinny and it looks like I haven't slept for days."
"Sure, there could be some improvements but that doesn't matter, Plus, if you wanted to, you could always just work out," he said.
"He did offer to help me work out; I still need to ask my mom though."
"See. He is trying to get more time with you. Look, as soon as you can, try to get closer to him, and then you can finally get with him," Dustin suggested.
"I don't know about that, but I will accept his offer."
School went on as normal and at the end of the day, the students of Cape Academy received their annual report, which informs them of their work through the semesters. Of course, Elijah got what he expected, a bunch of A's and B's. Same with Matthew and Dustin. "I really think I could've done better. Next semester, I will strive better," Matthew said.
"I think you did well. Don't beat yourself up," said Elijah, "come on, we need to go home."
Matthew smiled at him before they two headed home, chatting and enjoying the company. Once they arrived, instead of heading home, Elijah asked him to wait outside. "Before you leave, I need to give you something, just wait here."
"Okay," he answered, waiting patiently.
Elijah walked in, to his mother where he took something out of the refrigerator and walked up to his mother. "Hey mother, good to see you home so early."
"I'm preparing for our trip to Mauritius, you should too," she explained.
"I will do that soon but I need to speak to you about some things. Matthew asked me to join him in working out and I—"
"If you want to then I will gladly pay for it. Is he here?" she asked.
"He is but he has to get home so I'm just going to give him these cookies to him, thanks. Also here is my report," he replied, running outside. Matthew sat on the porch before Elijah returned with a bag of chocolate chip cookies.
"Here. A gift for you."
"Thanks. I will be sure to treasure it and eat it as soon as I can. If I knew you were going to give me this, then I would've gotten you something too," he replied, looking down.
"Don't even think about it. You have done so much for me like in New York. These won't cut it but it's all I could think of," he explained.
"Thanks, but it was just my treat. You didn't have to do anything."
"It's my treat."
After going home, he went back inside as his mother packed some bags and was on the phone with Ally's parents. Elijah walked into his room and began packing his bags for the trip. It was going to be a week there as Monique needed to continue her work. While choosing certain clothes to wear, Dustin popped into his head, especially the conversation they had this morning. He looked out of the window, sighing.
Would he accept me for who I am?
He shook his head, trying to think of anything else but Matthew. To help this, Ally called. "Hello bestie, you ready?" she asked, sounding rather excited.
"I'm packing my clothes in. Can't wait to see you, this is going to be so much fun."
"We're going to a five-star hotel and when I read the pamphlet, I almost jumped off a building. There are so many fun activities like tennis, and swimming in the blue waters and I can't forget the meals that are served by the top chefs. Why can't this week be over with already?" she said, followed by a groan.
"How was your report?" he asked.
"It's okay. I got what I usually got but I could've done better. I will do better," she replied, determined.
"That's great to hear. I'm just glad I managed to get what I got. The topics this year were much more than secondary school. I'm kinda nervous for my future at this high school," he mentioned.
"I believe in you, you aren't someone to fall behind, especially with all your good friends, including me. Also, the drama this year was a lot. I knew high school was wild but this wild?"
"I would be lying if I said that I hated the drama, but I don't like that it happening to my friend. Plus, I already have a lot on my plate, drama is not needed at the moment. No, thank you."
"What's wrong?" she asked, concerned.
"You know, just figuring some things out. Personal things," he clarified.
"oh, okay. If you need anyone to speak to, I'm your guy, or girl. Whatever. Talk to me," she suggested, hitting her chest, "ouch. Why did I do that?"
"Thanks."
"I have to do a few things; I will see you tomorrow at the airport."
"Bye Ally, see you tomorrow," he greeted, hanging up.
He needed that, a call from a close friend. He took in a deep breath and continued to pack his bags. Later that day, after finishing his task, he cleaned his room before falling on his bed. He closed his eyes and fell asleep.
"I like you, a lot."
"I like you too, but we can't be together."
Summertime is finally here, a long, much-needed break. Excited, Elijah and his mother packed the car, leaving Luke behind. "Are you excited because I am?" she cheered.
"I like traveling, plus Ally told me about the hotel we're staying at. Can't wait," he answered.
"I think you would really enjoy it. I was hoping to catch up with Ally's parents. By the way, how is it going with your book? I feel like you hardly talk about it," she asked.
"I had a lot on my plate with school and the drama club so I decided to pause it and focus on school. I was hoping to continue it this holiday since we're only here for a week," he explained.
"I'm glad that you made that decision. Don't overwork or stress yourself, okay?"
"I know, I know. I just felt like I could've done more with my time but that didn't work out. Once the next semester starts, I was hoping on working out with Matthew. I could use it," he replied.
"I think you're fine just the way you are, but if you think so, I'll support you. I still need all the details but I'm glad he is having such a good influence on you. I remember when school began, you were nervous but you tried to put yourself out there. I'm so proud of how far you've come."
Elijah smiled, knowing his mother trusted and supported him.
After the long but enjoyable drive to the airport, Elijah and Monique were greeted by Ally and her parents. "I guess we did come a little too early. That's alright, do you want to get some lunch before we go?" Monique asked. Everyone agreed and they ate at a nearby restaurant, waiting for their flight. Once they did all the necessary security protocols, they boarded the plane and made their way to Mauritius. The beautiful blue waters caught their eyes, as well as the hotel they were staying in. "This place looks so beautiful. Isn't this expensive?" Ally asked.
"I was able to pull a few strings, let's check in and head to our room," Monique answered.
They took the elevator to their room and were gob-smacked when they saw that their room had a view over the entire area. The ocean, the bars, the tennis court, the golfing area, and the entrance. "Whoa!" they squealed, excited. Without any thought, Elijah and Ally got dressed in their summer clothes, about to head to the beach before getting stopped by their parents. "Ally, don't be so hasty. Unpack everything and then we can head down to the beach," Elaine said, looking at all of her bags.
"Why did you bring so many things?" Elijah asked.
"What do you mean? We're staying here for a week. Plus, I was looking forward to having a photo shoot," she explained.
"Elijah you too. You aren't a baby anymore," said Monique.
With no time to waste, Elijah and Ally packed their clothes away as fast as humanly possible before heading down to the beach. "It's even better in person. WOW!" she shouted.
"Come on, let's go for a swim," he suggested.
"I need to take a photo of this," she said, pulling out her phone. Elijah splashed her with water before she retaliated by pushing him over as the two laughed. This was followed by Elijah trying to pose and swim deeper. "The last one to make it there and back is a loser."
"Oh, you're on," Elijah said. They got into their position before pushing off, swimming as fast as they could. They were neck and neck but Ally decided to play dirty and pulled Elijah back before swimming on, but it didn't go untouched. As Ally swam back, with victory in her mind, she noticed that Elijah was just floating, face down. Concerned, she swam faster toward him. "Elijah. ELIJAH! You better be joking; did I kill him?" she thought as she shook him around. She turned him around, pulling him to the shore. "Please be okay?" she cried.
"BOO!"
"WHAA!" she jumped.
"You didn't actually think I drowned, did you?" he snickered.
"Don't ever do that again!" she smacked him, pushing him into the sand, "I thought you were dead."
"Oh, you won't get rid of me that easy."
Once the sunset, Elijah and Ally made it back to the hotel where they got ready for dinner at the hotel's restaurant which was managed by some of the top chefs from all over the world. "This seems so fancy, I still can't believe we came here," Ally said, amazed at the huge chandelier.
"I'm more excited about the food. It smells great in here," Elijah replied.
"Let's go find a table," Jacob said.
After settling by a table, the group ordered their food before Elijah was asked some weird questions by Jacob, Ally's father. "So, Elijah, you seem to have grown into a good young man, surely you have a girlfriend," he asked.
Caught off guard, Elijah stuttered trying to answer. "I-I don't have one, y-yet."
"Elijah, you don't have to answer, my father is just a bit nosey," said Ally.
"I'm sure he doesn't mind."
Before he could say anything, a man in a dark suit and a rough beard walked up to them, summoning Monique. Elijah and Ally could feel the air get awkward. "Monique, if I could get a word with you?" he asked, looking at Monique, intensively. Without a word, she got up and walked with him. "Who was that?" asked Ally.
"That is the owner of this resort, a friend of ours," Elaine said, in a different tone.
"That explains why we were able to get in here. I wonder what they're speaking about."
The food arrived, and Monique still wasn't back from her discussion. Soon, she came back and the eye contact between the adults was weird, to say the least. "What did he ask you?" Elijah asked, trying to break the awkward silence.
"He asked me if we were enjoying our time here and if we needed anything else." Such a bad lie!
"For a whole fifteen minutes," he asked.
"Yes," she answered, looking pissed, indicating him to shut up. The dinner was silent but tasty nonetheless. Everyone greeted before heading to their rooms. "Are you okay?" he asked Monique as she sighed.
"I'm sorry for my mood. My mind is just not in the right place," she answered, sitting down on the couch.
"You can tell me what's wrong. I'm your son and I don't want to see you worried."
"It's fine, just a minor issue. I'm going to head to bed, don't stay up too late," she said, before walking to her room. Once again, she deflected the question. Elijah confided in Ally over the phone, talking about his mother. What was it that she was hiding? Does it involve me?
As the week went on, Monique acted as if nothing ever happened. Elijah and Ally speculated for many days, wondering what happened. Who was that man, they wondered, trying to put all the pieces of the puzzle together? With no lead, it was almost impossible. "So much for a peaceful holiday. Sucks that we're leaving tomorrow."
"I don't know why she doesn't tell me. She never hides things from me," Elijah complained.
"She probably has her reasons. Maybe she doesn't want to worry you with her problems," she suggested.
"Well, it is worrying me."
It was quiet but only for a bit. Now was the time. "Umm Elijah, I need to tell you something and before you say anything, hear me out," she said, in a different tone. Elijah became alert as he turned towards her, ears open. "Okay, what do you want to tell me?" he asked.
She took a deep breath in and out. "I have known you for the longest time and I have never met a person as kind and funny as you. These past few years, I never really understood what you meant to me but now I do. Elijah, I like you a lot—do you like me too?"
Elijah was stunned as Ally finally confessed his feeling toward her. It must've taken so much courage for her to have admitted it but Elijah soon felt very guilty. He remained quiet and the air around them became awkward. "Ally, I—"
"No, it's fine. I can't expect you to feel the same," she interrupted, standing up and began walking away.
"Ally wait!" he shouted but she continued walking, "Shit."
The sunset and Elijah made his way back to his room where his mother was busy cleaning and packing up. "Elijah, can you please go pack up and—wait, what's wrong?" she asked.
"Ally, she told me that she liked me but I couldn't say it back now I think she hates me," he said, falling hopelessly on the couch.
"But honey, it's not your fault. You can't control your feelings."
"I know but I can't help but feel guilty. I can't imagine how she's feeling now. Is our friendship over?" he panicked.
"Ally is reasonable... at times. She just needs time to herself to figure out her feelings and then it will be all good," said Monique.
"You sure?"
"Of course, you two are inseparable. Something like this won't break up such a strong friendship," she replied, rubbing his hair.
After sleeping the night through, they made their way back to Cape Coast on a rather salty note. Ally began avoiding Elijah, leaving the parents confused. Elijah's mind was filled with many different things, his mother, Ally. It was all too much for him. When he entered his house, he locked his room and had a whole mental breakdown. This was the first time Elijah cried his feelings out and once he was done, he feels relieved even though he still had the whole summer holiday. He washed his face before sitting by the dinner table with his laptop and phone. He wanted to check up on her, but it was no use. Left on gray tick, Elijah sighed before opening his laptop. In the corner of his screen was the document of his book Midnight. With everything that happened, he needed something to take his mind off of his problems. He opened the document and began typing. After making a lot more progress, Elijah made lunch and ate it on the porch. "I see you're back, how was Mauritius?" asked Matthew, popping out of nowhere.
"Oh, hey Matthew," he greeted, looking hopeless.
"What's wrong? You looked so excited before you went."
"A lot of things happened that I'd rather not talk about," he replied.
"Fair. Do you want to go on a ride?" he offered, "I'm sure it'll make you feel much better." Elijah accepted and the two went on a ride through Cape Coast, calming him down before taking him back home. "How do you feel?"
"Much better. Thanks, I guess I needed that. Sorry if I came off so rude. This week has been so stressful," he thanked Matthew.
"Anytime. I'm going to head home before my parents worry, call me if you want to vent or just talk," he said before riding off as Elijah waved.
He walked back in and sat on the couch. "You know there are ways to fight the stress, instead of just keeping it in," said the Angel popping in.
"Oh please, keep it in. You don't want to worry others do you?" said the Devil, dancing on his right shoulder. "Maybe you're right, instead of keeping it all in, I could talk to others."
"That's the spirit. You should start by coming out to your mother." Stunned. Speechless. Elijah never really thought about that. On the one side, Elijah felt like he could trust his mother with his secret and that she would accept him, but on the other hand. She could disown him, just like his father. As he began thinking, his mother walked in from buying groceries. Elijah swallowed before walking up to his mother who was about to pack away the groceries. "Mom, can we talk?"
"Okay."
They sat down on the couch. The atmosphere became serious as Elijah started getting nervous. "I didn't really know how to say this but do you remember at the beginning of the first semester, when I was struggling with my complexion and acne? You told me that I was going to discover myself through high school and I was disgusted by my bodily changes," he laughed, anxious before Monique held his hand. His eyes filled with tears before continuing to speak.
"I guess you were right because I found out that I am not straight. I think I might be gay and it has been such a pain to get through the year when my feelings were all over the place. Not to mention how hard it was to keep hiding his secret. I was afraid that you and the others would not accept that fact," he cried, wiping his face. He turned to his mother and she held his hand tight before embracing him. The tears rolled down his face even faster and the burden of the secrets was lifted and in return, received the warmth of his mother's acceptance.
"You are perfectly fine, just the way you are. There is no reason to hide, especially from your mother. Of course, I accept you," she giggled, smiling at him, "I actually have something to tell you, and don't be mad." He wiped his tears before listening to his mother's words, and what came out of her mouth was shocking.
"I kinda, sort of already knew. You left your laptop open in your browser and I took a little peak. Please don't be mad."
"I'm not. I'm just happy that I can finally have peace," he sighed.
"And in Pride Month too." They laughed and continued to talk about Elijah's coming out.
"I'm guessing you have a crush on Matthew."
"I do, but I don't think he likes me back. I'll rather keep him as a friend and not ruin it as I did with Ally," he said.
"Hey, you never know unless you try."
The holiday continued with Elijah feeling better than before. His mother was there to support him and while Ally still avoided him, he still held hope that soon they would be on speaking terms again. Throughout the holiday, Elijah got a few things done, like trimming his hair and finishing a lot on his book. With his first draft finished, Elijah needed to edit but the feeling of completion was just another perk to it. With the help of his mother, Elijah commissioned a book cover as well as someone to proofread and edit his book. One day, after receiving the final draft, he published it. His first book was complete. Before he could celebrate, he was called by Ally who wanted to meet up by the mall.
"Thank you for calling. I thought you just gave up on our friendship," Elijah said, sitting down opposite her.
"I just needed time alone. I never felt rejection like that before and it hurt me but I can't blame it on you. You are my best friend in the entire world and what I did was wrong. I'm sorry," she apologized, looking at her legs.
"I'm sorry that I couldn't reciprocate your feelings. Hopefully, it won't be awkward between us."
"The next semester is starting soon, so we can't have that. No hard feelings?"
"No hard feelings. Do you still like me?" he asked, curious.
"I do, but I'm working on it."
What a great way to end the holiday. Through all the pain and problems, Elijah was able to navigate through it, of course, this wouldn't be easy without the people he loves. A few weeks later, the new semester began and Elijah started his first day in ninth grade. With a new haircut and better confidence, Elijah was ready to tackle anything that would come his way, maybe.
"There are new exchange students in each class so maybe you'll meet them," said Thandi, holding Rohan's hand.
"I'm going to head to class before someone steals my bag. See you at lunch."
Elijah rushed to class, before noticing another bag by his desk. Just before he sat down, he felt someone behind, scaring him. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," someone said in an accent. Elijah looked up from the floor, seeing a boy with light skin, dark hair, and hazel eyes. He helped him up before Elijah dusted himself off. Elijah looked at him in awe at how tall and handsome he was.
"Hello, I'm Tristan Valentine."
TO BE CONTINUED...