Love's Hope by Damien Benoit-Ledoux

Author:Damien Benoit-Ledoux [Benoit-Ledoux, Damien]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Purple Spekter™ Press
Published: 2019-09-03T04:00:00+00:00

13 | Distracted

Tommy

“He’s everything I’ve ever wanted,” Tommy gushed. “I mean, I know it was only our first date, but there’s no one at the school like him, not even Cody.”

“Wow, that’s saying a lot,” Tracy replied. “You’ve been crushing on him since the day you met him.” It was their first opportunity to catch up since his first date with Brett, and they sat cross-legged on Tommy’s bed after school.

“I know, but I also know that’s not going anywhere. Besides, Cody’s more like a brother to me now. Fooling around with him would be hot, but also really weird. As for Brett…” Tommy threw himself back on his pillows and grabbed one. “I can’t wait to see him again.”

“Are you going to?”

“I think so, this weekend. He’s convinced Priya and Diego to take him to the Valatie Harvest Fair, which would make sense for him to go to. He has to lie to his parents since he’s not out of the closet, but…”

“That doesn’t bother you?” Tracy asked.

Tommy sighed. “It should, and I know it should. I didn’t date Caleb because he wasn’t out of the closet, but I think that us going to different schools might make it easier.”

“For whom? You?”

Tommy sat up and looked at her with a frown. “What do you mean?”

“If he’s not out of the closet, that means his super-religious family doesn’t know. You just told me he lies to them to be with you. A few minutes before that, you told me you use a secret self-destructing messaging app to text with him so his parents can’t see it. On top of that, he doesn’t drive, which means he relies on friends to bring him to you. How is this easy for him?”

“Well…I don’t know. I mean…well, I guess it’s easier not seeing him in the hallways at school because then we don’t have to pretend.”

“But he has to pretend, Tommy,” Tracy said, bringing a heavy dose of reality to his romantic world. “He has to live a lie.”

“Well, he doesn’t seem bothered by it in his texts,” Tommy replied.

“So, you have permission to text him now?”

“Yeah,” Tommy said, grinning from ear to ear. “We’ve been texting every night. He texts me when he’s doing homework so I know it’s okay to text him back. We use that self-destructive messaging app.”

“I envy you,” Tracy said, shaking her head.

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t know if I could do a long-distance relationship like that. It takes a lot of commitment.”

Tommy burst into laughter. “It’s not long distance, Tracy. He’s not on the other side of the state, he’s on the other side of the interstate.”

Tracy sucked her lips and turned her face to the left as she thought for a moment. “You know, you’re right. Sometimes living in Kinderhook makes me feel like this whole world is much smaller than it really is.”

“Yeah, I know what you mean.”

She nodded. “Well, I’m glad. Now, do you still need me to tutor you in math or are you getting it yet?”

Tommy grunted with displeasure.

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