Out Of The Closet - 1. Chapter 1: First Kiss

Thursday, November 29, 2018

Aragon, Colorado

Oliver’s POV

“Oliver.... dude...” Cody Matthews, my best friend said, breaking me out of my daze. I shook my head.

“Thanks, Cody,” I said. “Sorry, I'm just tired after staying up late last night..”

“You don’t look tired,” Cody said. “What’s wrong?” Cody put his hand on my shoulder and I blushed a little.

“Nothing,” I said, standing up from the lunch table. I put my lunchbox in my backpack and put it over my shoulder. “I gotta get to trigonometry class,” I said, starting to walk away. My friends gave me puzzled looks. There was no way I was telling my best friend since sixth grade I had a crush on him. Class didn’t start for at least 10 minutes. I lied to Cody so I could get away from the situation. I walked into the boy's bathroom and splashed my face with cold water. I checked myself in the mirror.

I had an olive skin tone, narrow brown eyes, and shaggy chin length black hair with bangs. My face had a few acne spots. I was wearing a green t-shirt, a grey and blue plaid unbuttoned shirt over that and a pair of jeans with a couple rips at the knee and a pair of Converse.

Oh, right, my name. I am Oliver Jeong. I am half Filipino, and half Korean, and I am a twin with my brother Toby. I live a fairly normal life: I’m a Junior at Jasper County High School where I play basketball and baseball, I enjoy video games, coding, karate, and I have a stable home life. But, I’m gay, and no one else knows about it, as I live in a small rural town in southeastern Colorado.

I checked my phone, which was filling up with concerned messages from my friends. Suddenly, Garrett York entered the bathroom. I grabbed my backpack and began to leave. “Hey, Chink…” He scoffed. I gave him a middle finger in response, shoved him out of the way, and headed to class. I had no time to deal with racist assholes like him today.

In trig class, I tried focusing on the lecture but my mind kept drifting to Cody and his beautiful green eyes, shaggy blond hair, and dorky boyish smile. When the class dismissal bell rang, My other best friend, Logan, caught up to me as I was walking to my locker.

“Hey, Oliver,” he said.

“What’s up, Logan?” I asked as I opened my locker. Logan Martinez is my next door neighbor and has been friends with my brother and I even longer than Cody.

“Everything alright?” The shorter teen asked me.

“Yeah... why wouldn’t I be alright?” I responded, putting a couple notebooks into my locker.

“You weren’t paying attention in trigonometry class. Also, you kind of ran away at lunch.”

I grabbed my ELA class notebook and closed my locker. “Follow me,” I indicated to Logan. I could trust him with my secret. He came out as gay a couple years ago when we were freshmen. He followed me to a quiet part of the hall where no one else was. “You cannot tell anyone else what I am about to tell you...”

“Relax, Oliver. Who am I going to tell? I don’t really have any friends, except you, Toby, and Cody,” he sat down.

“Alright,” I said, sitting down against the wall. I felt my cheeks flush pink. I put my hand through my shaggy black hair. “I think I’m.... gay,” I gulped.

Logan laughed. “That’s what you’re worried about? It’s fine if you’re gay. There’s nothing wrong with that.” The gay theater student explained. “So, who you got a crush on? Me?” Logan teased.

“Oh, uh...” I felt myself blush. “No, but I like another guy...” I fiddled with my fingers.

“Cody?” Logan guessed.

“Yeah, how did you know?” I blushed even more.

“You’re always hanging out with him and blushing. You should tell him.”

“Ew, no. He’s gonna think I’m weird and hate me.”

“Oliver, he’s your best friend. He wouldn’t hate you. And if he does, then he really isn’t your friend. He’s friends with me and I’m even gayer than you!”

“Easy for you to say, dude. You don’t like him like I do…” I looked down at my shoes. “What if he doesn’t like me back?”

“Ollie, stop worrying. Cody is literally super chill. Even if he is straight, I don’t think he’ll stop being besties with you over it…”

“Thanks, man,” I fist bumped Logan. “Let's get to class.”

After ELA class I made my way to the locker room for basketball practice. I avoided being near Cody while changing into practice clothes. Before the rest of the team left the locker room, I approached Cody, who was putting on his sneakers.

“Hey, Oliver. What’s up?” Cody asked.

“There’s something I need to tell you. But can we do it after practice?”

“Oh. Sure,” Cody shrugged before tying his sneakers. “Is everything okay? I saw you kind of run off during lunch.”

“It’s about that, actually,” I blushed a little.

Practice went well, the team worked on free throws and shooting. After practice I felt gross and sweaty and in need of a shower. I decided against showering today, as I was already feeling insecure and I just wanted to go home. So I just grabbed my green hoodie out of my locker and put it over the grey t-shirt and black shorts I wore for practice.

“Hey, Oliver, there was something you wanted to tell me?” Cody asked, approaching me where I sat on a bench next to my locker. His hair was still damp from showering.

“Oh yeah,” I said, walking out the back door of the locker room. Everyone else walked out the front door into the hall. The back door led outside to the grassy yard behind the school. There was a narrow sidewalk with a few weeds growing in the cracks. The grass was brown and the few bits of exposed dirt were muddy from recent rain and melted snow. A chilly breeze blew dust around, and I was beginning to regret wearing shorts. I sat on the sidewalk against the brick wall of the school, putting my knees up to my chest. The sky was cloudy and grey, signaling that another winter storm was coming.

“What are we doing out here?” Cody sat down next to me.

“I need to tell you something.” I said nervously. “I....I’m... gay....” I said, my voice stuttering a little bit as I mustered up the courage.

“Oh, uh, okay....” Cody said, running a hand through his blond hair. “That’s cool. How long have you felt this way?”

“Since the end of sophomore year,” I shrugged.

“I’m guessing you felt too ashamed to tell me?” Cody asked. I nodded. “You do realize I’m friends with Logan and he’s gay too so it’s not like I’m some homophobe,” I blushed in embarrassment. I guess I didn’t think that one through. “And how did you know you were.... y’know... gay?”

“Well, I’ve developed a crush on a guy....” I said, feeling my face get warm and blush.

“Ah, I see,” Cody grinned. “Mind telling me who the lucky guy is? I promise I won’t tell anyone.” Cody seemed pretty open and supportive so I decided to tell him the truth. I swallowed; the anxiety was obvious by the flush in my cheeks.

“I like.... you.... You’re the one I have a crush on...”

“Oh, uh....” Cody stammered and his face took on the color of a cherry. His nose began to bleed anime style. “I gotta go.” I saw Cody quickly get up and walk away around the corner of the building.

“Oh, God,” I groaned, facepalming. My face felt pink and flushed. “I scared off my best friend. You’re an idiot, Oliver....”

“No, you’re not,” I heard a voice behind me. I turned around. The voice came from Logan.

“Hey,” I said, blushing. “How did you find me out here?”

Logan indicated the windows of the school. “I saw everything. I didn’t hear what happened, but I can tell it didn’t go well,” Logan sat down cross legged.

“Definitely not well,” I shook my head. “I followed your advice, but Cody did not take it well. Well, he was fine with me being gay, but as soon as I brought up my crush on him, he ran off”.

“I’m sorry about that,” my friend said. “Thankfully, school’s over, so you can go home to rest and think.” I nodded. “Unluckily for me, I still have rehearsals for the play,” Logan laughed.

“Thanks,” I said. “I need a warm shower and a nap...” I said before standing up. “I’ll see ya tomorrow.”

Logan saluted before walking back inside, which made me laugh a little.

I walked home as usual. It wasn’t a long walk; it was maybe ten minutes. As soon as I got home, I went upstairs and took a long shower with my music from my phone on. I dried off and put on a t-shirt and my pajama pants before getting into bed. I read from my phone for a little bit before I fell asleep.

---

I woke up around a half hour later, and my stomach growled. I got up and walked downstairs to get a snack and do some homework. My parents left for a couple days today, so my twin brother and I had the house to ourselves the next 2 nights.

I spent some time in my room doing homework for a couple hours before I heard my twin brother Toby walk in the door at 6 PM. He looked a lot like me except a bit shorter in height and his hair was cut shorter. Toby’s also kinda skinny while I have some muscle lol. He was wearing his green band shirt and a pair of jeans. Toby played drums in the marching band at our high school. The two of us were kind of polar opposites: he’s outgoing, smart, and creative, while I’m shy and a big dummy.

“Hey Oliver!” Toby called.

“Hi, Tobes,” I came downstairs.

“We got the house to ourselves this weekend. Sweet!” Toby cheered.

“Yeah,” I laughed. “But remember, no parties.”

“Well, I’m gonna go shower before dinner,” Toby said, about to go upstairs.

“Wait, dude, I need to talk to you real quick,” I grabbed his arm.

We sat in the living room. “So... what’s up?” Toby asked, taking off his sneakers.

“Tobes, I think I might be.... gay.”

“Oh?” Toby pulled his knees up to his chest. “That’s fine with me. I’m just a little surprised. I figured if anyone in our family was gay, it would be me, the nerdy band kid,” Toby laughed, putting his hand through his shaggy hair. “Oh.....” Toby came to a realization. “Is that why you left lunch in a hurry today?”

“Mhm,” I nodded, relieved that my brother was understanding. “But, dude, you can’t tell mom and dad, kay?”

“Sure thing, bro,” Toby nodded. “Anyways, what do you want to do for dinner? Mom and dad left some money to order a pizza,” Toby asked, standing up.

“Nah,” I said. “I need to watch what I eat since it’s basketball season.”

“Says the guy that literally drenched his waffle in syrup this morning,” Toby laughed.

“But, seriously, I’ll cook dinner,” I offered. “Or at least try,” I laughed.

“Alright. I’m gonna shower and do some homework. Lemme know when Chef Oliver is done making dinner,” Toby ruffled my hair before I swatted away his hand.

After I heard Toby’s shower turn on, I opened the fridge and found some chicken. I looked in one of dad’s Korean recipe books and found a tasty looking recipe for Korean barbecued chicken. I followed the recipe, cooking the chicken on the stove in a wok with the sauce and sesame seeds, and boiling some water for the white rice, broccoli, and carrots.

When dinner was ready, Toby came downstairs dressed in red basketball shorts and a grey sweatshirt. “So, who’s the lucky guy?” Toby asked as he put some of the food on his plate and grabbed some chopsticks.

“Huh?” I asked, my mouth full of rice.

“Y’know,” Toby sat down at the table. “Who’s the lucky guy you like?”

My cheeks blushed. “Uh.... no one.”

“Oh, come on.... how else could you have known you’re gay?” Toby took a bite of food. “There has to be a guy.”

“It’s Cody,” I said, taking another bite of chicken.

“Wait.... seriously? I guess that explains why you blush around him so much lately....” Toby shrugged. I wasn’t aware that anyone had noticed. Toby took another bite of rice with his chopsticks. “So, have you told him?”

“Yeah,” I sighed. “He didn’t seem very accepting.”

“Oh,” my brother frowned. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” I sighed. “I just have to avoid him forever now.”

The rest of the evening was uneventful as I finished up my homework. At 10PM I took off my shirt and got into bed and fell asleep. The first game of the season was the next day and I didn’t want any thoughts about Cody or sleep deprivation to make that worse for me.

---

Nov 30 2018

Friday morning was uneventful until history class 4th period. I took my usual seat near Cody before the bell rang. Luckily Cody didn’t have a chance to talk to me. That would have been very awkward.

Luckily, class started immediately and Cody and I only exchanged a hello wave before Mr. Sanders began his lecture.

After a pretty uneventful lesson, the bell rang for lunch. However, the basketball players would have lunch in the gym before getting ready for the game at 2PM.

In the hall on the way to the locker room, Cody tapped my shoulder. “Hey Cody,” I said blushing.

“Hey, I uh, I wanted to apologize for yesterday,” Cody apologized. “I was... confused, and I overreacted. I didn’t mean to seem rude to you. You’re my best friend and I...“

“Shhhh....” I interrupted. “It’s fine. I should be apologizing to you for throwing that at you suddenly.”

“Huh?” Cody laughed. “I thought the blushing and stuttering around me all week was pretty obvious.”

“Oh.... I guess Toby wasn’t the only one that notic..... WAIT you said you were shocked and surprised!!” I gasped.

“Nah, I’m just teasing you Oliver,” Cody punched my shoulder playfully. “It’s cool. Don’t worry about it.” Cody and I walked in comfortable silence for the rest of the way until we reached the gym hall. “Hey, I actually need to tell you something important,” Cody said.

“Oh, sure,” I said, stopping. “What’s up?”

“Oh, hey Oliver, Cody,” Tyler, another teammate of mine said. He towered over me, being 6’3”. I was 5’10 and Cody was 5’11. Tyler was a sophomore, but he was really tall, and a good teammate.

“Hi, Ty,” I waved. “Ready for the game?”

“Heck yeah. How about y’all?” Ty asked, opening the locker room door.

“Ready to win the game!” Cody laughed. We were playing against the Ravens from Lincoln High School in Bellville, a town nearby. Luckily it was a home game so we didn’t have to travel.

We all shared a laugh as we walked into the locker room. I got dressed in my uniform: a dark green sleeveless jersey and black shorts with grey sneakers and long socks. The entire team ate lunch together in the gym before we began a short practice.

At around 1:30 we wrapped up practice, and Luke, our team captain, gave us a pep talk with Coach Roberts. The small set of bleachers began to fill in with parents as well as students who purchased tickets. At 2PM the game began.

 

“Good luck,” I said to Cody, who smiled.

“Same to you,” Cody said back to me. I noticed the slight blush in his cheeks. I assumed at the time that it was from exercise.

Our team was the Wolverines. This was my third year playing for the school, but it was my first year making the varsity team so I was a little nervous.

I sat out during the first half of the game. I found myself watching Cody, the center, a lot more than the others. I felt a feeling like no other watching him play. He had amazing muscles from playing football and basketball. Watching him wipe sweat from his face gave me shivers and butterflies. The feeling I got around Cody was too nice to be sinful.

I finally got to play in the second half as the small forward. I was able to score some 3-pointers and 2-pointers. I even got a couple free throws from being fouled. Cody and I had the chance to play together towards the end of the game. The game ended with a 82-75 score, with our team winning the first game of the season. The crowd cheered for us.

In the locker room, we had a debriefing before showering and getting changed.

After my shower, I pulled out a snack from my backpack and talked to the other teammates while Cody was still in the shower. There was a football game later in the day, and pretty much everyone in school had been talking about it all day. It was now a little after 3:30 and the bell at the end of 7th period was about to ring.

Suddenly, Principal Ramirez came on the intercom for announcements.

“Hello, students. Before you are dismissed for the day, and the weekend, despite the snowy weather outside, the football game at 5PM is still set to occur. Stay safe out on the roads as well as on the bleachers and sidewalks if there’s any ice. Thank you, have a good day, and a good weekend.”

The bell rang and my teammates started to leave. A minute later Cody came out of the shower room. He was fully dressed, to my disappointment. “Hey, slowpoke,” I teased.

“Haha... very funny,” Cody laughed. “Ready to go?” Cody grabbed his jacket.

“Yeah,” I pulled my jacket out of my locker. We waved goodbye to Coach Roberts before going out into the quiet gym hall. “Where are we going?”

Cody and I hung out in the library and goofed off. We got thrown out of the library and had a snowball fight in the school yard until a little before 5PM when we went to the football field. The snow was still lightly falling and there was a couple inches of snow on the grass and trees. I had my jacket on, obviously, as it was quite cold outside. Cody and I sat with a few other people from the basketball team in the bleachers. Luckily the stands were covered with an awning type of structure, yet we were still outside in the cold. The football game was pretty uneventful. Cody obviously knew more about the game, from playing on the JV team 3 years in a row, while I couldn’t keep the rules straight in my brain XD. By halftime, our varsity team was losing 3-7.

After the band performance at halftime, which involved my brother, Cody pulled me aside. I followed him to a quiet area behind the bleachers where snowflakes were dotting Cody’s blond hair, and probably my dark hair as well.

“Why are we here?” I asked, leaning against a wall of tan bricks.

“The thing I wanted to talk to you about,” Cody said.

“Oh, right,” I blushed. I kinda wanted to avoid this discussion if it meant he was gonna friendzone me. “You don’t have to tell me if you’re not ready.”

“No, I’m ready to tell you,” Cody said with a gulp. “Oliver, ever since you confessed your feelings to me yesterday, I’ve had quite a bit of time to think things over.” Cody paused. “I’ve realized a lot of things about you and I... You always make me laugh, and smile,” Cody blushed. “You were there for me when my dad died when we were in 8th grade. And you know how to make a dumb, awful situation into something to laugh about. Also, I would be lying if I said you didn’t look hot.” I saw a tear in Cody’s eye. “Oliver, the way I feel around you is like nothing I ever felt before. I know you probably think I hate you for running away yesterday. It was a lot for me to process and I had to give myself some space. But, I think you’re pretty incredible...”

Cody had the same feelings for me as I felt for him. The same things he described were some of the things I began to experience over the past couple months since we started Junior year together. Cody gave me a kiss on the cheek. I blushed and kissed him back, this time on the lips. When we stopped to breathe, my face felt hot from blushing and a couple tears in my eyes. “You.... feel the same way?” I asked, startled.

“Yes,” Cody mumbled, a tear rolling down his cheek. I wiped it with the sleeve of my jacket. “I’m scared, Oliver,” he said.

“Why?” I asked, looking into his green eyes. “There’s nothing to be afraid of. We both.... feel the same way about each other.”

“I get that, and you’re really understanding, kind, and funny... But not everyone would be so supportive of... y’know... us....” Cody had a point. We live in a rural town in southeast Colorado. Jasper County votes like 95% for the Red Party. Not exactly a gay friendly situation.

“True.... my parents would probably disown me If they found out I had a crush on you. Who knows what shit they’d do if they found out we just kissed?” I quietly said. “There are certainly some who would support us, though. Like Logan. And Toby.”

“We should just keep this between us,” Cody sat down on a bench. “It’s really cold out here. And the game is boring. You wanna come to my place and hang out? Maybe watch a movie?”

“Sure,” I agreed.

About fifteen minutes later, we arrived at Cody’s house. We walked inside. It was about 7:30 PM. Time for dinner.

Cody and I took our jackets, shoes, and gloves off. “Hi, boys,” Cody’s mom, Samantha Matthews, greeted us. “The game isn’t over yet.” I was glad to be in Cody’s warm house.

“Yeah, it was getting boring.... and we were cold,” Cody said.

“Well, dinner is ready if you boys want to eat,” Samantha offered. My stomach growled at the smell and thought of food. “Oliver, you’re welcome to eat with us too. You’re basically part of the family.”

“Thanks, Samantha,” I said, following Cody and his mom to the kitchen. Cody’s sister Iris was already sitting down eating. Iris was twelve years old and looked a lot like her brother.

“Hi, Ollie,” she said as I sat down.

“Hey, Iris.” I smiled as I grabbed some pasta, meatballs, and salad from the dish at the center of the table. “I hope you don’t mind if I text Toby that I’m hanging out here,” I said to Samantha and Cody.

“Oh, go ahead,” Samantha said. “You wouldn’t want him to be worried if he gets home and you’re not there.”

We said grace before we began to eat. “So, Oliver, your parents are out of town this weekend?”

“Yeah. They’re up in Denver until tomorrow.”

“If you want you can spend the night,” Cody offered. “If that’s okay with you, mom,” Cody added.

“Sure, I’m fine with it,” Samantha responded. “It’s not like you haven’t spent the night here a hundred times,” she chuckled.

“As if that’s a bad thing?” I asked, giggling.

“True. You and Cody are perfect together..... well, as friends.” She joked. I laughed awkwardly at her comment.

The rest of dinner was pretty normal. At around 8PM, Cody and I went into his room in the basement. “We’re gonna play video games,” Cody told his mom. I went back to the kitchen and grabbed a bag of tortilla chips to eat if we wanted to.

“Perfect first date,” I quietly said, laughing.

“I know right?” Cody giggled.

I took off my socks and plopped down on his bed. We played several rounds of Mario Kart on Cody’s Nintendo Switch system before we decided to watch a movie at around 9PM.

We opened the bag of chips, turned off the lights, and got comfy on the bed. The movie was an Indiana Jones movie. The one where he goes to Peru to fight the Nazis and collect an ancient Incan crystal. It wasn’t really my type of movie, and I found it a little boring, but Cody really liked it. After about an hour of the movie, I yawned.

“You tired, Oliver?” Cody asked, eating a chip. I nodded in agreement. “Sit up....” Cody said. The boy put a pillow behind my back while I sat up.

“Thanks,” I said, leaning back. I found myself lulling off to sleep. My head ended up resting on Cody’s shoulder.

Cody kissed the top of my head, and I slowly fell into a deep sleep despite the glowing of the TV.

---

---

Saturday Dec. 1, 2018

The next morning, I woke up to sunlight streaming into the room. I sat up and stretched. I had a blanket over me and I was in Cody’s bed. When the movie finished last night, Cody and I got ready for bed. I hadn’t packed a change of clothes, so I slept in my boxers. Cody was asleep on the other side of the bed. I could see part of his bare chest and his arms. I sat up, suddenly feeling really cold. The ground outside was coated in snow.

“Ollie,” I heard. I turned around. It was Iris. I suddenly felt awkward being around my boyfriend’s sister only in a pair of boxers.

“Hey,” I whispered. “What’s up?”

“Mom wanted me to wake you and Cody up for breakfast,” she glanced over to Cody who was still asleep.

“I’ll get him up,” I reassured his sister, who left. I grabbed a pillow and tossed it at Cody.

“Ugh,” he grunted. “What the heck, Oliver?” Cody sat up. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes

“Morning,” I brushed my bangs out of my face. “Your sister told me to wake you up.”

“She probably has a crush on you now,” Cody laughed standing up.

“Shut up,” I laughed.

“I’m complimenting you,” Cody smirked. “You look hot in those boxers.”

Cody looked hot himself. His arms and torso were sooooo toned. "Thanks, Cody,” I giggled as I pulled my jeans on and pulled my shirt on over my head.

Cody went into his closet and grabbed a couple sweatshirts. “Here, borrow one of these. I don’t want you getting hypothermia outside.”

“I have a jacket downstairs,” I said.

“Yeah, but just take the sweatshirt.” I took the red hoodie from him. Cody pulled a baggy black hoodie over his shirtless torso. I put the red one on over my t-shirt. The hoodie was a bit big on me, but the faint scent of Cody’s cologne made up for it. We both walked downstairs where it smelled like waffles and syrup.

“Hi, boys,” Cody’s mom greeted us.

“Morning, mom,” Cody mumbled, grabbing a waffle for his plate as well as some bacon.

“You sleep okay Oliver?”

“Yes, thanks,” I nodded, grabbing a waffle to eat and pouring some syrup on it.

“Have either of you boys seen Iris?” she asked. “I haven’t seen her yet today.”

“She came into Cody’s room just a few minutes ago to tell me to wake up Cody because you told her to,” I recalled.

“That’s strange. I haven’t seen her at all. And I’d never send her to wake you up unless there was an emergency.”

Cody and I glanced at each other, stifling a laugh. “I think she wanted to see shirtless Oliver,” Cody whispered, trying not to laugh.

“What did you say?” Samantha asked.

“Nothing, mom,” Cody responded, putting a soggy bite of waffle in his mouth. I tried not to laugh.

Samantha laughed. “Boys...” she sighed, shaking her head. She sat down at the counter and sipped her coffee.

---

After I finished my waffles and had some juice, Cody and I went back downstairs to hang out for a bit before he had to go horseback riding with his sister. He had two hours before having to leave. We played video games for a while before Cody stood up. “Oliver, I gotta go change. I’ll be right back.”

 

Cody came back a few minutes later dressed in a purple long sleeve shirt, jeans, and socks. His dirty blond hair was neatly combed and he had some cowboy boots in his hands. He looked nice. “You got dressed fast,” I said, putting down my cell phone.

“Thanks,” he laughed, sitting down to put on his boots.

“I should get going,” I said, slipping on my sneakers.

“Right,” Cody nodded. “I’ll see you this evening at the play?”

“Sure thing,” I kissed his cheek.
“Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh............” Iris stammered. She had stepped into the room. Cody and I turned around, blushing.

“Oh, hi sis,” Cody awkwardly said.

“What did I just see y---?”

“Nothing,” I interrupted. “You saw nothing.”

“But, you just kissed my broth--”

“Nope. You saw wrong,” Cody said, walking out into the hall, pushing her along. His face was bright pink. “We should probably get going, Iris.”

I grabbed my jacket and backpack from downstairs before walking out the door to walk home. I lived a few blocks away. It was a bitterly cold day with snow on the ground, but the sun was out at least.

---

That evening, Toby and I entered the side entrance to the high school where the auditorium was. One of the theater kids, Clara, was handing out playbills. I was wearing a plaid button up shirt under my jacket and jeans, and my dark brown hair was gelled to be straight instead of its usual messy appearance.

“Oliver, Toby, hey guys.”

“Hey, Clara,” my twin brother said, hugging her. “What’s up? You look concerned.”

“Logan told me to send you guys back to the dressing rooms when you came. Sounded pretty serious.”

“Oh, okay,” I nodded.

Toby led me to the side, where there was an entrance to the band and theater hall. I quickly followed Toby down the hall. When we made a turn, that’s when I noticed it. Cody was there, sitting against the wall, and he was sobbing.

“I’ll let you help him, bro,” Toby tapped my shoulder. “I’ll go see what Logan wants,” he pointed at the dressing room door just across the hall from Cody.

“Cody?” I asked, approaching him. “Are you okay?” I sat next to him. He shook his head and sniffled. “What’s wrong?” I put my hand on his knee.

“I don’t wanna talk about it,” Cody mumbled, taking his face out of his hands.

“I want you to feel better,” I said. “At least tell me something.”

“I said no,” he repeated, a couple tears came out again.

“I’m sorry,” I wiped his face. “I just don’t like seeing you sad. So, let me know if I can help in any way.”

“Cody, there you are,” Logan came out of the dressing room, and he was with Toby. “Oh, hey Oliver.”

“Hi Logan,” I said.

“Look, the play starts in fifteen minutes,” Logan said from inside his costume. “So, I won’t be able to help much.”

“I’m glad you had your friend send us back here to help,” I hugged Logan. “Break a leg.”

“Thanks,” he nodded and turned around.

---

After Cody washed his face in the bathroom, we went in to see the play. It was nice to support our friend’s performance, but I couldn’t help but notice that Cody seemed a little off, and wasn’t being himself. I invited him to have dinner at my place, since my parents were back home that afternoon. We sat on a bench outside to wait for Toby and Logan. It was very cold and Toby wanted to hang out inside and wait for Logan to change out of his costume. The bench was off to the side, so there was a little privacy from the other students and parents.

“Oliver,” Cody said, his breath turning into clouds in the cold clear night air. “I feel ready to tell you what happened today.”

“Sure,” I sat next to him. “What’s up?”

“Well, you know how Iris saw you kiss me on the cheek?” I nodded. “Well, she told my mom.” I saw the tears well up in his eyes again. “I’m.... scared.”

---

Flashback

Cody returned home and took off his boots when entering the house, as they, along with his jeans, were slightly muddy.

“Hey, mom,” Iris said, pulling off her boots.

“Yes, sweetheart?” she asked the younger girl.

“I saw Oliver kiss Cody this morning.”

Cody gave his sister a death glare before his cheeks turned a bright pink color. “Oh, he did?” his mom asked, giving her children a puzzled look. Before she could continue, the teenage boy dropped his boots and ran upstairs to his room.

He quickly grabbed a backpack and stuffed some clothes into it. He changed into some clean pants and put on his sneakers. He had an hour before he had to go to the play, but he couldn’t be home now. It was too risky. His sister ruined everything. He rushed downstairs to grab a snack before exiting the situation.

“Cody, I need to talk to you,” his mom said, approaching the upset teenager. He didn’t say a word as he stormed out of the house.

---

“Hey, look, you can stay at my place tonight if you need to. And, I’m sorry about Iris. I didn’t know she was there.”

“Alright, thanks Oliver.” Cody hugged me, and nestled his head into my chest. I liked the warm feeling.

This went on for a couple minutes before I heard some laughter and teasing. I looked up and a trio of football players surrounded us. “Looks like we have a couple of lovebirds,” Garrett, their leader, taunted.

“What the fuck do you want?” Cody asked, standing up.

“Y’all are a couple of faggots!” another bully, named Noah, said.

“And from what I understand, you boys are on the basketball team. That right?” Michael, the third in the group, asked. We nodded. “I’d hate to think what the whole school would do when they find out you two are gay,” the jock smirked.

“And I’m sure they’d believe you,” I smirked, standing up to leave. Cody joined me.

“Don’t smart mouth me, you fag!” Garrett tackled me into the cold snowy ground. He then laughed. They were lucky we were in a part of the schoolyard hidden from everything else. I tried to get up, but I was kicked hard in my legs.

“Don’t hurt him!” Cody yelled, possibly to get attention from anyone else.

He then charged one of the bigger guys. I was still too sore to get up, but I was able to sit with my back up and out of the cold snow. I laughed a little as Cody jumped on Noah’s back and started punching him between his shoulder blades.

“Don’t laugh!” Michael kicked me, and I landed in the snow again. There was going to be a bruise there for sure. Logan and Toby ran over, they must have heard Cody. Noah grabbed Cody and pushed him onto the ground. This gave enough of a distraction to try and make a run for it. Sadly, I was caught by Garrett, but I was able to knee him in the crotch, which forced him to crouch down and I ran through the snowy grass. Cody was also able to outrun the guys after slipping out of Noah’s hands.

Suddenly, sirens were heard. “We called security,” Toby said. “Are you guys okay?”

“Oliver! You have a bruised eye!” Cody exclaimed as he saw me. I put a couple fingers up to my left eye. It was a bit tender to the touch. I noticed the jocks were helping Garrett up, and they made a run for it away from us when they saw the cops.

“Hello, boys,” the campus security officer said, approaching us on the sidewalk.

“Hi, officer,” Logan nodded. “A few football players were beating up my friends Oliver and Cody,” he indicated to us.

I explained to the officer that Cody and I were just sitting on the bench and they approached us before getting violent. Cody told him the jocks’ names.

One officer stayed by and made sure we were okay after the ordeal while the other one went to track down the perpetrators. Their footprints were still visible in the snow and led behind the school building, so it would be relatively easy to find them.

I called my parents to let them know what happened with the attack, obviously leaving out some details. The police offered to give us a ride home, which we gladly accepted.

The four of us entered my house, where my mom, a middle aged Filipino woman, frantically asked if we were okay. “Yes, we’re okay. Just a bit bruised and scraped,” I answered.

“How did this happen? Why were you two outside alone after the play? That’s not entirely safe. Either way, I’m glad you boys are okay. We’ll have some dinner ready for you soon.”

---

“What the hell was that all about?” Toby asked me after we stepped out to the patio just the two of us, a few minutes before dinner. “I get that you and Cody are a thing now, and I support it, but please be more careful.”

“I know, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize we were gonna get ambushed,” I said.

“I’m sorry, bro,” Toby shook his head. “I just don’t like you getting hurt, okay?”

“Thanks, dude,” we shared a hug.

“I will make a huge fuss with the principal if those assholes don’t get in some serious trouble for ambushing you.”

“Thanks,” I laughed. “Let’s get inside. It’s cold.”

---

After dinner, us four boys were in the upstairs den. There were plenty of video games and board games to entertain ourselves with for a Saturday night. Cody got a call from his mom, which he had to take. He stepped out onto the balcony to answer.

I saw him start crying again out the glass door. I really hoped that he wasn’t in too much trouble. He soon motioned for me to come over to him. I quietly stepped out while my brother and Logan were playing a game on the Nintendo Switch.

“Oliver,” Cody’s mom said through the phone. “I’m glad you boys are okay. But, I received a call from the school. According to Garrett, you two were.... as he put it... cuddling?”

“Mhm,” Cody nodded, holding back more tears.

“So.... what Iris told me this afternoon was true.” She paused. I rubbed his shoulder as it was obvious that he was feeling tense. “Cody, you know that I’m okay with it.”

I saw his face light up. “So.... you’re not mad?!”

“No, of course not. As a matter of fact, when I was your age, I had a crush on a girl. I guess you could say that I’m bisexual. But, I ended up with a great husband.”

“Did grandma and grandpa know about you being bi? And dad? Did he know?” Cody asked.

“Cody, your father knew, and was accepting. But, I had to keep it from my parents. And, I don’t want you boys to feel the same way.”

“That’s great,” I said. “But, my parents...”

“That’s okay. You can tell your parents when you feel ready,” Samantha said to me.

“Thanks,” I sighed.

“Mom, I hope you don’t mind if I spend the night here with Oliver. I have to make sure he’s okay.”

“Sure thing. Just... please.... don’t do anything sexual. You’re still in high school and...” Cody and I began blushing.

“Okay, mom,” Cody laughed. Good lord, I loved his laugh.

---

Later that evening, Cody and I were alone in my room. I was laying down in my bed and Cody was on my swivel chair. We both were in pajamas.

“Is your eye okay?” He asked.

“It hurts a bit, but I think it’ll be okay.”

“Anything else hurt?” He asked.

“I mean, not really. Just a little sore,” I replied. “How about you?”

“I didn’t really get hurt,” he spun himself around in the chair. “Take off your shirt.”

“What?” I blushed. “Why?”

“I wanna see if there’s any more injuries,” Cody stood up.

“Okay,” I giggled, sitting up. I grabbed my grey t-shirt and pulled it up over my head. I saw Cody blush when he saw my bare chest and abs. .

“Oh no,” he put his hand over his mouth. “You’re scraped on your back.”

“Yeah,” I nodded, pulling my shirt back on. “I guess that happened too. I’ll be okay. Don’t be worried.”

“No. I’m going to get an ice pack for you from the freezer. I want you to feel better.” Cody left the room and came back a couple minutes later with an ice pack and a can of carbonated water. “Put this on your eye,” he handed me the ice pack.

“Thanks,” I put the cold ice on my swollen eye. It did relax some of the pain. “You got me the soda?”

“Nah, that’s for me. I was thirsty,” Cody laughed before taking a sip. Suddenly, Cody’s face went back to being concerned. “Oh, did you want one? I’m so sorry... I can go back downstairs and get one....”

“No, but thanks. I’m not really that thirsty,” I shook my head.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. I glanced at Cody, who gave a thumbs up. “Come in,” I said. It was my mom.

“Hey, boys, I thought I’d come up and say goodnight. It’s been a long day and your dad and I are going to sleep.”

“Ah, okay. Goodnight mom,” I nodded.

“I hope your eye is okay, sweetheart,” she rubbed my cheek.

“Mom...” I whined. “I’m not a baby.” Cody was snickering.

“Okay, I’m sorry,” she smiled. “Cody, do you need anything?”

“No thanks, Melissa,” he responded. My parents often insisted that Cody use their first names instead of Mr. or Mrs. Jeong. “We’re probably going to go to sleep soon, too. It’s been a long day.”

“Yeah, you two have been through a lot,” she nodded. “I assume you know where the sleeping bags are?” Cody nodded in agreement. “Well, I’ll see you tomorrow, and I’ll have to ask your brother to keep it down in the other room.”

“Haha, yeah,” I chuckled. “They’re playing a video game in there.”

Cody and I hung out for a little bit more before I began to get sleepy. I yawned kind of loudly. I took the icepack, which was now melted, and put it in on the counter in my bathroom before I brushed my teeth. I got back into bed while Cody brushed his teeth.

“ahm sowwy obot tudaaay,” he mumbled while brushing his teeth.

“Huh?” I laughed. He spit out the toothpaste.

“I’m sorry about today,” he repeated. “I didn’t expect it to go this crazy.” He nodded before rinsing his mouth.

“Eh, not a problem,” I yawned. Cody flipped off the lights and got in bed next to me.

“You want a back rub?” Cody offered. I silently nodded. It was easy to drift off to sleep. There was a little anxiety about how the whole school or the whole town of Aragon would react to our new relationship, now that Garrett and his thugs knew about it, but Cody made it easy to forget those worries.