The time before lunch seemed to crawl by slowly. After homeroom, I had AP Calculus with Ana followed by English honors. As English began to wrap up, I felt my phone buzz from an incoming text. I took a peek. It was from Ana.

'How's it hanging, football star? Have you heard the news?'

I look up at the teacher who was erasing the whiteboard.

"No, what's going on?"

I put my phone back in my pocket just as the teacher faces the class again. "Remember, make sure you have read the first five chapters of 1984 before coming to class tomorrow. I will be testing you on it first thing. And SparkNotes will not help you!"

The bell rings and everyone stands up and heads to the door. I pull out my phone and read Ana's reply.

'I have a feeling the mall will be empty later if you wanted to hang.'

I see the word I was looking for: empty. Ana and I came up with some code words in order to keep my parents from finding out about my relationship with Carlos. Whenever the football field is clear, Ana will send a text with the word empty to the both of us. If one of us is already at our secret spot behind the bleachers, she'll send the word friend. If the field has people, she'll send the phrase 'everybody and their momma'.

Ever since I had that conversation with my parents, they've been reading my text messages, so I'm not allowed to text Carlos directly and if my dad were ever to look at the texts Ana sent me, he'll just congratulate me on having a girl's number.

I grab my things and head out of the class room and to my locker. I send a quick reply back. "Only a feeling?"

She sent one back right away, almost inhumanely. 'naw, a friend told me they're usually not that busy on thursdays'

I feel my heart flutter. Carlos was already at out spot. I quickly make it to my locker and throw my books inside. I look around a slip outside and start making my way to the bleachers. I dial Ana's number and she picks up.

"Yellow, white man talking, how may I help you," she says in a chirpy voice.

"You know not all white guys sound like that," I respond.

"My dad's a white guy and he totally does that," she says into the receiver, as if that's substantial proof. "By the way, you're in clear. No one seems to be following."

"Thanks. Also thanks for the smooth text earlier. It gives me an out if my dad asks where I am going tonight."

"No problem. I figured it was better than sending one later tonight. Plus, if your dad swings by the mall, we can just say we decided to hang at my place. I'm sure he'd love that."

I smile a bit. "I love you, Anastasia! No romo, of course."

I hear a little squeal come from the phone and from the bleachers as I approach them. "I can't believe you just used an aromantic term! I love you platonically, too!"

"Okay I'm gonna hang up now. Yell if you see someone."

"Will do."

The line drops and I sneak behind our school logo that block the backside of bleachers from passerby.

I see him: Carlos. He's standing just underneath far enough that no one can see him from the opening.

His hair looks tinged with blue as the sun shines through the banner and his shirt hugs his body is all the right places. I can't wait, so I run up and hug him. We just stand there embracing each for a little bit.

"Happy birthday," I whisper into his ear.

He kisses my cheek. "Thanks, babe."

I reach my hand into my pocket and slowly bring out the gift I had bought him.

His face pouts a little. "I told you not to get me anything."

I grab his hand and put the box inside of it. "It's your birthday. How could I not get you something?"

He smiles and opens the box. "Thank you so much, Jake," he says with excitement.

"I knew you needed a new watch after your last one broke at work so -" I say, voice trailing off.

He pulls me into a kiss and I feel my heart beat a little faster. His lips are so soft and I can taste the cherry chapstick on his lips. I wrap my arms around his neck and he wraps his around my back. I want to stay this forever.

Sadly, the moments ends sooner than I had hoped and I look into my boyfriend's.

"We can't keep doing this."

Carlos' lips are only a few centimeters away from my own and all I want is for them to meet again.

"Can't keep doing what," I ask, never moving my eyes from the lips in front of me. I watch as they open again.

"We can't keep hiding behind the bleachers and having your ace friend keep look out."

I feel my heart drop a little bit.

"I know, but I don't know what to do. If anyone found out and the news spread to my parents, they'd probably kill me."

He pulled me closer until we were hugging again. "I know, and I know that I'm being selfish when I say this, but I just want to tell the whole world that Jake Smith is my boyfriend and I want to hold your hand in the halls and kiss you by your locker like the straight kids do."

I imagine what that would be an my heart feels a little heavier. "I want that too, but it can't happen. Not as long as my parents have any say in it."

We pull apart and I see the sadness in his eyes. "Well would you consider going with me one day to another city, a city with a lot of people far from here and just for a day be my boyfriend, pda and all?"

I smirk a little. "If it will make you happy, I can see."

He perks up a bit and kisses me one more time. "I love you, Jake," he says through the kiss.

"I love you, too Carlos."

As if she knew we were wrapping up, I feel a text from Ana buzz in my pocket.

'Not to rush your decision on that offer, but my friend just said everybody and their momma might be there because of a sale her shop's having. Wanna just hang at my place?"

I turn to Carlos. "I'll go first and sit with Ana. See you tonight, birthday boy."

I smooth out my shirt, give him a kiss on the cheek and run out from the bleachers on the opposite side from the school. I quickly go around to the front and run over to where Ana's sitting. I see a figure walking from the school towards the field. From the distance, I can't tell who it is, but they're a good but away. I see Carlos reapplying his chapstick as he heads back to class.

I plop down next to Ana and she looks over at me. "You might want to wipe the red mark off you lips and cheek," she says hand me her cloth napkin.

"Thanks, for everything."

"No problem. Even though I may aromantic, that doesn't make me less of a hopeless romantic."

I wipe my face with the cloth and hand it back. "Are you heading to the birthday party tonight?"

"Yeah, if course! His mom make the best empenadillas I've ever had! I mean they're the only ones I've ever had, but you get it."

I shake my head slightly. "How did we ever become friends?"

"I don't know, but I know you'd miss me."