𝙽𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚖𝚋𝚎𝚛 𝟷𝟻𝚝𝚑, 𝙼𝚘𝚗𝚍𝚊𝚢
Miles POV

When the weekend is over, I find myself wearing one of Parker's sweatshirts, his hand clasped in mine as we walk towards the school. It's crazy what can happen in 72 hours after making up, almost having unconsented sex, and watching movies all weekend.

I gently press a kiss to his knuckles, looking over at him as we walk together. He's distracted. I can see his brain running at one hundred miles a minute. The touch of my lips catches him off guard, and I smile when he looks at me.

"Is there a reason why you dragged me out of bed to get here twenty minutes early?" I ask casually in hopes that he doesn't have a hidden agenda, which includes hiding me from our classmates. Again.

"Yes, actually. I need to talk to Greyson this morning and go over some things with him. Which includes explaining this." Parker lifts our intertwined hands. He doesn't say it in a dark light, more matter-of-factly.

"Okay, makes sense. Which of us wants to tell the story of how I cornered you in the janitor's closet and made you realize you prefer guys if you know what I mean?"

"Gross! C'mon now, he's my uncle. Besides, that didn't even happen!" Parker laughs and sticks out his foot in a poor attempt to trip me. "Tell that story to my cousins and Forrest instead. They'll love it."

I grin and kick his leg. "I'm sure they would! They all seem like the type to take notes on that stuff."

"Stop talking. I don't want to imagine that." Parker pretends to gag and drops my hand, bounding forward to open the school door for me. I mumble thanks and walk in, looking around the empty halls.

"Not to change the topic," I start to say and slow down so that Parker can catch up with me. "But how will he respond? Like... Should I wait in the hall? Or find the guidance counselor and drop that history class?"

"No, God, no. I think he will be fine." Parker shrugs, his jaw tight. "I guess we'll both find out what he'll have to say. Besides, we only have a few more weeks until winter break. You're staying with me in this damn class no matter what."

"Wow, bossy boy," I tease him and ruffle his hair in a way that makes him scrunch his nose.

Parker proceeds to do just that, including shooting me a look as he swats my hand away. "Quit! I'm going to beat your ass, it took me ten minutes to get this look!"

"Trust me, I know! I heard the hair dryer running at the ass crack of dawn!" I respond and grab his waist, pulling him back to me. Parker's breath hitches as he turns to face me, his eyes jumping around my face.

I speak before he can ask any questions. "Hang on, let me fix you up. It was my bad anyhow." I let go of him to lick my fingers, running them back through his hair.

Parker scowls, his lips twisting, except the annoyed look doesn't reach his eyes. I think he's making that face to keep from smiling as I push his thick black hair back in place.

"There!" I exclaim and drop my hands, taking a full step back to check him out from head to toe and wink. "Much better."

"Stop. You're so full of shit. Let's go," Parker answers, a blush creeping over his cheeks. A smile finally breaks on his face as he turns away from me, heading toward Greyson's class.

I gasp and hurry after him, throwing an arm around his shoulders. Man, it's way too easy to do this sappy bullshit with him. It feels way too good to have him back by my side. I never want to lose him like that again.

"I'm the one full of shit?" I pester, running my fingers in circles on his opposite shoulder.

That little move works Parker up exactly how I intended it to. He shimmies under my touch, trying to slip away as his face goes redder. "Do you really want to have that talk again? I'll write you a book full of apologies if it'll help soothe you."

"Nope, not needed. Save the soothing for later tonight," I say and drop my arm so I can open the door to Greyson's classroom.

I hear Parker inhale as we walk in, his shoulders tensing up again. I have to remind myself to relax as I watch him get so nervous.

Greyson looks up at the sound of the door, his eyebrows raising in surprise. He sets down his pen and highlighter, scooting his chair away from his desk and swiveling towards us. "Wonderful morning, boys. What's going on?"

I stop next to Parker and glance at him, wondering who should talk first.

Parker opens his mouth, closes it. Clears his throat. "Um, hey. I... Have you heard?"

Right to the point. I like it.

Greyson looks between us and nods. "Yep. Hard not to hear when my star player says something like that in front of the entire grade. This is all real, right? No bullshit?"

Parker looks at me, and I look at him, quirking an eyebrow. That's his question to answer, not mine.

Parker looks away from me but side-steps closer, brushing his fingertips against my back. The simple gesture makes a shock run down my spine, and I bite my tongue to keep from smiling. This is all I was asking for from him the other week. Little gestures to know that he cares.

"No bullshit," Parker says and brings his hand down. "It's something I've always kinda avoided and shoved down. I haven't ever bothered doing anything about my feelings until... Well..." He fades and looks at me again, the words disappearing on his tongue.

"Mhm." Greyson hums and rocks back in his chair. "I don't want to say that I called it or noticed anything, but I always wondered if something was going on with you boys. This is exactly what I mean when I say that history brings people together!"

I laugh, shaking my head. "That was not the case here."

"Regardless, that's not my point. I'm proud of you, Parker, for stepping into yourself. I've been wondering where that real part of you was at. And Miles, it's great that you could find yourself such a good kid. You're in desperate need of some decent male influences."

Parker smiles softly at his compliment, then gasps at what Greyson says about me. "God, uncle Greyson! You can't say shit like that!"

"Whoa, relax! He's not wrong!" I laugh and raise my hands in surrender. "Thanks, though, I think?"

Greyson shrugs and taps his fingers on the desk thoughtfully. "Just telling the truth! However... Well, listen. I don't want to be the bringer of bad news, but you boys know that this might cause some issues, right?"

Parker goes still. "Yeah. Trust me, I've thought about that once or twice."

I smirk—more like one or two thousand times.

"Okay, good. You boys are smart. I know you can handle the... the... What's the word?"

"Homophobes?" I offer.

"Mmm, that's a little much, but I'll use it. You guys can handle the homophobes, except they might come down on you both stronger since Parker has a high prestige. Parker, if you have any issues in the locker room, I'll give you a key to get ready in my coaching office. If either of you boys have any major issues that you can't handle, please tell me. I like to believe that all students understand that times are changing, but unfortunately, that's not the case."

Parker and I both nod in unison as we listen to him. I relax the more Greyson talks when I'm aware that he won't lose his mind on us.

"I hear you, thank you," Parker says, and I echo the thanks.

Greyson shakes his head, saying, "No, don't thank me. It's probably the least I can do." He glances up at the wall quickly, reading the clock. "Real fast, I have one last thing. Parker, this is about your scholarships. Do you want Miles to stay or...?"

I glance over at Parker, my gut dropping so fast that my mouth goes dry. When an adult says something like that with that tone, I know it's not good news.

Parker must know, too. His face goes pale as he nods. "Yes, he's staying."

"Okay. Well..." Greyson exhales and leans back in his chair, clasping his hands on his chest. "Word of this relationship got out fast online, as I'm sure you know."

I nod, although we don't know. Parker and I have been apprehensive about checking our phones all weekend. The most we've done is reply to texts, but our social media? Hell no. Guaranteed it's a battlefield right now. We wanted to enjoy our first weekend together, not spend it shaking in our boots about what some people are saying over in New Jersey.

"Colleges caught scent of the rumors, and when they saw it was true, I think some of them were stunned. Many of your first picks are staying so far, but I also got some phone calls from the others."

Parker reaches for my hand the more Greyson explains. Quickly, I grab his and squeeze it, pulling him to my side. All of those colleges were his lifeboats and his way out of here. This news might end him.

Greyson sighs, and his voice is pained as he continues. "Four of the eleven didn't listen to me. They all said something about how their programs and teams wouldn't openly accept a... student like that to represent. Something about how they fear how their team will react, or some old nineteenth-century excuse."

Parker's nails dig into my palm to keep from dropping to the floor. My ears are ringing with distress. Seriously, some dumb motherfuckers dropped the most talented athlete in California because he was bi? Because he wants to be with me?

Greyson looks shaken as he softly says, "I'm sorry, kid."

Parker vigorously shakes his head, brushing off the apology as the shock resonates. "What schools were it?"

"University of Michigan, Georgia, Chapel Hill, and UCLA."

"Fuck," Parker curses as Greyson says that last college. "Didn't they come out last month to scout me?"

"They did. That was probably the last time, though," Greyson tries to say lightly, but it brings the mood down.

We're all quiet for a moment, letting this news marinate. Finally, I have to say something. "Christ, those people are all nothing to cry over anyway. You still have seven colleges to pick from, and it's not even senior year! It's probably better that you didn't commit to any of those homo's programs. You would've been miserable, Park."

Greyson rubs behind his neck and shrugs. "I mean, I have to agree. They all would've been good picks, but none of them are the best of the best. You've still got Stanford, Princeton, Duke, Wisconsin, SoCal... Don't sweat it, kid. Take it from me."

Parker nods again, wiping loose tears from his eyes as we speak to him. I let go of his hand to let him have his moment, my heart heavy. Hopefully, he won't hate me, or himself, because of this.

"I know. I just can't believe it. Those douchebags," Parker mumbles.

"Life will go on. It's only a few colleges. Besides, we will see them in April at the All-State press conference. I'll put together the best fucking play reel that those recruiters have ever seen, and they'll cry themselves to sleep that night. How does that sound?"

I laugh when Greyson curses in front of us. Even Parker smiles and laughs, shaking out his hands. "That sounds great. You better do that. I want to see tears in their eyes."

"Trust me. They'll be crying. On that note, you boys better run for first period," Greyson says right as the classroom door bursts open. Three early-bird students come walking in, their conversation immediately halting when they see Parker and me.

"You got it. See you in a few hours, Greyson. Thanks again, man," I say and tilt my chin down.

"Seriously. You're the best. I appreciate you," Parker adds to my words.

"Nah, get out of here before you make me cry, too." Greyson grins and waves his hand dismissively, turning away as he grabs his pen again. I wonder if he is telling the truth or not as I walk away, Parker hot on my heels.

"Well, that sucks ass," I sigh as we walk out into the hall. It's a whole new world out here compared to fifteen minutes ago; students are milling around, slowly making their way to class. A lot of heads turn to look at us as we walk past. Hands raise to hide whispers, and phones are carefully pointed at us.

It's hard for me to ignore everyone, even. Whenever I dated a boy in the past, the boy was usually a nobody. There was never such a fuss around the matter. I try and keep myself relaxed, emitting good vibes.

Parker, on the other hand, is stiff as a board. His eyes are flicking from person to person, his hands trembling. "Tell me about it. You and Greyson are right, though."

"Huh? What was that? I don't think I heard you clearly," I provoke Parker and gently nudge him, trying to get his attention on me. This could go both ways— he'll either blow up and tell me to lay low until he gets used to this unwanted attention, or he'll play it cool and pretend not to be bothered.

Thank God and all of his angels, he chooses the latter. He must be feeling guilty about what happened last week still.

Parker laughs and nudges me back, although his smile hardens when people start to murmur.

"What the fuck, this isn't a joke?" Someone grumbles as we walk past. Any other day I would've whipped right back around and shown the kid what was up, but I keep myself in line for Parker's sake.

"I'm not repeating myself. You heard me," Parker continues to speak to me, walking closer as the crowd starts to thicken the closer we get to the main locker bay. "I'm sick of crying over spilled milk. I've still got you and all of the options of colleges that I need. At the end of the day, that's all that matters."

"Speaking like a true man! I like this side of you." I smile and let my fingers brush his hand, trying to get him to look at me. I need to see if he's serious or not.

Parker stops and looks at me, his eyes full of overwhelm. On the surface of that, I pick out genuine affection.

"You better." Parker scoffs and steps forward, doing something that I thought he wouldn't dare risk until at least three months from now. He grabs a handful of my hair, pulls me down, and gives me a kiss so authentic and real that I swear to god, the hall goes quiet. Or maybe it's my heart pounding in my ears. We pull away.

"You better," he repeats with a smile, "because I'm done hiding."

- - -

By the time lunch rolls around, I can't help but wonder if Parker was messing with my head again about what he said this morning.

To my surprise, he's been making an effort so far today. Each time we pass in the halls, he stops me and shares a few words. When he came into history, he brushed his fingers over my hair when he walked by, and now we are walking together into the lunchroom.

This is starting to feel surreal. He's taking his time to be warm around me in public however, I'm ecstatic that he's trying. There's no need to rush this part of the relationship, anyway.

Rose has her knees perched on her seat, scouting for us the second we set foot into the cafeteria, raising her hand and waving it crazily. I glance at Parker in confusion when I notice that she's sitting at a different table by the wall, not our usual one in the middle.

"Different seating chart?" I mutter to Parker as we head over to Rose. Forrest and Griffin have their heads tilted together in deep conversation beside her.

"Probably by the vote of the majority. I wouldn't be surprised if we got kicked from our regular spots," Parker says gruffly before putting on his best fake smile as we get closer to our friends.

I snort at that. "Screw football. You should enroll in theater."

"You think? I've always thought I could hit a pretty high-pitched note if coaxed." Parker grins mischievously at me, and I tip my head back to laugh.

Rose smiles as we get closer and settles down on her seat, looking between the two of us like a spectator at the zoo looking at a pair of cute penguins. "Aww, hey, guys! What are we laughing about?"

"The usual life shit," I reply and smile, sitting in one of the many open spots. It feels oddly transparent being over here, like driving a car without tint. I can feel a lot of eyes on us as we settle at the table. Ignoring everyone else, I nod my head toward the two boys. "What's up with those two?"

Griffin looks over at Parker and me right as I ask the question. "Don't sound so suspicious. We're the ones who saved your gay asses from annihilation! Some of those fuckers back there really hate you guys."

Parker's jaw clenches at this news, although I'm not surprised. It checks out.

"What are they saying?" Parker starts to ask as he sets down his lunch bag on the table. He doesn't make a move to open it, so I lean over and do it instead. Maybe he isn't hungry, but I sure am.

Forrest jumps in to explain. "Well, some say that Miles intentionally brainwashed you so we'd lose the state game this year. Others are saying that you, Parker, are confused and haven't gotten enough pus..." He fades out, glancing at Rose like he doesn't want to say the dirty word.

Griffin doesn't hesitate to finish explaining. "They're saying you haven't hit the right pussy. And that you are a pussy. Just a bunch of bullshit. They're all yuppies anyway."

Rose blinks vigorously at all of the curse words being thrown around. "On the bright side, you have us!"

My lips quirk at that. Yep, we certainly have quite the crew here. The happy-go-lucky girl that's more petal than thorn, her golden retriever sidekick, Satan himself, straight-kid-gone-gay, and well... Me.

Well, maybe this group isn't half bad.

For a second, Parker looks wounded, then he must realize the same thing I do simultaneously. I can tell that it's painful for him to shrug, feigning carelessness. "Whatever, fuck 'em. Good thing you're all cool," Parker says and holds his hand out to me for food. I rip the sandwich I was eating in half and give the larger half to him.

"What are we then? Gum on your shoe?"

We all look over at who spoke. Kendric is walking over with a tray in his hands, grinning. Joshua, Atlas, and Turner are behind him. On the other side of the lunchroom, I see a few more folks getting up from our old table and walking in this direction.

I can't hide my grin, and Parker laughs. "Hell no, I was just getting to you guys, too."

"You better because we've been trying to defend your asses over there! Care if we join?" Kendric asks, looking between all of us.

Parker looks at me, and I look at him. It's a good thing I can read his mind.

This change may not be so terrible.

I told you so.

Parker rolls his eyes at me and looks up again.

"Not at all. Please join us. There's more than enough room."