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Anthony eyed him warily. “I don’t know.”

Diego’s hands clenched into fists. “If you tell anyone, I’ll kill you.”

“If you hurt me,” Anthony said, jutting out his jaw. “I’ll tell everyone what I saw.” Even though he still wasn’t sure what to make of it, the threat was enough to stop Diego in his tracks. “Just stay away from my friends.”

“I used to be one of them,” Diego said, looking him over as if deciding which bone he wanted to break. “Otherwise, you’d already be dead.” Then he got back in his car, and with squealing tires, reversed in a half-moon before tearing out of the parking lot.

“That went well,” Anthony said, shaking his head. “Just wait until he finds out who I’m dating. Then he’llreallylike me.” He shuddered and went inside the school, wandering the halls until he found the entrance to the auditorium.

The stage was occupied. Whitney was in the center, pleading with a werewolf who was wearing royal clothes. The Beast, he assumed. Anthony hovered by the entrance, not wanting to disturb the scene. Only when the teacher marched on stage to give directions did he walk down the aisle. A group of students sat toward the front. He recognized Cameron’s outline, but he was in the middle of the group, which made him hesitate. Anthony needed his boyfriend, not his public-appearance buddy.

One of the students noticed him standing in the aisle. Mindy! She smiled and waved. Anthony returned the gesture. She seemed puzzled when he remained where he was, but only at first. She nudged Cameron to get his attention. God she was wonderful! If this whole gay thing didn’t work out, Anthony really would marry her.

Cameron rose and worked his way down the aisle, grinning the whole way.

“You came to see me at work,” he said.

“Yeah,” Anthony replied. “Is there somewhere we can be alone?”

“I’dloveto give you a tour!” Cameron said loudly before opening his mouth and squeezing one eye shut. “That’s what us theater folk call a stage wink,” he explained.

“Very subtle,” Anthony said drolly.

Cameron brought him backstage to a dark corner where plywood boards, paint, and basic tools were gathered. “This ismy office,” he said, gesturing at the bare brick walls. “It’s the view that really sets it apart.”

Anthony pulled him close, clutching at him as they hugged. “I wish I had met you sooner,” he murmured. “freshman year instead of this one.” That way his feelings for Omar would have remained dormant. His self-acceptance could have developed alongside his love for Cameron. They’d be a couple already by the time that Ricky moved here, making everything better. The embarrassing disaster today never would have happened. Anthony decided not to tell Cameron about it. That was the deal he’d made with Diego. When it came to Ricky, the kindest thing he could do was to respect his wishes and stay out of his way.

“Are you okay?” Cameron asked while squeezing him back.

“Yeah,” Anthony said, not letting go. “I am now.”

CHAPTER 35

November 20th, 1992

Ricky wasn’t having a good week. After being interrupted in the grove, he’d gone home and tried to figure out some way of reaching Diego. The phone book wasn’t helpful. He could only wait until they saw each other at school again, but when the day came, Diego wasn’t there. Ricky went to the office, under the pretense of wanting to bring Diego his homework from class. The secretary seemed charmed by this request until she heard who he was asking about.

“His mother called to say that he’s sick,” she explained, “which is more information than we usually get. I’m afraid I can’t give you his address though. Not without special permission.”

Taking it up with the principal seemed like a bad idea, so Ricky had waited until today. Diego showed up for PE but didn’t make eye contact or say anything to him in the locker room. Once they were out on the field, he stayed away from Ricky, even when it cost his team a point. Afterwards he went to take his usual shower, Ricky tempted to join him, if only so they could talk. Instead he trudged to their English class, Diego showing up late like he always did. The teacher seemed to have given up. She didn’t even acknowledge Diego as he took a seat.

Ricky stared at him. Diego turned his head in the opposite direction, much to the discomfort of the girl sitting on that side. At the end of class, Ricky waited in the hall. Diego saw him and began walking away.

“Hey,” Ricky said. “Sorry about my friend. Although I wouldn’t really call him that. He’s more of a friend of a friend. Hey, slow down!”

Diego actually listened. He stopped and turned, his expression cold. “I’ll do what you want,” he said. “I won’t pick on you anymore. Just leave me alone.”

“Why?” Ricky asked.

He didn’t get an answer. Diego clenched his jaw a few times, and seemed to struggle within himself, as if there was something he wanted to say. Instead he shook his head and walked away.Ricky watched him go, loneliness welling up inside of him, like it so often did as of late. His worst enemy no longer wanted anything to do with him. Nobody did. Anthony’s words had hurt all the worse for being so true. Ricky was pathetic.

He had a lump in his throat as he went to the cafeteria, but he didn’t get in line, no longer having an appetite. Ricky didn’t want to sit at his usual table either. He could already see Anthony and Cameron there, laughing over some secret joke. Ricky went to the no-man’s table and sat there sulking. He didn’t bother looking up. He just stared at the scratched-up surface of the table and thought about home. Not the house he would return to later today, but a neighborhood in Colorado Springs where he knew everyone’s names and history. And where he actually fit in.

“Hey! What are you sitting here for, you weirdo?”

Ricky glanced up at the familiar voice.

Omar was standing there while holding a tray. “I was waiting for you in line,” he said. “Aren’t you hungry?”