Jason

Excitement buzzed through me. I’d talked to Zayn. His voice had sounded wonderful. Sleep didn’t come easy because thoughts of Zayn played through my mind. The idea of kissing him, maybe touching him had me wound up. I woke way too early and lay in bed listening to my brother snore for a while before I got up and started on my chores.

My to do list had grown. Mom must have realized something was up and she was punishing me. After mowing the lawn, I raked under the bushes in the front then swept out the garage. I finished by nine but found another list tacked to the refrigerator with my name on it. First up, was cleaning the bathrooms.

I scrubbed the floor, wiped the toilet down, cleaned the mirrors, and was almost done when my mom came in. Her eyes narrowed as she stared. After a few seconds, she shook her head and opened her mouth to speak.

“I don’t know what happened at that camp, or why your father is being so weird about you working, but I don’t agree with it. I’m not happy Dianna is going to school, or that Josh is moving to Atlanta. You’ve disrupted our family, young man, and I hope you have to deal with the consequences of your actions soon. If it were up to me, you’d be whipped, or better yet, caned like they do overseas.”

She turned and walked away, not giving me a chance to respond. Anger churned. I may have disrupted our family, but it needed to be disrupted. Dianna and Josh weren’t doing anything wrong. They were really just trying to make a life for themselves.

I cleaned fast, scrubbing and moping, making everything shine. Close to ten, I hopped into the shower and scrubbed everywhere. My hands were shaking by the time I got out. I was nervous and excited. What if Zayn didn’t want to see me? He’d sounded excited on the phone but ended the conversation quickly. Why had he ended it so fast?

If he seemed distant today, I guessed it would be over. I didn’t want it over. We were young, only juniors in high school, but I knew he was supposed to be with me. I couldn’t explain it, and maybe I was wrong, but Zayn and I fit. Maybe we wouldn’t last, but I hoped we did.

The bike ride over to Jittery Joes took me fifteen minutes. I arrived early and would have to wait twenty minutes to see Zayn. I guessed I was antsy. Then I saw him through the window, and my heart almost beat out of my chest. My hands were shaking so much I almost couldn’t close the lock on my bike.

Zayn glanced up and his eyes widened. We stared at each other for a long moment, my world feeling complete. Somehow, I got my lock closed before he raced outside. He stopped a few feet from me and then he jumped into my arms, hugging me close. His arms felt amazing around me. This was what life should feel like. Wonder and butterflies filled me as I breathed in, drinking in his scent. After a few seconds, I opened my eyes to make sure I was still standing on earth and hadn’t been transported to heaven. A couple passed us, the man sneering as he turned to look at me. I didn’t care. Tears burned my eyes and my throat closed with emotions.

“How did you know to call me?” Zayn asked.

I laughed and tugged him closer. My hands were on his back, my chest plastered to his. “We dialed so many numbers. Josh and Dianna helped. We called and called. Finally, Josh got you, and your grandmother answered. I’d just come in from work, and Josh was smiling so wide. He stuck the phone in my hand and said it was you. Oh my God, He said it was you, and I almost exploded with excitement.”

Zayn squeezed me tighter. It was like I’d found water after a long, hot hike. How could I survive without this guy in my life? I didn’t want to find out.

I stepped back, my cheeks hurting from smiling so much. “Have you eaten?”

Zayn’s lips turned down, and he shook his head as he looked away. “Um, no.”

“Come on in and let’s get something.”

“Um, about that. I don’t have any money.”

“I have some extra. Come on.”

We stepped into the store, and I heard Zayn’s stomach growl. I glanced at him and noticed the pinched look on his face.

“Are you okay?”

He nodded before he glanced away. Something was wrong. I hadn’t known him for long, but we’d been through a lot together.

“Tell me. What’s up?”

He pulled me away from the counter and glanced around. “My grandma kicked me out last night.”

“What?” Worry filled me. Was Zayn homeless? Would he move back to Washington with his mom?

“I haven’t eaten today, and I’m starving.”

I eyed the menu, deciding I didn’t need an expensive coffee. “Let’s get you a sandwich and a pastry.”

“What about you?”

I shook my head. “I’m fine. I can get a cup of water.”

“No, get what you wanted.”

“Zayn, you’re obviously hungry. We can figure this out while you eat. I’m here to see you, not indulge in some froufrou coffee drink.”

Zayn nodded, his gaze shifting around the room. “Okay, as long as you promise not to do this all the time.”

“Okay.” What would we do? Zayn couldn’t move into my house. There were too many of us as it was. Sure, Josh would move out soon, but I knew my parents wouldn’t allow Zayn to live with us even if my dad had stayed silent about me being gay.

Zayn ordered a sandwich and a muffin. I ordered a sandwich, planning on making him eat some of it. I also picked up a bag of chips, thinking we could spit it. We both got cups of water, which the lady looked at us weird, but I didn’t care what she thought.

We took over a table around the corner from the counter at the far end of the shop, that way the woman working the store couldn’t stare at us. I was glad I’d brought extra money. I hadn’t planned on having to feed Zayn, but now that he was here, and his situation was dire, I’d do what I could to help.

When I picked up our sandwiches, I worried it wouldn’t be enough food for Zayn. I opened the bag of chips and shook a few out on a napkin between us. Zayn hesitated before I nodded at him.

“You need to eat.”

“Thanks.” Zayn attacked the food like a wild man. I cut my sandwich in half and put half on his plate. He glanced up, his eyes meeting mine for a few long seconds before he smiled and nodded.

He’d finished his sandwich and was on the half I’d given him before I spoke. “Soon, before long, I’m going to be taking care of you.”

He shook his head. “You don’t have to.”

“I know. I want to be there for you. What are you going to do?” I wasn’t even sure where Zayn could go.

“I don’t know. I guess I’ll live on the streets.”

I shook my head. This wasn’t the type of town you could be homeless in, not as a teenager. “You can’t do that. It rains here. It gets cold. We have awful weather. Where would you shower?”

Zayn put down the sandwich and shook his head. “I can’t go back to my grandma’s place, and my mom is in Washington. I have no one.”

I ate a chip and then took a sip of my water. There wasn’t any place for Zayn to live. Maybe he could get a job, but I wasn’t sure how expensive houses were. Really, I didn’t know much about surviving. I shivered as I thought about Josh living on his own. How would he survive? He would need a lot of money.

“What has been going on with your dad?”

Zayn’s question interrupted my thoughts. I blinked at him a few times before shrugging.

“It’s weird. He’s not said anything.” A thought struck me, and my heart sped up. “Oh, I know what we can do.”

Zayn sat up straighter, his eyes bright. “What?”

“You could live at the church.”

Zayn turned his head and narrowed his gaze. “What?”

“So, you would have to leave early, and you couldn’t go until the last event finished. I know where a spare key is. You’d have to wash using water from the sink, but you’d have a roof over your head. I could sneak food in, and you could eat some of the snacks.”

“Really? Do you think it’ll work?”

“I think it would. It might be spooky at first, but you’d get used to it.”

“Okay, I guess so. I don’t really have many other options.” Zayn picked up his sandwich and finished the last bite. He moved onto the muffin as I thought about what I would have to do.

“Do you have a phone so I can call you?”

“I have the phone I had when I left Washington, but my mom must have done something because I don’t have service. So it’s basically useless.”

“Damn, that sucks.” My nerves were riding high and I chewed on my fingernail, worried we wouldn’t get this solved.

“Yeah, it does.”

“I have a burner phone. We’ll make sure you have minutes.”

Zayn lifted his brows. “Okay, but won’t that cost a lot?”

“It can. You’ll just have to only use it to tell me where you are so I can meet up with you.”

Zayn nodded. “This is complicated. I was glad when my grandma kicked me out last night—really, she’s a jerk. Making me do a bunch of chores that were crazy, and her saying stuff about me being gay—but now I’m not sure what to do.”

“We’ll figure this out. If living at the church doesn’t work, we’ll find something that will.”

Zayn took a bite of the muffin then wrapped his napkin around it and stuffed it in his pocket.

“Is it not good?” I asked.

“It’s great, but I need something to eat later.”

“I’m worried.” My head ached, and my heart hurt. What if we couldn’t do this? Having him live at the church would take a lot.

Zayn reached across the table and took my hand. “I’ll be fine. Don’t worry. I’ll be okay.”

I nodded but didn’t believe everything would be fine. Zayn had to eat. The church would do for now, but it wasn’t a great solution. I had a little money saved, but I wasn’t making enough to get Zayn an apartment. Plus, there was school. What would he do once school started?

“I need to go home and get the key. There’s a park not too far from here. I’ll walk over there with you. The church is just down the street, so I’ll stop by the park once I have the key. We can’t get into the church now, but there isn’t any bible study tonight. You should be able to go in close to seven. I’ll have food in the fridge for you. Just put everything back the way you found it.”

“Sure.”

“Zayn, I’ll make sure you’re taken care of. Trust me.”

Zayn nodded and fell in beside me as we headed over to the park. Neither of us said much. My stomach hurt with worry. What if something happened to him? I can’t believe I found him, but he was in trouble, and I wasn’t sure I could really help. After a quick hug, I jumped on my bike, pedaling fast to get home. I knew where the extra key was. That wasn’t the problem. Getting it was. If Dad was home, I could end up having to wait a long time. Zayn couldn’t wait though. When I’d first heard Zayn had been kicked out, I hadn’t been that worried, but now, I was freaking out. How much food could I steal from the house before my parents realize it was missing?

I made it home in record time and blew out a few breaths before going inside. Looking as normal as possible was crucial. I didn’t need any questions. Mom was in the kitchen which meant I would have to sneak upstairs and get the key from their dresser.

Somehow, I made it up the stairs without her questioning me. No one was in the hall, so I went into my parents’ room, pausing before moving further into the space. One of the floorboards squeaked and would alert my mom I was in her room, and I couldn’t have her knowing I was in here. Carefully, I stepped slowly, fighting the agitation rising inside. I would be in a huge heap of trouble if my mom or dad found out I took the key.

I slid open the bottom drawer on the nightstand beside my dad’s side of the bed and reached in. The key wasn’t there. Panic raced through me, and I feared what would happen to my boyfriend.

I drew in a slow breath and eased it out even slower. I could do this. I opened the top drawer and found the key under my dad’s underwear. I slid it into my pocket and moved back to the hall. The door to my brother’s room opened, and Tom stepped out. His eyes narrowed.

“What are you doing?”

“Nothing.”

“I think it’s something, but you know what, I don’t care. Whatever you, Dianna, and Josh have done recently, it’s been good for me. Carry on.” Tom bowed and rolled his arm like he was in some weird old-time English palace.

I went to my room and grabbed a clean shirt, underwear, and a pair of jeans. I would swap with Zayn and bring some of his stuff home to wash. My mom wasn’t in the kitchen, so I grabbed a can of tuna, a can of soup, a box of crackers, a few bags of chips, and some cookies before I moved to the refrigerator. I grabbed stuff to make a sandwich and shoved it into two separate plastic bags.

If I waited any longer, I risked being caught by Mom, so I left, deciding I could get more food if needed. I’d be working the next day and worried what Zayn would do while I was at work. Maybe he could find a job. There were places he could work close to the store, and that way we could see each other. Finding him had been a miracle, now I just needed to keep him.