The Sun // Ireth Fefalas
Summary: Curious, Addie stood and made his way to the foyer. At the front door stood Caleb, engulfed in the light. Next to him was Sarah Parker, in designer jeans and an Abercrombie tank-top.
Warnings: Implied homosexuality.
Ratings: Teen for romantic situations and cursing.
Notes: I wanted to write about a realistic situation involving homosexuality. Some of my other pieces are a little blind to the social pressures of being gay, so I wrote this piece. I think in my head the plot could have extended into a long short story, or a novelette. Unfortunately, I didn't have the ime to meet my Creative Writing deadline, and this is what happened instead. I'm satisfied with what I wrote, but maybe I'll come back one day and rewrite a lengthier version.

thesun

The bell rang and Addie practically fell out of his seat in his haste to leave. Around him his classmates were lining up at the doorway. The girl who sat at the front of his row elbowed him under the ribs, and he wheezed. Irritated, he blew his bleach-blonde bangs away from his face and elbowed the girl back, before he dived head-first into the hallway. People walked fast, talking in a dull roar, eager to get out. Ah, he thought, high-school.

He elbowed at least five more people before he finally made it to his locker. The hallway was fairly deserted, and he sucked in the air untouched by hundreds of high-school students.

Leaning against his locker was Caleb, hands in his pockets.

Addie smiled and wiggled his fingers. “Hey there, lover boy,” he said.

Caleb laughed and waved back. “Ready for my place?” he asked, stepping to the side.

“Whoa,” Addie said, dialing his locker combination, twenty-four, five, sixteen. “That’s kind of soon, isn’t it?” He grinned up at Caleb. “Maybe we should slow things down, yeah?”

Caleb laughed again. “I know you’d love to get down my pants and all that, but I’ve got an English test come Monday, and my only resource is you, wonder-boy.”

Addie grinned. “I know, I know,” he said. “What’s the rush?” He shuffled through his textbooks and binders, Caleb’s too, looking for what to bring home for the weekend.

“Well,” Caleb said, all self-confidence, “I’ve got a date with Sarah Parker.”

Addie had his textbooks in his hand, ready to slam his locker door shut. He stilled and looked up at Caleb through his bangs. “Another hot date?” he asked. “Sarah Parker?”

Caleb grinned. “You know Sarah, don’t you? Blonde hair, plays lacrosse? I think she’s in your English class, actually.”

“What happened to Michelle?” Addie asked.

He shrugged. “It didn’t really work out,” he explained. “We’re still friends.”

Addie nodded to himself, swallowing the information slowly. He stood and slammed the locker door shut. The sound of crashing metal echoed through the hallway like a miniature shock-wave, sending tiny, trembling earthquakes into the ground.

“Hoping to get lucky?” Addie teased.

Caleb gave him a lopsided grin. “Hey,” he said, “Who can resist this?” He spread his arms wide, hands open.

Addie smiled. “Completely irresistible,” he said. He walked past Caleb, bag slung over his shoulder, bangs hiding his face. “Are we going or what?” he asked. His voice echoed through the hallway.

thesun

“Caleb,” Addie said, exasperated. “Did you even read the book?”

Caleb frowned as he unlocked the front door and let himself in. “Yes, Addie, I did read the book,” he said as he kicked off his sneakers.

Behind him, Addie took off his shoes. He followed Caleb through the foyer and into the living room where he dumped his bag on the ground. “Okay,” he said, “Let’s try another question. How does Darcy first insult Elizabeth?”

Caleb threw his bag onto the couch and walked into the kitchen. “God, I don’t know, he called her fugly?”

Addie laughed out loud for what felt like the first time in forever. “Yeah,” he said, “In so many words, he called her ‘fugly’.” He laughed again. “Jane Austen must be rolling in her grave,” he said.

“Yes!” Caleb half-shouted. “One right out of five.” He sat down in the arm-chair, a can of coke in his hand. He tossed another can to Addie who just barely managed to catch it. Caleb laughed out loud. Addie flipped back his bangs with a toss of his head and scrunched his nose in Caleb’s general direction.

Addie popped open the can and took a long drink before throwing Caleb’s bag over the side and falling down on the couch. He swung his legs over the arm-rest and snuggled into the couch before balancing the open can of coke on his stomach. Caleb watched him, eyebrow quirked.

“Dude,” he said. “You’re just weird.”

“You love it,” Addie said absent-mindedly, his attention focused on the trembling can. “Now,” he said, “Why does that bitch Caroline Bingely hate Elizabeth?”

Caleb laughed and shook his head. “You get into these books way too much.”

Addie shrugged the best he could lying down. “Answer the question, Caleb.”

“’Cause she knows that Elizabeth is secretly a serial killer?”

Addie threw a pillow at Caleb’s face. “No, you ass, it’s because she knows Elizabeth is about twenty times better than her, and that Darcy so wants to marry her.”

Caleb rolled his eyes. “Pardon me, geek.”

“Hey,” Addie protested mildly. “I take offense to that. Knowing my literature doesn’t make me a geek.”

Caleb snorted. “Uh-huh,” he said. He drank from the can of coke and sat still, watching Addie balance the can. His eyebrows were furrowed and he was biting his lower-lip in concentration. His hands were raised at his sides, hovering around the can as if to catch it if it fell.

“Hey Addie,” Caleb said.

“Hmm?” Addie looked up from the balancing act on his stomach, and met a serious Caleb He picked up the can and placed it on the coffee table, sitting with his legs crossed Indian-style. “What’s got your panties in a bunch?” he asked.

“I was just thinking,” Caleb said. “You’ve never had a girlfriend, have you?”

His question grabbed Addie by the shoulders, shaking him awake. He jerked slightly backwards, as if recoiling from a physical advance. “What?” Addie said. “I mean, no, I’ve never had a girlfriend,” he admitted. He stared at the ceiling, his hands fidgeting with the hem of his shirt.

Caleb was staring at him, all curiosity and, for the first Addie could remember, hesitation. “Why is it?” he asked. “I mean, why don’t you have one? A girlfriend, that is.”

He shrugged. “I don’t know,” Addie said. “It just never came up.”

Addie laughed. “I’m probably the only one at our school who’s never kissed.”

Caleb did a double-take. “You’ve never kissed anyone either?” he asked, surprise in his voice.

Addie frowned. “Shouldn’t you kiss the one you’re going out with?” He looked down from the ceiling to Caleb’s face. His hands stopped moving, and he spread them over his knees where they lay still. “What would be the point in giving yourself up to someone, if you’re not taking the whole leap?” he asked.

“Give yourself up?” Caleb echoed. He stared straight at Addie, completely intrigued at the words spilling from his open mouth.

Addie stared straight back. “Caleb, there have been people who’ve flirted with me, or asked me if I wanted a drink, or a date at the movies. People who are attractive, smart, talented.” His voice was steady. “I’ve never accepted any of their offers because I felt no attraction to them whatsoever beyond the physical. I didn’t want to give myself up to people I couldn’t desire to give myself up to. Any sort of relationship is giving in, giving up. Not to domination, or complete control, but to the other person. Why would I want to give myself up to someone I couldn’t desire?”

Caleb looked at Addie, puzzled. “You’ve never been attracted to anyone? At all?”

“I didn’t say that.” Addie broke their gaze and stared down at his calm hands. When he looked up at Caleb again, he was smiling. “Do I look like a saint?” he asked. “I’ve met people and fallen madly in love before.” He paused. “Don’t you remember Lucy from third grade?”

Caleb laughed. “Lucy? Lucy Peters?”

Addie smiled, wistfully happy. “Lucy was special,” he said. “She shared her markers with me every day, and she never called me weird.”

“What,” Caleb said, “People called you weird?”

Addie laughed loudly. “Caleb, where have you been?” he asked. “People have been calling me weird since the doctor found out I was feet first.” He grinned and flipped back his bangs.

Caleb frowned. “Do people still call you weird?” he asked.

He gave a one-sided shrug. “Yeah, people still call me weird. What can you expect?”

Caleb looked away, frowning at the wall. “They shouldn’t,” he said.

Addie scrutinized Caleb’s profile. “Why not?”

“Because,” he said. He stared up at the ceiling. “Because you’re my friend.”

Addie sucked in his breath, surprised. Caleb was studiously observing the ceiling, embarrassed by his show of affection. Slowly, Addie felt his face split into a wide grin. “Aww, does Caleb care about me?” he asked, enunciating his words clearly and slowly.

Caleb was beginning to turn red. “Man, shut up,” he said.

Addie laughed. “I love you too Caleb, now come here and give me a hug.”

Caleb threw a pillow aimed at Addie, who caught it.

“Man,” Caleb said. He slumped down in his chair, grimacing. “That’s the last time I ever say anything remotely caring.”

Addie grew serious. “You’re my friend too,” he said.

thesun

“Addie?”

He hummed non-committedly under his breath. “Yeah, Caleb?”

“Describe why Austen might have named the novel First Impressions and why she chose Pride and Prejudice instead.”

“The novel is based on Elizabeth and Darcy’s first impression of each other. Austen decided to use Pride and Prejudice instead because their first impression was based on pride and prejudice, which were the main elements of conflict in Elizabeth and Darcy and their feelings for each other. Why?” Addie wrote down the answer to a question and turned the page in his textbook.

Caleb waved away Addie’s question with a flick of his wrist, writing furiously with his other hand. “It’s one of the questions for homework,” he said absent-mindedly. Under his breath, he recited Addie’s answer.

Addie snorted. “Great study habits,” he said.

“I know,” Caleb grinned.

They sat in companionable silence. Caleb’s pencil writing down Addie’s answer was the only sound when the doorbell rang, slicing through their quiet. Addie looked up from his textbook. “Who is that?” he asked. “Your mom doesn’t come home until six.”

Caleb shrugged. “No idea who it is, but a break’s a break, even if it’s just the UPS guy.” He lifted himself up from the ground and walked out the living room doorway. “Coming!” he shouted.

Addie sat at his seat for a while, chewing on the cap of his pen. He heard the front door open, and faintly, someone say hello. After a short pause, Caleb answered back. Addie could hear genuine enthusiasm in his voice and felt his interestspike. The front door closed and the two of them talked for a while in quiet undertones. Addie couldn’t hear a word from his seat. He stopped chewing on the cap of his pen and stilled movement, trying to listen in. All he could hear was the low murmur of conversing voices. Curious, he tapped the pen against the coffee table before giving in and pushing his books back. He stood and made his way to the foyer.

“Caleb, who is it?” he asked.

The lighting in Caleb’s foyer was excellent. The late sun shone in waves through the clear glass windows flanking the door, pouring in light on the white walls. At the front door stood Caleb, engulfed in the light. Next to him was Sarah Parker, in designer jeans and an Abercrombie tank-top. Her toe-nails were iridescent blue, and she was smiling.

“Hi,” Sarah said. Addie could tell she sang in the school choir. “Don’t I know you?” she asked.

“Oh,” Caleb said. “Addie, this is Sarah. Sarah, this is Addie—“

“But you can call me Addison,” he interrupted. He took her hand and they shook. “That’s my birth name,” He told her. “Addison Hale.”

Surprised, Caleb looked at Addie. “Addison?” he said. “You haven’t had anyone call you that since I met you.”

Addie shrugged. “I’m looking back into it,” he said.

“Looking back into it?” Caleb stared, amazed, at him. “What does that mean?”

“It means I gotta go,” he said. “I don’t want to interrupt anything.” He turned back to the living room. From the foyer, Caleb could hear him packing his textbooks in his bag. Feeling somewhat lost, he looked at Sarah. She raised her eyebrows in a question and stepped forward so they were face to face.

“So,” she said quietly. “Addie or Addison?”

“Addison,” He affirmed from the doorway to the living room. He had his bag slung over his shoulder and was staring at the two of them. He shook his head almost imperceptibly and stepped forward. “Well,” he said, giving a little smile, “I guess I’ll see you guys later.”

He stepped around them and jammed his feet into his shoes, tying the laces tight. “Sarah,” he said. “Caleb.” He nodded his head to the both of them. “I’ll see you in school.”

Caleb shook his head. “Stay a while,” he said. “Maybe we can all go out and eat.”

Addie saluted to the both of them. “I can show myself out,” he said. He flipped back his bangs and left.

“He didn’t seem to like me much,” Sarah remarked. She stared up at Caleb with her pretty blue eyes, searching.

“Mm,” Caleb said absent-mindedly. He could see Addie’s retreating back from the windows, walking away.

“Is he okay?” Sarah asked. On his face she saw confusion and concern. She touched her hand to his cheek.

Startled, Caleb looked down at her, wisps of blonde hair framing her heart-faced shape. He gave her a quick smile. “I’m sure he’s fine,” he said. There was doubt in his voice. He looked away and back out the window, but Addie was gone, and the only thing outside was the sun, beginning to set.

thesun

“How did studying go, Addison?” His mom walked around the kitchen, cutting vegetables and cooking meat-loaf. The room was bright with the overhead fluorescent light and smelled like Lysol and air fresheners over the rising scent of cooking meat.

Addie shrugged and tossed his bag on the couch. “It was fine,” he said blandly.

“That’s nice,” his mom said absent-mindedly. “Honey, don’t put your bag on the couch, your dad’s going to be sitting down there to watch the T.V in five minutes.”

Addie slung his bag over his shoulder and got out a can of coke from the refrigerator. He was about to pop it open when his mom interrupted, looking up from the sliced carrots.

“Don’t drink that stuff Addison, you’ll ruin your appetite. And I wish you hadn’t bleached your hair, honey, it looks so… What’s wrong with brown anyway?”

He opened the refrigerator door and put down the can of coke. He slammed the door shut and turned around. “Mom,” he said. “My hair is fine this way.”

She frowned and put her hands on her hips, the knife gleaming wickedly. “You can’t even see anything, your bangs are so long, you’re always having to push them back. If you’d just let me cut your hair—“

“Mom,” he said.

She stopped mid-sentence and looked closer at him. “Honey, Addison, are you okay? You look tired, you should get some more sleep.”

He shrugged. “Yeah, okay.”

She frowned. “You haven’t even told me to call you Addie,” she said. “Believe me, I’ve hated the name enough ever since Caleb introduced it, but it’d be refreshing to see a bit of your spunk again.”

Addie shifted from foot to foot and shrugged with his left shoulder. “I guess you’re right,” he said. He turned his head and his bangs fell over his eyes. “I’m just, really tired.”