Unspoken words.

Chapter Five:

The cafeteria was buzzing with the usual lunchtime chaos. Trays clattering, voices echoing off the walls, and the ever-present hum of conversation filled the space. I sat at our usual spot near the window with Mateo, absentmindedly poking at the food on my tray. My mind, however, was elsewhere. More specifically, on Eli. I couldn’t shake the image of him with that girl from the café yesterday.

Who was she? Why did it bother me so much?

“Dude, you okay?” Mateo’s voice cut through my thoughts. He was giving me that look—the one that said he knew exactly what was going on in my head.

I blinked, realizing I hadn’t been paying attention to anything he’d said. “Yeah, sorry. Just... distracted.”

Mateo leaned back in his seat, crossing his arms. “You’ve been weird all week. What’s up?”

I wanted to say something, to tell him the truth, but the words stuck in my throat. I hadn’t told Mateo yet. He didn’t know. He thought everything was normal, that I was just his slightly insecure best friend. Not that I was spiraling because I’d met this guy—this beautiful, incredible guy—and couldn’t stop thinking about him.

“I don’t know, just... stuff,” I mumbled, my eyes back on my tray.

Mateo didn’t push, which I was grateful for. He could’ve grilled me until I cracked, but that wasn’t his style. He was patient, waiting for me to say what I needed to, in my own time. Still, I could feel the weight of what I hadn’t told him pressing down harder with every moment.

“Want to head to the café after school?” he asked casually, breaking the silence. “Get out of here for a bit?”

“Sure, sounds good.” At least that was something I could agree to without feeling like my chest was caving in.

Before the conversation could go anywhere else, a shadow fell over our table. I looked up, my stomach sinking when I saw who it was.

Darren.

Of all the people in this school, why did it always have to be him?

“Look who it is,” Darren sneered, crossing his arms as he stood over us. His cronies hovered behind him, looking just as smug.

“Hey, Patchwork,” he said, his voice dripping with mockery. “How’s your day going?”

I clenched my jaw, feeling the familiar burn of shame crawling up my neck. Mateo stiffened beside me, and I could tell he was gearing up to intervene. I hated this—hated that Mateo always had to step in. But I hated how Darren made me feel even more.

“Leave him alone, Darren,” Mateo said, his voice calm but firm.

Darren smirked, clearly unfazed. “Oh, come on. We’re just having a little fun.”

“Find someone else to ‘have fun’ with,” Mateo shot back, standing up from the table. He was taller than Darren, but that didn’t stop the bully from puffing out his chest, trying to appear tougher than he was.

For a second, I thought Darren was going to throw a punch. His eyes narrowed, and he took a step closer to Mateo. The tension in the air was thick, like a storm about to break. I held my breath, praying it wouldn’t come to that.

But before anything could happen, a voice cut through the tension.

“Darren, knock it off.”

I turned to see the last person I expected—Celine.

She was standing just a few feet away, her arms crossed over her chest, her expression cold. I hadn’t even noticed her walking up, but now that she was here, Darren looked like he’d been caught doing something wrong.

Celine had always had that effect on people. She wasn’t just my older sister; she was fearless. And she didn’t take crap from anyone, least of all Darren.

Darren sneered, but there was a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes. “This doesn’t concern you, Celine.”

“Yeah, it does,” she said, stepping forward. “You’ve been messing with my brother since middle school. It’s time to stop.”

I could see Darren weighing his options, glancing between Celine, Mateo, and me. But after a tense moment, he just scoffed and turned away, muttering something under his breath. His group followed him, and just like that, the storm passed.

Celine turned to me, her expression softening. “You okay?”

I nodded, though I wasn’t sure if I was. “Yeah. Thanks.”

She gave me a small smile before glancing at Mateo. “You keeping an eye on him?”

Mateo grinned. “Always.”

Celine chuckled and shook her head before turning back to me. “I had to grab a textbook from the local Library and thought I’d stop by. Wanted to check in on my little brother.”

“Since when do you care about my lunch plans?” I teased, though I couldn’t hide how grateful I was that she’d stepped in.

Celine shrugged. “I care about a lot of things. Besides, Mom’s been worried about you. I told her I’d see how you’re holding up.”

I rolled my eyes. “I’m fine. She doesn’t need to worry.”

“She’s your mom. It’s her job to worry,” Celine said, her tone soft but firm. “You’re still skipping classes, aren’t you?”

I didn’t answer, which was answer enough.

Celine sighed, her brow furrowing. “Cris, you can’t keep running from everything. You need to deal with what’s going on, not hide from it.”

I looked away, not wanting to meet her gaze. She didn’t know. She didn’t know how heavy it all felt, how impossible it was to deal with. Coming out to her had been hard enough. The idea of facing our parents, or anyone else, felt like a mountain I wasn’t ready to climb.

“Just... think about it, okay?” Celine said, her voice gentle. “I’m not saying you have to do anything right now. But you’ve got people who care about you. Don’t shut us out.”

I nodded, still not looking at her. I knew she was right, but that didn’t make it any easier.

Celine sighed again but didn’t push the issue. She glanced at her watch. “I’ve got to head back to campus soon. But I’ll be around this weekend. We can hang out if you want.”

“Yeah, maybe,” I said, grateful that she wasn’t pressing me for more.

She smiled and ruffled my hair before turning to leave. “Take care of yourself, Cris. And don’t let those jerks get to you.”

When she was gone, I let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding. Mateo sat back down, giving me a look I couldn’t quite read.

“She’s right, you know,” he said, though there was a hesitation in his voice.

I shrugged. “Yeah, I know.”

He studied me for a moment, then asked quietly, “Is there something you’re not telling me?”

My heart skipped a beat, but I kept my expression neutral. “What do you mean?”

Mateo hesitated, his brows furrowing as if he was working through his thoughts. “I don’t know. You’ve just been... off lately. Like, something’s bothering you, but you don’t want to talk about it.”

I forced a laugh, trying to shake off the tension building between us. “Nah, I’m fine. Just school stuff.”

Mateo didn’t look convinced, but he didn’t push further. “Alright. But you know I’m here, right? For whatever. You don’t have to go through stuff alone.”

I nodded, grateful for his support but terrified of the moment when I’d finally have to be honest with him. That day would come eventually—when he found out the truth about me. But today wasn’t that day.

---

Later that afternoon, as the final bell rang, I couldn’t help but think about Eli again. Would I see him? Would he even remember me if I did?

And what was I supposed to say if he did?

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