Sweaters & Cigarettes (18 page)

"Good," Eric says. "We're
going home."

Theo hesitates, glances at Max, who
wearing a completely neutral expression. He's still holding Theo's hand,
though, and he squeezes it ever so gently.

"Dad, just―" Theo
says, turning back to his father, who cuts him off.

"No," he says,
practically pointing at him, as he steps into the room. "I get a call from
the school saying that my son got in a fight. My son, who, as far as I know,
doesn't do stuff like that. So right now, you're gonna get in the car, and
we're gonna go home."

Theo blinks, but gets over the
surprise at his father's attitude, pretty quickly.

"It wasn't like that," he
says. "It's fine, I just―"

"Theo, I swear to god."
Eric's voice is suddenly low, dangerous, and Theo closes his mouth.
"You're―"

Eric cuts himself off, then, as he
suddenly seems to notice that his son isn't alone, and he lets his gaze wander
to Max's and Theo's clasped hands. Then, he looks up at Max. Max, who looks as
calm and unaffected as ever, even as Theo's father takes in his appearance,
from his black clothes, to his piercings, to his black eyeliner and messy hair.

"Is this him?" Eric says,
voice suddenly filled with controlled anger, as he looks at Theo. "This is
the guy you've been seeing?"

Theo swallows, glancing at Max.

"Yes," he says.
"This is Max. My boyfriend."

Eric seems to start at the word
boyfriend
,
as though unprepared for the seriousness of his son's relationship. After all,
just a few days ago, Max was
just some guy
Theo was seeing.

Eric smoothes one hand over his
mouth, over his dark stubble, as though trying to calm down, and Theo tenses up
a bit.

"Get in the car, Theo,"
his father says, voice low. "Now."

Theo frowns.

"Dad―"

"Now."

"I can't just leave him
here," Theo protests, frowning, a bit surprised at his odd choice of words.
But it's true; he can't just leave Max here, not after everything, not after he
waited for him. And if nothing else, he's pretty sure his parents aren't coming
to pick him up, anyway.

"Yes, you can," Eric
says, actually grabbing Theo's sleeve and tugging, enough to pull him to his
feet. "We're going. Now."

Theo just stares at his father. He
doesn't usually act like this, and for a moment, Theo is simply stunned. He
registers Max getting up, too, standing beside him, and he feels him hold onto
his injured hand. It hurts, but he doesn't want to let go.

"Dad," he says, looking
his father in the eyes. They're the same height, almost exactly.

"Son, don't." Eric's
voice is resolute, and Theo simply knows that there's no use arguing.

He's vaguely aware of Max's
expression, out of the corner of his eye. He looks tense, irritated, like Theo
has seen him before. Every time he's had that look, he has done something
stupid, something reckless, and the last thing Theo wants is for him to get in
trouble over doing something like that, especially concerning Theo's father.
But he's pretty sure Max knows better. At least, he hopes so.

Still, though, he decides to pick
his battles, and he eventually nods, eyes on his father.

"Fine," he says, and
although Eric almost looks like he's about to relax a bit, his jaw is clenched.
It's like he's one provocation away from really exploding, and Theo isn't about
to risk that.

Theo turns to look at Max, who
still has that same expression, the one that made him step in front of Luc earlier,
the one that seems to always make him step in and place himself between Theo
and whatever is threatening him. It's tense, and surprisingly hard and serious,
more than Theo is used to seeing on Max's face. He squeezes his hand gently,
ignoring the pain.

And Max doesn't say anything,
neither of them does. Instead, Max just blinks, visibly relaxing a bit, and
Theo makes the slightest move to kiss him. He doesn't get to, though. He
doesn't get to, because his father tugs on his arm forcibly enough to pull him
away, and Theo starts in surprise. He glances at his father, as though asking
what the hell he's doing, but Eric just tugs again, harder this time, and Theo
stumbles a bit, reluctantly stepping away from Max.

"Now, Theo," Eric bites
out, and Theo doesn't resist. Instead, he just lets his father drag him along,
heading for the door. He keeps his eyes on Max, though, for as long as he can.
He looks oddly angry, as he stays put, unmoving.

But then, to Theo's honest
surprise, Max quickly steps forward and takes Theo's face in his hands,
planting a hard, deliberate kiss on his mouth. It's brief, and it's rushed, but
Theo savors it, until his father tugs on his arm again, dragging him out of the
waiting room, leaving Max standing there, watching them go.

The drive home is tense, to say the least.

Neither Theo nor his father speaks
for a few minutes, as Theo looks out through the window. He feels angry,
surprisingly so. He has never really had a reason to be angry at his father, not
like this. Little things, sure, but this... This is different. He can't quite
put his finger on it.

"I don't want you seeing that
guy anymore," Eric suddenly says, and Theo turns to him.

"What?" he says,
frowning, but his dad has got a rather resolute expression.

"You heard me," he says.
"I don't like his effect on you."

Theo just looks at him, still
frowning, honestly baffled.

"His effect on me?" he
says, sounding the slightest bit annoyed. "What's that supposed to
mean?"

"Getting into fights,"
his father retorts, sounding angry. "For example."

"Right," Theo says,
suddenly sounding rather sarcastic. "'Cause that was his fault. It's not
like he stood up for me, or anything."

"Do you even hear
yourself?" Eric turns to him, looking at him for a few seconds, before
turning his eyes back to the road. "Since when are you such a
smartass?"

Theo blinks. He hadn't really
thought of it that way.

"I'm just pointing out what
actually happened," he says, still sounding unusually acidic. "Max
didn't make me do anything. Luc was the one who started it."

"So you had to fight
him?" Eric says, raising his voice slightly.

"I didn't
fight
him,
dad," Theo replies, raising his voice, as well.

"No, you just punched him in
the face."

"He punched
Max
in the
face," Theo exclaims. "What was I supposed to do?"

"Not get involved," Eric
says, sounding properly angry, now. "That's what."

"So, you're telling me I
should have just let that happen?" Theo says, frowning. "That's
it?"

"I'm telling you to
stay
out of it
." His father glances at him. "It had nothing to do with
you."

"Are you kidding me?"
Theo looks at his father incredulously. "It had
everything
to do
with me. Luc was gonna kick my ass, and Max knew that, and he stepped in,
anyway. He got hurt, because of me."

Theo notices the slight drop in his
voice, as he says it. He doesn't like how true it is. He knows that Max made
his own choice, and that he can take it, but knowing that he got hurt, simply
to protect Theo, makes Theo's heart ache.

"That doesn't make you
obligated to get involved," his father says, clearly sticking to his
standpoint, and Theo resists the urge to scoff.

"Bullshit," he says
instead, angrier than he's used to, barely noticing the way his father
practically winces at the way he says the word. It's a pretty mild curse word,
sure, but it's still more than what usually comes out of Theo's mouth. "I
wasn't
obligated
to, I
wanted
to. You've never felt that? You've
never wanted to punish anyone who hurt someone you cared about?"

Theo's father is silent for only a
second, but it's long enough for Theo to feel like maybe, just maybe, Eric
thinks he has a point. It doesn't last long, though.

"We'll talk about this when we
get home," Eric says, his voice suddenly low with controlled anger.
"But it still goes. You're not seeing him again."

Theo grits his teeth, angry and anxious, at the same
time. He really doesn't like the sound of that, and it worries him. But he
knows there's no point in arguing, not right now. So instead, he just stares
out the window, waiting for the inevitable fight that will follow, when the car
finally stops moving.

Chapter 14

Changes

Theo doesn't really remember ever being so angry at
his parents, before. Not like this. And he's pretty sure that this is the biggest
fight with them, that he has ever had.

When they finally got home, Theo
had the distinct feeling that his father had somehow given his mother a warning
beforehand; she was there, and Theo remembers her looking tense and concerned.

They went right into it, Amy asking
Theo what happened, while Eric practically scowled, and Theo tried his best to
stay calm. He told her about what Luc had said, what he had done, and how Max
had stepped in and pretty much taken the blow that was meant for Theo. And he told
her how he had retaliated, by punching Luc in the face and landing himself in
the principal's office.

Amy didn't look happy about it, but
unlike her husband, she seemed concerned, rather than angry. And for a moment,
Theo hoped that maybe she would have a different take on this, that maybe she
would disagree with Eric's conclusion of blaming it all on Max and his
effect
on their son.

But she didn't. Despite her obvious
concern, she seemed to agree with Eric, to Theo's honest surprise and
frustration. And now, after what feels like ages of yelling and arguing in the
living room, neither of his parents seem to want to budge.

"You're seriously banning me
from seeing him?" Theo asks incredulously, angry and simply baffled at the
irrational conclusion. "Because of this? Just 'cause some asshole picked a
fight with me?"

"It's not just this," Amy
says, as though trying to calm him down. "It's just the final straw."

Theo frowns at her, disbelieving.

"What, exactly, have I done
lately to make you say that?" he asks, and his mother sighs.

"Several things," she
says. "Your language, for one."

Theo just looks at her, confused.

"My
language
?"

"Have you heard yourself,
lately?" Amy says, frowning. "Swearing, talking back. You never even
used to raise your voice."

"Yeah, well, maybe I should
have." Theo keeps his eyes on her, unwavering. "Seeing as how you
don't even seem to hear me, otherwise."

He's honestly surprised at his own
behavior, surprised at the way he doesn't back down.

He knows his mother has a point; it's
been subtle, so much so that he has barely even noticed it, himself, but he has
changed his way of talking. Little by little, he knows that he has stopped
flinching at the sound of curse words, started insisting when he knows his
opinion deserves to be heard, gotten used to idea of actually saying how he
feels, out loud.

He thinks back to when he told
Hannah to shut up, and even to today, when he actually faced Luc, unblinking,
rather than fumbling and stammering and looking away.

He remembers when that all started.
He remembers finding Max behind the school, that day, several weeks ago, and he
remembers talking back and arguing with him, shocked at himself, the entire
time. That was probably the first time that really happened. The first time he
felt like someone wanted him to talk, like someone actually gave a crap about
what he had to say, even if they didn't agree.

Max never tells him to shut up,
never belittles his opinions and thoughts. Maybe Theo has just gotten so used
to that, that he has started doing it with other people, including his parents,
something he never would have done before. And maybe, people don't really like
that. Especially not when they're all so used to him keeping quiet.

Amy looks taken aback at her son's
words, actually flinching slightly, and Eric looks at Theo.

"That's enough," he says
sternly, and Theo turns to him. "Don't talk to your mother, like
that."

"She's the one blaming someone
else, for me suddenly growing a backbone," he retorts, voice more resolute
than he's used to hearing from himself. "The one telling me I can't see my
boyfriend, the one person who
doesn't
make me feel like I need to shut
up, all the time."

Eric looks honestly shocked at
those words, an expression that blends with the obvious anger that's still very
present, on his face.

"You both are," Theo
continues. "You're pissed at me for talking back, when really, I'm just
pointing out that this is bullshit."

Both Amy and Eric react at that,
ever so slightly, and Theo gets a small feeling that adding another curse word,
however mild, probably wasn't the best idea.

"This isn't someone else's
fault," he says, trying not to sound too angry. "And it definitely
isn't Max's."

"We're not saying it is,"
Amy says diplomatically. "But ever since you started seeing him, you've
been different. Skipping school, going out, talking like this. And now,
fighting."

"Then that's
exactly
what
you're saying," Theo exclaims, frustration seeping into the anger.
"You're blaming him, like he's somehow ruined me, when all he's done is
make me
happy
."

He swallows hard, surprised at the
sheer conviction in his voice, and he vaguely hopes that it will be enough to
make his parents change their minds. But their expressions don't change; Amy
still looks concerned, and Eric still looks angry.

"I know you think that,
sweetie," Amy finally says, taking a step closer to her son. "But
you're young, and sometimes, that means you don't always see what's best for
you."

Theo just stares at her, honestly
shocked. He doesn't know what to say to that. It's just so irrational, not to
mention patronizing, the words coming out of his mother's mouth. And for
several seconds, they all just stand there, silent, until Theo heaves a heavy
sigh, suddenly feeling very tired.

"Yeah, well," he says,
anger and frustration replaced by weary exhaustion. "I may be young, and
maybe I don't always know what's best for me. But at least he makes me feel
good about myself, which is more than I can say for you two, right now. Or
anyone else."

He looks at his parents, both of
them, waiting for either of them to say something. But they don't, either
because they have nothing to say, or because they're too stunned to. Theo
doesn't really care. He's too tired, and he knows he has lost this battle, no
matter how unfair it is.

It takes another few seconds,
before he turns around and leaves the living room, picking up his schoolbag on
the way, and neither of his parents makes a move to stop him, as he climbs the
stairs. When he reaches his room, he resists the urge to slam the door behind
him, as he enters. The time for anger has passed. Now, there's only tired
hopelessness in its place.

Theo isn't sure if his parents
simply forgot about it, or if they just deem it irrelevant, but they didn't
take his phone. It's still in his pocket, and he takes it out as he sits down
on the bed. There's a text from Max, sent only fifteen minutes after Theo left
the school with his dad, over an hour ago.

You okay?

And right after that one is
another, sent five minutes later.

Blink twice for yes.

Theo smiles, despite himself, and
he takes a deep breath.

I'm okay,
he writes back.
My parents say I can't see you
anymore.

It doesn't even take a minute,
before Max replies.

I figured,
he writes.
I don't think your dad likes me too
much.

Theo cocks his head, as though Max
can see him.

Sadly, no. My mom agrees with him.
I'm pretty sure they're gonna take my phone btw, just a heads-up.

It makes him oddly sad to write
that, but he knows it's true; his parents have probably just forgotten about
it. They're not used to punishing him, after all, seeing as how he has never
really done anything worth punishing him over. At least, not before this.

Who knew that falling in love would
be enough?

Theo's phone beeps with Max's
reply.

Well, that's just stupid
, he writes, and Theo can practically hear the dry
tone.
It's not like we won't see each other, anyway.

I think they just wanna make a
point
, Theo writes.

I guess
, Max replies.
We might be conspiring, you know.
Planning to run away together, join the circus.

Theo smiles, before another text
shows up on his phone.

You'd sell popcorn, I'd shove
swords down my throat. We could live together in a trailer with four cats and a
lizard. It would be awesome.

Theo actually laughs out loud at
that, glad that Max can make him smile, despite the fact that they're both in
such a huge mess, right now.

That does sound awesome
, he replies.
Hopefully we won't have to, tho. Not
a big fan of trailers.

Well, you just don't know how to
live, do you.

Theo's smile stays on, and
suddenly, he's hit with such an intense sensation, a hollow, almost physical
ache in his chest. It's not so much the addition of pain, but more the
absence
of something, and he takes a deep breath, trying to ignore it.

I miss you
, he writes, still not quite used to the feeling, like
Max is a literal part of him. A part that leaves a huge, gaping void, as soon
as it's gone.

I miss you too.
The reply eases the pain a little bit, enough to make
it more manageable, and Theo sighs, falling back onto the bed, landing on his back.

He supposes he should have seen
this coming.

Theo was right; his parents had simply forgotten to
take his phone from him. But, seeing that coming, he made sure to write down Max's
number and tuck it away in a desk drawer, and he made sure to turn off his
phone, before handing it over to his mom. The last thing he wanted was for them
to go through his messages, and if nothing else, some vindictive part of him
wants to make sure this whole thing won't be so easy for them.

He doesn't come down for dinner,
instead stays in his room, bored. His parents have disconnected his laptop, so
even though he still has it, he can't go online. It seems that they're
desperate to make sure he can't talk to Max, no matter what. But at the same
time, he's somehow fine about it, too tired and defeated to be angry. And if
nothing else, he knows that he'll see Max, anyway, at school. Hopefully.

Theo is in the middle of watching
an episode of
Firefly
on his disconnected laptop, when there's a soft
knock on his door. He pauses the episode, computer perched in his lap, as he
sits on his bed, legs outstretched and back against the headboard.

"Yeah," he says flatly,
half-expecting his mother, but when the door slowly opens, he's surprised to
see Riley, peeking his head in.

"Hi," he says, carefully.
"You busy?"

Theo folds his laptop shut and puts
it next to him, on the bed. He shakes his head.

"No," he says. "Come
on in."

Riley seems relieved, and he steps
inside, closing the door behind him. Theo can't help but notice that he looks
slightly unsure, uncomfortable.

"I talked to mom," Riley
eventually says, making his way into the room. "She told me what
happened."

He sits down in the chair by Theo's
desk, and Theo clenches his jaw for a moment.

"Yeah?" he says, and
Riley nods.

"I mean," he adds,
"I heard about some of it, at school. Just didn't really believe it."

Theo frowns.

"What do you mean?" he
asks, and Riley raises his eyebrows.

"Someone punches Luc Cohen?"
he says. "People are gonna talk about it."

Theo shifts uncomfortably. He
hadn't thought about that.

"Yeah, well," he says,
picking at the hem of his t-shirt. "Not as exciting as it sounds, trust
me."

"Still, though." Theo
looks up at the small note of pride in Riley's voice. "That was pretty
badass."

Theo looks down at his lap, a small
smile on his face. Yeah, it probably was pretty badass. A bit, at least.

"Is it true?" Riley says.
"That he punched Max?"

Theo looks up at his brother,
frowning.

"Mom didn't tell you?" he
asks, and Riley shakes his head, looking sympathetic.

"No," he says. "She
just told me you got in a fight. She told me Max had been involved,
though."

Theo sighs, some frustration
creeping into his tone.

"Of course, that's what she said."
He sounds bitter, to say the least. It's something he's not used to hearing
from himself. "But yeah, it's true. How did you know, if she didn't tell
you?"

Riley gives him a small smile.

"Again," he says, "it
was all over the school. And actually, most people think it's pretty cool, that
you stood up for him like that."