Losing Hope

drinks down. I look at him and he looks at me, then we both look at Sky, because I don’t want to shove him away until she gives me permission.
    “Looks like we have quite the predicament here, boys,” she says with an adorable grin. She looks at the coffee being held in the hands of the guy standing next to me. “I see the Mormon brought the queen her offering of coffee. Very impressive.” She looks at me and arches an eyebrow. “Do you wish to reveal your offering, hopeless boy, so that I may decide who shall accompany me at the classroom throne today?”
    She’s teasing me. I love it. And now that I think about it, this must be the guy she’s been sitting with at lunch all week. One look at his hot pink shoes and matching pants relieves me of any worry that he’s about to become my competition.
    I pick up my backpack and let him have the seat. “Looks like someone’s in need of an ego-shattering text today.” I take an empty seat in the row in front of her.
    “Congratulations, squire,” she says to the guy with the coffee. “You are the queen’s chosen one today. Sit. It’s been quite the weekend.”
    He takes a seat, but he’s eyeing her curiously. It’s clear by the look on his face that he has no idea what happened between Sky and me this weekend. “Breckin, this is Holder,” Sky says, introducing me to him. “Holder is not my boyfriend, but if I catch him trying to break the record for best first kiss with another girl, then he’ll soon be my not breathing nonboyfriend.”
    Oh, don’t worry, babe. I’m not about to try and break that record with anyone but you.
    I smile at her. “Likewise.”
    “Holder, this is Breckin,” she says, gesturing her hand toward him. “Breckin is my new very bestest friend ever in the whole wide world.”
    If he’s Sky’s best friend, then I’m pretty sure he’s about to become my second-best friend. I reach my hand out to him. Breckin is cautious as he returns the handshake, then he turns to Sky and lowers his voice. “Does not-your-boyfriend realize I’m Mormon?”
    Sky smiles and nods. “It turns out, Holder doesn’t have an issue with Mormons at all. He just has an issue with assholes.”
    Breckin laughs and I’m still trying to process if Mormon really means Mormon in this case, because it sure sounds like code for something else entirely.
    “Well, in that case, welcome to the alliance,” Breckin says to me.
    I look down at the coffee cup on his desk. If Mormon means Mormon, that better be decaf. “I thought Mormons weren’t allowed to have caffeine,” I say to him.
    Breckin shrugs. “I decided to break that rule the morning I woke up gay.”
    I laugh. I think I like this Mormon.
    Sky leans back in her seat and smiles at me. It feels good to get the approval from the only friend she seems to have here. Mr. Mulligan walks in so I lean toward Sky before he starts his lecture. “Wait for me after class?”
    She smiles and nods.
    • • •
    When we reach her locker, it’s lined with sticky notes again.
    Assholes.
    I wad them up and drop them on the floor, just as I always do when I pass her locker. She switches her books, then turns to face me. “You trimmed your hair,” she says.
    I’m not even about to admit how hard it is to find a barber open on Sunday.
    “Yeah. This chick I know couldn’t stop whining about it. It was really annoying.”
    “I like it,” she says.
    “Good.”
    She smiles at me and clutches her books to her chest. I can’t stop thinking about Saturday night and how I’d give anything to be back in her room with her right now. Why the hell didn’t I kiss her? I’m kissing her today, dammit. After school. Or during school if I can get away with it. Or right now.
    “I guess we should get to class,” she says, glancing past me.
    “Yep,” I agree. We really probably should get to class but she’s not in my next class so I really have no urge to get to class.
    She stares at me a little while longer. Long enough for me to mentally map out a plan. I know it’s Monday, but I want to take her out tonight. That way I’ll have to walk her to her door. Then once we get to her front door, I’m going to kiss her crazy for at least half an hour just like I should have done Saturday night.
    She kicks off the locker and begins to walk away, but I grab her arm and pull her back. I push her up against the locker and she gasps while I block her in with my arms.
    She’s flustered again.
    I reach my hand up to her