Lie Like You Mean It

“Has he figured anything out, yet?” Michael asked me from my computer as we sat in my room. I was playing video games (one of which I had already beaten) and he was working.

Nowadays, he hung out with me since I didn’t have Zero living here anymore. Everyone at school was already making up rumors of why Zero moved away. Although, one of them was pretty much the truth. That his dad saw us having sex and he took him back to wherever his dad went off to in the first place.

Except that Zero and I hadn’t made love since the ski resort. Now I regret not spending as much time with him like that.

“No…” I whispered sadly.

“At least he’s calling you every day, you know?” Michael said, trying to cheer me up.

I smiled weakly at that. “Yeah…”

Michael always visited the school during lunch to make sure Cody wasn’t violating his restraining order. No, really, he had a restraining order put on him after the last incident.

Besides that, apparently Michael had been fairly popular back in high school (which had only been a year or two ago and many of the freshman remembered him) so he was able to make sure no one would pick on me for going out with Zero.

Calls weren’t enough though. I wanted him with me, I wanted to touch him, to kiss him, to hold him to hear his voice in person and see his facial expressions. Over the calls I couldn’t see his physical condition and that made me more concerned than ever about how he was. Hearing his voice just made me want more of him and that caused so much anxiety for me.

But his calls always lulled me to sleep, giving me a sort of delusion that he was there, in bed, with me.

He told me how he was trying to convince Noah that our relationship wasn’t an abomination; that he loved me. But his father just dismissed it as a nuisance and a non-existent love.

Screw that – I knew I loved him and vice versa. His dad didn’t know anything about us. I know how that made me sound like a bratty teenager, but this was completely different from the normal crises that teenage girls had about how their parents ‘didn’t know anything’. His father wouldn’t even listen to reason. He wouldn’t even listen to my own parents (who tried to tell him that Zero and I being in love was a good thing).

I guess getting people to accept your relationship when you’re ‘gay’ is much, much harder. Especially when your boyfriend’s father is incredibly homophobic. Homophobic enough to take your lover to Australia just so you couldn’t see each other.

I cuddled into Michael’s blankets, trying to make myself comfortable, waiting for Zero to call. “Did you ever think their dad was like that?”

“Well… no. I told him I was bi, and he was okay with it.” Michael told me as he typed more on his computer. “I think it might have something to do with Zero carrying on the family name or something idiotic like that.”

“Will I ever see him again?” I asked.

He turned to face me so that I could see the seriousness in his expression. “Zero’s going to find some way to get back to you. Trust me; he’s not going to let you go. Consider his love a death grip – it’s not going away until one of you dies.”

“Nicolas?” My mom’s voice came through the door. I perked up, knowing what was going on. She handed the phone to me.

“Hello, Love.” His voice came, making me smile.

“Hey. Have you gone to school yet?” I asked him. He refused to go to school to spite his father.

“Of course not. I want to come back to see you. I’m not doing anything that prick says.”

I laughed at that. “You sound like a rebellious little kid. But I can see where you’re coming from.”

“I miss you.” He said. I smiled weakly at that, my heart cringing at it.

“I miss y-you too…” I told him, my voice breaking slightly over the words.

“You’re not going to cry again, are you?” He sounded worried at my voice breaking. I cried a lot when I was talking to him. I honestly couldn’t help it. I don’t think I’ve ever cried anywhere near this much before.

“No.” I said stubbornly, knowing that my tone would reassure him the most if I sounded obstinate.

“Hey… can you drive?” He asked. “No, wait, put me on speaker and get Michael in the room with you.”

By his excited tone, I could tell that he had a plan. It made my heart jump as I crawled over to Michael and sat on the wooden floor next to him, keeping the speaker phone on low. I tapped him on the shoulder, grinning like mad.

Instantly, he realized that there was talk of a plan. I was elated; my stomach was fluttering around at the prospect of finally seeing him after two entire months. Very, very, long boring, dreadful months.

Two months without kisses or waking up next to him (although he was usually called me as soon as I woke up). I can’t really begin to describe how terrible the past month had been. Without him it felt like my world was really falling to pieces.

I had to immerse myself in playing video games every second of the day and, in the process, I beat almost all of my games three or four times by now. But, in all honesty, video games were nothing compared to his calls.

“I have my dad’s credit card.” He spoke low and quietly.

“We’re bought plane tickets an hour ago.” Mina’s voice suddenly joined the conversation.

“Mina!” Michael squealed at his girlfriend’s voice. “Aww… you’re so conniving.” He told her, grinning.

“Can’t you get arrested for that?” I cried, not wanting to even think of him being locked up and being away from me for an even longer period of time.

“I’m his son – he’s not going to arrest me.” Zero said reassuringly.

“Yeah, he may hate that he’s going out with you, but he’s not going to arrest his only son.” Mina chimed in, agreeing.

“So, what do you need me to do?” Michael asked, trying to hurry the plan along, getting excited too.

“Okay, Michael, I need you to pick us up at Charlevoix Municipal Airport at…” I heard the ruffling of papers. “Five in the morning. Got it?” Zero sounded with a sense of urgency, apparently trying to instill in it Michael’s head. But of course, I wouldn’t forget even if Michael did.

This was really happening; I was really going to see Zero again.

“Nicolas?” He started. Everyone was silent as he spoke to me. “I told you I’d always come after you.”