Chapter 8
After class, Carl walked into the restroom. He had just stepped out of one of the stalls when he saw Theo washing his hands at the sink. Their eyes met through the mirror. Carl quickly averted his gaze and stepped up to the sink beside him.
Theo straightened his tie, glancing sideways at Carl. His shoes probably cost more than Theo made in a year, he thought bitterly. He looked down at his own — worn, the soles scuffed despite how many times he'd patched them up. He shifted his feet self-consciously.
Carl, on the other hand, couldn't bring himself to look at Theo again. There was a quiet tension between them, words on the edge of forming but left unsaid. He debated whether to speak, but before he could muster the courage, Theo turned and walked out of the restroom.
Carl watched his back through the mirror and sighed. That was awkward.
As he turned to leave, something caught his eye — a small leather pouch sitting near the sink. He recognized it immediately. He'd seen Theo carrying it before. He must have forgotten it.
Just then, the closing bell rang.
Carl grabbed the pouch and rushed out, hoping to catch up to Theo — but at the corridor, he ran right into Valerie and Gina.
"What took you so long, boy?" Gina teased.
"Have you seen Theo?" Carl asked, slightly out of breath.
"The scholarship boy?" Gina raised an eyebrow.
"G," Valerie chided.
"What? I get to know people better by giving them nicknames," Gina said with a grin.
Carl ignored the banter and ran off toward their classroom. But when he got there, Theo's seat was empty. His bag was gone.
Valerie and Gina caught up to him. "Did you find him?" Valerie asked, breathing lightly.
"No," Carl muttered.
"Why don't you ask them?" Gina pointed toward two girls sitting at the back of the class, deep in conversation.
Carl hesitated.
Gina rolled her eyes and marched over herself. "Hey, girls, have you seen Theo?"
"Yeah," said the girl with glasses. "He went home already."
"Thanks," Gina smiled.
"You're welcome," the girl replied.
"Looks like your boy already left," Gina said, turning to Carl.
Carl simply nodded. He walked to his seat and began packing his things.
"Come on, we're going to the arcade," Valerie said, grabbing his arm.
Carl pulled away. "I'm sorry, but I'm busy."
"Hey, she wasn't asking," Gina said, narrowing her eyes. "And we need a ride."
Carl didn't respond. He just picked up his bag and walked out of the classroom.
But the girls followed.
As they reached the parking lot, Carl headed straight for his car. Gina rushed ahead and opened the back door, sliding inside without asking. "What the hell is wrong with you?" she said. "We're trying to be nice!"
She gestured for Valerie to join her. Valerie gave Carl a small smile and slipped in beside her.
Carl sighed heavily and climbed into the front seat.
"To the arcade," Gina announced to the driver.
The driver looked at Carl through the rearview mirror.
Carl gave a small nod.
And they drove off.
---
The arcade was alive with flashing lights and the hum of excitement. Kids and teens darted around the rows of game machines, laughter echoing from every corner. Carl stood stiffly near the entrance, arms crossed, watching Valerie and Gina bounce from one game to another like kids on a sugar high.
"Come on, Carl!" Gina called, waving him over to the basketball shootout.
"I'll just watch," Carl replied, leaning against the wall.
"Oh no, you won't," Valerie said, grabbing his wrist. "You're not escaping this. You're with us now."
They dragged him from machine to machine. Carl noticed something — they kept insisting that he'd pay for everything, yet they always beat him to it. Tokens, snacks, even silly toys from the prize booth — they paid without hesitation.
He started to realize… they weren't with him for his money.
At the racing game — the kind where you actually sat in a plastic car with a steering wheel — Gina turned to him with a mischievous grin. "Let's race."
Carl shook his head. "I'm not really—"
Valerie shoved him into the seat. "No excuses. You're driving."
He sighed but picked up the steering wheel.
Three minutes later, he'd beaten Gina by a solid mile.
Carl blinked at the screen, genuinely surprised. "I won?"
"You got lucky!" Gina groaned, yanking off her seatbelt. "Rematch!"
Carl smirked. "Didn't you accept a rematch earlier and I agreed? Seems fair."
"Don't care," she said, climbing back into the seat.
Valerie returned with snacks, handing out sodas and packets of popcorn. Gina handed Carl a chocolate bar. He hesitated — then took it. A soft "thanks" escaped his lips.
"Progress," Valerie whispered, loud enough for Gina to hear.
Later, they crowded into a photo booth, taking silly pictures — bunny ears, pouty faces, wide grins. Carl wasn't used to laughing this much, and it hit him harder than he expected.
He hadn't felt this… normal in a long time.
They left the arcade just as dusk painted the sky in shades of pink and gold.
"Let's get cake!" Valerie said, linking her arms through theirs. "My cousin told me about this bakery a few blocks down. Apparently, it's magic."
"We're coming, Mister!" Gina called to the driver waiting near Carl's car. "We're walking this time!"
The bakery smelled like heaven. Fresh buttercream, cinnamon, and something warm and sugary hung in the air. They browsed the display, eyes wide at the colorful pastries.
At the register, Valerie pulled out her card.
"No, let me," Carl said.
"You sure?" Valerie asked.
"Yeah. You've paid for everything else."
Gina grinned. "Let the rich boy pay. He's probably got a black card."
Carl chuckled. "That's true."
They went to grab a table while Carl waited for the order. As he turned back to the counter—
—his breath caught.
Theo stood there behind the register, wearing a beige employee uniform. He was typing something into the POS machine, but when his eyes landed on Carl… he froze.
Just for a second.
Then he schooled his features and handed over the tray. "Here."
"Thanks," Carl murmured, accepting it.
Theo said nothing. Their fingers brushed slightly as he handed back Carl's card. Carl's ears turned red.
He turned and walked quickly to the table.
"What took you so long?" Gina asked, biting into a red velvet cupcake.
"Nothing," Carl replied, eyes glued to the tray.
Gina noticed something. Her eyes flicked between Carl and the counter.
"Hey, isn't that the scholarship boy?" she said, squinting.
Valerie followed her gaze. "Theo?"
He was smiling softly at a customer, his expression warmer than Carl had seen all day.
"He's really handsome," Valerie said, dreamily.
Carl's face flushed.
Gina narrowed her eyes. "Carl… are you blushing?"
"No," he said too quickly.
"You so are!" She nudged Valerie. "Val, look!"
Carl sighed and stared down at his cake.
"I heard he has a girlfriend," Gina said casually.
Carl looked up. "He does?"
"Yeah," Gina replied, smirking.
Carl's eyes flicked to Theo. Their eyes met — and Carl looked away immediately.
"You like him," Valerie said quietly.
Carl didn't answer.
"Why don't you just tell him?" Gina asked.
"It's not that easy," Valerie replied before Carl could. "We don't even know if he likes guys."
"Then we find out," Gina said, already standing.
"Nope." Valerie yanked her back into her seat. "We're not causing a scene in a bakery."
By now, the sun had completely dipped below the horizon, leaving the streets bathed in gentle lamplight.
"If you like him," Valerie said softly, looking at Carl, "you should do something about it. You can't just keep staring at him forever."
Carl put down his drink. "Fine. I like him. But like you said… I don't know if he likes guys."
"Well," Gina said, "if he does, we'll know soon enough."
Her phone beeped.
She frowned. "Ugh, my sister's texting like crazy. I need to get home."
"Let's go," Valerie said, picking up her bag.
They stood and left the bakery, Carl trailing just behind.
From inside, Theo watched their backs disappear into the night — but his eyes were only on Carl.