A Good Enough Reason (4 page)

Ellis started to work on a list of what they needed to do. The list was still fairly short when the door opened, and Ellis looked up to see Dale walk in.

Anger swelled in Ellis’s mind when he finally realized why Dale was late. It was obvious. Dale’s hair was mussed, his lips were swollen, and he had a hickey the size of Texas just above the collar of his T-shirt.

Ellis narrowed his eyes at him and put his pen down.

“Hey, sorry I’m late.”

“Yeah, I noticed.” Ellis made a show of looking at his watch. “You’re nearly an hour late.”

Dale grimaced. “I’m sorry.” He sat next to Ellis and leaned toward him to read the list, but Ellis slammed his notebook shut.

“You’re one hour late to work on a project that’s worth 20 percent of our final grade because you’d rather spend the time we need to work on it sucking face with your girlfriend, and I shouldn’t be angry? You think I should just—just forget about it?” Ellis realized his voice was rising and clamped his lips together.

“I get what you’re saying, and I apologized. What more do you want from me?”

Ellis took a deep breath. It wouldn’t do any good for him to start yelling in the middle of the library. “You can shove your apologies where the sun don’t shine,” he hissed.

Dale’s eyes widened. “What?”

“You heard me. If you’re not going to be serious about this, I’ll ask Mr. Shea to work on the assignment alone. You might not care about getting a good grade or even need it, but I do, and I won’t let you pull me down with you.”

Dale held his hands up in surrender. “Okay, okay. It won’t happen again, I swear.”

Ellis gave Dale a nod. “Good.” He opened his notebook and flipped to the right page.

Dale chuckled. “I’d never have thought you could be so fierce. You’re always so quiet and calm.”

“I care about my grades.”

“I noticed.”

“Are you ready to get to work?”

Dale rolled his eyes, and Ellis almost smiled. Almost.

While Dale was busy opening his bag and gathering whatever he needed from it, Ellis looked around the room to check if they’d bothered anyone. Luckily for him, the dragon lady wasn’t anywhere in sight and the few other students were busy with their work. It looked like no one had been disturbed.

“So, what do you have?”

Ellis looked at Dale. “What
I
have for now is a partial list of things we need to do, like deciding on a regular schedule to meet and
following
it.”

“Is that sarcasm I hear in your voice?”

“You think?”

“Aww, don’t be that way. I swore I wouldn’t do it again.”

“I might forgive you if you stick to the schedule from now on. Maybe.”

“I’ll do my best, but what if something happens?”

“Like what? What if your girlfriend suddenly needs a good make-out session?”

Dale laughed. “You’re feisty. I like it.”

“I’m surprised you know what feisty means.”

“Yeah, well, I’m not in AP English for nothing. I meant what if something serious happens? I have a little sister, and my mom often travels for work, so I’m the one taking care of Alicia.”

“I’ll give you my phone number, and you’ll give me yours, so we can stay in touch.”

Dale beamed and promptly reached for his jeans pocket.

“I didn’t mean right now,” Ellis pointed out, “but okay.”

Dale rattled off his number, and Ellis wrote it down on his notebook before giving Dale his. “Now, if we’re done being all friendly, can we get to the reason why we’re here?”

“Sure, boss. Shoot.”

“If you’re still convinced you want to pick that particular topic—” Dale nodded, so Ellis continued. “—we’ll need to find out what the school policy on same-sex couples is. I’ve never actually thought about it, and I’m not sure who we could ask, but we need to find out.”

“That way you can attend prom with a date.”

Ellis scowled. “I won’t be going to prom, but thank you so much for thinking about me.”

“What? Why? Is it because your boyfriend left?”

“What?”

“Your boyfriend. You know, the guy you were always hanging around with.”

Ellis pressed his lips together, but a small giggle still escaped. “Matt was never my boyfriend. He’s my best friend.”

“Oh. So you two were never together?”

Ellis shook his head. “No, not really.”

“Then why don’t you want to go?”

“Apart from the fact that I don’t find dances interesting, how many gay guys do you know in school?”

“Well, you.”

“Yeah, and I don’t want to go stag, so I’ll be staying home, thank you very much.”

“You can’t decide that now! We’re still months away from prom!”

“I don’t think much will change in a handful of months.”

“I’ll find you a date.”

“What?”

“I’ll find you a date.”

“No, thank you.”

“Oh come on. Or are you scared? It would be the perfect way to show you really believe in what you’re going to say in the assignment.”

“Are you even thinking of how you could do it? Are you going to ask every guy in school or maybe make an announcement in the school newspaper?” Ellis frowned. He could see Dale doing exactly that. “Please, don’t.”

“Aww, but it would be such a good piece.
Sexy senior needs gay date for prom. Date has to be reasonably cute and able to keep up a conversation on books. Only serious offers.
”

Ellis couldn’t believe it. “Please don’t do it!”

“Shhh!”

Ellis turned to see that the dragon lady had returned. He nodded in apology and looked at Dale again. “You won’t do it. I… I forbid it!” he hissed.

Dale smiled and patted Ellis’s hand. “Don’t worry so much, Ellis. I’d never do it.”

Ellis didn’t know why, but he wasn’t overly reassured by Dale’s words.

ELLIS’S LIPS
broke into a wide smile when he saw who was calling. He grabbed the phone from his nightstand and answered, forgetting everything about his homework.

“Matty!”

“Aww, don’t call me that, El. You know I hate it.”

“It’s been your nickname for the past ten years. It’s not going to change now.”

“Can’t you settle on Matt like everyone else?”

“Nope. As your oldest and only BFF, I’ve earned the right to call you Matty.”

“That’s your last word?”

“Yup.”

“Okay, then, Ely-Boo.”

Ellis gaped. “You wouldn’t.”

Matt tsked. “You know me better than that, Ely-Boo.”

“Okay, okay. You win. No Matty, and more importantly, no Ely-Boo.”

Matt’s laughter felt like coming home for Ellis, even though Matt was on the other side of a cell phone, hundreds of miles away. Matt was too far for anything better, and Ellis had learned to deal with it and appreciate the little they could have. “So, anything new?”

“Ahhh, no, not really. Home, school, everything’s the same.” Matt sighed. “Things were never this boring with you around.”

“No boyfriend in view?”

“El, I live in Texas now. I don’t think anyone even knows I’m gay, let alone wants to be my boyfriend.”

“Any crushes, then?”

“Nope. It’s a pity, because I thought I’d meet some hot cowboy when I moved here, but they’re all so painfully straight. What about you?”

“Same, apart from the fact I’m stuck working on a gay rights project with Dale Stephens.”

“What?”

“It’s an AP English project, and Dale was actually the one who chose the topic. We have to write an argumentative essay and each try to convince the class to support our views. I’m the pro, and he’s the con.”

“So what? He’s against gay rights?”

“Actually, no. He said he’d take the cons only because it’s so obvious I’m gay.”

“He
what
? Are you sure you’re not joking, El?”

“I’m not. He’s… not so bad, I guess.”

“Are you sure we’re talking about the same Dale Stephens?”

“Why? Is there more than one in school?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Then we are.”

“But… why?” Matt sounded flabbergasted. “Did I miss something? Trust one of the hottest guys in school to come out of the closet only after I moved all the way down to Texas.”

“He didn’t come out, Matt. He even has a girlfriend now.”

“Yeah? Who?”

“Stephanie Walker.”

“Mmm, short, dark curly hair, always wears purple?”

“Yeah, her.”

“I guess I can see the appeal.”

“Please. You’re as gay as I am.”

“It doesn’t mean I don’t have eyes or that I live under a rock. I remember she was nice.”

“Still is.”

“Anyway. Why did Dale choose that topic?”

Ellis shrugged, though he knew Matt couldn’t see him. “He said one of his cousins is gay and couldn’t go to the prom with his boyfriend. Dale thinks it’s not fair.”

“Well, it’s not.”

“No, but you have to admit, not a lot of straight guys would agree on that, let alone try to do something about it. Oh, and you haven’t heard the best part of this yet.”

“What? He offered you a foot massage?”

“Nope. First he asked me if I didn’t want to go to prom because my boyfriend left.”

“Huh?”

“He thought
you
were my boyfriend, Matt.”

“Oh, eww. No offense, El, but it would be like going out with my brother.”

“I know, right? That’s what I told Dale, so he decided he’s going to find me a date for prom.”

“Seriously?”

“That’s what he said.”

“How is he going to do it? Put an announcement in the school paper?”

Ellis scowled at the wall since he couldn’t scowl at Matt. “What the heck? That’s what he said he was going to do.”

Matt laughed. “Really? What can I say? Great minds think alike.”

“Actually I was the one who suggested it, but it was sarcasm. I’m not sure he understood that bit, though, so now I’m scared to even look at the paper.”

“Gosh, I wish I was still there to see this.”

“I’m not going to let him find me a date, Matt.”

“I wonder who he’s going to come up with. Do you know any other gay guys in school?”

“Matt! I’m not going to go anywhere with whoever Dale chooses, if he even chooses someone. He’ll probably have forgotten about this by the next time I see him.”

“Are you sure he will?”

Ellis frowned. “He better.”

“Ah, El. You should know by now not everyone does what you want.”

“I know.”

“I still think Dale is going to keep his word and find you a date. I swear to you, I’ll do everything I can to be there and see you.”

“You want to come here for prom?”

“It’s not like I’m looking forward to the one here. I’m not even sure I’ll go.”

“Why not?”

“El… I already told you I haven’t made many friends here, and I want to go to prom with my real friends, the ones I grew up with.”

“You could be my date. In a friendly kind of way, of course.”

“Oh no, you’re not getting out of this so easily, Ely-Boo.”

“Matt!”

“And I want weekly reports on what’s happening with Dale.”

“I can’t believe you’re taking his side.”

“Are you joking? I can’t wait to see this!”

Yup, Ellis was doomed.

Chapter Three

ELLIS HATED
eating in the cafeteria. He hated eating there alone even more, but he’d had no choice today. Anna was somewhere in the school making out with Rick, after Ellis had insisted he’d be fine, and he didn’t have other close friends who would sit with him at lunch. Yep, this was really a bad Friday.

He glared at his plate and pushed the broccoli around, but it didn’t help make it look more edible.

“Don’t you know you should never eat the cafeteria’s vegetables? They’re toxic.”

Ellis sighed. “What do you want, Dale?”

Ellis watched as Dale put his tray on the other side of the table, in front of Ellis, and sat down. Dale looked around and asked, “Why are you alone? Where’s the girl from the other day?”

“With her boyfriend.”

Dale grimaced. “That sucks.”

“Why are you here?”

“Because I need to eat.”

Ellis couldn’t refute that. Dale was wolfing down his french fries as if he expected someone to steal them. “But why here?”

“Why not?”

Ellis resisted the urge to strangle Dale. “You can’t hurt him,” he mumbled to himself. “You still need him to work on the English project with you.”

Dale shot him an amused glance. “You often talk to yourself?”

“I hate you.”

“Aww, thanks.” Dale stuffed another fry in his mouth, and Ellis looked around. They were drawing the attention of more than a few people in the cafeteria. Several curious glances were directed their way, half the school would know Dale had eaten with some random guy by the end of the day. Great.

“What do you want, Dale?”

Dale wiped his fingers clean with his napkin. “Can’t I be friendly without a reason?”

“Why? You never said even one word to me in the years we’ve gone to school together. Why now?”

“’Cause I like you, you moron.”

Ellis froze. “You what?”

“I like you. In a totally platonic and friendly way, of course.”

“Of course.”

“Yeah. I mean, you’re funny and smart, and we have a lot in common.”

Ellis cocked a brow. “We do? Because I’m not sure I can think of even one thing we have in common.”

Dale looked around and leaned toward Ellis. Ellis unconsciously mirrored him before he could stop himself. “I like
Harry Potter
,” Dale whispered, his eyes moving to see if anyone was listening in.

“What?”

“Your T-shirt. The other day.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah, you said you didn’t know how many people would’ve got it, but I did because I love those books.” Dale moved away.

“That’s all?”

“Aww, come on. We started talking six days ago. I’m sure there’ll be plenty of other stuff we have in common. Besides,
Harry Potter
is as good a basis for friendship as anything, if not better.”

Ellis narrowed his eyes. “Who’s your favorite character?”

“Snape, hands down.”

“Huh. Maybe you’re not so bad after all.”

“Told you so.” Dale gave Ellis a satisfied smile and started eating again.