For Research Purposes | ✔

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

     They're standing outside in the parking lot waiting for Sage's mom, who always runs late. Sage had texted her when they'd gotten two stops away to let her know he'd be there soon and she'd wrote back, okay I'm almost done at the grocery store!

     In a way, it's his fault. He kind of left it to this morning to tell her Sam was joining them for their break again, mainly because he didn't want to be aggressively attacked by his family in the group chat, which is exactly what happened.

     It went like this:

     Sage: sam's coming for Christmas
     Mom: coming when?
     Sage: Today? With me?

     Mom: wat!!

     Dad: Why is Sam coming over for Christmas? He's not celebrating it with his family?
     Calla: I don't think he celebrates it dad
     Sage: he's muslim and his family doesn't live here
     Dad: Be honest

     Dad: Is Sam your boyfriend?
     Sage: don't start
     Calla: he def is

     Mom: heads up woulda been nice, sage there's no food in the house
     Dad: I'm noting that you have not denied Sam being your boyfriend.

     Sage: I'm leaving this conversation
     Sage: our train gets in at 2 someone pick us up ty

     So this is what Sage is walking into. He's not exactly sure how he's going to look his family in the face and say no, Sam and I are not dating. Which they aren't. It's not like it's a lie. But it feels like a lie, and that's the problem. Because Sage has never been very good at lying to his family.

     While train pick up would normally fall on his dad, he's at the mall with Calla doing some last minute shopping because he always leaves it to the last minute and shopping is Calla's second language so his mom's getting them.

     Sage is standing on the sidewalk beside Sam thinking as they wait that he really didn't think this through. At the time he'd felt bad about Sam spending the holiday alone but had also felt like he didn't want to spend the holiday away from him, either. Maybe it would've been better for them if he did because

     Sam asks as if he's reading Sage's mind, "Did you tell your parents about us?"

     His mouth goes dry. Should he have? He didn't think there was anything to tell. There isn't anything to tell, he knows that and that thought annoys him.

     "No, why would I?" he asks and that's a bit pointed. He doesn't mean for it to come out so harshly. He wishes there was something to tell but, at present, telling his family that he and Sam are fuck buddies offers very little appeal.

     Sam's stance goes rigid and he mutters, "Just wondering what I'm walking into."

     "They don't know anything," Sage says quietly.

     Not true. He knows they know how he feels, that they've seen right through him. And he thinks how is he supposed to hide that now that he's fucking around with Sam? It feels like he's wearing a sign around his neck that says I love this boy. He wonders how it's not completely obvious to Sam.

     He's about to text his mom for an ETA when her car comes flying into the parking lot. For whatever reason she does a lap around the parked cars before she swings to the front and pulls up to the curb. "My mom kind of drives like a maniac," he says glancing at Sam. It's the New York in her.