Another Way To Love (LGBT)

XIV

The test came and went in the next few days. Cooper and I didn't talk much.

We exchanged a couple words in the halls and over text, but it was clear to me that Cooper was flipping out over this test.

I wanted to believe he did well. I really did.

But I know him. I know that it's far more likely he didn't do very well.

Tonight was the night Cooper would talk to his dad and tell him about his decision about college. He promised to text me after, so all I could do was anxiously watch movies while holding my phone in the living room.

I kept checking every few minutes, just in case I somehow missed the notification noise, but still nothing.

It was way past dinnertime. I should've heard from him by now.

Before I could start contemplating what to do next, there was suddenly a soft knock on the door. Almost like the person knocking wasn't sure they wanted to knock in the first place.

I had no proof or reason, but dread filled my gut in that moment as I made my way to the door. As I came closer, I could almost feel the tensity grow.

I opened the door.

Cooper stood in front of me, clutching his phone in one hand and his backpack in the other. He was shaking, with tears running down his cheeks and a panicked look on his face.

"Cooper—" I started in alarm, a million questions on my tongue.

But Cooper was stumbling forward and into my arms before I could say anything else. He dropped his bag and phone without a care, in favor of clutching onto me as tightly as he could. "'m sorry, 'm sorry!" He sobbed.

I felt my breath catch in my throat. "Sorry? What are you sorry for?"

"F-For- for—" Cooper heaved, shaking his head a little in the crook of my shoulder. "Please keep being my friend, Gary. I don't know what to do on my own. Please. I'm sorry, I'm sorry for everything, please don't leave me, please help me—"

My arms were already moving to hug him back on pure instinct. "What? Cooper, that's not- Cooper, I don't care what happens, okay? I don't care what either of us does. We're friends for life."

Cooper's cries only grew louder at my words, and I found myself swallowing down a lump in my throat.

I awkwardly shut the door with my elbow before leading Cooper over to the couch. I couldn't help being relieved that Monica was out for the night. Cooper hated crying in front of people. He didn't need an audience.

"What happened?" I asked.

Cooper took a second to try to calm himself, gnawing down on his bottom lip as he wiped at his face with his hands. "I...I got a C on the test. I-I thought...you know, it's not great but...but it's better than usual, you know?"

"I think that's pretty damn good, considering you studied by yourself." I said.

Cooper sniffed. "I thought so too. I went home and during dinner I...I told my dad I wasn't gonna go to college..."

He trailed off into silence, and I suddenly felt sick as I urged him to continue. "...And?"

Fresh tears filled Cooper's eyes. "He lost it, Gary." He started in a whisper. "More than I've ever seen. He wouldn't stop screaming. I think—" Cooper hiccupped. "I think he hates me."

"He does not." I protested in an instant. "Come on, Cooper."

"He called me defective." Cooper confessed softly, turning to meet my eyes. I flinched at the emptiness. "And I got mad and said I was gonna stay over here tonight...and then he said that I might as well not bother coming back at all." Cooper broke out into watery chuckles that quickly began to turn into genuine sobs once more. "Now I don't know what to do."