One Thousand Paper Cranes

Chapter 2

The cafeteria had never been my favorite place. It always smelled of rotting food and the noise was almost unbearable.
I led Roman and Eliam in and the smell of fish filled my nostrils, resisting the urge to gag I grabbed a blue tray from the rack and got in line. The only good thing about the school was how fast everything went. I had gotten my food and had paid within two minutes. Eliam came out of the line after me followed by Roman who still looked depressed about something. His head was down and his shoulders sagged. It was strange seeing him in this mood. Roman was normally so jovial and perky. He wasn't like that now.

When I'd sat down I asked him about it.
"Are you alright, man?" I leaned a little closer to him. He barely lifted his head up to acknowledge me. He gave a slight grunt in answer.

"I'm embarrassed, Sam. Mr. Robb was standing there the whole time I came out." I didn't understand. Wasn't he planning on everyone knowing? I didn't ask him this though because whenever Roman was mad or upset he got really defensive. I had to be careful of what I said.

I looked over at Eliam, no real reason behind doing so. He seemed to be listening intently on what we were saying, but he didn't add anything.

"Listen, Ro." I turned my attention away from Eliam and back to Roman. "It'll get better. Mr. Robb doesn't even care. You'll be fine." It was so easy to console him and when I was done talking he seemed to lighten up a bit.

"I think it was really brave of you to come out like that. I wouldn't have been able to do it. When I came out," Eliam spoke up and I turned to him, giving him my full attention.

When he said that he had come out something in me shifted. I felt flutters on my sides and in my stomach and a smile stretched across my face.

"Wait," I stopped him. "You're gay?" I know it was probably rude and it was hypocritical of me, but I wasn't sure if I had heard him right.

"Well, yes and no. I'm bisexual. My parents sent me here after they found out. I guess they didn't realize it was an all boys school." Humor passed over his eyes and he looked directly at me, a smirk etched upon his face.

"Same thing happened with me except I'm all gay. There is not an ounce of heterosexuality in this body." Eliam laughed and it seemed like we'd come across a comfortable spot between us.

"Well, my parents don't know. I'm sure they've guessed though. All the fetus Leo Dicaprio pictures have given it away. That and my obsession with Troye Sivan." Roman said, smiling. I laughed at him, Eliam joining me. "What? He's fucking hot."
***
After lunch was a free period for all the juniors so Roman, Eliam, and I decided to hang out back at my dorm which wasn't far from the cafeteria.

The school was positioned next to a college so students going to classes would sometimes have to walk near or through Doverhall. A group of girls passed us, eyeing Eliam and whispering to each other. I walked closer to him, feeling a surge of protectiveness come over me.

Eliam smiled and I took it to mean thank you though there really wasn't anything to thank me for.

When we got up to my room Greg was pulling on his jacket and grabbing his keys. I was just about to ask where he was going but he left before I could.

"Well, that was Greg." I said to Eliam, pointing to the now shut door. Roman stared at the door longingly.

"You could tell him, you know." I told Roman. He shook his head violently, eyes wide.

"No way, Sam." He laughed. "Damn. Sometimes you're really funny."
My room was clean which was different. I silently thanked Greg for cleaning it because it would have remained a mess had it not been for him.

Roman pulled out the blue desk chair that he always sat on when he was over and Eliam and I sat on my bed. Eliam looked around at all the posters hanging on the walls. I had quite the collection of them. Destiny's Child, a musical group featuring my Queen Beyoncé, hung just above my pillow on my bed and posters from my favorite movies adorned the walls. Greg didn't have any interest in movies or music so he didn't have any of his own posters. He liked video games and books, but there wasn't anything wrong with that. He had a big, black bookshelf set up next to his closet that was filled. He even had some books and games stacked on the top of it. Eliam looked at the books, his eyes scanning the spines. I guess trying to read them.

"You've got a cool dorm." He said, not looking at me just studying the room.

"Thanks." I smiled softly and looked over at Roman. His eyebrow was perked up and his eyes had a mischievous glint to them. I rolled my eyes and he made kissy faces. I really hoped I wasn't that obvious around Eliam.

"So, where are you from?" I asked Eliam.

"Not far from here. It's a small town called Kinington." Id never heard of that place, but it sounded almost medieval. Something straight out of the Lord of the Rings.
Roman, Eliam, and I talked until we had to leave. Eliam told us that his parents had supported him in his coming out but they needed to take sometime to fully understand what he was going through and that's why they sent him to Doverhall. He'd resented them for it, but he was slowly getting over it.

"Once I realized that they just didn't really get me I couldn't be mad at them anymore. Some people just don't get what it's like and I've learned to not expect that from them." He told us, he kept his head down as if he was almost afraid of saying this, but it made perfect sense. The ignorance of others wasn't something that was easily changed.
Eliam said that he had gotten his own dorm and nobody was roomed with him. Roman was jealous and he made a point of telling us.

"Dang, man. You're fucking lucky. I've been stuck with this guy Jimmy for three years. He has a shrine of Buffy. You know who Buffy is?" He knew who Buffy was. "I mean I love that show but it hasn't taken over. But I guess some people have their things. They might be creepy things but who am I to judge?"

"Still though, I'd keep my distance from him." Eliam laughed, making a smile grow on Ro's face. We talked a little longer about things that didn't really matter. I told them about how Mr. Hender asked me if I was gay in front of the whole class and Roman tried to convince me that he just wanted to get into my pants.

"He's ancient, Ro. No way he wants me. That's just," I shivered at the thought of Mr. Hender trying to do anything to me. "Ugh!" Roman laughed and shrugged, leaning back in his chair.

"You never know, Sam. You never know." He laughed again and I shoved his arm, spinning him slightly in the chair.

"I think it was rude of him to ask." Eliam spoke up. I turned to him, his voice sounded soft and sweet, nice. "Why should it matter to him? It's not like you're sexuality affects him in anyway." God Almighty, this boy can read minds. "Unless, of course, he does want to get in your pants." It was silent for a second and then both Roman and I busted into laughter.

"Damn, I like this guy." Roman said between laughs, a huge smile stretched across his face.

"Yeah." I agreed, and this time I looked at Eliam and something passed between us. Something I couldn't quite place my finger on. It was warm and nice and it felt...right