They had inched closer to going further over the break, which helped eased Ricky’s concerns, because when messing around that way, Diego was actually doing something to him. So their romantic encounters didn’t feel as one-sided. And even though it was just foreplay, getting touched by him so intimately was hot hot hot!
“Have you even done it in your car?” Ricky asked.
Diego grinned at the idea. “Not yet.” He glanced down at himself. “Although I don’t think I can wait. Let’s lock ourselves in a bathroom stall.”
“No way!” Ricky said with a titter. “I’m not that kind of girl!”
“Not yet, but I’ll wear you down.”
“You wear me out!” Ricky said, pushing against his chest so he’d back off, because he had lost control of himself and the bell was going to ring at any moment. Mr. Freeze, the Riddler, uhhh…
“Look! I told you so!”
Graham Fowler’s voice was the cold shower he needed, but when he looked over and saw that Coach Henshaw was with him, it was more like a bucket of ice.
“Oh, for Christ’s sake!” their coach said before shielding his eyes. “What the hell are you doing?”
“Getting changed,” Ricky said, turning toward his locker. “We’ll be right there.”
“Like hell you will!” Coach Henshaw snarled. “Get dressed. In your normal clothes. Actually… Fowler, go lead everyone through the warm-up exercises. And if I’m not back by then, start picking teams.”
“You’ve got it, Coach!” Graham said before he turned to them with a victorious sneer.
Ricky barely noticed. He was too concerned that Diego would do something crazy, or start mouthing off, but he was standing there with his fists clenching at his sides as he stared Graham down.
“Gomez!” Coach Henshaw barked. “Take your clothes and get dressed somewhere else. The next aisle over, I guess. Jesus fucking Christ!”
Diego didn’t move.
Coach Henshaw’s face turned burgundy. “Did you hear me?”
“It’s okay,” Ricky said, grabbing his pile of neatly folded clothes. “I’ll go.”
He rushed to the next aisle while listening.
“Are you gonna stand there and watch?” he heard Diego grumble.
“I don’t know where we went wrong,” Coach Henshaw replied. “You were one helluva linebacker. Now look at you. Pathetic!”
Ricky tensed. Then he hurried to finish getting dressed and rejoined them. Diego had jeans on and was pulling on a shirt. Coach Henshaw was pinching the bridge of his nose while shaking his head.
“What’s the big deal?” Ricky asked. “If you’d caught a guy and a girl kissing before class, would they be in trouble?”
Coach Henshaw glared at him. “There’s a reason we keep the boys and girls separate. That should’ve been enough. I never thought…” He shook his head in disgust. “Get the rest of your things. Hurry up, Gomez!”
“Yeah, yeah,” Diego said.
Coach Henshaw led them down the halls to the principal’s office, which felt like a death march. Ricky had never needed to go there before. Not since moving here, and never back in Colorado. He didn’t care about getting detention. All he could think of was how his mother would react.
“Can’t you just change my locker to a different aisle?” Ricky tried.
“What happens to you now isn’t up to me,” Coach Henshaw replied. Under his breath, he added, “Thank god.”
Ricky glanced over at Diego, expecting to see the fear he felt reflected back at him, but his boyfriend’s face was impassive, as if he didn’t care in the slightest. Once in the office, they were told to sit on opposite sides of the waiting area. As soon as Coach Henshaw went to speak with Principal Preckwinkle, Diego got up and sat right next to Ricky.
“Excuse me,” the secretary said. “Weren’t you told to stay away from each other?”
“It’s okay,” Diego assured her. “We’ve already kissed and made up.”
Ricky snorted. He couldn’t help it.
The secretary narrowed her eyes, but when the phone rang, she shrugged and answered it, only glancing at them occasionally.
“What’s going to happen?” Ricky murmured out of the side of his mouth. “Do you think they’ll call our parents?”
“Definitely,” Diego said. “Which is dumb, because we didn’t get to do anything.” He glanced over at him. “But if you ask to use the restroom, and then I go a few minutes later…”
“Would you stop?” Ricky said with a snicker.
The secretary raised an eyebrow at this. He smiled at her reassuringly. Diego was right. What had they done wrong exactly? Did the coach even see them kiss? Yeah, they were dating, but that wasn’t a crime. There weren’t school rules about such things. Probably. And if there was, they’d listen to a lecture and promise to be good.
Ricky became increasingly eager to explain himself to the principal, but the chance never came. Coach Henshaw reappeared and barely acknowledged them before he left the office. Then they waited. Half an hour at least. Ricky was watching the minute hand of the clock, certain they would be sent to their next period once the bell rang. The principal wouldn’t want them to miss class, he figured.
Five minutes before that happened, his mother breezed into the office. She looked him over with concern that shifted to displeasure when she eyed Diego. Then she turned to the secretary and introduced herself in formal tones.
“Principal Preckwinkle,” the secretary said when picking up her phone. “Dr. Nishikawa is here to see you.”
“What happened?” his mother asked during this.
“Nothing!” Ricky told her. “We were only—”
“Right this way,” the secretary said before leading his mother down the hall.
“Let’s make a break for it,” Diego said when they were alone.
Ricky sighed. “This isn’t funny.”
“I’m not kidding.”
He shook his head and tried to think. How could he get through this while still being allowed to see Diego? Nothing else mattered to him.
“Do you think your mom will be here soon?” Ricky asked.
Diego snorted. “She won’t show up. She never does.”
Ricky wanted to take his hand to comfort him, but considering the circumstances... Actually, he didn’t care anymore. The secret was out. He put his hand over Diego’s, but his boyfriend didn’t react, so Ricky wrapped himself around his arm instead. He heard Diego breathe out and could feel him relax. Although he tensed again when the secretary’s phone buzzed and she picked it up.
“Principal Preckwinkle would like to see you both,” she announced, her eyes a little wide at what she saw.
“Let’s get this over with,” Diego said as he stood.
Ricky followed along behind him since he seemed to know the way. They walked into a smaller office. Principal Preckwinkle did not look pleased. His mother’s expression was difficult to read as she turned her chair sidewise, so she could see them better. Only one chair remained empty in front of the principal’s desk, where Mrs. Gomez should be sitting. They were expected to stand, it would seem.