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“Dad I left a message with Amy for you” Tan walks to his father’s car after school
“I know”
“Then why are you here?”
“Because I don’t care, it’s time to go home.”
“I care! This isn’t your life dad and I may just be a kid to you but I have responsibilities believe it or not.” Tan raises his voice as his father is about to get back in the car. Scott turns back around “I don’t know why you and mom want to ruin my life but I have one and I’m trying to live it. I go to school, I get decent grades, I’m head of the freaking yearbook committee dad! Me! But you don’t see any of that. Tanner’s late all hell breaks loose, Tanner’s not home watching us fight all night, what madness!” It was obvious Tan’s had enough “I’m going to go to my yearbook meeting then hanging out with my friend after, if that’s not ok with you then you’re gonna have to physically get me in that car dad, and I can promise you it won’t happen quietly.”
Scott stares at his son standing up for himself “home by 9” he couldn’t say no
“Thank you.”
Scott walks around getting in his car and driving away. Turning around Tan sees Erica and Ronnie standing behind him “that was amazing!” Ronnie says and the girls laugh as they walk to Tan hugging him
“Good for you standing up to him!”
“Thanks. Where’s Lin?”
“She went home” Ronnie replies “I’m gonna head out too” she walks away “have fun at your yearbook meeting” she turns around saying as she’s walking “and you” Ronnie points to Tan “have fun later” she smiles.
Erica and Tan walk inside the school going to their meeting.
“Hey are you ready to go?” Sven walks in with his gym bag coming from practice
Tan grabs his bag and jacket “text me when you get home?” Erica says to Tan
“Will do” Tan walks to Sven smiling “how was practice?” They walk out of the door as everyone else packs up to leave.
“Good we’re ready for Friday” they walk to the parking lot exit side by side “sorry if I smell, we’re heading to my house so I can shower”
Tan’s mind wonders as soon as Sven says they’re going to his house, Tan has dreamed of being with Sven at his house alone only a thousand times. “Sounds good” Tan smile and they climb in Sven’s car. “So about your party on Friday night”
“Yeah, I told a few people after I told you, the teams are interested and I invited a bunch of other people. I’m thinking beer, Josh said he’ll DJ, and move all my furniture to the basement.”
“And you’re parents are completely ok with this?”
“No of course not, the game this Friday is the same day as their anniversary. My parents always celebrate their anniversary weekend so they’ll be gone all weekend which means I’m having a party.”
“You’re so lucky” Tan turns and gazes at him as he drives “so where exactly do I come in?”
“I need your help to make sure everything goes smoothly” Tan isn’t sure how exactly he’s supposed to help but Sven says he needs him and Tan isn’t going to say no.
They get to Sven’s house and Sven unlocks the door opening it for Tan to walk in first he follows in after. “Just like I remembered it” Tan stands looking around and Sven drops his bag “remember when we were 14 and you had your birthday party in the backyard”
“Oh yeah!” Sven laughs “Erin McCarthy almost died in the pool because no one knew she couldn’t swim”
“The whole party ended early thanks a lot Erin McCarthy” they both laugh.
They hang out and Sven was doing a good job of taking Tan’s mind off of Harris without even knowing it. They eat together and play video games on Sven’s couch like when they were 14 until Sven’s dad came home from work.
“I had so much fun” Tan sits in the passenger seat as Sven drives him home
“Yeah because you cheated at assassins”
“I don’t cheat! And I told you just because we’re not 14 anymore doesn’t mean I forgot everything”
“No, you didn’t” They exchange a quick look and smile.
“Did you?”
Sven shakes his head no “I remember everything about 9th grade Tanner. You used to dye your hair all those crazy colors that drove Principal Taylor mad.” Tan can’t believe that Sven remembers after all those years they spent becoming their own person and not really talking to each other anymore. Tan’s always had feelings for Sven but for a while there he started to doubt them, until now.
“We should hang out more, I forgot how fun you were,” Sven says walking Tan to his door.
“Well we are throwing a party on Friday so I’d say we have plenty of time to hang then”
“True” they both grin to each other and the more Tan stares at Sven’s perfect lips and teeth the more he falls in love. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” Sven says before walking away.
As he’s walking away Tan calls him “hey?” Sven turns. Sven waits for Tan to say something and all Tan wants to do is open his mouth and tell Sven how much he likes him, but instead, he says “I got you the full page”
“Erica told me, thanks Tan it means a lot”
“What are friends for, right?”
Tan turns about to unlock his door and Sven says “you know I remember another thing about the night of my birthday party. Your parents were fighting and I snuck you back into my house after everyone left. I remember you saying how much fun it was to be normal for a day.”
“I forgot about that part” Tan lies to Sven “thanks again for tonight” he remembers everything they’ve ever done together.
“Good night”
“Good night” Sven walks away and Tan walks into his house.
The next morning after getting ready Tan tears his room apart looking for his camera to take pictures of Tommy at lunch but he can’t find it. Throwing things around Tan gets upset “stop throwing shit it’s 8 in the morning” Shiela walks to Tan’s room.
“Where’s my camera?” Tan turns to her
“You mean the 600 dollar DSLR your father and I got you for your birthday?”
Tan rolls his eyes “yes Shiela that camera, where is it?”
“Well your father and I took it and we’re gonna-“
“Why?!” Tan barks
“We’re gonna keep taking things until you learn, starting with the camera, next your computer, and very soon your cell phone.” Tan turns red with anger ready to lose it on his mother “you think it’s ok to sneak out and stay out all night, weekends even! Like this family has no rules!”
“ARE WE A FUCKING FAMILY SHIELA? BECAUSE IT DOESN’T FEEL LIKE IT!” Tan yells.
Grabbing his bag Tan storms past her ready to leave for school “watch how you fucking talk to me!” She follows behind him
Tan turns back around laughing angrily “am I dad when he’s not around? Do you fight with everybody? People must hate you at work” he continues to walk but remembers she drives him to school now so he turns to her again “are you ready to go?”
Getting her purse and keys his mom says “actually I think you’re walking today, maybe it’ll clear your mind and you’ll figure out how to talk to people”
“Oh my god thank you so much” Tan walks out of the house not wanting to hear anything else.
After an angry walk and bus ride to school Tan walks into the building as everyone walks around getting ready to go to class. Going to his locker where Lin’s waiting “hola me burrito” she greets him and hands him the coffee she brought him
“How’s Spanish going Lin?” He asks sarcastically coming off a little mean “sorry” he sighs. “Got in a fight with Shiela this morning”
“Oh no” Lin reacts and Tan drinks his coffee
“Yeah and guess what? They’re taking all my shit, now I don’t have a camera to take pictures of Tommy later”
“Just borrow Erica’s and-“
“Borrow Erica’s what?” She asks walking up to them
“I was just telling Tan to borrow your camera because his parents took his”
Erica turns to him “why?”
“Because they hate me and they suck” Tan sits on the floor resting his back against the lockers upset and ready to give up
“Tell us how to help” the girls sit next to him
Tan gets sadder and sadder knowing nothing could help “I don’t know I just need a minute before class if you guys don’t mind”
“Now you know I don’t believe in that shit,” Erica says
And Lin taps her “Erica shut up!”
“Let me finish! I don’t believe in leaving anyone alone when they’re sad” Erica hands Tan her camera “but I love you so I’ll leave you alone, only for a minute! Then we’re getting you over this shit, I don’t know how but we’re gonna do it” they hug Tan and get up.
“We’re gonna go find Ronnie, we’ll see you later?” Lin asks and Tan nods agreeing and the girls walk away.
Sitting in the hall as it clears Tan thinks himself into sadness, he thinks about Harris and how he’d much rather be with him right now than here. He misses Harris so much and it takes so much out of him not to call or text because all he wants is to talk and be held by Harris.
Walking from the opposite side of the hallway going to class after spending his morning getting his pictures taken by Erica, Sven sees Tan on the floor sad and he wants to go talk to him but doesn’t know how.
Lost in his thoughts Tan feels something taps his leg and looks over to see a basketball next to him, looking over he sees Sven standing away from him smiling “didn’t know if it was safe to approach”
“It is” Tan smiles and Sven walks to him.
“Not gonna ask if you’re ok because I know you’re not and you’ll just lie, so instead I’ll ask what’s wrong?” He sits next to Tan
Tan’s ever only told Harris how his parents make him feel so he doesn’t know if he should tell Sven everything, or just the version he’s been telling everyone else, but Sven’s not everyone else. “My parents think I’m just some loser who never comes home and disrespects them, they never stop fighting and I’m pretty sure I’m becoming them.”
“Sometimes I think if I don’t get a scholarship and play college basketball like my brother, my parents will think I’m a disappointment, it’s not like I got my grades to fall back on, you know?”
Tan turns to him “but you know you’re more than basketball right?”
“And you know you’re not your parents right?”
Tan smiles looking away “touché”
“You’re not some loser Tan and if your parents can’t see how smart and funny you are then they’re the losers. I just called your parents losers sorry” they laugh
Tan doesn’t know how he does it but somehow Sven always makes him feel better, they sit next to each other until Tan hears the sound of cheap heels. “oh shit Principal Taylor’s coming!” Tan shoves Sven and they quickly get off the floor
“Do you two want detention?” She walks up to them
“No ma’am” both answer simultaneously
“Then get to class!” She barks and continues walking “that’s your second strike, Mr. Beck!” She disappears into the next hallway.
Tan and Sven both look at each other and laugh “she has it out for me right?” Sven asks as they walk
“Probably both of us she hates me too” Tan and Sven walk each other to class.
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