Page 31 of The Other Half

I sit down in art and stare at the door, waiting for Oakley to walk in. I spot her as she walks in, she looks beautiful as always, but she doesn’t look as cheerful as she usually does. She sits down in the seat next to me and gives me a small smile.

“You okay?” I ask.

“Yeah, just stressed,” she sighs. “I have a test in my next class. And my mom found the joint we smoked the other night in my pocket.”

Damn it, I completely forgot she was still holding onto it. “Fuck. I’m sorry, did you get in trouble?”

She shakes her head again. “Not really, I just feel like now she won’t trust me as much.”

I need to be more careful, I don’t want to be the reason she gets in trouble with her parents. My parents know I smoke weed, and they don’t really care, but I imagine hers wouldn’t be as cool about stuff like that. “Do your parents know we’re together?” I think I already know the answer, but I’m curious.

“No, I haven’t told them yet.”

I nod slowly. “Are you going to?”

She bites her lip and looks around the room. “I want to. They’re going to want to meet you, of course. Would you be okay with that?”

“Would you?” I ask honestly.

“Of course.” I can tell she’s lying by the way she’s nervously playing with her hair.

“I know I’m not the type of guy your parents want you to date, Oakley. I’m not blind.” Her expression suddenly looks deflated, like I’ve hurt her feelings. I’m not trying to, but I don’t want to ignore the obvious.

“They’d really like you if they got to know you.”

I think they’d probably like me less if they got to know me. “I don’t want our relationship to be a secret.” She looks down at her desk with a frown. I feel shitty now, it’s not her fault her parents are dicks, and yet I keep making her feel bad about it. “It’s fine, you should tell them whenever it feels right. I was just curious.”

She meets my eyes again. “I’m sorry that it’s like this.”

I reach out to grab her hand and squeeze it. “Don’t be.” She gives me a quick smile, but I can tell she wishes I hadn’t brought up the subject at all. I expect her to say something else, but instead she drops the subject entirely and doesn’t say much for the rest of the class.

Chapter 27

Oakley

Behind Oliver’s house is a big hill, or a small mountain really. The dirt road doesn’t go all the way to the top, but several people have bushwhacked enough times through the trees and weeds that there’s a narrow trail leading up to the precipice. Up here there’s a large boulder that hangs over the edge of the mountain. I sit down on it and hang my legs over the edge, swinging them freely. I look out over the horizon, there are only a few twinkling lights illuminating from cars and houses down below, it’s almost pitch black.

“It’s pretty,” I say. He’s never brought me up here before at night, only during the day. It looks way different now. When it’s light out you can see most of the town, and a nice view of some surrounding mountains.

Oliver sits down next to me and grips my thigh protectively. “Yeah, it is.” He shuts off his flashlight and it’s suddenly so dark that it’s a bit alarming and I startle.

He laughs softly. “It’s okay,” he says as he lays down on his back and folds his arms behind his head. “Come here,” he whispers.

I do what he says, and lay my head on his warm chest. It’s November now, so it’s pretty cold, but we’re bundled up in layers of jackets and scarves, and he let me borrow his little brother’s toboggan. Even still I feel the nippy mountain air biting at my nose.

“Look up,” he says, reaching his arm out and pointing towards the sky.

The stars are so bright, so vibrant, that it feels like I’m floating in space. I can make out the different constellations and even see splotches of light that form the milky way. The sky looks nothing like this from my balcony at night, probably due to all of the light pollution from the streetlights on every corner.

“Wow,” I mutter.

We lay there in silence for a few minutes, taking in the view. I close my eyes and revel in the feeling of the warmth of his body pressed against mine, and the faint sound of his heartbeat.

“What are your plans next year?” he asks. I pop my eyes open, a little caught off guard, as I wasn’t expecting the question. Somehow we haven’t broached this topic yet.

“Well,” I start, clearing my throat. “The plan is to go to Angelwood University. If I get in,” I reply softly. The words feel sour as they leave my mouth.

He pauses for a second. “Is that what you want to do?”

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