Page 102 of Theoretically Straight

I try.

Caleb

:P have you heard anything from Sienna?

nevermind, we don’t have to talk about it.

Theo

not yet. Maybe i should have gone to church today so I could talk to her.

Caleb

playing hooky is much more fun.

Theo

it would be way more fun with you.

Caleb

careful what you wish for :)

Theo

what?

???

Caleb?

* * *

I knock on Theo’s front door, waving over my shoulder to Lola at the end of the driveway. She agreed the very second I asked her to drive me over this morning. We’ve already discussed that she’ll be back before noon, just to make sure that Theo’s parents won’t make it home before she picks me up.

After a minute or so, it swings open, a girl with multicolored hair and a nose ring standing there with a raised eyebrow.

“Oh, hi. You’re Grace.”

The girl smirks, nodding. “And you’ve got some balls, kid. Does Theo know you’re here?”

“No. I knew he’d tell me not to risk it if I told him.”

“Smart move.” She steps to the side, sweeping her arm to usher me inside. “Well, come on in, Caleb. He’s upstairs, hiding under the covers. Do me a favor and try to cheer him up, okay? I’ve got to head to work this afternoon, and I don’t want him left alone like this.”

“I’ll do my best,” I say as she leads me to the bottom of the stairs. “Thank you. For looking after him, I mean. He told me it was a rough night.”

Grace grunts, then rests her chin on the handrail, looking up at me. “Yeah, we stayed up pretty late talking things through. He’s got it pretty bad for you, dude. Just a fair warning.”

“Oh, um.” I clear my throat, a subtle heat building in my cheeks. “I feel the same way about him, to be honest.”

She studies me for a moment. Her features are eerily familiar to me, even though I’ve never actually seen her in person, and for a split second, it feels like Theo’s eyes are staring at me. But then she blinks, and I exhale, and she says, “Okay, you pass the vibe check. Carry on, dude.”

“Thanks,” I say because nothing else really seems appropriate. At the top of the stairs, the hallway is dark, but I spot the door to Theo’s room cracked open, a sliver of green light spilling out onto the floor. Muffled vocals drift from within, along with a percussive piano melody. The song sounds familiar–he’s probably played it in the car for me before–but melancholy. I reach for the doorknob but hesitate, instead rapping my knuckle against the door.

“Grace, I already told you I’m not hungry.”

I push the door open, letting the green light wash over me. “That’s a first.”

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