“Oh, no,” Mom says. She puts down her phone and presses her hands against her temples. “Dammit.”

“What is it?” I ask.

“Dammit, dammit, dammit!” 

“Mom, what?”

“Oh, you know that hiring committee I’m on? I had rubrics to fill out for each interviewee, and those have to be turned in tonight. I forgot and left them on my desk.” She reaches into her purse and hands me her debit card. “You guys get dinner on me. I’ll be back as soon as I can. Aiden, just order me whatever you get. Get it to go. I’m sorry.” She rushes out of Hacienda.

“What’s your mom do?” Mateo asks.

“She works at a children’s advocacy place.”

“That’s cool.”

Logan glares right at us. I wish I had superhero powers to turn invisible.

“Ignore him,” Mateo whispers. 

“What’s good here?” I ask, trying to do what Mat says. 

“Everything.”

We eat chips and salsa and do our best to ignore Logan’s stare. Eventually, Logan and Tisha get up to leave, and I breathe a huge sigh of relief.

But Logan stops at the door and talks loud enough for us to hear. “Tell your mom hi from me,” he tells Tisha.

“You sure you don’t wanna ride with us?” She laces her hands together, and her face reveals disappointment. She’s beautiful, even in her sadness, perhaps more so. Her dark hair is straightened and not braided today. The white in her eyes shines against her darker skin. Logan doesn’t deserve her. What does she see in this jerk?

“No, I’m gonna join Mat and Aiden. I’ll get a ride.” He kisses her on the cheek, and I wanna puke. 

Without asking, Logan slides in next to Mateo. Logan’s green eyes widen, and he nearly drools, as if he’s been holding back a hundred insults he couldn’t say while Tisha was here.

“So, you two dating now?” Logan asks. He laughs at his own question, and his tongue hangs out of his mouth like a dog. “I didn’t know you swung that way, Captain.”

Mateo’s right hand lunges at the back of Logan’s neck. Mateo’s fingers dig into skin, and Logan groans. “Who do you think you’re talking to?” he asks. Even Mateo’s knuckles look like muscles. “And knock it off with your bullshit.” He lets go, and all the color runs from Logan’s face. 

“I wonder what Krake would say if his star JV athlete was hanging out with the Washington High homo.” Logan giggles again. None of this is right. Mateo is a nice guy, doing what a team captain should be doing. How the hell does getting one boner make me gay? It could happen to any guy! 

Regardless, when I’m ready to be me—to speak my reality—it should be under my terms. Not some asshole’s. 

Mateo reaches for Logan’s neck again, but Logan slides out of the booth. “Oh, hey.” Logan sneers. “Look who decided to have a team meal,” he says and gestures toward the parking lot. 

It’s the varsity wrestling squad.

Mateo’s face turns pale.

“What the hell, man?” Mateo glares at the red-headed asshole. 

“If you end up jumping to varsity, I thought they should know who they’d be wrestling with.” He crosses his pale arms and cackles. “Maybe I’ll get the nod to replace you as JV captain. Wouldn’t that be great, Aiden?” 

What makes a person so cruel? 

“I haven’t done shit to you,” I say. I rise out of the booth, and a couple of servers stare at us. “Why are you such an ass?”

He scowls at me. 

The door opens, and it’s Tanner McQueen, the varsity captain. “Outside. All of you. Now.” 

Tanner’s ripped from top to bottom. He’s at least a foot taller than Mateo. Mat’s only a freshman, and although he’s rumored to become the best the Washington Hornets wrestlers have ever had, Tanner McQueen is the best.

Mateo walks outside, and I follow. His legs shake, and Logan’s lips curl into an impossibly large grin.

The varsity team stands behind Tanner. 

“Logan texted me that there’s a problem with JV,” Tanner says. “What’s the problem?” His voice sounds stupid, like he’s been hit in the head too many times. 

“The problem is that we have a homosexual relationship between our captain and this twig,” Logan quips. “I think that’s an unnecessary distraction if our team wants to win the state championship again.”

Mateo glowers at Logan. “First, that’s not true,” Mateo states firmly. “I’m here because Aiden got hurt in our practice.”

“This doesn’t look like the nurse’s office,” Tanner barks. He laughs like he’s made a joke, and I have to force my eyes to stay still or they’d roll into the back of my brain at his stupidity. 

Mateo sighs. “Logan is lying to you.”

“Mateo’s telling you the truth,” I say and step forward. 

“We are a championship team,” Tanner declares. He says the word slowly, expressing each syllable, like an idiot. “Champ-i-on-ship teams require strict diligence from their leaders. No distractions or—” He shakes his head, glaring at Mat. “—Whatever this is.”

“This is bullshit,” Mateo says. 

“What did you say?” Tanner’s shaved head contrasts with Mateo’s thick, dark hair. Mateo’s ripped, too. But Tanner’s taller and bigger. 

“I’ll take care of my team,” Mateo says. “You take care of yours.”

“That’s what I’m doing,” Tanner tells him. “I think we need to teach you a lesson about who’s in charge.”