9:30 AM

“Kel? You listening?” I stop daydreaming and look at him

“Now I am, sorry” he smiled 

“No worries love, but anyway, don’t you have class in 15 minutes?” Oh,  shit, I forgot, 

“Yes I do, thank you for reminding me, Leo.” I pack my stuff up and open the door, and leave. When I leave the apartment I start texting Yumma,

“Are you heading to Professor Lunim’s lecture in 15 minutes?” the typing bubbles pop up as soon as I hit send.

“Yea, I’m guessing you are too since you are asking, wanna meet at the front gates?”

“Meet you there ♡” 

“Ok :D” I start walking towards the school. When I get there Yumma is already waiting for me, 

“Took you long enough.” She smiles and we start heading to the lecture.

“Sorry, I had to wait at every crosswalk because it seems like the bad drivers are out and about right now.”

“Yeah sure does, I also had a rough time getting here because there was a crash right next to my place.”

“Seems rough, do you know if anyone was hurt?”

“Nah, I don’t think so, one of the cars were parked and no one was inside, and I saw the people that were in the other car, they were fine.”

“That’s good, I don’t think I would want to see a bloody body first thing in the morning.” 

“Facts” She laughed as soon as she said that. We got to the classroom and sat down, Yumma grabbed her notebook along with some pencils and sharpies, I don’t understand note-taking, I’ve never been good at it, and I don’t know how to take notes, but I’ve been successful without them, but I do wonder if I would be more successful if I did try to take notes. 

9:45 AM 

When Professor Lunim walks in and sits down, he doesn’t turn on his projector like always. He gets up and walks to the middle of the room,

“Good morning class, if some of you guys have had classes with anyone other than Professor Wern, Professor Linka, and me, you would have noticed that your professor wasn't there. The office has realized that many professors have stopped showing up for work or have a ‘family emergency.’ Because of the number of teachers that aren’t here we have run out of substitute teachers, leading to the office canceling school until further notice. Enjoy your break, and please pay attention to your email. We will be sending updates every day. You are all dismissed.” I start packing up, and Yumma grabs my hand.

“Can I go over to your place? No one is at home right now and I don’t like being home alone.”

“Sure, my boyfriend will probably be out partying with his friends, but let me ask.”

“Why can’t I just meet him? He seems nice.”

“Because we agreed we aren’t telling people about us since he has a reputation to uphold”

“That’s toxic” I laugh

“Correction, his ‘friends’ are toxic, and I don’t want people to know I'm in a relationship because I want to focus on my studies.”

“Then why do you live with him?”

“Is this an interrogation or is it asking me to come over to my place?” She sighs

“I’m sorry, I’m just worried about you”

“It’s ok, I understand how our relationship could sound bad, but we both agree. Anyways, I need to text him and ask”

“Ok, you do you” I pulled out my phone and found Leo’s contact

“Hey babe, are you going to be home?” The text bubbles came up after waiting a few seconds,

“Yea, my friends are going out to a party, I don’t feel like getting arrested tonight. Why?” Well, shit, I mean Yumma is going to find out eventually, but I wish I had more time 

“Can a friend come over?”

“I thought we didn’t want to talk about ‘us’.”

“I know what we agreed on, but she’s nice, and I think she can keep her mouth shut”

“So they are a she, huh?”

“Yea, don’t even think about using your gay charms on her.”

“Aw, where is the fun in that? Haha anyways, I guess if you are alright with it, she can come over.”

“Thank you, Leo, love you, see you soon”

“Of course, my love, see you soon ♡” As soon as I turn off my phone, Yumma wraps her arm around mine,

“Did he say yes?”

“Yup”

“Where too?”

“I’ll lead the way”

10:10 AM

I knock on our apartment door three times

“Leo, you there?” Yumma stares at me with eyes as big as saucers, I give her the, ‘don’t start look. 

“Yea” I open the door and Leo is there sitting on the couch reading, looking absolutely gorgeous, his hair is clipped back with the barrette I gave him the first day of middle school, and he is wearing my shirt with some sweatpants, since I'm like 6’6 and he’s like 5’6 the shirt is too big for him, It just makes me want to melt. 

“Hello? Kel? You there?” I stop thinking and realize Leo was talking to me

“Sorry about that. Anyways, Leo, this is Yumma,” I look at Yumma

“Yumma, this is Leo” I'm pretty sure he caused Yumma to freeze because she was just standing there in disbelief. 

“Yumma,” I pinch her cheek and she wakes up,

“Sorry, hello Leo, nice to meet you,”

“Nice to meet you too, Yumma, please take a seat” Yumma walks over and sits in the recliner, and I walk over next to Leo and sit down.

“Ok let me get this straight, Kel, you are dating Leo?

“Yea”

“I know he is right in front of my face right now but, wow, I can’t believe you managed to score this well.”

“Yumma, really?”

“I’m sorry it’s just, You, a 6’6 male that’s a ginger and has a personality of a teddy bear with a darker side, are dating THE Leo? The super hot 5’6 male that has black hair, with a personality of a jock except nice?” Leo chuckled 

“Yes, Kel is dating Leo, I didn’t know I was that popular though.” Yumma stares at Leo

“You didn’t know that you are ‘that’ popular? I wouldn’t be surprised if every girl, or guy no judging here, had a crush on you, I mean Lilah asked you out, she’s like the prettiest girl out there, and you rejected her, but that’s not the point, rumor has it she’s never asked out any man ever.” Now it’s my turn to chuckle, 

“I guess you could thank my mom’s for that” Now I start laughing, I mean he isn’t lying, his mom’s told him about how women function and how to treat them right, although I think his charm also works on men

“You have two moms? No wonder you are everyone’s dream boy, you didn’t have a man to infect you with the man testosterone, you had a woman instead that helped you learn to control the testosterone that is common in men these days, making them total assholes,”

“Well that’s one way to put it, you are quite a person Yumma.”

“Thank you, I try, although, Kel how DID you score this wonderful person?” I hesitated, I ask myself that question every time I think about us, I’m not sure,

“Kel, I’m asking you how did you guys meet”

“Oh, ok well, uh where do I even start, well, our mothers know each other, we used to see each other every day when we were just babies until my father found out and didn’t let her come anymore, but we went to the same school when we were old enough to go, we were like two peas in a pod, you never got one or the other, you either got both or nothing. I think around 8th grade I started having feelings for him, but I thought my feelings for him were wrong, so I kept it inside, since I didn’t have anyone other than him and my mom, I think my feelings made me overprotective, and almost obsessive, I didn’t like anyone around him, other than Milly and Sarah. Milly and Sarah were nice to me, but that was an act, not the point I just wanted to put that out there. As soon as summer break came along Milly, Sarah and others called me out on it in the worst way possible, and I didn’t handle it in the best way but that’s not the point. When Leo and I went to a concert together, we got… closer, and then he confessed. That’s about it.” Yumma was quiet, I’m pretty sure she was registering everything I just said, but so was Leo, which I thought was weird. But I'm not going to worry too much, I don’t want to ruin the mood.

“Huh… That’s pretty normal. I was expecting more” 

“Well, that’s it, Leo and I are just normal people so what did you expect, the kind of romance you would only find in movies?”

“Yea, pretty much”

“You expect too much from us, Yumma.”

“I know, but I don't care” Leo starts laughing and I do too, and soon we all start laughing. When we all calmed down I got a phone call, it’s Ma.

“Guys I gotta take this, I’ll be right back” I step into my and Leo’s room and pick up the call.

“Hey, Ma, what's up? How have you been?”

“Hello Kel, I got an email from your college saying you have a break, so now you don’t have the excuse of ‘I'm studying.’ You are coming to my cafe and introduce me to your friends. No excuses.” I sigh

“Ok, mom, tomorrow at 12, alright?”

“Yes, that would be lovely. Clen is  working the register at that time, so have a chat with her.”

“Alright, Ma, love you, see you tomorrow.” She hangs up on me first, so I go back into the living room and start chatting a storm. 

3:00 PM

“Aw, shit, mom is home I got to go.” Yumma starts packing her stuff up. 

“How the hell do you know your mom is home, are you tracking her?” 

“Yes, Kel, I am tracking her phone, It’s perfectly normal to want to know when your parents get home” 

“Alright, Have a safe trip home, tell your mom I said hi”

“Will do.” Yumma walks out the door and as soon as she shuts it Leo looks at me

“What?” he sighs, then lays his head in my lap,

“I can’t believe you don’t see the red flags that she is displaying in a glass container.”

“What?”

“She found out about you and me on the first day, you were just too busy to notice, I’ll bet you 20$ that she became friends with you because she would have something to talk about, now that she has confirmed it with her own eyes, you might as well give up on keeping our relationship secret.” I'm speechless, how did he figure that out just by seeing her once?

“I'm calling bullshit for now, but if she opens her mouth and rumors start, I’ll stop talking to her, I promise”

“Ok, remember, I love you no matter what.” I bend down and kiss him on the forehead,

“Wanna meet my mom’s girlfriend?”

5:30 PM

I'm cooking dinner and Leo walks into the kitchen, still wearing my shirt, but now he has shorts on. He sits down at the table, 

“Do you have to work tonight?”

“You ask that every night, Leo, has my answer ever changed?”

“Rude”

“Sorry. I'm just a little anxious right now”

“What’s wrong”

“I’ve been thinking, ever since Max went on that trip he hasn't contacted either of us”

“She’ll be fine, you know how she is.”

“I know, I can’t help being worried though.”

“They will probably call you soon, he did say that the trip was long.” 

“I guess your right,” I pour tomato sauce on the pasta I was making then plate the food.

“Dinner served” I set down our plates and sit down. I don’t have much of an appetite so I just poke my food and hope 6:30 comes around soon. 

“Kel, there is something you aren’t telling me, and it's not Maxine, what's wrong?”

“I'm worried,”

“You are always worried about something, but you normally talk about it, you are different this time.”

“I'm worried about seeing my mom and Clen, I hate saying this but I don’t know what quite to think about her, I don’t know enough to be judgemental of her, and my mom loves her so that should help me trust her, but I just feel off when I see them together, It’s not like I don’t like her, I'm just not good with change and this is a pretty big change. I just…” Leo moved to the chair next to me so that he was close enough to hold my hand, and he kissed it. I pull away as a reflex but immediately relaxed once I realized what he was doing. He cupped my face in his hands.

“Your blushing.”

“Yea you think I didn’t realize that.” I turn away my face and start getting out of my chair but Leo pulls at my arm 

“Sit back down, you didn’t finish your dinner. And, It’s ok to feel like that…” I sit back down while he continues “You know Leah wasn’t always my mom, and I understand that was a long time ago, and I don’t know what you are thinking, but it’s ok, it’s normal to feel that way after what you and your mom went through I can’t blame you for being nervous about this, I know you only want the best for your mom, if she’s happy, let it be.”

“I know but-” Leo puts a finger to my mouth

“Shhhh, just think about what I said, right now you need to eat your dinner and get into your work clothes. You leave at 6:30 right?” I eat my now lukewarm noodles and rush to our bedroom and get changed. When I leave the room I see Leo taking out a bottle of wine from under the sink. 

“I'm going to get wasted. Just a heads up,” I sigh

“I know we’re at home, but can’t you just wait till your legal?”

“Nope, unless you want me not to drink, I'll drink all I want at home, whether it’s in front of you or if I'm alone”

“Just don’t do anything stupid, I’ll be home at 11.”

“Love you, Kel”

“Love you too, Leo” and I head down to the garage.