chapter 2

Junior year finished with lots of parties neither Javier nor I were invited to. I didn't mind, but I think he did.

Did you know there were still home economics classes in high schools? I didn't. Javier and I signed up for it when we chose our classes at the end of the school year. He said that was how we could meet some girls.

I had never told him I was gay, but didn't he know? Couldn't he tell? Was he just ignoring it? I thought he'd known for years. My grandma knew, but didn't bring it up because I asked her not to.

Summer had started and I was glad to spend my time with Javier and the rest of the Delgado clan.

Javier spent his summer changing. Growth was gradual, but one day it really shocks a person. One day he was way taller than I was. Then a few weeks later he was even taller, and even taller a few weeks after that. He looked so different and I hated and loved it all in one.

He had grown into his weight and looked much thinner. I was about the same height as everyone in his family so he looked incredibly out of place with them. Carlos was a bit jealous of how tall he had gotten. Eight inches seemed impossible, but he was actually 6'3".

He'd gotten into the habit of grabbing me and lifting me up. He just loved showing off. Along with working with his mom in her shop, he had started doing some construction work with his dad.

He had bulging biceps and thick, beefy thighs. He was freaking model gorgeous. His skin was the color of coffee with way too much creamer and he had sleepy eyes the color of chocolate chips. His hair was black and he wore it low. Had his face changed? It was so much more masculine. He had black stubble on his face after a day without shaving and...I was just as bad as Carlos.

He was a man, and I wasn't. I didn't feel like one. I looked like I was fifteen. I felt as if I was being left behind. I feared he'd leave me, and I'd end up alone. School would be starting up again tomorrow. We'd have Home Ec last period.

"Hey Javi." He looked my way and smiled. I felt a surge of relief, like I had been expecting him to look at me and scoff. "Wanna go to first period together?" I asked.

"Yeah." He grabbed a couple of books. "Let's go." He had such large hands. Had they always been so huge? His feet were bigger too. We walked next to each other, me more attracted to him than ever. I glanced at him to my left and took in his massive body. I wondered if he'd get bigger again. His appetite hadn't slowed down.

"Assigned seats," he said grumpily. I looked at the seating chart and made my way to the opposite side of the classroom. Why was my last name Zimmerman? Claire Derekson sat behind Javier. She chewed on her bubble gum and looked at Javier's incredibly wide back like it was a steak and she was a lioness.

Had that been how I was looking at him? If he noticed I would have felt really embarrassed. She tapped him on the shoulder and he looked so surprised I almost laughed even though I was jealous as hell. I couldn't hear what they were talking about. He'd tell me later, hopefully.

The bell rang signaling the end of class. "Claire De-De-Derekson told me I looked good." He was excited and I guess he would be. Claire was pretty popular with the guys. I heard she gave them something a little more lasting than a good time, if you know what I mean.

"Don't sleep with her. You know what people say," I said.

"People say things about you all the time, but I don't listen to that." I froze for a moment. My feelings were hurt. I turned from him and walked away. "Reese, wait." It didn't take much for him to catch up to me. "I was being stupid, seriously. I'm sorry."

"No, just go and get crabs from Claire." I kept walking and was glad we took different English classes. Having time to think during English, by lunch I had cooled down and felt like a complete idiot for overreacting.