11

11

“I can’t believe she would lie to me like that,” Keevan said, wiping her eyes again and taking a big drink of her chocolate shake.

“How do you know she was lying?” Amantis asked her, taking a drink of his strawberry shake. They had met up at an old fifties diner and were going to spend the day together.

“Because she doesn’t like him,” Keevan replied, twisting the promise ring he had given her around her finger. “She’s always trying to convince me that I won’t be able to change him, but I...I know I can. I know what she’s doing, though.”

“What do you mean?” Amantis asked, fidgeting with his fingers.

“She’s just trying to protect me from him,” Keevan said, smiling a little. “I know you and Cari don’t like him and you just want to make sure I don’t get hurt, but I know what I'm doing. Trust me.”

“Okay...” Amantis said hesitantly, taking another drink of his shake. “Um, what do you want to do today?”

“I was thinking we go shopping, have lunch, and maybe a sleepover,” Keevan said. “We haven’t done that in a long time.”

“Ooh, goodie!” Amantis exclaimed, excited. “This is going to be so much fun!”

“Hey, buddy!” a voice said with mock enthusiasm. A boy with a complexion like Amantis"light brown skin and dark brown curly hair"walked up to their table, followed by a few of his friends. Keevan glared at the boy.

“H-hey, Van,” Amantis stammered, sinking down in his seat. “What are...you and your friends doing here?”

“Oh, y’know, just hangin’ out,” he replied, grinning at him, “but I got a little dilemma.” He sat next to Amantis in the booth and put an arm around him. “See, my friends here don’t believe me when I tell them about the amazing time we had the other night. Would you mind demonstrating what you did to me for them?”

Amantis blushed deeply and looked like he was going to cry.

“I...I don’t know what you mean,” Amantis said sheepishly, his voice wavering. “I didn’t do anything to you.” Van put his hand around the back of Amantis’s neck and tried pushing his head down.

“Yeah you did, buddy,” Van insisted. “I could never forget how good it felt.”

“That’s enough!” Keevan shouted, slamming her fists on the table and standing up. “Leave him alone, Vanus!” Van started laughing and pushed Amantis’s head under the table.

“Oh, right there, Amantis,” he said, faking that Amantis was doing something to him. Amantis started crying, sobbing for him to stop. “Right there, baby! Don’t stop!” Van’s friends were laughing and giving each other high fives. Keevan was getting furious. Amantis was bawling, feeling helpless against Van.

“Enough,” said a low voice. Everyone stopped and faced who spoke.

“Motavo,” Keevan said quietly, surprised he was there.

“Who the f**k are you?” Van asked, releasing Amantis and standing up. Amantis backed into the corner of the booth, staring at Motavo with tears in his eyes. He was trembling.

“Leave him alone,” Motavo said, sounding calm. He showed no expression, his eyes barely visible because of his bangs. “He and Keevan both wanted you to stop, so stop. Get out of here.”

“This is none of your business, a*****e,” Van said, now getting angry. “Beat it.”

“Stop swearing!” Keevan shouted, covering her ears and sitting down.

“Leave them alone,” Motavo said again.

“Or what?” Van asked, stepping up to Motavo. Van was shorter than him by at least a foot. Without saying anything, Motavo grabbed Van’s collar with his left hand and pulled back a fist with the other. In a split second, his fist crashed against Van’s nose, snapping the cartilage. Blood began gushing from his nose. Van groaned angrily, covering his nose.

“F**k you!” he shouted. He ran out of the restaurant. Motavo looked over at Van’s friends, who were standing still. Instantly, they ran after Van. Everyone in the diner was looking at Motavo.

“I-I’m calling the cops!” a woman from the kitchen yelled.

“Motavo"” Keevan began, but he turned and ran out of the diner. “Don’t call the police!” Keevan begged the woman. “Please don’t! He was only protecting my friend who was getting harassed by those jerks.”

The woman looked Keevan up and down, and then she looked to Amantis, who was still huddled in the booth.

“Alright, fine,” she said, “but those punks are not allowed back in my diner.”

“They won’t be back, I promise,” Keevan said. “I’m sorry for this. My friend and I will go now.”

After paying for the shakes and leaving, Amantis and Keevan went to the park across the street. “Are you okay, sweetie?” Keevan asked Amantis, hugging him with one arm as they walked. He sniffled and cuddled into her.

“I...I don’t know,” Amantis said quietly, wiping his eyes again, “but I...I think I have a crush.”

“On who?”

             “…Motavo.”