Theo

Christmas

Phil’s POV

I lied.

    I didn’t like being bit.

    Actually I punched Harrison when he did it because it hurt.  He apologized but wore a smug expression the entire time, telling me to try to hide the mark from “lover boy”.  I’d tried to.  I didn’t want him to see it but of course he had.

    I just didn’t know he’d get so weird about it.

    Harrison was just messing around.  Being an asshole.  It wasn’t . . . it wasn’t like that.

    But Theo made it into such a big deal.  I just . . . I panicked.

    I lied to Theo and now he won’t look at me.

    “Merry Christmas, Phil,” Violet said quietly, taking a seat next to me on the floor, offering a warm smile.  Her brother, grumbled something under his breath but Violet didn’t even acknowledge it, pressing a small box into my hands.

    “Vi, I’m sorry, I didn’t get anyth—“

    “Don’t worry about that.  I saw it and thought of you,” she said, bumping me with her shoulder.

    I was careful not to glance toward Theo who was also handed a small box while I started unwrapping mine.  Violet is a genuinely good person.  Quiet and shy, she and I got along right away because we both struggle to express ourselves, to speak up.  She used to ask me why I was friends with her brother, especially when he was doing something immature.  He stole her diary a couple months ago because he was bored and has brought up Ethan every opportunity he got in conversation with her.  Violet just shuts down, avoids him.  I was surprised to see her give him anything at all, honestly.

    When I opened the box, I saw some rechargeable wireless earbuds.  Oh.  I grinned and, looking up, I realized what she’d given Theo and couldn’t help but laugh.  Chocolate coal.

    “Maybe next year,” Violet said straight faced, taking in her brother’s annoyed expression.

    “Sorry I didn’t get you anything,” he muttered back sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

    When the doorbell rang, Violet hopped up to get it and Theo took the box from my hands, giving me a dirty look as he tucked it into his pocket.  I went to argue when my mom was hollering, “Merry Christmas!” from the doorway, rushing in to give me a kiss and Theo a hug.  He smirked at me over her shoulder.  Jerk.  Liv came rushing in to hug mom and they both started up about how big their babies were getting before rushing off to get some wine to prepare for present opening.  Theo’s dad, Cliff, just took a seat on the couch next to Violet, tossing his arm over the back.  He’s not a morning person at all so as he sipped his coffee we knew to wait to try to talk to him—he once shushed Theo, holding up a finger to drink the rest of his coffee before setting it down on the counter to mutter, “Continue.”  I’d been shocked but Theo had continued like nothing happened because that’s just how Cliff is.

    When our moms came back in, glasses in hands, giggling to one another, my mom waved at us muttering, “Go on!  They’re all there!”

    Theo just shook his head, taking up present duty as he started passing them out to everybody.  He handed them nicely to everybody—that is, everybody but me.  He’d drop it to the floor in front of me, jaw set into a tight line, eyes quickly moving away from me.  He was acting . . . like a real punk.  Biting my lip, I started undoing the wrapping, noticing how they were unmarked.  Mom and Liv went a little crazy every year shopping for stuff so it got to the point that they don’t even tell us what’s from who anymore.  It’s all from “Santa!” like we’re small children, not teenagers.  Cliff was more than happy to do things that way since I was one hundred percent sure he funded most of these purchases and probably couldn’t name one thing under the tree.

    Violet handed out her little presents and that kind of left Theo and I looking at each other awkwardly.  I don’t have a lot of money but I managed to scrap up a couple bucks of allowance to get something for mom.  Biting my lip, I handed it to her and she was already tearing up even before she opened it.  “I couldn’t get much but—“

    “It’s perfect!” she said, throwing her arms around me.  I held her tight, noticing how skinny she was.  Always working, stressing over bills, worrying over me—I wished I was sixteen already so I could start helping out financially.

    When she pulled back, I helped her put on the necklace.  It was a simple gold sun pendant but she knew what it meant.  She always called me her “moon baby” growing up and as a toddler I’d responded by calling her my “sun mommy”.  It’s kind of silly but I smiled, showing her the moon pendant on my leather bracelet.  “Oh,” she said, pulling me into another hug.

    “You two are so cute,” Liv cooed.

     I blushed, noticing how Theo had got up and handed something to his mom, shoving his hands in his pocket.  It was a card and she quirked a brow since it wasn’t like Theo to get something for her.  Opening the card, she gasped.  “Really?  Cliff, look.”  She handed it to Cliff who blinked a few times before looking surprised.

    “That’s really thoughtful, son,” he muttered, offering a small smile.

    Theo scratched the back of his neck, shrugging.

    Mom took a peek and smiled.  “Oh, that’s awesome!  A date night for your parents.  How sweet!”

    “What?” Violet asked, just as confused as me.

    “Yeah, dinner and a movie,” Liv said, pulling Theo into a big hug.

    “Is it pre-scheduled?” Violet muttered, quiet enough that only I heard it.

    Theo was smiling so sweetly, hugging his parents—it seemed like a really good act from a politician with a hidden agenda and it was really awkward that Violet and I were the only one who seemed worried about what that agenda might be.

. . .

After helping prep the food alongside mom and Liv, they kicked me out of the kitchen and I noticed that Violet was sitting happily with Cliff, watching the Christmas Day Parade and Theo was nowhere to be found.  Heading upstairs, I knocked on his bedroom door and he said, “f**k off.”

    Annoyed, I said, “Theo, you took my headphones.”

    When the door opened, he smirked at me.  “You mean my headphones.”

    I narrowed my eyes, holding out my hand and he glanced at it before looking at me and quirking his brow in amusement.  “What are you going to do, Phil?”

    “Why are you being like this?” I asked, looking him over.

    His jaw ticked.  It always did before he lost his temper.  His eyes narrowed before he shut the door in my face, locking it.  After a whole week of refusing to leave mine, he just locked me out of his room.  I had half a mind to knock the damn door down.  Even if he beat me up it would still be worth getting a few swings in at this point.  I was . . . I was—crying?  I blinked, feeling heat fill my face as dread pulled at me.  I guess this was the reaction I expected overall, from the beginning.  I expected rejection, the cold shoulder, disgust.  So why did it hurt so much?

    Was it worse because I thought he’d accepted me?  He’d been too calm, acting like everything was the same, and I thought—he told me he wasn’t a homophobe.  He’d said it a couple times but maybe he just needed time for reality to set in.  Maybe he was beginning to realize just who I am.

    Moving across the hall into the bathroom, I splashed some cold water on my face to keep from crying.  Mom would know I was upset even if I hid it but at least I could try my best to hide it from Theo’s family.

    I’m okay.  I’ll be okay.

. . .

Mom was wine drunk by dinner, her and Liv chittering like old college buddies about family traditions and silly stories about us, their horrified children.

    “Phil used to set up all his toys in straight rows.  I was so worried he was going to get diagnosed with OCD as a kid,” she giggled.

    “Didn’t you say he was gentle as a child?”

    Mom nudged me with her elbow, smiling.  “Still is.”

    “God, I wish,” Liv said, shooting a look at Theo who just rolled his eyes.

    “It’s because your son is a brute that they became friends,” my mom reminded her.

    Liv giggled.  “That’s very true.  A blessing in disguise.”

    They chittered and Cliff just ate, exchanging a look with Violet over the table who just giggled quietly at their antics.

    I noticed Theo’s eyes moved to me, green gaze intense as he chewed, and ducked my head, wishing I could just disappear.  Or go home.  I knew I couldn’t though, not without setting off some red alarms that something was going on between me and Theo.  Chewing, I tried to think of something else.  Anything else—

    “—Phil?”

    I blinked, glancing up.

    Everybody was looking at me.  “You don’t mind, right?” mom asked.

    “I’m sorry, I wasn’t—“

    “Dishes,” Theo muttered.  “We got dish duty.”

    “Oh.”  I dropped my gaze back to my food.  “Yeah, that’s fine.”

    “Didn’t he help cook?” Violet asked.  “I could—“

    “He doesn’t mind,” Theo said, glaring at his sister.

    Cliff glared at Theo who just huffed, dropping his eyes to his plate.

    “That’s great!” Liv chimed.  “We can all settle in with hot cocoa and we can watch Klaus!”

    “Ooh yes! I love Klaus!” mom giggled.  They high fived over the table, nearly knocking over the cranberry sauce.  Cliff just chuckled, shaking his head.

    I managed a small smile until I realized Theo was watching me again, that same dark expression on his face.  It was like he wanted to kill me or something.  I thought he was trying to avoid me.  Why did he insist that I do the dishes with him?  Oh.  Moving the food about on my plate I realized he probably planned on just watching me do the dishes.  Was this some kind of . . . punishment?