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 Posted: Sat May 14, 2022 8:52 pm
While he wasn’t sure if he wanted his heart to be broken by finding out that Elliot wasn’t going to join him for lunch, Chad still made his way to the table outside by the library as Elliot had suggested. His classroom was very close to the library already, so it wasn’t too surprising that he was the first one there. He just hoped he wouldn’t be the only one there.
Chad had been so anxious all through his classes that he didn’t even take a chance to look at what was in his lunch bag until he shrugged his backpack off his shoulders, dug it out, and opened it up. It was heavy, so he was hoping for something that maybe he could share with Elliot. A banana that hadn’t gone bad yet. Or an apple. He’d stopped looking before leaving school after getting scolded for being an ungrateful child.
Which was why he sat there with a can of corn in his hands when Elliot arrived.
“Oh! Hi. It’s not too cold out here, is it? We can go inside if it is. I don’t mind.” Although, he would prefer to sit with Elliot away from everyone else.
Awkwardly, he shoved the can back into his lunch bag so he could stick it in his backpack.
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Posted: Sat May 14, 2022 8:58 pm
Elliot had been a little worried that Chad might have been nervous and found a way to skip out on lunch, so he was greatly relieved to see him sitting there. He trotted over, mindful not to splash in any of the puddles or arrive too quickly, but honestly he didn’t want to waste a moment of lunch.
He’d been distracted in his classes, thinking about Chad through all of them. He couldn't figure out why. Sometimes, he thought of the worried expression he wore, or replayed some of the things he’d said, or he thought of his little smile. He didn’t know what to expect of lunch, only that he’d been looking forward to it.
“Have you packed–was that corn? For lunch?” he asked, and couldn’t help but raise a brow as he sat down across from him. “Or is that for a project, or…?”
Something else he’d collected? But cans of corn weren’t particularly collectable...
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Posted: Sat May 14, 2022 9:04 pm
Chad cringed even as he laughed at how silly it was that he had a can of corn with him.
“Oh, yeah, um. My dad’s girlfriend sometimes will pack lunch for me. I didn’t want to be rude and check what it was in front of her but. It just looks like she forgot this one doesn’t have a tab to open it. I should have remembered to bring a can opener with me!”
Because… if he was being honest, he would have eaten the can of corn if he could get it open without cutting up his hands. Maybe he could find some scissors or--
“You don’t have scissors with you, do you? I mean, I don’t suppose you have a can opener?” It was food, after all. He would eat it and be grateful.
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Posted: Sat May 14, 2022 9:12 pm
“Wow,” Elliot said, squinting in disbelief. “No offense, but she sounds a little silly. I mean, if you like corn for lunch, no offense. I don’t have any scissors on me. Or a can opener. But,” he pulled out his lunchbox and opened it, “I do have half a sandwich I can share with you. I’ll bring a can opener and we can split the corn tomorrow.”
He didn’t really want any corn, he just got the impression that Chad would have gotten nervous about him sharing food if he didn’t present it as an equal exchange.
Elliot pulled the sandwich from the plastic bag; it had been cut diagonally and clearly made with care. Ham, cheese, mayonnaise, lettuce, and thin tomato slices on white bread. He kept one half for himself but pushed the other, still in the bag, for Chad.
“I’ve got celery and peanut butter, too, we can split that easy, too. Do you like yogurt? It’s got granola you put in it. I don’t really like the texture of it. I’ll eat the granola if you’ll eat the yogurt?”
And the cupcakes, he had two of those. But one was already Chad’s, so that was easy. He had napkins packed up, and a little folded note that he hadn’t yet reached for. A spoon, a granola bar. An orange. A little pack of chips. Some gum. Elliot had a big lunch, or at least–enough that he absolutely wasn’t going to go hungry.
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Posted: Sun May 15, 2022 9:02 am
“Oh, I don’t mind corn! It’s not so bad,” Chad insisted, even as his face burned red. It was silly, but he was used to it. He just assumed this was part of reminding him that he was worthless without them doing everything for him. Except he also got punished for trying to get things for himself. Although he didn’t think the bagels sat very well in his stomach.
But when Elliot so easily offered his sandwich and the rest of his food, Chad just sputtered in embarrassed disbelief.
“I-I couldn’t!” he gasped, even when his stomach was already rumbling at the sight of the sandwich. “It’s your lunch, Elliot! I don’t want you getting hungry later. And you do a lot more than I do, so you need your energy.”
He wrung his hands nervously, already very aware that Elliot had given him a Pop Tart and dry clothes that morning.
“But thank you. Really. It’s really sweet that you’d offer your food. I’m okay, I promise.”
He wasn’t sure where the line was drawn between being kind and helpful to looking at him like a charity case -- Not that he thought Elliot would think of him like that!! But he certainly felt like he was pretty helpless and it was very obvious.
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Posted: Sun May 15, 2022 9:40 am
“Food tastes better when you share it with a friend. And anyway, my arm’s getting tired from carrying around my lunchbox. I’ve been waiting for lunch all day so I could lighten this load. I can’t eat this all, myself. And I’d feel awful about throwing any of it away.”
He took a bite of the sandwich–small, but nonchalant. He was trying to keep it casual, and trying to remind himself not to talk too much.
He still spoke around his mouthful. “My parents always pack extra. I don’t think they know how much a kid eats. I’m not going to have practice today, it’s still too wet outside. So I don’t need the extra energy. I’d really like it if we could share. It would mean a lot to me.”
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Posted: Sun May 15, 2022 9:47 am
Chad didn’t really know if food tasted better when it was shared with a friend. He didn’t really have any friends. People were friendly with him, but no one wanted to spend more time than necessary with him. He didn’t blame him. It wasn’t as though he was ever allowed to go to places after school, so even those who’d tried being friends with him eventually stopped inviting him because it wasn’t worth the energy since they knew what his answer would be. And it wasn’t even that he didn’t want to go with them. He did! Very much! But his dad…
He twisted his hands a little more, obviously worried that he was going to be eating too much of Elliot’s food. But… he said it would mean a lot to him. How was Chad going to deny him when Elliot was obviously trying to do something nice? And he wanted to share.
Hesitantly, he reached out and carefully picked up the sandwich half, keeping it mostly in the bag still, except for the corner that he poked out enough to bite.
And then another. And another. He’d finished nearly half of his half before he realized there were tears in his eyes again, overwhelmed by how nice Elliot was to him, and how he had nothing to offer in return.
“Sorry,” he forced himself to laugh as he used the back of his hand to wipe the tears from his eyes and cheeks. “It’s just… a really good sandwich. Thank you for sharing it with me.”
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Posted: Sun May 15, 2022 9:59 am
Something again twisted in Elliot’s stomach, and he found that he didn’t really know what to say. His head felt suddenly empty but the twisting in his stomach strengthened. And, worse, his heart had come into the picture and was pounding in the way it used to when he was nervous and scared.
But–Chad wasn’t scary. He was sweet. None of this was directed at him, but it seemed strange to be for him when he didn’t understand where it had come from at all.
“I like it, too. I’m glad we could share. Here, try more,” he said, and though he took a large bite out of his sandwich he was already pulling out more of his lunch to split with him.
“I’d be sad if you got sick and had to miss school. So in this weather you have to eat as much as you can.”
He had six pieces of celery and peanut butter and passed over half of them.
“I wish I had something warm. If it rains tomorrow, I’ll bring soup. It’ll go well with the corn.”
That didn’t make any sense but he was willing to defend the idea, anyway.
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Posted: Sun May 15, 2022 10:12 am
Chad scrubbed at his eyes a little more, but then reached for a celery stick with his sandwich free hand. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to subject Elliot to eating corn when he had all this other nice food. Besides, he could always save it for some other time. Or dinner.
He couldn’t help but gasp in surprise after biting down on the celery, looking up at Elliot with wide eyes. “It’s so crunchy! I don’t think I’ve ever had celery that crunched like this.” It was a lot more refreshing than the mush he was used to. On the rare occasions that he actually had celery. Usually in soups or it was old.
“It’s okay, I don’t think I would be allowed to stay home even if I do get sick… But I’ll make sure you know, so you don’t have to sit with me and get sick too!”
Probably another reason why people stayed away from him. They probably knew that he was at school sick a few times and they just kept away from him. But that was smart of them.
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Posted: Sun May 15, 2022 10:34 am
Elliot had never seen someone so excited about celery before; he wanted to laugh but he didn’t want to discourage him from sharing now, or having lunch again. “We go to the farmer’s market. It’s fresher there. And cheaper, too. I’ve got a good immune system. From eating all my fresh fruits and veggies. If you’re sick, all the more reason to sit with you. Someone should be there to take care of you.”
It didn’t sound like his dad would have been very good at it. Or his dad’s girlfriend. He didn’t ask about his mother; Chad hadn’t offered information about her and he didn’t want to press for more than Chad was comfortable with telling him.
“Here, have some more,” he said, and gestured to the other celery pieces. “We have a lot to eat.” He took another bite of the sandwich for emphasis. “You’ll have to tell me what you like the most, I’m really curious. I don’t usually get to have lunch like this, it’s fun.”
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Posted: Sun May 15, 2022 10:43 am
Chad chewed slowly, thoughtfully, as he watched Elliot eat his sandwich. He was still feeling rather emotional, but the tears were under control for now.
This was nice. And still a dream come true. He could never tell Elliot that he liked him, of course. He knew that was wrong. But it didn’t stop the way his heart skipped a beat every time Elliot said or did something nice.
How long would it be until Elliot’s friends wanted him back? Or when Elliot got bored and wanted to go back to sitting with them? Chad wasn’t sure he could manage sitting with anyone else, even if they were nice.
“I already don’t know what I like better,” Chad sighed softly after he swallowed. He was already missing the sandwich, and the celery had a nice, crisp taste, on top of the sweetness from the peanut butter. And the cupcake was likely as good today as it was yesterday.
“But… I really like this,” he admitted against his better judgment. “Eating with you. I’ll make it up to you, I promise.” After all, he didn’t want to take advantage of Elliot’s kindness, or at least not make it seem like he was.
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Posted: Sun May 15, 2022 10:49 am
Elliot brightened immediately. “I like this, too. You don’t have to make it up to me. Your company’s good enough.”
He didn’t know how often he’d be able to do this, where he could just sneak away and have lunch. It would have been easier if Chad could have joined him at the table, but he knew it wouldn’t be like this. Chad would sit there quietly, poke at his food. Smile, but not really speak up. Be there, but a shadow. He didn’t seem like he was comfortable being himself where anyone else could see.
“Maybe we could do this more often? We could sneak out here and have lunch. Honestly, I like the quiet so much more than I like the cafeteria. It’s loud. And I like the fresh air. My friend’s nag me but I have classes with all of them already. I don’t know, you’re welcome to sit with me, but I like being able to talk to you like this. I feel like I’ll have a chance to get to know you when it’s just us. I still want to learn all about art, and the other things you’re interested in.”
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Posted: Sun May 15, 2022 11:06 am
Chad tensed a little when Elliot’s friends were mentioned. Not because he didn’t think they were good people! But he didn’t know what to do around so many. He definitely got nervous easier, and didn’t know what to say. And he didn’t want to explain why he was the way he was.
“I feel bad keeping you away from your friends,” he said quietly as he hesitated from eating another stick of celery. “You have class with them, but you’re busy learning during that time, right? You don’t get a chance to talk to them, do you?”
Not that he wanted Elliot to leave him, but he knew it was important to not be selfish. He didn’t want Elliot to decide not to hang out with him because he was too needy.
He was already taking Elliot’s clothes and food…
“Do you… really want to learn about art…? I thought… I mean, you’re so good at sports that…” He thought maybe art didn’t interest Elliot.
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Posted: Sun May 15, 2022 11:13 am
“Mm–No. I mean! No, don’t feel bad about keeping me from my friends, you’re not. I have after school activities with most of them, and we can talk during electives. I didn’t mean ‘no, I don’t want to learn about art’ because I do. I like to play sports, and I work hard so that I can keep up with everyone else. But I don’t like, go home and watch baseball on television or anything. Oh, I do watch debates, though. But that’s different, you can learn from those. Watching someone have fun is nice, but I’d rather go play myself than watch a game on television.”
Oh, he was probably talking too much. Okay, reel it in. One big breath, one more bite. He smiled and kept his mouth full, chewed, swallowed, and then calmly continued, “I like a lot of things. And I like to learn. I really do think it’s neat how people can just create art. Like, from their heart. How they can see things and make something out of nothing. I was wondering, like–how do you get an idea? And then how do you put it on paper? How do you get it out of your mind and into something everyone else can see?”
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Posted: Sun May 15, 2022 11:21 am
He didn’t mind when Elliot talked a lot, even if it was a little overwhelming and difficult to keep up with at times. He liked everything that Elliot had to say. Even if Chad wasn’t specifically asking about things that Elliot liked, it was easy to tell by the way his voice changed.
Elliot was sweet, and kind, and funny, and passionate about a lot of things. So when he said he didn’t know how to put an idea on paper for everyone to see, Chad couldn’t help but smile. It was just because Elliot expressed himself in different ways. He was a much better speaker than Chad could ever be.
“You have a really nice voice,” he said without realizing he was saying it out loud until he did. He paused to take a quick bite of his sandwich -- actually, he took the last two bites to finish it off, and kept himself quiet for a bit.
“I don’t know. It just… comes out sometimes. Other times it’s very difficult. Like, I can see what I want to draw in my head, but no matter what I do, it doesn’t come out right. Or maybe I don’t have what I need to make it look like I want,” he explained, and then sighed softly. He could feel the redness in his cheeks, but that was okay. Now it was more because he was talking to Elliot Reid more than embarrassment. And Elliot Reid seemed to want to talk to him.
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