Have you ever tried to keep a secret from all of the people around you?

Well, I have. From almost everyone.

I kept the secret that I, a sixteen-year-old boy, have a seventeen-year-old boyfriend.

And here's how my story starts.

School started as usual, nothing new or out of the ordinary. Biology sucked as usual, and I was given a 54 for my newest quiz grade.

'Great. My parents are going to have a fucking fit,' I thought to myself. I was nearly failing this class, and I could NOT afford to repeat it. No way in hell.

Cough cough cough.

Came from the back of the room, probably the door, if I was right. No use in looking, right? What could be so interesting?

Our teacher, Ms. Andrews, looked away from her precious lecture, and her expression changed from her usual annoyed look and it turned into one of border-edge tolerance.

"Ah, so our new student has decided to grace us with his presence, has he? Blake Davis, correct?" Hmm, this could be promising.

"Yeah, I am. Sorry, I'm late." The voice was thin and wispy-sounding, almost to the point of a whisper. It couldn't be the voice of a guy, right? No, no it's a guy.

Blake Davis has black hair down to his shoulders, multiple piercings on his bottom lip, ears and eyebrows, piercing dark blue eyes; his black jeans and MCR shirt hung off of his skinny frame, and the Vans he wore were black-and-white checkered. But his face was gaunt and very pale.

"Well, sit down! I haven't got all day! I'm not like all you teenagers, care-free and wild!" Ms. Andrews could really launch into an "I hate modern teenagers" rant. She's like, 60 or 70, give or take a couple decades.

And, of course, Blake sat down next to me, coughing a few times as he did so. He glanced over at me, studied my face a bit, and spoke in that low whisper of his.

"Hello, I'm Blake. Heh, but you knew that."

"Yep." He was kind of cute.

"May I know your name?" Gah! So polite!

"Eli White." I was trying so hard to not tackle him right then and there, he was so cute. I had fallen head-over-heels in a matter of seconds. And already I was worried about his coughing every few seconds.

"I'm sorry about my coughing. I have a cold right now."

"S'okay. Everyone gets colds." Aww, he's sick. Aah! Snap out of it, Eli! You barely know the kid!

"Heh, I get colds a lot. Headaches and fevers, too."

"Ah, right." Germ lips?! Aww…man!

Blake's POV

I don't think the teacher likes me very much, judging by her reaction to my being late. Too much like my parents.

And the only available seat is next to a boy who doesn't seem to be enjoying this class. But he is a cutie, I'll give him that.

I'm about to sit down when the damn coughing starts up again. God, what I wouldn't give to not be sick all the time. I wouldn't be teased about it so much. But my immune system doesn't agree with me. I even had to repeat a year because I was out sick so many days.

The boy next to me seemed to be glancing over at me, so I stared back. He was squirming a little, so I decided it might be fun to see what he'd do if I talked to him.

"Hello, I'm Blake. Heh, you already knew that."

"Yep." Ouch! He's being cold.

"May I know your name?" I wonder if I'm being too persistent. Oh, well.

"Eli White." Eli, huh? Cute name. Then it happened again. I began to cough some more.

"I'm sorry about my coughing. I have a cold right now." Don't I always?

"S'okay. Everyone gets colds." He doesn't seem to be reacting as I thought. Darn.

"Heh, I get colds a lot. Headaches and fevers, too." Shut up you stupid idiot before he hates you!

"Ah, right." Oh, he hates me! He's even making a face!

Both POV

This is going to be a LONG semester.

How on earth am I gonna be able to control myself?!