Chapter 10
Ten
Bubbles always pop.
They’re formed when soap reduces the surface tension of water, allowing it to stretch into a film and fill with air.
Eventually, molecules in the bubble’s film evaporate until it’s too thin and the imbalance between the air pressure inside the bubble and the surrounding air is released when it comes in contact with a dry, dirty surface or is punctured by a poke.
The safe, productive bubble Elio had created for Milo at Starlight popped rather suddenly after an encounter with Brad and the Mean Guys.
Milo was taking his shortcut to Elio’s office, jogging up the winding stairs to the second floor. But Milo paused when he came around the turn and spotted Brad, Bryan, and Tyler leaning against the rail.
“Look who’s here! It’s von Hessen’s pet.” Brad pushed away from the rail and skipped down a step as the other two snickered and clucked like hens.
“Excuse me.” Milo kept his head down and attempted to pass but Brad intercepted him.
“What’s the hurry? Prince Harming isn’t here yet. He won’t show his freakish face for hours. He’s too important to worry about the time or come to meetings.”
The last part was factually accurate but Milo wasn’t going to take Brad’s bait. “Please let me pass,” he said as loudly and firmly as he could muster.
“Come on!” Tyler hopped down a step and bent so he could see Milo’s face. “What did you do to become von Hessen’s pet?”
Shocked, Milo gasped and shook his head. “Nothing! I wasn’t expecting any of this. I’m not his pet.” He bit down on both lips, immediately regretting it. He knew better than to engage or acknowledge their taunts. That just made things worse. “I have to go.”
They still wouldn’t let him pass. Brad tried to open Milo’s backpack but he snatched it back and hugged it protectively. “Hiding something? Bring something kinky to work?” Brad jeered and Tyler laughed.
“Not Mild Ashby! Von Hessen might be getting unlimited head but that’s probably it. Ashby’s boring and he probably cries whenever he takes his clothes off.”
Milo reeled, horrified and humiliated. “Stop. I need to get by,” he said in a cracked, wavering voice.
They all turned when they heard boots rushing up the stairs just before Elio appeared. “Everything alright?” he asked as his black-lined eyes narrowed.
“Yes,” Milo answered quickly and pushed his way past the Mean Guys while they were distracted.
He raced past Carmen and Elaine without saying good morning or hello, straight to Elio’s office.
Once inside, he went to the desk and ignored his shaking hands as he took out all the notepads and folders he’d need.
He was synching his tablet to the touchscreen when the door opened and Elio rested his skateboard next to it.
“You’re upset.”
Milo shrugged, keeping his back to Elio. “A little but I’ll be fine.”
“I know it isn’t in your nature but have you ever tried standing up to them?”
“I couldn’t!” Milo began to feel clammy and shaky inside as he imagined confronting any of the Mean Guys, especially Brad. “They’d never stop if they knew they were getting to me.”
“What did they say?”
“It doesn’t matter, Elio. I’d rather act like nothing happened and show you what I have.”
“Look at me, please.” Elio said but he didn’t wait for Milo to comply.
He grabbed Milo’s sleeve and gave it a firm pull, turning him around.
“Do you think those three will keep it a secret? I bet they’re running their mouths right now,” he said as he caught Milo’s chin and tipped it back. “I’d rather hear it from you.”
“Elio!” Milo begged in a pleading whimper. His face and ears were getting hot and he was close to crying.
“Call me Eli. We’re friends now, aren’t we?”
Milo nodded slightly. “I think so. If you want us to be.”
“I do,” Elio replied in a low rumble. A teasing smile curved his lips as he watched Milo. “My friends and family call me Eli.”
“Okay…Eli.” Milo squirmed nervously. “Is that why you picked me and why you’ve been standing up for me?”
“No.” Elio shook his head. “I picked you because you are the smartest physicist I know, excluding myself, and I can’t stand bullies.”
Milo could also add a flipping tummy to his list of symptoms. “Thank you.”
“You know, they pick on you because you’re better than them.”
“Maybe. I know they’re insecure and need to dominate others to feel good about themselves. I just wish I could be more like you and not give a crap,” Milo said, making Elio chuckle.
“Maybe I’ll rub off on you.”
“That might not be so bad,” Milo mused and attempted to turn back to his tablet but Elio stopped him.
“What did they say? We’re partners and friends now, right? And I have a feeling it was about me.”
“Some of it,” Milo confirmed as he avoided Elio’s eyes. “Brad called me your pet and implied that we were intimately involved.”
“Of course, he did. What else?”
“Um…” Milo wished Elio would open a black hole in Starlight. He’d run headfirst into it. “Tyler called me Mild again and said that I was too boring for you. What’s unlimited head mean?” he whispered and Elio flinched and his face turned red.
“Bloody…fuck! That’s uncouth by my standards. I’ll handle this,” he said, turning to go but Milo grabbed Elio.
“Please, don’t. It won’t help and it doesn’t matter.”
“How can you say that?” Elio demanded. “You are not boring. They’re the ones who are too shallow and dim to understand what you’re capable of. They’ll never grasp how beautiful your brain is or appreciate the way your mind works so they mock you.”
“Wow, Eli… I—” Milo risked a glance at Elio and found him staring. There was something odd and intense about his gaze, as if he was seeing something strange and new. “What is it?”
“What?” Elio said, still staring at Milo’s mouth or his nose. His nose began to itch and Milo was too aware of his lips and didn’t know what to do with them. Smile, cover them, bite them, press them against Elio’s...
Wait. What?
“Is there something on my face?” Milo asked weakly but Elio shook his head.
“No… Your face is…” He cleared his throat and licked his lips. “It’s a very nice face. An objectively handsome face, actually. They’re probably jealous about that too.”
“My face?” Milo asked as his brow furrowed.
“I’ve never understood the value of symmetrical features and jawlines in determining a person’s attractiveness.
Brad and Tyler are super jerks and treat everyone like crap but they’re popular because they’re conventionally attractive and come from wealthy families. ”
“Proof that we are still silly monkeys,” Elio concurred, giving his head a shake and stepping back. “Stop listening to those monkeys and believe in yourself.”
“I’ll try. Thank you…Eli,” Milo said and gave his hand a grateful squeeze.
Elio’s brows pinched and he stared at Milo’s hand like it had extra fingers.
“Sorry!” Milo swung his hand around his back, ducking apologetically.
“I get it, I’m not a toucher either. I don’t know what that was about.
” He turned around and this time, Elio didn’t stop him.
“Don’t be sorry. I don’t mind when some people…touch me,” Elio mumbled and it was followed by a few hard thuds of a tennis ball.
“O—kay.” Milo squinted awkwardly at his tablet, embarrassed because he had liked touching Elio’s hand and the words “touch me” had conjured a shockingly inappropriate desire to touch more.
The torque formula was tattooed on the inside of his right wrist and whenever Milo saw it, he longed to push Elio’s sleeve up and see what else was under there.
Where and what Elio had chosen to etch onto his body enthralled Milo.
It also made his tummy and boxers tickle in odd ways whenever he wondered if Elio was tattooed everywhere and what was hiding in his most secret, personal spots.
Milo wasn’t supposed to be thinking about what was under Elio’s clothes!
Pondering polynomial time and nondeterministic polynomial time was Milo’s business, not the mysteries of Elio’s body.
If Elio had an inkling of what Milo was thinking, he’d probably laugh and begin to question his intelligence.
Why in the world would Elio take his clothes off for Milo?
If that didn’t give him a giggle, the fact that Milo wouldn’t know what to do next or what he even wanted would be both humorous and pathetic.
They weren’t separated by many calendar years but Elio was light years ahead of Milo in just about every other way.
Most importantly, Elio was a man and Milo was a teen—at best— cosplaying as an adult.
To make matters worse, Milo was barely passing.
He still carried a backpack and often caught himself wearing both straps like he was in elementary school and waiting for the school bus.
He only drank at family gatherings, when it was a special occasion, and swearing made him queasy.
His idea of a wild time was eating too much sugar and trying to see if he could chug a whole bottle of Dr. Pepper.
Burping the alphabet was still the height of comedy for Milo and he looked strange, like a baby lumberjack, if he grew a beard.
Milo would never be in the same league as Elio, despite what his mother said.
“I’m gonna take off for a bit,” Elio decided and Milo heard his leather jacket zip and the skateboard was collected before the office door was pushed open.
“Thank goodness!” Milo whispered once he was alone. “It’s so hard to think when he’s here.”
That wasn’t Elio’s fault and Milo was being unfair.
Elio rarely laughed but he wasn’t the kind to laugh at others when he did.
As abrupt and impatient as Elio was, he didn’t appreciate rude and disrespectful behavior.
Particularly when it involved Milo. For whatever reason, Elio had taken on the role of Milo’s protector at Starlight and saw his potential as a leader.
Could he rub off on me?
Ignoring the nebulous sensual possibilities, Milo wondered if he could be more like Elio. How much easier and more comfortable would his life at Starlight be if he could tell Brad to take a hike? What if Milo could shut Tyler up with a withering glare or make Bryan flee the room like Elio could?
Elio wanted to see Milo stand taller and hold his head higher.
Maybe he would share his secrets and give Milo some advice if he was brave enough to ask.
Unlike the Mean Guys, Elio was a bad boy in the right way.
He didn’t pretend to be confident and cool and he never punched down or used other people as the butt of his jokes.
None of his attitudes or moods were postures and he had integrity and true passion for his work.
Suddenly, it seemed likely that the solution to all of Milo’s problems at Starlight was right in front of him and within his grasp. If Milo could work up the nerve to ask Elio for help.