"You're not expelled right?" I asked Dennis on our Skype call.

I was putting on my avocado mask cream on my recently washed face while I'm video calling him. Then, Dennis gave out a sigh and leaned back from his seat. He scooped up his soccer ball from the ground and balanced it on the top of his head against his leather rolling chair.

"No." He said, frowning at the idea. "I'm suspended for a week though... Which means no soccer for me."

"That's great." I said cheerfully, but felt suddenly awkward when Dennis glared at me. "I mean, oh, that's sucks that you're not expelled."

"You want me expelled?"

"Is that what you want?" I asked him, raising an eyebrow. "I could call my grandpa right now and tell him, you know."

"Ha. Ha. Very funny." He said making goofy faces in a sarcastic manner. He stuck his tongue out and rolled his eyes.

"Awe come on, it's just a week with no soccer." I said as I closed the lid of my mask cream.

"I want to play." He said, frowning and suddenly looking away.

"It's just soccer." I explained boredly. "Besides, Thomas is there, you wouldn't want that."

"But Mave, I like soccer." He said again.

"Yeah, but you also like school. And shool has rules that you need to follow."

"But-"

"Oh shut up Dennis, don't be a baby. You're lucky you're just suspended and not expelled." I told him sternly. and frowning at the camera. "We can still chill after school."

"I know that." He said, frowning at me. "But I can't. My parents grounded me for the whole week, and I can't use my car to go anywhere because they took my keys away. My curfew now is nine..."

"Nine in the morning?" I joked.

"Shut up." He spat, shaking his head and chuckling. He pointed at his screen as if to point at me. "You look like an alien with your girly mask on."

"You look like your mom." I replied.

"What?" He asked, looking amused and about to laugh. "That's such a lame comeback!"

"I know."

"Mave, don't get offended, but your face is seriously creeping me out right now."

I rolled my eyes at him.

"DON'T DO THAT, IT'S FUCKING CREEPY!"

I couldn't help but laugh.

"Don't make me laugh! I'm suppose to keep still to let the mask dry!"

Dennis threw his head back and guffawed. I scoffed and checked my phone for any messages. I had a message from Nat saying her goodnight, and no messages from Dani.

I sighed.

"Check this out." He said, and throwing his soccer ball up and catching it with the back of his neck.

"Ooh." I mocked. "Amazing."

Then he started bouncing the ball up and down on the top of his head.

"You sure handle balls quite nicely." I complimented him, clapping my hands.

Dennis let the ball fall on the ground and laughed again. I stared at him in confusion.

"The hell are you laughing at?"

"That's what he- she said!" Dennis exclaimed, leaning on his desk top and laughing hard.

"Oh... Dennis you're gross!" I told him, making a disgusted look but can't because the mask is drying.

"You're also gross if you caught on what I mean!" He replied, still laughing like a hyena.

"We have to stop these disgusting jokes... oh my god, it's becoming a habit of ours." I complained, crossing my arms.

"You started it."

"Well yeah, in eight grade!" I reminded him, flailing my arms in exaggeration.

"Eight grade was fun." He said, calming down. "No fights."

"Yeah. You and Tommy never had a thing with Natasha back then either." I told him. Dennis seemed to flinch at what I said. "Everyone was so chill, ya know? We were all best friends."

"Yeah..." He said, rubbing the back of his neck and sighing. "Except the part where you refused to be friends with Thomas."

"Thomas is a dick." I spat. "High school came and he suddenly became the major douche bag."

Dennis just smiled.

"He can be nice if he wanted to."

"Yeah, well, that's stupid. He's stupid. If he can be nice, then why not be nice all the time?" I asked, shaking my head at Dennis.

"Being nice all the time can make people take advantage of your personality." Dennis replied, shrugging his shoulders. "Maybe Thomas is sensitive, who knows?" He shrugged.

"Are you actually defending him?" I asked, getting suspicious now. "He took your girlfriend away from you!"

"I'm over that now."

"Yeah? It doesn't look like you're over it when you two tried to kill each other earlier with pudding and spaghetti sauce!"

"I'm over it okay?!" Dennis suddenly snapped, slamming his hands down on his desk and sighing.

I was shocked. Of course I was shocked. Dennis was always the calm one. I was always the persuasive one. I blinked, and stared at him for a moment.

His eyes are downcast. His shoulders slumped in defeat. His eyebrows scrunched upwards and arching in a way of stress, and I stared at him... Suddenly feeling concerned.

"Hey, Dennis?" I called out carefully.

"Y-yeah?" He called out, looking uneasy.

"You know you can tell me stuff, right?" I asked softly, staring at the camera to make it look like I'm staring directly at him. "We tell each other stuff... right?"

"Of course..." He said, nodding slowly.

"Are you sure?" I asked, leaning back on my seat slightly and keep staring at the camera. "Because... I really feel like you're keeping stuff from me."

"I know." He whispered.

"Would you like to tell me?" I asked, gulping at the nervousness that I'm suddenly feeling. The possibilities of the word gay, is on my mind.

"I don't know." He said. "You might freak out."

"I'm freaking out right now though. So, I guess I can handle it."

"But I don't think I can handle it." He said.

"Oh." I said.

Then we were quiet after a while.

"You know something don't you?" He asked quietly.

I could only give him a thin smile.

"I don't really know what I know." I replied.

I stared at him, still concerned, and wondered if we should just call this a night. I don't want him stressed out, and I especially don't want him feeling pressured.

"You should sleep on it." I told him. "Get some rest."

"Yeah."

"I mean it. A lot has happened today. We don't know what might happen tomorrow. Who knows?" I said, chuckling, trying to lighten up the mood. "Get some rest, bud."

Dennis smiled.

"Thanks, Maverick." He said, softly. He ran hid hands through his dark poofy hair and sighed. "I'll call you whenever?"

"You better." I told him.

"Are you free tomorrow?" He asked.

"I made plans with Dani... Or so I thought. I think I made her mad." I told him slowly, and shyly as I distract myself by touching my cheek to test if the mask dried up yet. "But then again, I can make people mad at me easily, so."

"You made plans?" He asked, completely surprised.

"Yes." I told him matter-of-factly. "Why are you acting so surprised? I can make friends you know."

"Oh man, I never thought that I would see you making new friends." He said, and completely ignoring what I just said.

"That is very hurtful." I said. "Dick."

"That's because I have a dick." He countered.

"Whatever." I said, waving him off. "It's not a big deal." I added quickly.

"Fine, fine." He said. "I'm just gonna hit the sack."

"That's what she said."

"You said you would stop!" Dennis exclaimed.

"Fine." I told him.

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight." I replied, and clicked the red, end call button with the left button of the mouse.

I went to my washroom and rinsed the mask off. Then I stared at myself on the mirror, wondering...

What if I was gay?

I frowned, staring down, then staring back up again. I couldn't even meet my own eyes, and so I turned around and leaned back on the counter of the sink, breathing, wondering, and thinking about the possibilities.

I feel uneasy, and so I inhaled, and breathed out, trying to calm myself. But then the thumping of my heart confused me, and I feel so nervous all of all sudden.

"What the hell is wrong with me?" I said out loud, shaking myself off and drying my face with a towel before jumping on my bed and let sleep take over.

"Do you really need to put tomatoes in my grilled cheese sandwich?" I asked my mom in confusion as I sat down on one of the stools against the marble counter.

My mother ignored me and happily placed them neatly on the cheddar and bread, and overlapped it with spinach leaves.

"Spinach too?!" I exclaimed, staring at her in pure disbelief.

"Oh stop complaining." She said, lightly tapping my cheek. "They're good for you. You'll be surprised at how it will taste later. It's really good."

"But-"

"I'm making you breakfast." She pointed out. "Be grateful."

"I am grateful." I told her, chuckling. "Can I have money? I'll be forever grateful."

My mother raised an eyebrow.

"If you worked, then maybe you can earn your own money."

"But you forbid me to work, because of school. You said I couldn't handle both." I reminded my mom.

She paused and thought about it. Then she just shrugged it off.

"You going somewhere?" She asked, and placed the sandwich on the grilled machine. She turned around and stated at me questioningly.

"Uh." I hesitated. "Yes?"

"Was that an actual yes, or no?"

"Actually, I really don't know." I answered. She looked at me oddly.

"What are you and Natasha up to?" She asked.

"Um. I'm not going out with Natasha today, mom." I said, "I'm supposed to hang out with Dani..."

My mom paused for a moment and looked at me with narrowed eyes.

"You're making friends?" She asked suddenly.

"Why does everyone sounds so surprised?" I exclaimed, remembering how Dennis reacted last night. "I can make friends, I'm friendly enough aren't I?"

"That's questionable." My dear mother answered and laughed.

"Great." I said sarcastically and rolling my eyes. "My own mother questions my social skills."

"Who's Dani?" She asked, "Is he a friend, friend? Or just a friend?"

"Pfft." I scoffed and waved my hand dismissively. "Dani is just this weird new girl from school mom. I'm not even sure if we really are hanging out today though. She didn't text me back... yet."

My mom just shrugged her shoulders at me and busied herself with making breakfast.

"I have a question."

"Hm?" She said distractedly while lifting the griller to check on the sandwich.

"What do you know about the name... Dubois?" I asked. My mom turned around again and smiled at me, as if she's remembering something.

"Dubois? I haven't heard that name in a while."

"So you do know something?" I asked, my curiosity rising. "Is there like, I don't know, a reputation behind that name?"

"Reputation, yes." She said, and now giving me a plate of healthy breakfast. "The Dubois family is the main founder of the town."

"Really?" I asked, completely surprised. So Natasha was right all along.

"Yes. Actually, our family, or my family, the Potters, are quite close with the Dubois because they're active Catholics back in the days. Good people. Your grandfather was great friends with them, which made me close with them as well."

"Close? How?" I asked.

"Well, my best friend is the youngest daughter of the Dubois family. And, well, if I remember correctly, the three older brothers are ravishing." She said, matter-of-factly.

I made a face, but my mom just laughed.

"We grew up together, Susan and I, but then after high school, she left town for college, I did too, but I came back... Met your dad, and had you." As my mom said this, she messed up my hair. "I dated one of her brothers though, the tall one... Yes, Pete, I dated him. But it didn't last long because the Dubois boys decided to live in Québec, and they moved away. I haven't heard from them since."

"What happened to Susan?" I asked, slapping her hand away and biting into the surprisingly good sandwich. I didn't want to react because I know that my mother would gloat at her healthy food.

"Susan Dubois apparently despises her family... I don't know what happened, they seemed so happy, but I got a letter back then saying that she refused to come back to Prince Albein because of them... Personal reasons, really. Susan was supposed to be my maid of honour, but... She really didn't want to be here."

"Oh mom, that's sad." I said, suddenly feeling bad.

"Well, it happened." She shrugged and sighed. "We're still in touch though, sending emails back and forth, but we haven't seen each other in so long!"

"Does Susan have a daughter?" I asked, thinking of the possibility that it might be Dani.

My mother paused and thought about it.

"Not that I know of... She was never married." She said. "That's all I know. What's with the sudden curiosity?"

"Nothing." I said far too quickly but my mom didn't notice, or paid any attention because she was concentrating with the amount of water to put in the coffee brewer. "Actually, mom, uh, Dani's last name is Dubois." I blurted.

"Oh?" She asked. "That's interesting."

"I know." I said. "I find her interesting." I said more to myself than to my mom.

"Well, if you found out that she's Pete's daughter, tell her that she was almost your sister."

"Mom, that's weird. I'm not saying that."

My mother just laughed.