Eliseo is exhausted. Last night, he hadn’t slept even after settling into bed. He had kept thinking about how if the attacker had been legitimate, he wasn’t sure he could have actually harmed him. How could he keep his little sister safe if he couldn’t even hurt someone in self defense?

As a result, he is having a very hard time keeping his cheek off of the desk. The class is English, which sucks normally, but as the teacher is introducing the next unit, it’s especially hard. He can just do it last minute anyways, his grade shouldn’t suffer too much.

“Partners?!” He gasps awake. Everyone is looking, various mixes of confusion and amusement. Except for one boy, with a blonde ponytail. He just looks disgusted that Eli would dare speak. Eli gives him an apologetic look and sits up in his chair. “Sorry.”

“Thank you, Eliseo, for that clarification. Yes, partners. I’m going to read them off. Do not dare move until I’m done.”

Eli slumps down again. He hates partner assignments. He always has to either pretend like a bad boy, or pretend that he’s mildly interested in whatever girl likes him so she doesn’t get sad and stop working. He hates pretending in general, and both of those are so far from his true self that it just makes him feel bad.

“...Eliseo Almonte and Jocelyn Hall.”

He doesn’t bother to look up. Whoever she is, she’ll find him. He doesn’t even know the names of most of the people in this class. None of the Leóns are in this period, so it doesn’t matter. They’re the only friends he needs, anyways.

“You’re Eliseo, correct?” The blonde ponytail boy is now standing before his desk, looking like more of a bored delinquent than Eli ever could.

“Yes. You’re… Jocelyn?”

“God, no! Call me Joss, for fuck’s sake. If you dare call me Jocelyn again I will quit you and this fucking project and this goddamn school. You’re one to talk, by the way. What the fuck kinda name is Eliseo? What are you, 17 and Italian?”

Eli is a little taken aback by the aggressiveness of Joss’s words... and his movie choices.

“You’ve seen Call Me By Your Name?”

“I’ve seen every fucking movie on this sorry planet. I have way too much free time and way too many chicks who think that gay shit is hot. Watched it for them. It was gross as fuck.” Joss rolls his eyes and makes a gag face.

Attempt to establish friendly connection: failed. Actually, more like tanked. Maybe this is actually going to suck more than the other partner projects he’s had to do. It would be a feat, considering Eli always seems to get the worst luck on partners.

“Please stop swearing,” Eli asks softly.

“What’s that, pretty boy gangster?”

Eliseo decides to not try again. “Nothing. What topic do you want to do?”

As they pore over this list, Joss proves to be much easier to handle when he’s talking academics. He’s articulate and confident in a way Eli envies. Even the way he flips his hair off his shoulder holds a certain grace. His frame is sturdy, his lips are soft-looking, and-

Project. Eli’s brain interrupts. We are working on a project together. And he is an asshole. And you are not out to anybody in this class, least of all this jerk homophobe.

By the end of the class period, they’ve gotten a lot done. Mostly thanks to Joss, who is infuriatingly good at everything. Everything.