Chapter 36: Partner
(click the title to go to the chapter itself)

What we have in this chapter is an array of events that address issues arising for Pete and Earn as their relationship continues to develop. Some of the events are LOL funny and others are heartwarmingly serious. There is also the continued challenge of potential interlopers (perceived, actual or both) into the Pete-Earn paring. On the whole this is an enjoyable read, so let’s get to it. Keep in mind as you read the opening sequence that references are made to characters without using names, but there is no mistaking Pete’s references. We know them so well by their character traits names are no longer essential.

Pete is hanging off of Earn’s shoulder as they walk downstairs listening to their loud friend’s stories while the serious one generates unintentional humor with his retorts. The quiz they’ve been studying for was a breeze and they finished early so Ms. Nakara has cut them loose to work on other school work. They enter the canteen to buy some lunch and find the place pretty empty. After buying their food they reunite at a table where Por launches into shamelessly asking Pete and Earn totally inappropriate questions about their s*x life. I won’t spoil the laughs, because the conversation in this passage is well written and exceptionally funny, especially if readers have parallel experiences with friends who have peppered them with similar inquires. The lines are tailored to Por’s abrasive character which makes the scene that much funnier. Pete notices that since they told Por they’re dating he’s been fixated on their relationship. He’s not sure if Por has just never thought about these issues before or he’s energized about being in on their dating secret, but his enthusiasm is the opposite of what they expected. Pete contrasts this with Card who seems more irritated because he’s afraid their relationship will conflict with school and Cheer Team duties. On the whole Pete feels it’s a good balance, although he suspects that Card is preoccupied by spending a lot of his free time with Lhew.

With nothing to do and time on their hands, the boys agree to head to the library to study, but first plan a pit stop at the bathroom to find only 2 stalls operating. Earn and Por seem more urgent in their need so they enter first, but not without Por getting in a wisecrack about keeping Earn’s beast away from his hole (again read the exchange and enjoy it for yourselves). This leaves Pete and Card alone waiting for their turn. While Card fiddles with his phone, Pete can’t help but think about how much time Lhew and Card have spent with each other the past week. Knowing that he’s prying into Card’s life, Pete tries to engage him in small talk about hanging out with Lhew, asking what they did together. When he comments to Card that it sounded like a date, Card stops typing on his phone, but remains eerily silent. Pete babbles on ultimately inciting Card to demand he just come out with what he is trying to say. Pete prattles on that Lhew has given him a nickname, and they are close now and… but before he can get it out, Card bluntly states that they are not dating and that they are only friends. Card adds that he knows Pete cares for both of them and probably feels that if they got together they would mend each other’s broken heart, but that she is not his type, and there is always the freshman from the Music Club. Turning back to his phone, Card then dismisses the whole conversation but adds that talking to Lhew is interesting, primarily since he’s learned what a dork Pete is on dates. This draws Pete’s ire and he calls her a b*tch as Earn is exiting the bathroom and asks who Pete’s talking about. When Pete tells him it’s Lhew he not only agrees but encourages Pete to ditch her tonight and hang out with him. Pete explains that he can’t back out on her and then mentions that he wants to ask her a few questions after talking to Ace. Card and Pete exchange snarky comments for bit and then enter the restroom. 

The boys eventually make it to the library, finish their classes for the day and meet after school for practice. Odd and Choi are being given responsibility for some of the Cheer Team activities and after practice ends, Pete and Por get ready for their rendezvous with Josie and Lhew. Earn seems clingy and hovering offering to drop Pete off at the mall, him, etc. Pete is amused by Earn’s odd suggestions until Earn tells him that Por and Josie with Lhew and Pete sounds like a double date. Pete tells him not to worry or get jealous, but Earn quickly denies being jealous of Lhew, explaining that he just wants to protect his Penguin from getting bullied by the others. Pete whispers into Earn’s ear in a low breathy voice that if he gets bullied he’ll have his s*xy boyfriend deal with them, reddening Earn’s face. Por bursts in yelling for them to ‘Quit fuc-… Taking forever and let’s go!’ Pete observes that Por has once again tripped over his words.

Por and Pete share an uneventful drive to the mall, but Pete distinctly notices that Por hasn’t made even a tiny gay joke since they told him about their relationship. Pete listens on and on to Por’s self-aggrandizing tales of his prowess with women and remarks that it’s funny how girls seem to throw themselves at Por now that he has a hot girlfriend as if they sensed he’s off the market. Por asks if Pete is going through the same experience, but Pete admits to being clueless as to what Por is talking about. Por explains that guys and girls check Pete out all of the time both at school and in public and expresses his shock that Pete has no idea, commenting that he’s ‘blind as .’ Pete explains that when he goes out in public he focuses on the people he is with and never really thinks about those around him. Por makes the same observation about Earn as well, adding that if guys ogled Josie like people gawk at Earn, it would piss him off, but now he understands why it never bothered Pete. This is a new insight for Pete because he never knew how people look at him and Earn, but he tells Por that he’s still not worried because he loves Earn and Earn loves him, leading Por into a rather humorous remark. This opens the way for Pete to ask Por why he’s been acting so different lately. Por, of course, plays dumb, so Pete explains that he’s as rude as ever, but no makes snide remarks. Por persists in his denial so Pete threatens to throw him out of the car. Finally coming clean, Por admits that he was an utter a*shole to Hack and gay people in general and that some of the sh*t Pete heard must have been pretty hurtful. In earnest tones he explains that he realized all of this after resolving things with Hack, and that Pete and Earn had put up with all of it while still considering him a close friend, just made him realize he didn’t want them to feel hated or ridiculed either. Pete tells Por not to change the way he talks to them because he’s afraid they will hurt. Por is their friend and they like him the way he is. When Por expresses concern about going too far sometimes, Pete acknowledges that he’s always done this but assures him that just as he would not want them to change who they are, they don’t want him to change who he is either. 

This is my favorite part of the chapter. When you read the well-crafted dialogue the genuine sensitivity in the exchange between Por and Pete is obvious. These are good friends who really like each other warts and all, but even more importantly, they respect and care about each other. The growth in Por’s character is nice to see and while it may only be on this narrow range of issues, it shows that he is capable of empathy with others and learning from his mistakes. 

As the boys head into the mall Por apologizes to Pete for dragging him into this whole shopping errand when he could be home cuddling with Earn, but he explains that he can’t handle Josie and Lhew when they are shopping together. What scares them the most are the 50% off sales heading into Valentine’s Day making for a perfect storm. Anticipating Shopageddon (or is it a Shopnado?), they enter the mall with fear in their hearts. The story mercifully cuts to the aftermath with the four sitting around a table in the food court next a second table piled high with boxes and bags. As the girls downplay the shopping frenzy, Pete alternates between defending their reaction to being the girl’s schleps and accusing the girls of denial. Pete finally throws in the towel and Por is practically unable to speak out of exhaustion. Josie starts feeding Por cake off of her plate and they start talking sweetly to each other making both Lhew and Pete comment that their behavior is hard to watch. Josie defends herself noting that when Pete and Lhew were together they were just as bad calling each other Penguin and Buttercup and not to be downers now that they are single. Pete and Lhew both defend themselves with Pete declaring he’s in a relationship and Lhew that she’s being courted. At this point Lhew and Pete excuse themselves to escape the lovebirds by way of heading to the restroom.

On the way to the restroom we learn from Pete that he was able to buy Earn’s Valentine’s Day present and that he wishes he was with him or that Earn had really tagged along today, although he knows that wouldn’t have really worked out since Earn and Lhew are still sniping at each other. When Pete mentions how he’d really rather be home with his big ball of muscles, Lhew tells him that he’s going to make her throw up too. After asking her when she got so bitter, he asks her why she didn’t bring Ngaw instead of him. Lhew offers that Por was charged to finally get the double date he wanted and that Ngaw isn’t exactly built to carry bags all over. He asks her what’s going on with Ngaw, but she tells him that he hasn’t actually called her yet. Pete asks why she doesn’t take the lead since it’s more in character for her, she whacks him on the arm and tells him Ngaw doesn’t know her like he does. Pete then slips in that there is always Card if she wants a real man. Lhew shoots this down handily telling him that he’s not her type. They collect Por and Josie and Pete drops everyone home, reminding Por that tomorrow has early classes. On the way to her house Lhew tells Pete that things at school have simmered down somewhat, and that she’s letting her true self out a bit more each day. Pete drives home and jumps into bed. When he turns on his phone he sees the backlog of texts from Earn waiting. Reading them, they go from happy progress reports to frowny face emoticons. Pete eventually draws him out and breaks down his resistance and gets Earn to call him for an actual conversation in which they are back on a Panda and Penguin basis. Pete tells him that seeing Por and Josie act so lovey-dovey made him want to drive to Earn’s house and hug him. Yawning, Pete explains that he is sorry to cut the call short but that he just wanted to hear Earn’s voice and tell him he’s excited for their date the next night. Earn says he is too and tells Pete he loves him. Repeating the magic words, Pete feels he’s in a state of high. He closes his eyes hoping to replenish his energy reserves.

So the other shoe drops on Pete’s curiosity about Card and Lhew. He noticed that each used the same reason for their disinterest in the other (not my type) so I’m not sure if really believes either of them completely at this point. He also got the word on Ngaw and the status of that situation. I also feel compelled, since this sort of their story now, to mention that the text exchange passage was really nicely done. It is hard to hear other people act sweetly toward each other, but Pete and Earn pull off killer cuteness very well.

The next part of the chapter begins with Card berating Earn and Pete for forgetting a Student Council budget meeting. Earn is really the one responsible, but Pete is supposed to remind him. When Card presses Pete for why he forgot, Pete is forced to face the fact that he’s been juggling too much, but Card just tells him to get his sh*t together. Earn finally tells Card that he and Pete will go to the meeting but Pete says no to Earn going, explaining that Earn should stay and oversee the practice and he should take Hack with him to show him how these meetings work. Earn is perplexed, but he agrees with a confused smile. Pete grabs Hack and they head off to toward the meeting. On the way Pete chastises himself for letting the meeting slip his mind. The reason he didn’t want Earn to go was because in the past he only went to see Noh, and Pete admits that he knows he shouldn’t be insecure but there is a difference between knowing it and feeling it. Also, Phun will there and it’s all just too much drama for both of them. Pete’s also worried because he’s tired and his body is aching because he slept horribly. He missed Earn in his bed and he’s worried about his projects and then all the driving and shopping drama earlier in the day. He feels even worse that he took out being tired and grouchy on Earn. He’s so sleepy that he kept putting his head down to try to get some rest and felt like he was ignoring Earn every time he did so. 

Pete and Hack arrive at the floor of the Student Council Office and run straight into a solid body at the staircase. It turns out to be Oil who is on his way to the same meeting and joins the two on their way there. As they walk, the shirtless Oil asks Pete where Earn is, so Pete tells him he’s busy and that he (Pete) is breaking in the next generation of club heads on how things work. Oil comments that he forgot ‘the big oaf’ is President of the club before laughing and adding, “Well, lucky me I guess.’ When Pete asks what he means, Oil just demurrers. So goes the suggestive exchanges that follow between them with Oil flirtatiously commenting at Pete and Pete either half hearing or missing his intention completely. As they enter the room Oil’s teammate Bomb waves them over to a seat near him. Pete sits down wishing for a quick end to the meeting and looks around to discover the only Music Club members in attendance are Ohm and Ngoi, and Phun is not at the council table, making his whole reason for keeping Earn away from the meeting moot. The meeting moves forward with Hack catching on pretty quickly so Pete has to help Oil and Bomb repeatedly with the math on the budget worksheets. Pete finds Oil friendly but comments on his lack of a sense of personal space as Oil hangs off him and looks over his shoulder repeatedly.

After the meeting is dismissed Oil thanks ‘Petey’ for his help and Pete tells him it was no problem through the middle of one of his countless yawns. Hack asks if he can rush back to the field explaining that he wants to catch up with Dirk before practice ends, and Pete makes the observation that little Hack seems to be growing up. In his peripheral vision Pete notices Ngoi (Ngaw) enter the restroom, before asking Hack to let Earn know he’ll be a little late because he has business with a certain someone. With that Hack departs and then Oil lets Bomb know that he’s going to hang back so Bomb departs as well. Oil motions toward the bathroom and after some small talk he agrees to guard the door while Pete enters to find Ngaw finishing up and walking to the faucet. Pete plays casual by rinsing his hands and washing his face and then breaks the ice with a comment about the meeting. When Ngaw tries to leave Pete stops him by asking him to confirm that he’s interested in Lhew. Ngaw remains silent to the question, so Pete tells Ngaw that he’s her ex. Still silent, Ngaw manages to nod his head yes with fear in his eyes. Pete picks up on this and exploits his fear by ordering him to reply or take a beating. Pete then asks if he’s serious about her. Ngoi eventually stammers out that he’s serious. At this point Pete steps forward and somewhat sympathetically asks him why he hasn’t called her, and Ngaw replies that he’s too nervous because she’s so beautiful and that after dating Pete he couldn’t meet her standards. Pete shouts Ngaw’s name out loudly while thinking to himself how much alike they really are, but quickly tells him that Lhew’s waiting for him to call and ask her out. Pete threatens to kick the boy’s a*s if he doesn’t call her and then calls him an idiot and tells him to get out, leaving Ngaw digging for his phone as rushes out. Deciding that bullying the younger boy was fun but that he shouldn’t make a habit of it, Pete leans against the counter and calls Earn to tell him he’ll be late, and they agree to meet at the gate by the North Exit.

When Pete exits the restroom Oil chides him that it took long him long enough since Ngoi left over 5 minutes before, but Pete tells him he had to use the bathroom. Since Pete has a little time before meeting with Earn he decides to kill it chatting with Oil. In the course of their small talk Oil laments that being a popular athlete does nothing for his love life and he envies the intellectuals who have the time for it. Pete follows along sleepily replying in the appropriate spots and tries to dissuade Oil from escorting him to the gate, but Oil is committed to it based on all the help Pete provided during the meeting and the fact that Pete looks like he’s about to fall over any minute. Pete tells him that after the game he should have plenty of time to find a girl, especially at the after party. When Oil mentions Valentine’s Day approaching, Pete jokes about it being Singles Day. This prompts Oil to tentatively ask him if he has any plans on Valentine’s Day. Pete notes that his question is strange, but Oil explains that he partially overheard Pete’s conversation with Ngoi so he knows Pete broke up with his girlfriend. Pete fills him in briefly but ends up pointing out that they are still friends. They make more small talk before Oil returns to press Pete for an answer about Valentine’s Day. Pete is a bit taken aback thinking he’s being asked out, but then Oil goes on to say that he was just thinking they could hang out on the feared Singles Day. Pete is polite in turning him down by telling him it sounds like fun, but that he will be spending the day with someone extremely special. Oil rolls with it pretty well, and Pete accepts that he may genuinely want to just hang out and is reluctant to assume he’s asking him out because he’s into guys. Pete tries to be encouraging by telling Oil that he’ll find a date because any girl would die to for a dude like him. Suddenly a voice from behind them volunteers to find a girl for Oil. Pete turns to greet Earn and says he was wondering where he was. Earn apologizes for being later than he expected as he pushes his way between Pete and Oil and wraps an arm over Pete’s shoulder as he greets Oil. Oil responds that he didn’t see Earn at the meeting, and Earn points out that when you’re in charge, you send important people to handle things for you. Oil says he wished he had someone like that but Earn reminds him about his drills and what the coach will do if he catches him walking aimlessly around the campus. Oil fires back that it was worth it, and thanks Petey for the chat and thanks him for his help earlier before flashing his braces and waving.

Oil and Earn glare at each other briefly before Oil leaves and Pete notices a negative electricity in the air. Earn pulls Pete into him as they walk toward the parking lot and Pete senses that Earn is upset because he’s silent and won’t face him. As they walk Pete can feel Earn’s heart beat against his body and he’s overjoyed, but realizes that he’s been neglectful of Earn lately. Although tired, he apologizes for being a bad boyfriend of late and pleads with him not to be upset. Earn explains that he’s not upset at all, but is concerned about how exhausted Pete is. Pete comments on how quiet Earn has been, but Earn tells Pete he was just thinking about something and dismisses it as they get into the car. After exchanging the three magic words between them, they kiss passionately and Pete has his usual reaction and sees the usual explosions o color and light in his mind. As they separate, Pete lets out a loud yawn, and then asks Earn where they are going on their date. Earn asks him to drop him home to pick up something before they go out, and Pete easily agrees but reminds Earn to think of special place to go tonight. Pete really wants to make it up to Earn even though he’s really tired. When they get to Earn’s he opens the gate and has Pete park the car inside and then tells him it may take him a while so Pete can wait in his room. Pete heads up to his room yawning all the way and Earn opens the sliding door for him to enter. Pete hears the door slide close behind him and he hears Earn’s bag drop to the floor followed by a flying tackle onto Earn’s bed. Earn declares that he’s decided their date should be right where they are because he doesn’t want Pete wandering all over like a zombie. Pete asks if he’s sure and declares that he wanted to pamper him tonight, but Earn tells him that sometimes we don’t get the things we want but that it’s okay if it’s for the one you love. Pete tells him he’s the best and that he loves him, followed by Earn telling Pete he loves him too as they kiss passionately. Earn explains Pete will have to make it up to him tomorrow with a devilish grin while tightening his embrace and leaving Pete with the wish that they could remain like that forever.

Heee’s baaack! Oil has paid us another visit and he’s just as flirtatious with Pete as he was before. He even asked Pete out under the guise of commiserating over Valentine’s Day (dreaded Singles Day), and he’s taken to calling him Petey as well. Pete seems mostly oblivious although the thought that Oil might like him did cross his mind, even if he pushed it away. Pete’s blindness is not easy to understand even though we know he’s currently very tired and we learned that he doesn’t know how to flirt on dates and never realized the way others look at him when he’s out in public. But he clearly isn’t adding all of his experiences with Oil up in the right way to understand where he’s coming from. Of course none of Oil’s advances mean anything since Pete is in love with Earn. Earn on the other hand, clearly has something against Oil. We know of their prior soccer rivalry, but does Earn see what Pete does not in Oil’s attentions? Earn is not speaking out yet on the matter, so it’s hard to tell. If Earn does have a clue about Oil’s intentions, he’s handling it well because he played the part of the loving, caring, protecting boyfriend beautifully in this chapter and the ending in his room was cute as hell. I have no doubt that this Oil storyline will loom larger in the future. I have a special mention for Pete in this chapter. His desire to keep Earn away from the Student Council meeting so he would not see Noh is motivated by his concern for Earn as much as his insecurity. He admits this to himself and I think that is a sign of maturity that we need to recognize. At any rate, this was pleasant chapter with some seriously funny dialogue and I enjoyed it very much (as I usually do). Thank you.

Writer's Note

This is just a small heads up on the Chapter 38, the last chapter I'm posting before I go on a month long break. On Chapter 38, please log-in to read the entirety of chapter. Like Chapter 30: Commencement, there is a lot of dialogue and sections of the chapter that require the words not to be altered/censored. Also, just like Chapter 19: Live, think of it as like a season finale (The third to be specific).

Another thing, I'll be releasing the chapter into parts. 1st part on Wednesday and 2nd part on Saturday. It's an extremely long chapter that took me weeks to finish and I hope the separation won't affect reading process.

Lastly, a healthier reminder, my postings after the hiatus will be 1 New Chapter Post on Wednesday, and then 1 Chev Reviews the next Wednesday. This is to give time for me to write up chapters, edit them, and still find time to rest or enjoy life outside of writing and work. Thank you all for putting up with me and enjoying my writing so far. Hopefully this month break will pass by fast for you guys but slow for me. See you on Wednesday. :D