Mama breathed, "Let me get this straight."
Art rolled their eyes, while Mama narrowed hers.
"Sorry, sorry," Art muttered. "You're just so funny, Mama."
"What time is it, Art?'
"Nine-fifty."
"What time were you supposed to come home?"
"Six. Pero I texted you that I'd be home late. Traffic. Dinner."
"You were in his room for more than five hours."
Art cradled their snarling Georgie, who was ready to protect them. One wrong move, and one wrong glare from Mama would send Georgie feral.
"Yeah. So?"
Mom looked up from cooking her adobong manok. "Whose room?"
"Shade's!" Mama bellowed, turning to Mom. "Shade Flaurante!"
Mom looked unbothered. "Oh. How is he, Anak?"
Art answered, "Not so great."
Aghast, Mama said, "He just slept? For more than five hours? The entire fucking time you were there?"
"Duh. He's a deep sleeper."
Mama crossed her arms. "Don't lie to me."
"I'm not lying."
"Show me your neck."
"My neck?"
"Yes. Don't make me repeat myself."
"Why the fuck do you—"
"ART MENDOZA!"
Art rolled their eyes. They grumbled, "Why is everyone saying my full name today?"
"Tang ina, who else did you piss off?"
Avoiding her question, Art groaned, "Shay is just my friend."
"Your special friend," Mama seethed.
Mommy sighed. "Just do as she says, anak ko."
Huffing, Art pulled down their shirt collar to their collarbones. "Happy? Happy?"
Mama looked closely, inspecting them under the orange light of the dining room.
She pulled them closer. "My God, anak. You smell like chlorine."
"That's his fault."
Mama sighed. She pushed Art away. "Fine. Okay. You were in Shade's room... in his bed... and he just slept while you...?"
"Scrolled on Twitter. Also, Angelo was in the room with us. I don't see why it's such a big deal to you."
Mama went back to massaging her temples.
Mom frowned. "Diba Shay hasn't been going to school?"
Art nodded, thankful for her good memory, and thanking her swift conversation skills. "Yeah. For two weeks now. I went to his house to check on him."
"Why? Where's he been? Nagbakasyon lang siya?" Mama scoffed, "Did he go on vacation?"
Art scowled, "No. He's going through a lot. Mentally."
Mama sneered.
Art grit their teeth. Clamped their jaw shut. "I'm sorry I wasn't home earlier, butI had to be there for him. He wasn't on some fucking vacation. He needs people to be by his side."
YOU ARE READING
The Redamancy of Shade and Art (BOOK 2)
Teen Fiction(SEQUEL TO YOU'RE A MASTERPIECE) Shade Flaurante and Art Mendoza have a few things in common. First, they're both struggling Filipino teenagers. Second, they're both very, very, very queer. And, well, they're both extremely smitten with each other...
