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There's a new boy in Geri's class.
The boy is shorter than Geri, like everyone else, but he's also much skinner than everyone else. He's even skinner than Leo, and yet Leo is the smallest of them all. The new kid has brown skin and short curly hair and clear brown eyes and white teeth, and he doesn't speak like Geri does. Mister Puyol said he came from Brazil with his little sister, and that he is named Neymar and that they should be nice to him.
When Mister Puyol introduces him to the class, Neymar hides behind his legs. He looks shy, not looking any of them in the eyes but when the teacher pushes him forward, he smiles tentatively and it looks genuine.
Geri falls in love.
–
Neymar’s seat is right in front of Geri’s. He listens to Mister Puyol’s lesson with a frown on his face and he’s often peeking over Marc’s shoulders to see what he’s writing. Mister Puyol said Neymar might have a hard time following the classes because Spanish isn’t his native language but Neymar seems to be trying hard.
Neymar also has a big yellow Spongebob backpack set at his feet, and Geri instantly decides he’s a cool kid.
Before the end of the class, he makes sure to say hello. He reaches out and tugs on Neymar’s hair, in awe when it bounces back in place.
“Ow!” Neymar exclaims, turning quickly with a scowl on his face but he turns right back around when the teacher scolds him for being loud.
Neymar throws him a mean look over his shoulder afterward and Geri deems the operation a success.
–
Neymar spends the breaks with his little sister, who is even skinner than he is. He doesn’t seem to have spoken to anyone besides Marc, who’s sitting next to him in classes. As soon as classes end, he seeks his little sister out so they can play together outside.
Geri can't be with Ney during the breaks because of that, and it's upsetting.
When Friday’s break is over and they all walk back to class, Geri comes up behind him and grins. Ney look suspicious.
“You're ugly,” Geri says, his greatest hit so far.
Neymar gasps, and then his whole face twists with shame and anger and he curls his hands into tiny fists and Geri thinks he looks very cute.
“Why are you mean to me?” Neymar shouts. “You keep pulling my hair during classes!”
Neymar glares and stomps away, and Geri thrums with glee because his plan is obviously working.
–
“Does he like football?” Leo asks as they play, juggling a ball on his own.
“There are other things besides football!” Cesc bites back. “Like, does he like Dragonball? Or Yugioh? Or-”
Geri hits the both of them over the head. They're discussing his crush on Neymar but neither of his friends seem to understand that what really matters is Neymar’s smile and the flashy backpack he carries around.
“I don't know,” he answers anyway. “But it doesn't matter. You have to help me! I've been trying for a week and he doesn’t seem to like me back,” he admits pitifully.
“Even though you pull his hair every day?” Cesc’s eyes widen in shock.
Geri nods sadly. “And I keep saying he's ugly, or that I don't like his clothes.”
“Weird,” Cesc muses with a frown on his face.
Geri has never had a crush on anyone before, but he knows how things are done, yet nothing he does seems good enough for Neymar.
“I have an idea,” Leo says, holding the ball under his arm and standing proudly when they turn to him. “Next time we play football during PE, tackle him as much as you can.” Leo nods, proud and self-assured, and Geri is awed.
“This is genius!” he shouts, wrapping his arms around Leo and lifting him in the air.
–
The following Tuesday when Geri is named captain of the football team, he makes sure not to pick Neymar in his team. Since he’s new, he’s picked last and he mostly stays on the bench during the game but when he finally enters the pitch, Geri is very impressed. Neymar is really fast, and he keeps dribbling and going past other kids, like Leo does, but different.
It makes Geri’s job even easier, because the only way to stop him is to foul him.
Neymar keeps falling and he says nothing at first, but he grows more agitated as the minutes drag on and it keeps happening, throwing glares and pushing past Geri every chance he has. Mister Puyol is telling him to calm down, to be nicer, but Geri thinks that means he’s on the right track.
After a particularly rough tackle, Neymar gets up furiously, shoes dirty with dust and earth underneath his nails
“Stop tackling me you buttface!!” Neymar shouts. Geri is taller than him but Neymar doesn’t back down.
Geri falls even more in love with him.
“No,” he answers, grinning. “I don’t want to.”
Geri doubts he could be any clearer. Neymar’s face twists and before Geri has time to think about it, Neymar throws his small fist at his face.
“Neymar! Gerard!” Mister Puyol calls. Geri is just about to throw one back, because he knows brawls forges love but Mister Puyol intervenes before he can do much more than grab Neymar’s collar.
They both get scolded and afterward, when Geri turns to Neymar with a conniving smile, he won’t look him in the eyes.
Neymar avoids him the rest of the week.
Geri doesn't get it.
Neither do his friends.
–
Geri tries hard for several weeks. He pulls Neymar’s hair and pinches his sides and says mean things to him any chance he got. Every time Neymar smiles and it makes Geri’s heart skip a beat, he tells him he’s ugly. Any time Neymar frowns because he doesn’t understand a Spanish word and Geri feels proud of how much he’s trying, he laughs and mocks him out loud.
He’s doing everything by the book, but not only is Neymar not falling in love with him, he doesn’t even seem to notice Geri likes him in the first place.
Geri is confused and sad.
–
One day, he's playing at war with Leo and Cesc, when he notices something in the corner of his eyes. There's Neymar with his sister as usual, but there's another boy talking to him, and Neymar has a really big smile on his face.
The boy is Marc. He sits next to Neymar in class and he helps him out sometimes, and one day Neymar lent him a pen and now Marc is the one he goes to whenever they need to pair up in classes. And now they're talking and Neymar is laughing.
Geri hates Marc.
He calls for a truce which Leo and Cesc solemnly accepts it. They drop their weapons and watch curiously as Geri stalks over to where Neymar is standing with Marc and his sister, Rafaella.
He's the tallest kid in class and Marc is tall too, but never as tall as him.
When he gets there, he hears Neymar giggle, even though he’s only ever heard him laugh around his sister, and there’s a pain in Geri’s chest. He doesn’t get it. How could Marc succeed what he’s failed to do in weeks?
Maybe that's why Neymar doesn't fall in love with Geri, his heart is already taken.
Geri stands to his full height behind Neymar’s back. Marc notices him and he’s about to ask what he’s doing but Geri doesn’t want to hear his stupid voice. Before he can say anything, he pushes hard against Neymar’s back, palms flat on his shoulderblades to make him fall.
Neymar yelps and stumbles and falls, and Geri erupts with laughter.
Neymar remains on his knees, his head down and Geri’s laughter die down when he hears a sniffle.
He frowns but it’s too late – Neymar throws his head back and starts bawling.
He wails loudly, tears streaking down his face. His little hands are holding onto his bloody knee and he’s hiccuping with his sobs.
Geri is shocked at the sight of blood. He didn’t want to hurt him.
“I'm sorry,” he panics, a lump in his throat as Neymar cries and cries. “I'm sorry I didn't mean to--”
He startles back when Neymar’s sister shoves him away, glaring and shouting angrily in a language he doesn’t understand.
“I didn’t mean to-” he tries but Rafaella won’t listen to him, and Mister Puyol is running towards them.
“Wh-why are y-you mean to me,” Neymar sobs, protecting his knee. “You n-never leave me alone. I hate you!”
Geri is in shock. He stands and watches as Mister Puyol holds Neymar and Neymar buries his head in their teacher’s shirt, soaking it with snot and tears.
Mister Puyol throws Geri a reproachful look.
“In my office. I’ll have a word with you Gerard.”
Geri can’t even feel scared, unable to look away from Neymar’s crying form. Mister Puyol stirs him away to take care of his injury, and Geri stands there and he feels like crying too.
But he’s the tallest kid in class so he doesn’t cry.
–
His mom picks him up from school an hour later.
She looks upset. She holds his hand and walks with quick steps to the car, and the only thing she says is, I'm disappointed Gerard. The ride back home is otherwise silent.
At home, she turns to him and scowls but before she can yell at him, Geri flings himself into her legs and cries.
“He h-hates me!” he sobs, “Ney hates me!”
His mom stills. “What?” she asks, sounding confused.
“Ney, he said he h-hated me.”
“Ney? Is this the boy you bullied?”
“I didn't bully him!” Geri protests. “I l-like him. I wanted him to like me too,” he whimpers, hiding his face in her stomach.
Geri is the tallest kid, but his mom is even taller.
She heaves a sigh and threads her fingers in his hair.
“Geri,” she calls gently.
She lifts his head so he’s looking up at her and brushes his bangs away from his face.
“You wanted to catch this boy's attention?” she asks, and Geri nods. “That’s why you kept bothering him?”
Geri nods. “I didn't want to hurt him, I didn't think I’d pushed him that hard! H-he's very skinny and small,” Geri says, sadly, remembering how skinny Neymar is. He’s even skinnier than Leo, and Leo is the smallest of them all.
“You shouldn't have done that Geri,” his mom says. “Mister Puyol told me Neymar is new and he doesn’t come from Spain. Have you thought about how he felt? He doesn’t have any friends, and you keep bullying him.”
“I’m not-”
“You are,” his mom says with a voice that breaks no argument. “And that's how the boy felt it.”
“But,” Geri says pitifully. “What else am I supposed to do?”
His mom considers him for a long moment. “Oh my boy,” she finally says, rubbing her temple, the way she does when she has a headache. “Have you tried being nice to him?”
Geri frowns. That doesn't sound like a good idea.
“Instead of being mean, you should be nice. Treat him like you treat your friends.”
“Are you sure about that?” Geri asks, puzzled.
That's not how it works, that's never how it works. Geri would know if that was how you wooed boys.
But his mom nods confidently and smiles, so even though Geri thinks it won't work, he'll try it anyway because his mom never lies.
–
The next day, there’s a pig-shaped band-aid on Neymar’s knee, and he stands proudly. Geri would stand proudly too if there was a pig-shaped band-aid on his knee. It makes the other kids jealous.
He thought he could give messages to Neymar during class but Mister Puyol changed his seat, and he forbade him from going anywhere near Neymar, and Neymar stubbornly refuses to look in his direction when Geri tries to catch his attention.
But his mom said to try so Geri doesn’t give up.
During lunch, when Mister Puyol is busy eating with other Adults, Geri sneaks to Neymar’s table.
He's eating with his sister, and as soon as he sees him approach he curls into himself and looks suspicious. His sister, a 6 year old fury, steps in front of him and growls at Geri.
“I-I brought you chocolate,” Geri stutters, messily getting it out of his pocket.
He stole it this morning from the kitchen – his favorite chocolate bar, with milk and caramel inside. His mom says he can’t eat too many because it’s too sweet, but Geri knows where she hides them.
He hands the chocolate out and both the siblings stare at it.
“It’s my favorite,” Geri says. “It has caramel in it. I hope you’ll like it,” he ends up mumbling. He’s embarrassed, uncharacteristically shy, because he doesn’t know what he’ll do if Neymar doesn’t like his favorite chocolate. “You can share with your sister too,” he adds, glancing apprehensively at the small monster.
They keep staring at him and Geri’s grip tighten on the chocolate bar. He knew this wouldn’t work.
Then Rafaella's face splits with a smile and she takes the chocolate bar from his hands.
“Chocolate!” she exclaims, tearing it open and putting one half into Neymar’s hands.
Neymar takes it gingerly while his sister devours her own half, and he looks hesitantly at Geri.
“Thanks,” he finally says, before lifting the chocolate to his mouth and munching tentatively on the candy.
Geri’s world is saved.
“Is your knee ok?” he asks. Neymar is busy sucking on the chocolate bar but he nods, and shows his knee to Geri.
“It hurts,” he says. “But I'm tough.”
His sister nods, lips already brown with chocolate, and Geri smiles.
“Can I draw on your band-aid?” he asks impulsively, feeling brave because Neymar is humming appreciatively as he eats his favorite candy.
Neymar stops eating altogether, staring wide-eyed at him and Geri almost falls over himself when he apologizes and runs away in shame.
–
At the end of classes, Geri's still embarrassed and Leo an Cesc keep making fun of him, but then when everyone is exiting the classroom, Neymar walks up to him and hesitantly gives him a black pen.
“I-if you want to draw,” he says, looking at his shoes.
Geri's heart beats really really fast.
“Yes!” he says, and he makes Neymar sit on a chair. He scouts down in front of his knee to draw, careful not to hurt him, and Leo and Cesc hovers behind him and offers comments on his drawing skills.
He tries his best so it'd look pretty, and when he's done, he shows it off proudly to Neymar. Neymar studies his work curiously then breaks off into a broad smile and Geri feels very much in love.
–
The day after, Geri takes Leo and Cesc apart.
“Is it ok if I ask Ney to play football with us?” he asks.
“You want to tackle him again?” Cesc frowns. “Mister Puyol said-”
“No!” Geri cuts him. “Just to play, him and me in the same team.”
His friends look unconvinced.
“But he's not going to like you if you do that,” Cesc points out.
“Mom says if I'm nice to him he'll like me.”
That makes both Leo and Cesc laugh.
“No way!” Cesc exclaims.
“But I gave him chocolate yesterday!” Geri argues back. “And he let me draw on his knee.”
That makes his friends shut up, and they frown confusedly.
“It's weird,” they finally decide and Geri nods in agreement.
They say yes anyway, and so Geri walks to Neymar and asks him to play with them. Neymar is defiant until Geri tells him they'll be in the same team, and his sister can be the referee.
Neymar plays good, and he says lots of nice things about Leo which makes the three of them happy, and Leo smiles and decides he likes him. He also laughs at Cesc's jokes, and when he scores a goal he high-fives Geri and Geri feels very happy. Neymar's all smiles and laughter and this is the best day of his life.
–
It’s hard, supplying Ney with chocolate bars because his mom notices them disappearing and she scolds him, but it’s totally worth it.
One time, he also tries offering Ney flowers because his mom looks happy when he gives her some. He steals pretty-looking flowers from Lucho’s garden and shoves them unceremoniously in Ney’s hands. Ney looks pleasantly surprised, and he keeps them, even when the petals fall and they lose their colors.
He always plays with Leo and Cesc and him too, and it’s funnier playing football when you’re four because then can split into teams. His sister often plays referee and when she does and Geri is on Ney’s team, they always end up winning.
Ney eats lunch with them sometimes, and he teaches them dirty Portuguese words and that and the band-aid and the Spongebob backpack – Leo and Cesc agree to say Ney is a very cool kid.
Geri thinks they’re becoming friends. He doesn’t know if Ney will ever like him back but Geri finds friends is nice, too.
–
Geri decides to confess on April Fool’s Day. This way if Ney rejects him he can pretend it was joke.
He sneaks into Lucho’s garden to steal two pretty dandelions and he shoves them in Ney’s face.
“W-will you be my boyfriend?” he stutters, a blush creeping up on his face.
Ney stares at him, wide-eyed, and Geri starts shaking, until a very wide grin splits Ney's face in two, and he takes the flowers and rises on his tip toes and presses his lips to Geri's cheeks.
It's the first time Geri receives a kiss and he can't help blushing as red as Lucho’s roses when Ney pulls back, and Ney has a shy smile on his face and Geri is in love, he's in love, he's very much in love.
–
Geri is very nervous when Ney comes over to his place for the first time. His palms are sweaty and he feels on edge as Ney looks around his room and points at Barça posters and looks in awe at his Batman tee-shirts.
He’s even more nervous when it’s time to introduce him to his parents.
“Mom, Dad, this is Neymar, my husband,” he says, voice wavering but chest swelling with pride.
His mom's eyebrows shoot up and she laughs loudly.
His dad nods and takes Ney’s hand, shaking it solemnly. “Nice to meet you, Neymar,” he says, and Ney shakes his hand as hard as he can, like a grown-up.
Then his dad smiles and his mom is smiling too and Ney is giggling and Geri is in love. He’s very much in love.