Clipped.

[Levi Xu]

Levi's phone didn't ring all too often. Nomi called him sometimes, but the people he spoke to the most were (Evan) other students, and it wasn't hard to just walk to their dorm room. So he was a little surprised when his father's name appeared on the screen.

"Hello, Ba." Levi reflexively switched back to Chinese. It had been a while since he'd spoken to his father, a few months, at least.

Is it true that there are pictures of you having sex with another boy?

Levi almost dropped the phone. He'd told Evan that things were going to be okay. That their parents weren't going to be told. And his dad knew. "Y-yes, Ba."

Who is it?

Was his dad's voice more clipped than what he remembered? "It's Evan. He's my boyfriend. We've been together for a few months..."

Do not see him again.

"But Ba, the pictures weren't our fault! I'm sorry--"

Do not see him again. Haven't you caused enough trouble for us?

Levi switched back to English, his voice just as clipped as his father's. "No, Ba. I love him."

Click.

[Levi Xu]

"Ba! What did you do?" Levi couldn't remember ever shouting at his father before. But this...this was too much.

"I knew you wouldn't listen to me, and I do not think it appropriate for your school to let you share a dorm with that boy." Unlike the last time, his voice was calm. He'd obviously been expecting the call from his son.

"That's not fair! We're not doing anything wrong."

"You're fifteen. You don't know who you are yet, and I'm not going to let someone else corrupt you." Suddenly, Levi realized something about his father's voice. He sounded exactly like he used to when he'd spoken to Levi as a little boy.

"That's not going to stop me from seeing him."

"Well, I can't have you transferred. This is the best I can do."

This time, it was his father who hung up the phone without warning.