The Fallen {Jason X Salim}

𝓐𝓰𝓮 13 - 𝓓𝓲𝓯𝓯𝓮𝓻𝓮𝓷𝓽

I always knew I was different, but I never sat and pondered the thought for long enough, knowing full well it wouldn't help matters one bit.

It all started when I was just eight years old. Young, I know.

This boy at my primary school. Hell, I don't even remember his name now.
We were playing a game of House, although I only ever remembered the game being played with a boy and girl, as the husband and wife. The boy convinced me it was fine to pretend there was two husbands, and during our little game, he kissed me. I was shocked, but I didn't mind. In fact, I rather enjoyed it.

Luckily for us, no teachers saw it, otherwise I think there would have been a few upset and revolted parents who didn't approve.

Then there was this boy Ash, when I was just eleven years old.

I went to Intermediate school with him, and we became close friends after playing a few card games at lunchtime one afternoon. We hungout all the time, and I considered him my best friend. Of course, it didn't stop there.

I always thought Ash was cute, in the kind of way that boys are meant to find girls cute. However, I had never looked at a girl and felt that way; but when I looked at Ash, I saw a cute young guy, with sparkling blue eyes, shaggy blonde hair, and adorable dimples when he laughed.

Of course, I was eleven at the time. It was crazy to like anyone at that age, let alone think that anything would come of that friendship. It was absurd. So I ignored my feelings, and pushed them way down.

I happened to be right about it, too!

Ash and his family, moved away to Ohio during the Summer break, without even a peep from my blonde friend. Then, when I went back to school the following Semester, eager to catch up with him, my school crush, and he ended up being a no-show; I was pretty upset, to say the least.

Now, here I was, at the age of thirteen, and my most recent crush was my school bully, Tyler.

Dammit, why did everything have to be so damn complicated?!

Tyler was what most people would consider a right dickhead, and a waste of energy; and let me tell you that 90% of the time, those people would be right. But I saw a side to, Tyler, that nobody else did.

Sure, Tyler acted all tough and mean when around his friends, or any other students; but on odd occasion when I caught him alone, he'd smile at me shyly.

Once, when I tripped on my way to the library, he offered his hand, pulled me up, and asked if I was okay.

Did that mean he was forgiven for all the shoves, and times he had called me insults? Or the times he trapped me inside of lockers? No, but it was a start.

And of course, I was the gay kid, that most people didn't like.

It wasn't because I was gay that people didn't like me. I never told a soul about my interest in guys, and luckily, I had done a pretty good job of going through Intermediate school being known as the shy, quiet, kid.

"Hey, son." dad greeted, with the top half of his body buried deep inside the bonnet of our ute. It was getting pretty old now. There wasn't a week that I didn't see my dad doing repairs to the dang thing.

"Hey!" I replied, making my way over to the ute, that we called Betty.

"Pass me that wrench." dad ordered, wiping sweat from his brow. I dropped my backpack on the dusty ground, and grabbed the wrench from his toolbox.

He muttered a quick, "thanks!" as I handed it to him. I leant on the old, rusted vehicle, as I watched my dad tinker away. I don't know how much time passed, but watching my dad work, was always somewhat relaxing.