This Is Me

The Brodie's Residence (Part Two)

The Brodie's Residence (Part Two)

"Have you been on the school's social wall since...?" Blaire asked, trailing off.

"No."

Why would I? I didn't want to see what people were saying about me, and as my mind drifted to Leroy and Mitchell, I realised I already knew what some of them thought.

"Hold on." Blaire wiggled around for a moment before she jumped up from her bed and grabbed her laptop from the small desk and brought it back, resting herself next to me.

"Blaire, I don't want—"

"No, shut up," Blaire insisted and waited for the laptop to load up, all while my heart was beating a thousand miles an hour, smashing against my rib cage.

I didn't want to see what people were saying, but maybe it was for the best. Perhaps it would prepare me for what would happen tomorrow. I highly doubted it, but I could have hope. The best-case scenario was that I went through school tomorrow, and it would be like nothing had happened. Going from what had happened when I was there this morning, though, I wasn't so sure.

"Just going to turn 'auto-play' off, 'cause I'm sure you don't want to watch the video again." Blaire's voice pulled me out of my thoughts, and I looked at the laptop screen.

"Thank you—wait," I started, but stopped myself as I watched Blaire scroll through our school's social wall.

Post after post, I saw my video show up, with only a few random posts in between, and as Blaire continued through the wall, it kept showing up. Over and over again.

"Why are there so many?" I asked, my heart threatening to break through my rib cage.

"Hold on. I wanna start from the start. Give me a sec." Blaire waved my question off, and I could hear my breathing getting heavier.

Why the hell was I freaking out so much? Other than the apparent reasons of everyone hating me and making fun of me—oh, no, they were good enough reasons to freak out.

"Okay, here," Blaire said suddenly, and I focused my attention on the screen in front of her.

"'Peter Stone posted a video'," I read aloud, staring right into my own eyes that looked back at me from the screen. Fear was present in them, and my stomach dropped at the sight. "Yeah, 'cause I'm a fucking idiot."

"You're not. It was just... under circumstances that could have been avoided," Blaire stated, and I nodded.

"Yeah. Not saying that was your fault or anything," I mumbled with a chuckle, still trying to get my heartbeat in check.

"Well, I wouldn't say it was me entirely."

"You said me and Leroy were doing stuff. I thought he told you about the kiss! I thought they both knew!"

"Pete, I don't even think Leroy knows about the kiss you almost shared," Blaire said, smiling at me and I shook my head.

"Well, it's done, so," I muttered as Blaire began to scroll back up the timeline.

One after the other, people had been reposting my video with different captions, and as I read each one, I felt myself trying not to shed a tear.

I'm so proud of you, Pete!

I never knew! Pete, I'm so happy for you!

You go, Pete!

Be loud and proud, man!

Each one Blaire scrolled past made my stomach flip, but unlike the usual feeling of dread and sadness I got when it had done it before, it was replaced with happiness and relief.

"This isn't even the best part," Blaire stated, smiling wide, clearly happy with herself.

"Why didn't anyone say anything this morning?" I asked, completely shocked by the response the video had got. The reaction that I had got.

"Well, they did. You just left. You had people worried. The whole day, whispers were running around the school filled with concern." Blaire stopped scrolling through the timeline for a moment and looked at me. "No one could understand what you were going through, and I think they wanted to give you space. Then you left..."

"Clearly not everyone, though," I whispered, thinking of Mitchell and no doubt the others he hung around with.

I was trying not to lump Leroy in with them as I was doing my best to give him the benefit of the doubt, but it was hard. My mind kept wanting to drift to him. The boy I had found myself falling for. The boy I'd give anything to have by my side.

"Look, Mitchell is a fuck, and I gave him a piece of my mind when you left. Donny, too, which surprised me," Blaire added, and I knotted my eyebrows.

It had also surprised me when Donny had stood up for me in the hallway this morning, and hearing that he did more after I left made me feel... weird.

Shaking him out of my head, I sighed, and watched more posts with the video of me slipping past on the timeline. All of them had supportive comments, and I couldn't stop a smile from creeping on my face, nor stop a few tears from trickling down my cheeks.

"Oh, Pete, don't cry," Blaire whispered, pulling me into a hug. "You'll make me cry."

"I'm not going to be alone. Or an outcast," I managed to get out while leaning further into Blaire's embrace.

"You were never going to be alone, Pete. You know Trent?" Blaire asked, and I nodded. "He came up to me today and told me to thank you. He came out to his friends because of you."

"Really?" I asked, dumbfounded, and Blaire hummed.

"And I'm sure he isn't the only one. You did that, Pete. You gave him courage. Probably others, too."

"I don't..." I trailed off, and Blaire gave me a small shove.

"Don't overthink this. Just know you're not alone."

Blaire pulled me in for another hug, but this time, I just sat limply in her arms, moving my hand over to the mouse pad and continuing to scroll through myself.

"Thank you for showing me," I whispered, and I felt Blaire tighten her grip.

"What are friends for?" I felt her body move beside me as she let out a chuckle.

Continuing to look at the school's social wall, I felt the worries I had start to slip away. Sure, there was still a lot of uncertainty inside me, but there was one thing off my mind, and it was as though a weight had been lifted off me.

I felt relieved. Everything I had seen on the school social wall made me realise that I wasn't alone. That I didn't have to be fearful of going back to school. I could deal with a few assholes, as long as I had others by my side. I just hoped that Leroy would be one of those people by my side.

I hoped that I hadn't lost one of my closest friends.