After All, I'm Your Secret Admirer~!!

Ch2 -Liar Liar

In Social Studies, Paige stares into the middleground. Around him the class buzzes about history and current events, but he hears almost none of it. The period seemingly starts and ends in the blink of an eye.

Much of the same happens in Art, Paige absently doodling in his sketchbook. Who could've sent that note, he wondered. He didn't have many friends outside of the immediate four he could think of-Brandon, Bro, Sue and, occasionally, OJ, so the idea that anyone outside of them really liked him in that way was kind of... unthinkable, really.

After all, he was the only openly gay boy at the whole school at the moment.

There were actually a good amount of lesbians he knew, but no other gays.

"Paige?" Sue asks, tapping on his shoulder and snapping him out of his thoughts.

"Huh?"

"Are you okay?" They seem worried. "You haven't really been paying attention."

"Um... yes I have," Paige lies.

"You lied just now," Sue states.

"Did not," Paige lies again.

"...Are you aware your blue eye twitches when you lie?" Sue inquires. "Only that one. It's actually a very obvious tell I wasn't going to ever mention to you, but you know I don't like liars."

Paige sighs. "I... did not know that," he says, rubbing his arm. "Sorry, also. I didn't mean to lie, I just... have a lot on my mind right now."

"Like?" Sue prods. "You can tell me."

Paige looks away. The two of them were close and all but... There was no way he could tell anyone besides Brandon first.

"It's nothing," he lies again, making sure to close his eyes first. No twitch would out him this time.

Sue is pouting when he opens his eyes again. They look pensive, but they don't push any further.

"If you're sure," is all they say before turning back to their own work.

It's not long before Paige is spacing out again.

When he's interrupted the next time, it's Brandon.

"You good, dude?" it asks. It's got the same worried expression on its face as Sue had on earlier. "You're like, barely drawing." Paige blinks, looking down at his book. As it turns out, it's true: the only thing on the page is back and forth strokes and half formed circles.

"Um," he says smartly, glancing over to where Sue was. "It's... um." He scrunches his face and sighs. "I'll tell you next period, okay?"

"Ookay..." Brandon nods, eyebrow raised.

The period ends shortly after and Brandon is like white on rice to Paige.

"What is it?" It asks. "What is it? What is it? What-"

"In class!" Paige shushes. "I said I'd tell you. In. Class."

"Fiiiine," Brandon groans. "How do you expect us to talk without getting caught, though?"

Paige hums as they descend the stairs. "How about... our secret code?" Brandon beams.

"Yes!" it cheers. "I've been waiting so long for an excuse to use it!"

The two don't really talk after that, Brandon practically skipping ahead of Paige to the next classroom.

When they make it to the class, they take their seats next to each other and let the rest of the class pour in. The bell rings again after a moment, and class begins.