Hidden Secret

Chapter Two

(Nova)

(Mention of Transphobia/Homophobia)

Nova walks to the courtyard, avoiding running into other students on the way. She eventually reaches the door to the outside, and she opens it, stepping onto the concrete path leading to a fountain.

She walks over to the fountain where an average height guy with short blonde hair and brown eyes is sitting.

"Sebastian!" Nova calls out to him, her green eyes sparkling as she sees him.

The boy looks up, smiling, "Hey Nova!" He stands up, holding his arms out for her.

She runs and jumps into Sebastian's arms, and he spins her around in the air, before setting her down.

She rests her head on his shoulder, whispering into his ear, "Do you think that was good enough?"

He nods, whispering back, "It's believable, they are idiots after all."

Nova and Sebastian do this everyday, giving people the idea that they like each other so that they won't suspect that maybe, just maybe, they're not into the opposite gender of themselves.

They don't want their schoolmates to find out, and then hate them, after all.

Sebastian lets go of Nova after a good ten seconds of holding her.

"So, I heard that there are rumors going around about us." She says casually.

Sebastian raises his eyebrows, "Oh really? Let me guess, about us possibly dating?"

Nova nods, "Ding ding ding! Mr. Sebastian was right! What does he get for answering the most obvious question ever?"

He rolls his eyes at her, "Whatever." He leans towards her, whispering again, "Any progress on Naomi?"

Her cheeks heated up, and gained a light red color, "Uhm, not really..." She looks away sheepishly.

"You really need to make a move, Nova. Or else she'll never know you like her, and she'll think that you're straight like everybody else." He says.

Nova's shoulders slump, "I know, it's just hard, because what if she doesn't accept me?"

"I'm sure she will. You do realize that every single one of the freaks are freaks because they were outed for being part of the LGBTQ+ community, and others didn't like them for that. So if you do tell her, she won't judge you, I promise." Sebastian says, putting a hand on her shoulder reassuringly.

Nova nods, before smiling, "Well, if that's how we're seeing things, it shouldn't be hard for you to confess to Julian."

It was now Sebastian's turn to blush. He punches her playfully on the arm, muttering, "Shut up!"

Nova grins at his reaction, and is about to speak again, but the five minute warning bell rings throughout the school.

"Welp, gotta go now, see ya later Sebastian!" Nova calls out to the flustered boy as she walks away.

Naomi and Julian.

The people that Nova and Sebastian have crushes on, also known as the main freaks.

Naomi has been dubbed as a freak for being masculine presenting, and supposedly liking all genders.

Julian has been put in the freak group because he's trans. And apparently a shit ton of people in this school are transphobic.

Nova feels bad for the freaks. Nobody deserves being treated like that.

And even while feeling sorry for them, she also fears becoming one of them. Being outed to the entire school does not sound like an experience Nova wants to go through.

And so she never defends them.