the sugar baby escapades (8)

2 0 0
                                    

OT6
Word count: 17704
Chapters: 18

It's not that it's a secret anymore. A lot of people know that Jeremy has a ... vivid living situation. To put it one way.

They know that he's potentially seeing at least five people, and that said five people are fucking loaded. He tries to keep himself above the gossip. He doesn't need to give anyone details. They're not entitled to any information. He just humors his friends' interest because it's not like they're being snide about it. They don't care about his living situation, so long as it doesn't interfere with group projects or his own mental health.

But some people. Some people are crude. To put it lightly. Some people look at him and they think—

"He's such a fucking slut, you know? I mean, he has like five fucking partners. What's up with that?"

And he turns to them and says, "Not that it's any of your business, but it's really not any of your fucking business, okay pal?"

The guy, clearly shocked from being called out like that, steps down, but Jeremy is left with a sour taste in his mouth and decides to take off for the rest of the day. His friends watch him go by, knowing that he needs his own time to process this.

His fingers are curled into his palms, and they hurt when he unclenches later on the bus back.

He's not a fucking slut for being in this relationship. He knows that. It's a fucking rude comment to make, made by those who don't know any better, who don't know anything about the context of the situation, who are so fucking stupid and fucking dumb that they don't even think twice about—

"Oh, hey, Jeremy." Jack enters the room and walks along the back of the couch that Jeremy is sitting on. She hugs him from behind. "Wasn't expecting to see you so early." She departs and goes off to rattle around in the kitchen

I'm not a fucking slut. That's not what this fucking is. I'm not, god fucking dammit.

Jack returns and sits down next to him, drinking for a water bottle, feet propped up on the coffee table with a magazine open on her lap. Jeremy spins his phone in his hands.

"Mm. Geoff says we're pre-planning on Saturday, so keep your calendar open."

He nods.

"Hey." Jack nudges him with her arm. "What's up? You see . . off."

He shrugs. He doesn't even know how to put words to it. It's hard, admitting that such few words can creep under your skin and just live there. The whole sticks and stones things is such bullshit. Words are fucking powerful whether you like it or not, and it may have been said glibly, but he's here now and stuck in his own fucking head.

"Just kids being dumb," he says. "I don't know."

"What kids?"

He shrugs. "Just people saying stuff they don't know nothing about and just ..." He trails off and huffs. "Do you ever get comments about what we have? With each other?"

"Someone making nasty comments about us on campus?"

"Well, not the Fakes, but what we all have, I guess."

"People talk trash about things they don't understand, things that scare them. Doesn't make them true."

"I know, but it doesn't make it hurt any less."

He's in a polyamorous relationship with five other people of all types of genders and sexualities. He's accepted that what they have isn't conventional, but who fucking cares? It's none of their business. He loves what they have. They've helped him come so far in his life, and he's appreciated what they've done for him.

He just wishes other people could see that instead of the gold digging, cheating persona they've given him.

"Pick your battles, Jeremy," Jack says, wrapping her arm around his shoulders and pulling him close. "Sometimes they're in the world, but sometimes they're in you, and you just need to figure out how to overcome the frustration. An di know it's hard, but you can always come to us and talk, okay?"

"Okay."

AH collectionsWhere stories live. Discover now