What I Don't Know Can't Hurt You

Chapter One

"Did you have a good sleep?" my mom asked me from across the kitchen table.

"I guess," I mumbled through a mouthful of Cheerios.

"Did you stay up late?"

"No," I lied.

"Late is 2 o'clock or later," she clarified.

"Oh, then yes," I confessed.

I didn't tell her why I was up so late, which was that I was reading gay fanfiction. My mom is really homophobic, unlike my dad. That's why they got divorced. I haven't told her I'm gay yet. Well, I'm actually bi, but to her it's the same difference. Either would get me kicked out of the house.

"Quinn, you can't stay up late before the first day of school!" my mom told me. "You're a growing boy, you need sleep!"

"I don't even feel tired," I said, which was completely untrue.

"Alright, well, you'd better hurry up. Your bus will be here in 10 minutes. Have fun at school!"

I quickly finished my cereal and went upstairs to my room to get dressed.

My mom always makes me have breakfast before I get dressed on the first day of school, so we can "talk". This usually consists of her asking me if I got enough sleep and telling me to have fun whilst I try not to fall asleep.

I opened my closet (which I occasionally hid inside with my phone, half-hoping my mom would catch on) and located my Fall Out Boy t-shirt and a clean pair of jeans. I had picked out my outfit the night before, for once. It's always important to look good on the first day of school, and the first day of high school is definitely no exception. I would only get one shot at a first impression, and I didn't want to seem like a huge nerd. Which I am not. I simply prefer adventures of the literary kind. Okay, yeah, I'm a huge nerd.

After getting dressed, I went into the bathroom. I looked at my reflection in the mirror. My short, blond hair was messy and chaotic. I got my hands wet and ran them through my hair, smoothing it down.

"Quinn, I'm leaving for work!" my mom yelled from downstairs. "Good luck at school!"

"Bye!" I shouted back. "Good luck at work, I guess!"

I brushed my teeth and checked my hair one more time. I stepped back to look at my outfit. I always forgot how skinny I was until I saw myself. I wish I was at least a little more muscular, but exercise isn't really my thing. Other than that, though, I looked fine, so I turned off the light and went back downstairs.

Looking at my watch, I noticed that it was 7:59. My bus would be here in 1 minute! I ran through the house, grabbing everything I needed. Backpack? Check. Notebooks? Check. Binder? Check. Pencil case? Check. Phone? Fuck. Where did I leave my phone? I ran through the living room, checking under the furniture. Thankfully, I remembered it was in my room, under my pillow. I flew up the stairs and grabbed it (and my headphones), then ran back down, picked up my backpack, and sprinted out the door, closing it behind me.

I made it to my bus stop right on time. As I climbed on, for a second, I was confused. In middle school, my friend Max took the bus with me, but I remembered he was going to a different high school than I was this year. I sat down in an empty seat, a little sad. I reassured myself I would make new friends, and I guess could hang out with Max after school. We weren't that close anyways. I took out my phone and headphones and turned on my music.

Shit. I forgot to lock the door.