PH // TRONNOR (completed)

ROYALS

Badlands High was home of the preppy kids. The kids that drove nice cars and had rich daddies and mommies. The ones that sold drugs and bought drugs. That had an ever shifting cycle of relationships and friendships. The kids who had a social latter that they based life itself on.

Connor was at the top of that latter. He was the jock with the suggestive smile, blindingly white teeth, muscles, abs. Girls flocked over him, talked about him, tried to date him.

Connor acted like a jackass at school. He ignored Troye, who was lower in popularity because of his sexuality. Troye just ignored it, knowing how much power he actually had over Connor.

Ashley was connected to Connor by the hip. She became his next toy item. Even though she knew he had it hot for Troye. She saw it as an act of charity to protect Connor's sexual orientation of Troyesexual.

"Who's the chick?" Connor's friend, Joe, asked.

Connor eyed Ashley who had her hands on we hips. She was wearing a short skirt and high socks. "This is Ashley."

"Damn, Ashley," Jack groaned. Ashley picked at her nails, the boys eyes eating her up and scaring her. Some of these boys had abused her before. They had lied with her in bed and touched her and left her.

"She your girlfriend?" Tyler asked, checking her out. Connor put a protective arm around her, "Something like that." He kissed her cheek. She winked at him.

From the corner, Troye had been watching and rolled his eyes. He grabbed everything he needed from his locker and walked away. Connor watched him.

"Alright, catch you guys later," Connor said, following Troye discretely. When they were out of eyesight, Connor grabbed his hand and pulled him into the boy's washroom. Some stoners were smoking and Connor kicked them out. They left, grumbly. Connor turned towards Troye, grabbing his face. But Troye turned his cheek.

"What's wrong with you?" Connor asked.

"I forgot who you were at school. And who you don't want to be," Troye mumbled. Connor sighed, leaning his elbows on the sink, "Why does that matter."

"Because we're different people, Connor!" Troye raised his voice. Connor shushed him.

"I'm acting when I'm that person, Troye," Connor said, "He's a different guy. I don't like him. But he's who I accidentally created myself into."

Connor hugged Troye, watching the door incase someone came in. The door swung open and they jumped off each other. It was just Ashley, luckily.

"Why are you in the boys bathroom?" Connor asked. Ashley rolled her eyes, "This school is chaos. Connor you're friends are jerks." They realized tears were collecting in her eyes.

"Did they hurt you?" Connor asked. She nodded and started sobbing. Connor and Troye went to hug her, but she put her hands up, not wanting to be touched. She lifted her shirt, showing them a bruise. Troye gasped and covered his mouth.

"We're not them," she cried.

"Yes, I am," Connor mumbled, grabbing the sink for support. Troye shook his head, putting his hand on Connor's back.

Connor grabbed Troye's hand and threw it away from him, roughly. Troye's jaw dropped at Connor's behavior. He was just trying to help. Maybe Connor was more like them then he realized.

Connor stormed out of the bathroom, looking in the hall for his friends. Troye sat Ashley down and stroked her hair. It was the most gentle he'd ever been.

Connor found three of his friends laughing together. He grabbed Leland and pushed him up against a locker by the neck.

"What the fuck, Connor?" He gasped.

"You," he pointed at his friends, "Are fucking idiots. Don't touch Ashley again." He threw down Leland and stormed away. His friends exhaled. They looked at each other, confused by Connor's outburst. Usually he was the one that mistreated girls. Jack shook his head. They all walked to their classes.

Ashley and Troye sat in the bathroom. "Let's just skip," he suggested. She nodded.

They'd seen a different side of Connor. Or they'd seen the side they'd always seen, they'd just tried to forget and it was so much uglier than he was to them and they didn't like it.

Connor was popular. Everyone liked him. They didn't pay attention to kids like Troye who were different. Or girls like Ashley that were so much less because they weren't afraid to be something more.

The bell rang and Troye helped Ashley off the dirty ground. She still flinched at his touch, but she trusted him. He was gentle. They walked out to Ashley's open-top car and jumped in. Troye got in the driver's seat. He was about to pull out when Connor ran up to the vehicle. Troye had to force himself not to drive away. Ashley grabbed her seat, scared.

"Can I get a ride?" He asked.

"Why?" Troye asked curtly.

"I just got suspended," Connor said, looking down. "Why?" Troye questioned, shocked. Usually the populars had the school wired. "I punched one of my f...friends."

Troye nodded, "Get in."

Connor jumped over the door into the back. He stared at the back of Troye's neck. No one spook. Troye started driving. They drove in silence until Connor said, "I don't want to be them anymore." Troye and Ashley looked at each other, but didn't respond. "But," Connor continued, "I am. When I'm with you guys I'm more and I love it. But you can't judge me on who I am at school."

"Okay," Ashley put in.

"Really?" Connor asked.

"Yeah. Just don't let them hurt me. Don't use me. Promise?"

"Promise."

It was silent, then Troye turned up the radio.

It was a Lorde song.

"Ohmigod I love her!" Troye shouted.

"And we'll never be royals.

It don't run in our blood.

That kind of lux just ain't for us.

We crave a different kind of buzz."

"Hey, it's talking about Ashley and my toxic relationship with asshole popular kids!" Troye joked, looking at Connor in the review mirror.

Troye started singing along. Connor's jaw dropped. His voice was beautiful. "Damn, Troye," Ashley yelled into the wind, which entangled their hair. Troye rolled his eyes and kept singing.

Ashley turned off the radio, muting Lorde and Troye. "You're really fucking good," she said.

"Thanks," Troye replied, modestly.

"Why didn't you tell us you could sing?" Connor asked. "Cause I can't," Troye laughed. "Nonsense," Ashley broke, "I like singing but I can't do that."

"You sing, too?" Connor asked, thinking about his terribly pitchy vocals.

Instead of replying Ashley sang, "I'm the wanderess, I'm your one night stand, don't belong to no city, don't belong to no man, I'm the violence in the poring rain. I'm the hurricane."

Connor applauded. Ashley could also sing. "What song was that?" Troye asked.

"I wrote it," Ashley turned red.

"You write songs, too!" Troye shouted. Ashley squealed, "Of course!"

"You two should duet," Connor suggested.

Troye turned the radio back up. New Romantics by Taylor Swift was on. Troye and Ashley went all out singing along. Connor just sat in awe. He watched Troye as he smiled. He'd never seen Troye look that happy and carefree. The wind blew around his curls. His sunglasses made him look cool and beautiful. Ashley put her arm in the wind outside of the car. She laughed as she and Troye failed to hit a high note.

Sure they were a dysfunctional group. But they loved each other.