Break All the Rules (LGBT) ✅

Break All the Rules 14

Part 14

It started on a Wednesday.

Wednesdays were the highlight of Alex's week since the afternoons were always left free for sports. After a few hours playing lacrosse and then another couple chilling in the pub for drinks and more sport, this time snooker and darts, Alex returned home feeling relaxed. For him, it was the perfect mid-week activity for him.

His mood immediately dampened when he came into the house, feeling something just off.

"Hey," he extended tentatively, looking between Jessica and Megan who were sat in the living room, "what happened?"

"A girl died." Jessica slid her phone over to him.

"Shit." He swore, picking it up, and quickly skimmed through the details. Nineteen, with an asshole of a soulmate and parents who didn't care, and she'd killed herself because of it. "That's rough."

Megan nodded. "Sean isn't taking it well."

"He takes them all personally."

"And this one the most. He knew her."

It took a while to get the full story out, since Sean was holed in his room with Freddie, but they were patient. Eventually, Sean's door opened and Freddie gestured them in while he grabbed food. Alex had been in Sean's room only a handful of times and he wasn't comfortable enough to sit anywhere but the floor with Jessica.

Megan sat in the chair, asking softly. "Want to talk about it?"

"Her name was Adrianne." Sean's voice was quiet and muffled into the cushion he held, the faintest hint of earlier tears. "I met her online a few years ago. She'd found her soulmate young, and they absolutely hated each other, but their parents were traditional. As soon as they found out what she was doing and saying online, they took away her computer and, at eighteen, she was married."

"And it wasn't your fault." Freddie said, returning with heated up pasta and a fork. "Eat."

"I could've done something." He balled his hands into fists. "I noticed when she was no longer online but I didn't do anything about it. I could've."

"Don't be so harsh on yourself." Megan said.

"You didn't know." Jessica said, reaching out for him. "You can't blame yourself for that."

With everyone else speaking, Alex had to say something, too. "It's not like you could've done anything." And maybe that wasn't the most eloquent way of putting it. "I mean, you're in a different city, you're just a student, and no one would expect you to save her. That's for the people with power to do."

"Then maybe I should get some power."

"Um."

"It makes sense," Sean began slowly but with increasing fervour. "I've always cared about pro-choice, I champion the cause because it's my own and I've got the connections in place. I could really do this."

And, so, on an otherwise ordinary Wednesday, Sean began his political campaign.

Alex knew next to nothing about politics but even he knew Sean was a good candidate. He'd kept up his good grades while he campaigned and he had a natural charisma that caught people's attention and kept them listening. Passionate and kind, there was only blemish on his record: his advocacy of non-soulmate relationships. It was something Alex was now used to but he could see how startling it could be to new people and to society as a whole.

"Maybe come on less strong with the pro-choice stuff." Alex suggested.

Sean rolled his eyes. "I think you're missing the point, Alex, pro-choice is what I am."