Glass Closets

Chapter 3: Tony

You walk to school. Wait at your desk for class to start instead of outside. Eat lunch in the library. Run home.

Rinse.

Repeat.

This is your life.

Get home. Homework. Eat. TV. If Charles is home by now, bed. If not, video games. Then bed.

Rinse.

Repeat.

This is your life.

Wake up. Go back to sleep. Wake up again. Breakfast. Grab your bag.

This is the rinse.

Then you walk to school.

This is the repeat.

This is your life.

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Getting friend-dumped by Logan is strange because of how unprepared you turn out to be.

Not that it's something you should have been expecting, but maybe you had put more faith in your friendship than was reasonable. Before he started ignoring you, the two of you were a pair. When you thought your futures out, it was always in the context of your relationship. He was the vice president to your president. You were the bodyguard to his actor. When you were feeling especially ambitious, the two of you would be the best explosives experts in the world, hunted by every government but still living large with your illegally acquired fortune.

You were a pair.

As in, tonyandlogan.

As in, rightandleft.

As in, peanutbutterandjelly.

You had been so fucking proud of the way you two were so solid. Every time you made some inside joke or looked at each other across the room at the same time, it felt like holding up a lit sign: Hey, look at us. We're best friends. We've known each other since forever and nobody else is ever gonna have what we have.

It felt like bragging when you walked together because the two of you were a package deal and you loved that people knew it.

In contrast, getting left behind feels like being put back in your place because everyone you ever looked at like they couldn't touch you can see there was no real merit to anything you said.

It's embarrassing.

No, it's fucking humiliating.

You're reduced to shuffling around awkwardly trying to make eye contact with someone every time the teacher tells people to partner up.

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You are absolutely pissed to see that Logan experiences none of your troubles.

He takes to making new friends like a fish to water, despite the fact that you had been the popular half of your partnership. You want him to give some sign that even if he doesn't regret dumping you, he feels your absence. Instead, he gets a girlfriend whose name is either Laura or Maria. Or Maura. You refuse to stalk intently enough to find out.

He gets a new best friend, which is an extra sting because you know he knows the new guy is one of the ones who beat you up after you came out—or rather, was ousted. By Logan.

In fact, the more you think about it, the more it sounds like some big conspiracy.

Which is stupid to even consider, but you're lonely and hurting and therefore entitled to feel like the world is against you. Even if it means indulging in some serious thoughts about century long conspiracies.

As if being a known gay isn't bad enough, you are so distracted by your own train of thought that you ask the guy who—for some reason—just sat next to you if he thinks the illuminati would recruit children.

The poor guy just looks awkward and a little concerned, and whispers, The teacher put us together for this project.

Oh. that's why he's here.

You don't even know what project you're supposed to be doing—shitshitshit—and look at the board desperately. By the time you've got a basic grasp on it, whatshisname has already started. Feeling guilty, you try to contribute but he makes it clear that he'd rather work in silence, even if it means doing virtually all the work himself.

Dick.

But at least he's polite about it.

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 NOTES

heeeelloooo guys! i am not dead, sorry for acting like it. yes, we are back to tony's perspective. this is a chapter i rushed through to get to you guys as soon as possible, but i feel good about it. we have a couple new characters here, which we'll get more details about later, and MARIA was officially named! before, her name was only in the chapter title. next up (i think), logan's perspective! which should be all kinds of interesting. please leave votes and comments!!! i write for myself, but i post for YOU. anyway, no pressure because if you've made it to this point, i already love you! byyyyeeee guys!