In The Closet

2. Why Are All The Hot Guys Straight?

"Morning, Cath. Happy birthday!" is the first thing I hear once entering the kitchen.

"Yeah, happy birthday," Nate repeats monotonously. He looks down into his cereal grimly.

"What's up with you?" I ask.

"Nothing to do with you," he snaps.

"Charming." I mutter.

"Nathaniel, it's your sister's birthday, for goodness sake. You ought to be nicer. What would God-" Dad begins, but he's cut short.

"God can't exactly help me right now." This comment causes me to lower my coffee cup down to the table. Nate's meant to be the religious one.

There's a moment of silence in the kitchen. "Sorry?" Dad says quietly.

I swallow. "I'll... go away now." I force a smile, and take my coffee to my room. I can grab breakfast before school.

I sit at my desk and stare out of the window at the rain pounding against it. Each droplet hits against it rhythmically. It sounds nice, comforting in a way. I've always liked the rain. Well, watching it from inside anyway. I sip my coffee slowly, letting the bitter liquid soak into my tongue.

There's a knock on my bedroom door. I look behind me as Mum walks in.

"Happy birthday!" she smiles. I notice her holding an envelope and a plate with some toast on. "Your dad said you hadn't eaten anything so I brought it up for you. Oh, and here's a card." She places them both on the desk, smiles and walks out.

I glance at the clock. It reads quarter past seven. The bus leaves at half past. Oops. I quickly eat my toast and drink my coffee. I throw on some clothes, grab my bag and run out the door. I don't have time to get my umbrella, so I'm drenched by the time I get on the bus. I sit down next to Jack, who laughs when he sees me.

"Been swimming?" he says.

"Haha, funny." I say, sarcastically.

"Very." he grins. "Happy birthday, anyway!"

"That's the fourth time I've heard someone say that in less than forty-five minutes." I reply.

"Yeah well you'll probably be hearing it a few other times in ten or twenty. Hey, at least I remembered this year. I even invested money in you, look." Jack drops a badly wrapped present onto my lap. It mildly resembles a tiny shoe, but knowing Jack's wrapping skills, it could be anything. I tear back the paper and a plastic high heel falls out.

I blink. "My feet haven't been this small since I was about three, plastic is a shitty material for a shoe and what am I meant to do with a single shoe?"

"It's a pencil sharpener!" he says, grinning.

I look at him. "It's the thought that counts." I say.

He rolls his eyes. "Rude." He leans over to press the stop button, and we run through the rain to get into the school building.

Nikki is waiting by my locker. As soon as she sees me, she throws her arms around me. "Happy birthday!"

"Fifth time in less than an hour." I say.

"Excuse me but you're my girlfriend and I have to get excited for your birthday." she says, letting go to fold her arms.

"Not by law." I say.

"By my law." she replies, and hugs me again.

One of the biology teachers that I never learnt the name of who has her face in a constant frown walks past and looks us up and down. "Nicola, I appreciate you're glad to see your friend again, but please take care, you'll knock the Year Sevens."

Nikki smirks. "Yeah, sorry,"

The teacher continues down the hall. You can tell her type just from looking at her. I've never had her for any lessons, thank god, but Nikki had her in Year Eleven.

"I love how the teachers always assume you're 'friends'. If I ever randomly hugged my boyfriend, everyone'd know I was gay." Jack says.

"Since when did you have a boyfriend?" I ask, surprised. "You were crushing on that Ryan guy, right?" Jack has a knack of falling for guys who like girls, and only girls.

Jack sighs. "Why are all the hot guys straight?" he grumbles, irritably.

The bell for registration rings over the masses of people gathered in the halls. Jack's face falls, and he turns around to sprint to the other side of the school, knocking over a group of small Year Sevens in the process. They topple over one by one, like dominoes. I burst out laughing, then rush over to help. They're laughing too.

"Sorry on his behalf!" I tell them.

None of them really know how to respond to a sixth former. "You too," one anxiously says. I can see him cringe at his mistake. I smile reassuringly. The group rush off up the stairs that Jack went down.

"Come on, we gotta go pretty far too." Nikki tugs at my bag.

"Oh crap, you're right," I say. She grabs my arm and steers me down the corridor that leads to where we need to be.

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a/n: hey! I hope you like this chapter! I guess it's just setting the scene atm BUUUUUT there is definitely some story happening next chapter. hope you enjoy! please vote, comment and share :)