Crybaby

Walls are crashing

When you know it might ruin your friendship, but you really have to tell them because you can't just keep falling for them quietly enough and so you are standing there savoring the last seconds with the them before either the end or the beginning. That feeling is crushing and liberating and thrilling and terrifying all at the same time.
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The wide eyes of Crybaby and Johnny are ripped away from each other when a teacher comes on to the loud speaker.
"Listen up guys! Announcements! You'll want to hear this! We are having our Christmas dance in one week!
Now we all know it's going to be fun, but in order to have fun, there's got to be a few rules. Now first rule...."
The man drawls on about how girls can't wear dresses that are too short (a rule Crybaby plans to go out of her way to break) and that all dancing must be appropriate and such.
She can't look back at Johnny. Not now. Her heart is opening up again.
No. No. keep your walls up.

When the last bell at the end of the day rings, Lana has to run to catch up to Electra. Most of the students meet at a children's playground, the one they played on when they were little, after school every Friday.
"Electra." She hisses. She sprints forward, still struggling to keep the pace and be heard.
"ELECTRA." She whisper yells at her.
When she finally has her attention she points ahead of them.
Crybaby has her books pulled up to her chest and is looking up at someone with big eyes and flushed cheeks.
"Oh my god is that-" Electra's raises her eyebrows and turns to Lana.
"Johnny."
Lana finishes.
Crybaby seems to be explaining something to him. She points down the road towards the playground and he nods.
"I don't trust him. Why is she acting so... different?"
Lana whispers.

See, a boy can't just come along and fix someone. Especially someone like Crybaby. No one can fix you. You have to do it yourself. Crybaby is happy with her very broken self, but she is acting so docile and calm and.... not crazy. No boy could really change her. Maybe she is just happy. Who knows.

Electra is jerked away from her staring when a shrill voice whispers audibly behind her. "whore."
Lana whips around, mad.
Electra simply turns around to look. Kayla and another blonde, nondescript friend of hers is behind her.
"You're just sad that your boy toy likes me more. Did you see the way he kissed me?" Electra says in a voice seeping syrup.
The shorter blonde struggles to think of a comeback but keeps her voice even.
" I'm going to get back at you, slut. I'm gong to ruin you."
Electra laughs in this saturated,  sweetly infuriating way and says "I'm sure you will." Before grabbing Lana's hand and striding off like nothing happened. Lana snickers. The December wind chills them to the bone as they walk down the road to the playground.

Troye, who is there already, nudges Jacobs arm. "Let's go somewhere else." His heart is pounding. Everyone's cheeks are rosy with the cold.
"Sure." Jacob shrugs and follows Troye.
Once they are hidden away behind a few trees, Troye speaks again.
"There is something I need to talk about. And i-it might make you never speak to me again." Troye feels a pang in his stomach and tears stinging the backs of his eyes. It's like he is the same little blue boy standing in front of Connor for the last time.
Troye gulps.
Jacob isn't Connor. He might be different.
He can see the concern in Jacobs face.
He closes his eyes.
"Since you probably didn't already know I'm... uh...  I'm gay."
Troye doesn't dare open his eyes.
" I figured." Jacobs voice breaks the brutal silence.
Troyes eyes shoot open. Jacob is smiling wide and Troyes heart sings.
"R-really?" He asks with a hopeful voice.
"I mean, if you were straight you would have a girlfriend. You are too cute not to." Troye feels heat immediately in his cheeks.
"In case you were wondering, I'm bi."
"Yeah?" Troye says breathlessly.
"Just in case."
Snow flakes begin to fall.
They both walk back to the playground, each one smiling ear to ear. And no one else knows exactly why.
Except them.

Lana is sitting on the swing set next to Marina. " If we don't get asked to homecoming we should go together." Lana says, absentmindedly gazing up at the slowly falling snow. "Yeah. We should. But I'm also planning on hooking up with some senior for fun that night." Marina replies.
"Let's do both."
Just then, Crybaby walks over with Alessia and Harley.
Electra has decided it's best not to bring up Johnny. Yet. Crybaby is humming and smiling and grabbing at snowflakes.
Everyone suddenly starts cheering from somewhere behind the slide. They all crane their necks to see.
A boy just asked a girl to the dance.
She is holding a bundle of flowers that he gave to her.
Electra grabs Lana's hand and mumbles
" I wanna go. Can we go? To my house?"
"Oh! Uh, sure. Should I grab anyone?"
Lana is a little taken aback by the abruptness, but tries to help anyway.
"Yeah sure. Get whoever you want. I don't really care. I'm gonna start walking." With that, Electra jumps up and briskly begins heading for the fence gate. Snow is sprinkled across her the faux fur of her coat.
"What is wrong with her?" Lana mumbles. She looks around.
"Anyone wanna come want to come to Electra's with me? She said I could bring whoever I wanted." She has to raise her voice in order to be heard.
Almost everyone one jumps up to follow her.
She spots Troye at the gate, waving goodbye to a grinning Jacob. As they all make their way over, she punches him lightly in the arm.
"Were going to Electra's. Hey, what are you smiling and blushing about?" Lana says, giggling because she has a pretty good idea of why.

Alessia is right behind her, poking Troye in the cheek and asking about Jacob too.
"Well, I, uh, came out to him. And he told me that he is bi. So there's that."
Troye eventually tells them, after lots of nagging. Everyone practically screams with excitement. "Keep it down guys! He's right over there." Troye says, but he is laughing anyway.

When they finally catch up to Electra, she seems to feel a bit better.
Lana loops her arm in Electra's. "Everything ok?" She whispers through the chattering crowd, knowing Electra probably won't tell her anything anyway.
"Yeah." Electra mumbles back. She smiles at her and runs up to her door that they have just reached. After digging her keys out and letting everyone in, she hangs up her backpack and walks to the family room where everyone has gathered.
Everyone except Crybaby.
"Where is Crybaby?" Electra asks, confused.
Alessia bites her lip before saying:
"She went to catch up with Johnny."
Electra raises her eyebrows and sighs. Troye runs his fingers through his brown curls.
"He better f**king treat her well." Mumbles Lana.