calm down // josh dun

f i f t e e n

--Josh's P.O.V--

Oakville's all-star player has been hiding a very dark secret from the world it seems. Declan Gray may be able to do no wrong out there on the ice, but in reality, he's lied to us all.

Declan Gray came to Oakville two years ago. He was considered a mystery and now we know why. Declan Gray was originally born Taylor Sophia Clarkson, a girl with long blonde hair that everyone remembers disappearing from Oakville four years ago.

Can you believe that? A biological girl on the boys' hockey team? For years he has been changing in the very same locker room as the boys. Would you really want your son to be around someone like that?

I slammed the newspaper down onto the table, a frustrated sigh leaving my lungs. I was glad that nobody but Ezgi and I were in the library.

"How could somebody write something that terrible about Declan? He may have been born a girl, but he's been changing in the boys' locker room without incident for two years now," Ezgi said, playing with her dark hair. "It's one thing for writing that, but it's another thing for Declan to actually think that you wrote it. You would never do something that horrible."

I ran my hands through my hair. "Declan just isn't thinking straight right now. The biggest secret of his life just got exposed to the entire school. The point is whoever wrote this had to have known his secret because Declan told them. They just made sure to do research to back up their claim. They did to research to make sure that everyone believed their claim."

Ezgi furrowed her eyebrows. "But who is willing to hurt Declan that much? Of course, I'm not a big fan of the hockey players, but he doesn't deserve this type of treatment."

I knew exactly who did it; however, I didn't have any evidence to back up my claim.

I opened my mouth to respond to my Turkish friend, but I was interrupted by the library door opening and closing. Ezgi ducked her head and I automatically knew who it was.

I was across the room in a flash, pinning Parker Axton up against the wall before he even knew what was happening.

"How dare you write that article about Declan? Why do you want to make him suffer so much to the point where you decided to break into the newspaper office and change my article?"

I was furious. Declan Gray was a fantastic kid. He just had trouble opening up to people. If people were less cruel, then maybe he would be completely different. However, as long as Parker Axton roamed the halls of Oakville High, Declan Gray was going to get beaten down to the point where he might not get back up again.

The captain of the hockey team shoved me away from him. "I have literally no idea what you are talking about, you red-headed freak. I didn't write that article no matter what you think."

"You're lying! You are one of the only people who knew that Declan was born a girl. Who else would do this to him? Who else hates him as much as you?"

Parker rolled his eyes, turning his body to leave the library. "Screw you, Dun. This situation has nothing to do with you."

I threw my hands up in the air. "Yes it does! Declan hates me now because of you, but that's what you wanted isn't it? You wanted him to hate me. That was your plan all along, wasn't it?"

Parker opened his mouth to respond, but instantly closed it as Mr. Porter stepped into the library. He did not look happy at all.