The Taste of Yellow Paint Chips

three; connor + sabrina

          "Are you sure your friends won't mind me intruding?"

          "Yeah, they're all friendly. Just don't say anything weird or gay."

          "Okay."

          It's Connor's first day of eighth grade at Dew Valley Middle School and he's trailing behind Toby like a lost puppy. The eccentric thirteen-year-old had caught his eye as he stood awkwardly in front of the class, waiting to be introduced by his teacher. Toby had been the one to wave him over and offer the seat in front of him. The bright blue streak in his hair was practically glowing under the fluorescent light as he greeted everyone they passed in the cafeteria.

          The slop on Connor's tray looks like it's crawling when he drops in on the lunch table beside Toby. The many people stop their conversations to glance at him curiously, not accustomed to seeing new faces this late in the school year.

          With a mouth full of lukewarm chicken nuggets, Toby gestures for him to sit down, "This is Connor. He's in my homeroom. He also agrees Mrs. Mugullan has a nice boo-tay."

          Connor had never said that but he still sits anyway. Immediately, he's dragged into a conversation about how Toby's friends would love to "tap that." The girls "ew", the boys holler, and for the first time that day, Connor's hands stop shaking.

          It's almost two weeks before they begin shaking again. The group is used to Connor and Connor is used to them. He's cracking inappropriate jokes like a second nature. It's three other boys and two girls that form Toby's group of friends. Connor isn't quite comfortable calling himself "one of them" yet, but he does fit in well.

          "He kinda looks gay."

          "Yeah. The dude needs a haircut."

          "But he is funny, so it really balances itself out."

          The slop begins moving across his tray as he stands behind the lunch table, his black converse cemented to the floor. His face turns red as shame stains his cheeks. Connor feels mortified.

          It was true that his hair was longer than the normal length for boys his age, and secretly, he liked to paint his nails as well. But he washed it all off before he was caught and made sure not to wear his hair in the braids he learned to do on youtube. As far as he was concerned, he liked girls as much as he liked greasy pizza on Friday nights, and that was enough to make him not gay, right?

          "Have you asked him if he is gay? Please don't tell me you've made a bunch of gay jokes around him. You guys are so insensitive."

          The new feminine voice belongs to olive skin and dark brown hair. The most noticeable thing about her was the colorful yarn braided into some of her hair, which Connor thought looked so weird that it was cool. Sitting across from his usual seat, there she was, right beside Lisa.

          "I like your hair" is the first thing he can think to say to stop the embarrassing conversation. The blood flows back into his feet and he sits down, trying his best to act normal despite how nervous everyone looks.

          The new girl grins and when she reaches across the table, he notices her wrist is decorated with vibrant beaded bracelets, "Thanks. I'm Sabrina. It's nice to meet you since Lisa won't shut up about 'the cute new kid'."

          The blonde whines loudly, "Hey, I did not say that," and her cheeks flush, but Connor pays her no mind as he shakes Sabrina's hand.

          "It's nice to meet you, too. I'm Connor."

          And to Toby, he says, "Your mom wasn't calling me gay last night when I was banging her."

          The girls "ew", the boys holler, and Toby punches his shoulder. He catches Sabrina's eye from across the table and sends her a cheeky smile, skipping out on winking like Toby told him to do when he catches a girl staring at him.

          She smiles back.