drama club {boyxboy} {willxnico}

why does everything happen in the bathroom?

-Nico-

i really didn't understand why i overreacted like i did. i didn't know if it was all the guilt building inside of me. all i knew is that i was sick of the guilt. i was sick of feeling this way, like this part of me was something i had to hide. i wasn't in oklahoma anymore. we lived in a big city, away from oklahoma. it wasn't a big deal here. magnus and alex were together, alex was gender neutral and magnus was pan, and nobody cared. Will was openly gay. thalia and reyna were both lesbians. they were hardly ever bullied. why was i so afraid?

when i ran into the bathroom, i had shrunk to the floor, almost puking out all of the guilt inside of me. the guilt of lying to my parents and my friends. suddenly, i heard a knock on the door and i answered with, "someone's in here."

"let me in, nico," hazel's voice sounded through the door. i frowned and stood up pathetically, opening the door. she looked pissed in a caring way.

i shrunk back down to the floor, growing used to the germs and not caring much. hazel seemed to struggle with getting on the floor, laying down her jacket and sitting on it. "hey, bub," she said. "care to tell me what that was about?"

"hazel," i inhaled sharply. "i'm gay."

hazel nodded slowly. "yeah, right right. i know. we had that big fight over it."

"i just needed to say it out loud," i sighed desperately. "i'm dating Will, too."

she nodded slowly at that. "i figured," she said.

"cause we're both gay?"

"no, because i know the look in Will's eyes when he acts. he looks at me as aubrey in a loving way, acting with not only his voice, but his movements...his eyes. he looks at me and he knows the love is fake. but i look at him, looking at you...i didn't want to believe it at first. when he told me he was gay it clicked," hazel shrugged. "also, all of the sleepovers. we have thin walls. i can hear the um... moaning."

i cringed. "you listened?"

"i didn't. i end up putting in headphones each time," hazel admitted. "let's just say i'm surprised you're a virgin. you're very loud when you make out."

i cringed again. "can you? stop? you're my sister, this is so disgusting."

"yeah...um, okay," hazel agreed. "why we in the bathroom, bub?" she patted the ground and wiped her hand on her jacket.

"i kissed Will on the ferris wheel," i admitted.

"ohhh," hazel nodded. "um...wow."

"i'm not ready for the school to find out, not this way," i said, truthfully. "eventually but i want it to be something i do, not have someone do it for me."

"i think i know someone in the journalist gang or whatever. The rejected school newspaper kids."

"really? hazel, you are amazing. you do too much for me."

"nico...you're my brother. i'll do anything for you," she sighed.

"i-i wanna tell mom and dad," i said on impulse. i did. "it's so stupid that i have to come out and straight people don't. no offense."

"you're right, you're completely right," hazel smiled and put her hand on mine. "so we'll come out together."

"u-uh what?"

"you heard me nico," hazel said, "together. tonight."

"together."

--

after awkwardly getting back into van and having to apologize for my sudden freak out, they dropped hazel and i off at our house. i felt my heart in my ass as i walked up to the door and hazel gripped my hand.

we both walked in. they were all sitting in the living room, mom moisturizing Bianca's head and dad showing her new hats he bought her to keep her head warm during this winter. it made my heart sting. mom and dad laughed with Bianca, but i knew most of it was a distraction from the cancer. it became more real when they did this. it hurt more.

"hey kiddos!" mom called out. "come sit. we're watching the princess and the frog."

"what's wrong?" dad asked, getting the dad vibes. "i'm getting dad vibes."

"we have something to tell you...all of you," hazel said. when any of us said 'all of you' it meant that it wasn't about the cancer. Bianca could hear the news, too.

"oh? what is it babes?"

"you always say we can be open about our...sexuality with you guys," hazel said and a lump caught in my throat.

"you can tell us anything," dad said, handing Bianca a fedora, hopefully as a joke.

"i'm straight. i like boys," hazel said.

"oh?" mom asked, sort of confused. "um, that's great baby."

"and i'm," my voice stopped. i couldn't let it out. everyone stared at me, expecting something to happen. but hazel squeezed my hand, like Will always did. Will. Will's eyes. Will's body. Will's face. Will's everything. Will. i wanted everyone to know. i suddenly broke in tears. "gay."

mom and dad looked at each other and back at me. they both smiled and stood. "nico, baby," mom said, opening her arms. "and hazel, you too. Bianca."

dad put his hand on the lower side of mom's back and joined in on it. soon, we were all standing in an embrace. "i'm sorry i lied," i confessed. "i didn't want to be treated differently."

"baby, you've always been nico to us. who you love doesn't matter, you're our nico," mom said.

"we're proud of all of you," dad said. "all of you brave, strong kids."

we all pulled away, all crying. for some odd reason.

"i also have a boyfriend."

"oh? do we know him?"

"Will."

mom and dad shared another look. "o-oh."

"it's a long story," hazel explained.

"if we must confess," dad said, "we always knew, nico."

"what? how?"

"we saw your search history."

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME."

---

Solangelo? i only know Nico x search history