『 the sound of you and i 』 ➤ the first "sounds" book

❀ Ⅰ ｐ．２ ∞ 𝚙𝚊𝚌𝚒𝚏𝚒𝚌 ❀

And then the moment we're inside, Lovelle and Tiffany rush of to make out in the toilets, Oscar and Oli make their way to art because they're doing some hard exams or something and need their work, and it's just me, Josh and Chase left.

Chase laughs, and I can't help but join in. His laugh is contagious, I'm not even kidding. Josh joins in too, but he sends a weird look Chases way, which confuses me. It looked almost dirty, but Josh likes Chase. Not as in, love, but he and Chase are friends, so what was with the weird look?

Next thing I know I'm being led away by my arm by Josh, Chase waving after us. I glance to Josh in confusion, but he quickly shoves me into the auditorium, closing the door behind us.

"What the hell?" I say, barely managing to stay upright from the harsh push. He forgets how strong he is.

"Chase likes you."

That makes me laugh. "He's gay, I can tell. I have a gaydar, and you should too!"

"Shut up, Grace!! Someone'll hear you!!"

~

Josh isn't technically... out yet. He's scared to come out in our school. Everyone seems nice enough at first impression, and it'll seem like that for a while, but with four years at this hellhole under your belt, you know it off by heart.

People here are dicks.

All the jocks and cheerleaders are everything-phobic. They hate EVERYONE apart from themselves, and if you're one of them and decide to date a nerd or something...

Let's just say no one remembers Vicky. She used to be a cheerleader here, one of the best, and then the squad found her making our with Zack, a really cute nerd in our year. Literally, nobody remembers her.

~

"Josh, do you remember Vicky?"

"Who?"

"Never mind."

"How is that relevant to Chase liking you?"

"I said never mind!"

~

My point is proven.

Josh is scared to come out because everyone will hate him, and we both know this. We think maybe even Oscar and Oli might be dodgey about it, and we're still convinced they're committing incest, so that's saying something.

But I just keep reminding him of Tiffany and Lovelle's situation. Then he reminds me that everyone is petrified of Elle. She basically runs the school along with her brother, who's a year older than her. They're both badasses.

~

"I still think he likes you."

"I still think he's gay."

"He can't be gay. He likes you, and you're a girl. You're a female, you've got boobs, a vagina, but to be fair you dress like a boy. It doesn't differ from the fact that you--"

"I'M A BOY."

My breath hitches. What the fuck did I just do. I wasn't ready, I wasn't meant to even come out to anyone yet. It's way too early! I'm not fucking ready!!

Josh stays silent, staring at me with wide eyes. "You're... a what?"

"I'm a boy. Don't go all "I'm a what?" Harry Potter on me."

"But, but... you're..."

"It doesn't matter what I look like, Josh. I'm a boy."

I barely realise that my voice is so quiet, and it makes Josh smile at me sympathetically.