Fireflies

Part 1

•Colin•
"You ready for graduation?" My friend Madison Jones asked me. I closed my locker and shrugged. "I don't really know. I mean yeah, this place sucks ass and a half," I looked at her, "but I grew up here." She scoffed and started walking, me following. "I know there's something in there that makes you wanna leave even more than that." She turned around, walking backwards, and poked my chest.

I chuckled slightly and nodded my head a little. "Yeah. The lunch ladies." We both laughed some and walked down the hall to our last class, World History. We had asked the principal every year to try to get us the same classes. He has every year except this one.

We had three classes together.

Out of Algebra II, Literature, Physics, World History, Spanish, and Arts, we have World History, Literature, and Algebra II together. Yay.

In my other classes, I sit with two other people. Jack Gray, who moved here two days ago, and Alecia Hart, one of my other friends. I sat with her in Spanish, which she's really good at. I sat with Jack in Arts and Physics. He's really good at that. And funny. But he can be quiet when he wants to. Yes, I've learned all that in two days.

"Colin!"

I blinked and looked in front of me. "Sorry Maddie. What is it?" I asked. "The bell rung. I just wanted to get your attention. You zoned out yet again. Now let's go before we're late again," she grabbed my arm and pulled us to our class. I've been drifting off a lot lately, these past few weeks have been a nightmare. I think I'm gay, but see, I'd never tell Madison or go to her to figure this all out. She wouldn't understand.

But it's affecting my school and social life. It's hard to keep a good grade when you're thinking about a hot guy who's sat next to you, but then your like, 'hot guy what?!' And then your lost, no idea what the teacher is saying, and on top of all that, no one knows.

But yeah, I think Jack's cute, and I feel awful about it, I don't think it's wrong, but I live in under a roof full of people who do. And I know I've only known him for like two days, but holy God in Heaven. Look at him! But he's probably straighter than a flat iron. And the chances of him actually being gay, or something around that area is as rare as affordable healthcare.

As we walked into class, Mrs. Owsley, our teacher, smiled towards us. We took our seats next to each other and got out our stuff. "Okay class. This week, we're gonna go over different communities. Now I know usually I let you guys pick a partner and what you want to go over, but this time I'm going to."

Everyone groaned as she opened a binder, which i'm guessing had the pairs and topics for them. As long as I wasn't with someone I didn't like, I'm fine with whatever. "Okay, Colin, you'll be with Alecia. And you two will be doing sexuality." She said. I looked at Alecia, who was already looking at me, and got up, walking over to her. "Madison, you'll be with Mac, and you'll be doing gender," I heard Madison groan loudly from behind me as I sat down beside Alecia.

"So we have to do the difference between straights gays?" She whispered as Mrs. Owsley continued to call out names and topics. "Well, I mean not really. And they're not all gay," I whispered back. She nodded her head and got out one of her glitter pens. She wrote down "Sexuality" on her paper and looked at me. "What are some sexualities other than gay and straight?" She said. And I did. I wrote down "Lesbian, asexual, bisexual, transgender, pansexual,". "Okay. Is that all?" She asked. "Well, there's a couple more."

She nodded, closing her notebook. "Are you gay? If so, that'll make this project so much easier,"

"I'm not gay, Alecia."

"Okay. Do you know anyone who is?"

"No. Do you?"

"Well, I think. There's that new kid Jack. He looks kinda gay. And Mark Gray. But I know Mac is. Well, he's bisexual. But is it just me or does Madison's older brother look very very gay?"

"Okay, I'm sure all of them aren't gay."

"Well we need to be asking them. I'll give you some people and me some people, okay? And you get up with them this weekend and find out."

"Alright,"

"Okay. Ask Jack Gray, Mark Gray.. hell, ask their sister too. Ask the whole family. And ask Madison's brother, or Madison. And I'll get Toby Jacobs, and my sister."

"Wouldn't it be kind of rude to ask them?"

"As long as I get a good grade, Cole, I kind of don't care,"

I nodded my head and put up my phone after typing the names. Was I really going to ask people I rarely talk to if they identified as LGBT+? Not really. But I wanted- no, needed to know if Jack was. But how do I find out without being rude?

••••••
Time skip brought to you by me having no sleep
••••••

•Madison•
I opened my front door and walked in, dropping my book bag and taking off my shoes. I walked to the kitchen and seen my brother on the phone. "Matt?" I said. He looked at me and put up a finger. "I'll call you right back Adam. Alright. Bye." He hung up and laid the phone down. "How was school?" He asked.

I shrugged and sat down at the table. "I'm in a group with a fuckboy, so that's great."

"Is he cute?"

"Oh, my God. Hell no."

"Oh. Well what for?"

"Some stupid project about peer groups,"

"Well what are you two doing?" He asked as he sat down. "I don't even remember." I replied. He nodded his head. "Okay, well, dad said you need to clean your room. It's nastier than a dumpster." I smacked his arm and stood up. "No it's not." He chuckled and grabbed the phone. "Well, you can disappear to your room now. I have to call someone back,"

"Ooh. Who? Adam?"

"Shut up."

I chuckled and made my way upstairs to my not messy room. I texted Colin and asked how much fun he was having with his best friend Alecia. I don't like Alecia. Not one tiny little ass bit, but Colin only knows that, not what I think of her, not anything, even when I really, really, really, want him to know.

He FaceTimed me instead of texting back. Great.

I answered and smiled at the camera. "So, how's it going hoe?" I asked. He rolled his eyes. "We're doing sexuality. You?" I sighed and stood up. "Oh, you know, the ole gender fender shit."

He laughed and looked around his room. "Look, can I ask you a real quick favor?" He asked.

I nodded my head. "Can you ask Jack Gray if he's gay or something?"

"What? No. Sorry Colin, but I don't even talk to that.. emo. Sorry. It's your project anyways."

He sighed and said okay, hanging up afterwards. I got a text from someone and read it. I grinned slightly and laid my phone on my bed, changed my shirt, and grabbed it and ran downstairs.

I slipped my shoes back on and grabbed Matt's keys. "I'll be back. I gotta make a trip somewhere." Matt looked at me, then his keys. "In my car? Where?"

"Over in the city. I'll just be thirty minutes."

"Promise?"

"Hell no."

••••••

Okay y'all that's all i could come up with for the first chapter. But this is probably gonna be one of them slow burn stories and sorry if there's any mistakes i'm dumb as fuck

yee yee

- hailey