More Than Survive; Tyrus/Ambi

Chapter 1

Cyrus

There is a girl being yelled at in the paint section.

More specifically there is a blonde girl around our age being attacked by a taller boy.

Even more specifically the blonde girl is being hit because she's gay.

I look over to my best friend Andi Mack who looks at me with a pained expression. She is holding some stupid expensive markers to finish her art project. But she puts them down immediately and runs over to defends the girl.

"Hey idiot leave her alone!" She yells so loud I'm surprised the teenage cashier doesn't look up from his phone. I don't follow her, instead I hang back with a feeling of fear and guilt.

I know I should be helping Andi, but I already have enough social anxiety as it is. It's probably fine.

It's not fine.

"Oh now you're little girlfriend is here to defend you." The teenager teases with a sickening grin. The blonde girl practically growled, but hid it behind her long hair, I could see a bruise forming around her eye.

"I said leave her alone a**bag!" Andi pushes the girl behind her.

"Or what?" The boy leans forward. Nice teeth.

Andi slaps him, then whips her phone out. "All it takes is three buttons and you're gone jerk."

I watch, still only watching. I want to help,

I really do.

But I just can't. I don't know how else to explain it but it feels like I'll mess up, like this guy will kill me, or laugh at me or I'll make a joke out of myself. I'll look awful.

So instead I watch my best friend beat the crap out of a homophobic bully.

"Screw you." The Nice teeth boy pushes past me. He flips Andi on his way out.

We are all silent for a moment. Then the blonde girl speaks. "Woah."

"Jerk," Andi huffs, then she turns to the girl. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, you were really brave." She replies. "I'm Amber by the way."

Andi smiles brightly, shaking the girls hand. "Andi. And this is my best friend Cyrus." She gestures to me. I give a little wave.

Amber traces the area around her eye and winces. "That's going to be there for a while."

"I'm sorry," I say finally, "He was a homophobic slur, I get it all the time." I should really shut my mouth. I basically just outed myself to a stranger. But Amber smiles, "Yeah, hopefully I want be seeing him at Grant this year."

Andi looks up, "You go to Grant Boarding school?" Grant opened a boarding school ever since some kid blew up their high school from a science explosion. Everyone I know will be attending, I still don't know how I got in. Buffy has a basketball scholarship and Andi has one for art. I just submitted some terrible essay.

Amber nods, "Yeah I'll be a Senior."

"Cool, we'll be Juniors." Andi responds, I've never seen her talk so easily to somebody like this. Her eyes are all lit up.

"Hey like my brother! That means this won't be the last time I'll see you, T.J makes friends with everyone."

Andi internally grins. I know that face.

I step back to give Andi space, it's one of my many services I provide.

Outside I see a car pull up, a teal blue colour. It's old, but the speakers have no problem working since I can here the drivers music from inside.

There is a teen boy at the wheel.

My heart hammers, Nice teeth guy is back.

But it's not him, actually the diver has the same blonde hair as Amber. He has really defined facial features, and really nice eyes.

No Cyrus, stop staring.

I turn around and Andi is waving Amber goodbye, she skips out the door, her shimmering hair bouncing, and climbs into the passenger side. I can't stop staring, not at Amber.

But the boy.

______________

I don't really know how I came out, I mean I told my friends at my bar mitzvah, and I eventually told all of my family a few days after Christmas. That might have been the most embarrassing moment of my life.

But somehow all of Jefferson middle school figured out. That's why I don't tell anyone anything anymore.

Andi told us she was pan a few months ago, I guess she's still getting used to it, considering she has no idea how hide her pan-ic (see what I did there) when it comes to cute girls.

I walk Andi home, but I don't think she is really focused on anything. Amber must have said something to her. But then when we reached her house she turned around and grabbed me by the shoulders.

"I have to date her." She says with a serious face. I've never seen her like this.

"You have to help me Cyrus." She doesn't answer the question. I hate seeing Andi all wound up over some one, she'll be helpless for days.

"Of course." I say. I'm not a terrible person. Plus Amber seems nice.

________________

It's dark outside my window, but I want to do something.

My eyes are too tired to go on tumblr or browse some random blog. So I turn to my journal.

I don't get the world. I mean people seem so welcoming. So open to everything, and for a second I believe it.

I stupidly

Stupidly believe it.

If I tell you something, it's now yours and mine.

It's still mine, and it always will be.

I trusted you, I trusted people with my secret.

But they are still out there. Waiting for me to put my guard down.

And stupidly

fall for their trust.

I should be able to tell the whole world I'm gay. Shout out to that teenager in the store for telling me otherwise.

Stupidly.

But I'm not the one who doesn't belong. They are

I put the book on my side table, feeling much better. Writing always does that to me, as long as I am the only one who will ever read it.

I fall asleep with the image of somebodies blonde hair.