The Jock and the Bad Boy (COMPLETE)

FIVE

Later that week, I see a poster for the dance up right outside the math classroom. The theme is a masquerade ball. The design on the poster is gorgeous, a mask propped up against a goblet with ivy snaking around both of them, tying them together. 

“My sister drew that,” someone behind me says. I turn around. It’s Thayer. His blue hair is falling into his brown eyes and today he’s wearing a leather jacket instead of a denim one. I don’t know why I’m noticing. He doesn’t notice me noticing because he’s still reading the poster.

“Who’s your sister?” I ask him, as if I know more than six people at this school.

“Her name’s Lane,” he answers. So I do know her. Now that I’m thinking about it, that actually makes a lot of sense. Brightly colored hair, sullen. I should’ve guessed they were related before. 

Before I can say anything else, Thayer has already left and gone inside the classroom. I take a photo of the poster, including the artist’s instagram handle in the corner. 
~
Later, I’m on my phone when I decide to check out Lane’s instagram. There's more art at the top, but the first thing to really catch my eye is a video of someone playing the violin. I click on it. He's dressed like a little adult, in gray slacks and a white button down. While watching the video a third time, I realize it's Thayer. He's really really good, but he doesn't look happy. 

His account is linked in the comments, but his page is private. I request to follow him and he accepts almost immediately. He messages me.

t: hey dude was there math hw

e: wasnt paying attention 

t: lmao

e: sorry lol

t: so r u any good?

t: @ soccer, i mean

e: i think so?

t: what part?

e: position?

t: yeah

e: defense

t: idk what that means 

e: lmao

e: i stop the ball from going into the net

t: so the goalie?

e: no lol 

t: what's the difference?

e: come to a game n find out

e: i mean… not if u don't want to 

t: i'll think abt it

Okay what the hell is going on. It's not like he's going to show if he hates the whole team. But if that's true, why didn't he just tell me no? More importantly, why did I ask him? I don't like him. He's mean. Then again, I've been hanging out with Carter a lot. Carter is kind of mean. But Carter is… normal.

I hate myself more than anything else in the world for thinking it. I know that eventually, I'm not going to be considered "normal" either. I don't want to think about how it's going to affect everyone's perception of me when I come out. I don't think Jackson and Carter would outright drop me, but… everything would be different. I realize the best way to offset that is to tell them soon, before they think they know me too well. 

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I'm back! Thank u sm to anyone who has been reading this!