The Mix

Coming Out

The rest of lunch was uneventful as they all ate and joked around. The bell rang and classes started up again. Ava noticed Clementine become more and more anxious as the end of the day approached. When Clem is anxious she traces the tattoo of AJ's initials on her hand. Ava never figured out why but she knows it's her way of comforting herself.

So while sitting in their last class with Brody on Clem's other side she whispered to her. "Clem you ok? What's wrong?" "So you know how me and Sophie have been talking and well I plan on coming out to her after school before we go home." Clem whispered in a slight panicked breathe.

Ava nodded before trying to comfort her. "Clem she wouldn't reject you over you being poly. Remember when you first told Sarah, she was confused sure but she loved you no matter what. She still does for that matter. If Sophie really does like you then she will accept you." Clem tried to follow the deep breathes that Ava was taking in example to calm down. It worked to relax her body a bit but her mind was still racing.

Clementine sighed and tried to hype herself up in order to steel her nerves. She completely zoned out as she thought about what she wanted to say to Sophie. She was startled out of her thoughts by a paper being placed on her desk.

Looking to her right she noticed Brody had given her the notes she had taken during the lecture and seemed to notice that Clem had spaced out. "Thanks Brody." "Don't mention it you looked like you were deep in thought. You all right?" Clementine opened her mouth but was interrupted by the bell making her sigh.

"If I'm being honest, no I'm absolutely terrified. No matter how many times I do this I still get scared and or heartbroken. I don't know how any of this is gonna play out and that's not even the scariest part." Before Clementine could continue ranting a soothing hand fell onto her shoulder.

"Hey it's alright to be scared. Whatever it is you're doing you seem to care a whole lot about, so it's more than alright to be scared. If you weren't scared than you aren't passionate, and if you aren't passionate then you don't really care." Brody's words seemed to strike a cord in Clem as she closed her eyes before placing her hand over top Brody's.

"Thanks Brody. I really needed to hear that." Brody nodded before grabbing her backpack and walking out of the classroom. Clementine decided to do the same only to find Ava leaning against the wall by the door. "Sorry to keep you waiting." "No problem Clem, I know you needed someone to talk to and Brody seems to fit the bill. I'll wait by the gym. You said you were meeting her by the graffiti wall right?"

"Yeah it's the old outhouse near the gym that is only ever used by art students to spray paint. It shouldn't take long I'll go get you once I'm done." Ava just nodded before they took of on their walk to the gym. The walk was mostly silent except the occasional 'hi' to classmates.

They stopped just outside the gym. "Ok, if this goes bad promise to be in my cuddle pile while we eat ice cream and binge watch Friends?" Ava let out a small breathe of a laugh. "Of course, I'll even call Sarah for you if it does. Now go get her Queen Clem."

Clementine took a deep breathe before she forced her legs to start walking to the old outhouse. She let out a breathe of relief when she noticed she was there first, meaning she had time to plan out her words. It didn't last long however because just as Clem started thinking Sophie's long red hair came into view. And right alongside her was Minerva although she did stop a fair distance away from Clem to let them talk.

Sophie was smiling as she got closer to Clem. Then she noticed Clem's fidgeting. "Hey Clem what's up? You said you needed to talk to me right?" Clementine cleared her throat before speaking. "Uh yeah I um...I needed to tell you something that I probably should have told you back when we first kissed. Anyways I'm definitely stalling and if I don't come out and say it right now I might not for a while so... I'm...Do you know what polyamouras is?"

Sophie's eyebrows furrowed together as she spoke. "No I don't know what that is." Clementine took another deep breathe before speaking everything she needed to in one breath. "ItMeansHavingMultiplePartners." Sophie just looked even more confused. "Well having multiple partners that know and consent to the relationship." Sophie took a second to process the information.

"Ok why do I need to know this then?" "Well I'm um..." Clementine trailed off as she looked at Sophie for any confirmation that she understood what she was saying. She didn't know if she was relieved or terrified when Sophie had a look of revelation pass her features. "Oh." Was all Sophie said.

They stood in silence for a few seconds maybe minutes they couldn't tell. Then Sophie spoke. "I um I think I need a moment alone if that's alright with you." Clementine could feel the tears pooling in her eyes. 'That's what they always say.' She opted against saying that out loud and instead nodded and started walking towards the gym.

She passed Minerva who glared at her but froze when she saw Clementine's face. Her eyes had glazed over in tears and her face was just a hint of red. Before Minerva could speak Clem ran towards the gym were Ava was waiting. Ava immediately took notice of the tears in her eye's but didn't get to see her face for long because Clem buried her nose into the crook of Ava's neck.

"You want me to call Sarah?" Ava asked in a whisper. Clementine gave a small nod before sniffling. "We need to buy more ice cream." Ava nodded as she rubbed circles into her back before she grabbed Clem's phone from her back pocket to call Lee. Luckily Clem never changed her password so Ava was still able to open her phone.

Ava lead Clem to the curb where she told Lee they would be and sat her down while still holding her. They stayed in an embrace until Clementine's face was no longer red although the tears did leave streaks down her face. Ava texted Sarah through Clem's phone what had happened. Lee showed up not long after and he knew better than to ask why she had been crying.

Once home Ava tried her best to keep Clem distracted. She put on Friends from season one and got the ice cream she had asked Lee to get before picking them up. She also went to Clem's room to get a fluffy blanket and her pillows.

When she returned she saw Sarah sitting next to Clem on the sofa with Clem cuddled into her side. Ava couldn't help but feel a bit angry at Sophie. Ava had seen Clementine go through hell, she didn't deserve to have her heart broken again over someone who didn't accept her. But when Clem looked so small and helpless Ava knew she couldn't leave her here to go have a talk with Sophie.

So Ava set up the pillows so they would be comfortable on the couch before taking the space next to Clem. "Do you want me to call Duck?" Sarah asked quietly. "No he's at baseball practice right now and when he gets out he'll be real tired and want to sleep." Both Ava and Sarah nodded before cuddling under the blanket with Clem snuggled in between them.

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Not gonna lie writing this made me kinda sad but sorry it took a while also I hope you noticed the part where Minerva and Clem interacted because that's gonna be important later 👀👀