People Talk

4. axel brown needs a break

FOUR
axel brown needs a break

@username1: man so you're telling me one of our guys is checking us out in the locker rooms? tf?

@username2: That's so weird wtf. If I find that freak checking me out I'll beat his ass no CAP

@username3 some of y'all are dramatic as fuck. people are gay, brad. oh no!
@username2 replied: I bet you're one of them lol weird ass
@username4 replied: oh no is right. gay people shouldn't exist lmao take your account off private, pussy

Axel couldn't stop himself from scrolling through the comments on that post Raegan showed him. 98% of the comments were homicidal, homophobic assfucks. The other 2% were decent human beings getting death threats.

He rubbed at his face, going to report the post once again. Axel knew Jonah was more than likely obsessing over everything being said — if Axel was him, he would be, too. Fueling his anxiety and fear about coming out. Probably sinking deeper and deeper into denial and internalized hatred for something he couldn't help.

        Axel never thought he'd feel bad for Jonah, of all people. The dickhead who went along with Harrison's plans to torment Nasir. His anger toward him didn't dissolve much even after Nasir said Jonah was "actually a pretty okay guy." Because he got Vincent for you? Because he suddenly stopped treating you like shit? I can't forgive him for that.

         But at the same time, he wanted to help him. No one deserved to go through this bullshit alone. It was terrifying. If Axel didn't have Raegan when he was realizing he wasn't straight, he (quite honestly) would've killed himself. To be completely fucking blunt about things. It was the truth.

        Axel closed his eyes. He didn't want to see another person give up. He couldn't see another person give up. Not when he had the ability to help them.

       If Jonah didn't talk to him in the next week, he was going to approach him himself. If he genuinely didn't want any help, then Axel would back off. He knew when to stop. Most of the time.

He put his phone down and went back to his homework, tapping the blunt eraser of his pencil against the notebook sitting beside him. He fucking hated online assignments. He had to retake them constantly because he forgot there were certain rules on how to write out your answers.

"Fuck," he hissed. He typed in .25, but apparently it was 0.25. "It's the same fucking thing! What the fuck? I'm gonna fucking — " He mimed punching the shit out of his laptop, and he was pretty sure he would've had his phone not chimed with a notification.

I swear to fuck if it's a Remind that I need to do this assignment — Oh. Definitely not a school thing.

@notjomama wants to send you a message.

Axel snorted at his username. Alright, maybe it was a school thing. He accepted the request, reading the text Jonah sent him.

notjomama – This is you, right?

axolotl_ – nice username, bitch boy

notjomama – so it is. Okay. Fuck you

axolotl_ – i was finna say already did but i fucked u didn't i but what's poppin' how'd u find me tf

notjomama – Vincent follows you, so. I didn't know how else to contact you please don't be weird because this is actually took a long time nd I don't wanna regret it thanks