Blinded By Venus

Chapter #2

Adam's POV

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I feel the cool cut of the water against my arms. Swimming is my way of meditating. The water feels as if it washes away my worries. My muscles and lungs ache but it's a good pain. I hear Coach Sullivan's whistle blow, and I pull myself onto the pool ledge.

"Good work today, Cohen."

"Thanks." I take a drink of water and wrap a towel around my waist. I go into the locker room, rinse off, and change my clothes. On my way out I meet up with my friend Kevin.

"You're going to the swim meet after school, right?"

"Nahh, I'm meeting up with Hannah, she's in town for the week." Hannah is one of my cousins, but she has been my best friend since I was a baby. She's very easy to talk too. Without Hannah, I would never have gotten into reading (Yes, I am a swim jock who loves to read, okay?). Don't get me wrong, I love my school friends Kevin and Brandon, but Hannah has always felt more, I don't know, genuine. I've missed her a lot since she moved to Chicago two years ago.

The bell rings and Kevin groans as we head to class, "I fucking hate history". Kevin is one of my closest friends (besides Hannah), but he's kind of homophobic. He's the kind of guy to put a Jesus loves you sticker on the back of his car as a joke, but no one would know he's kidding. Kevin's an asshole but he's my closest friend. I admire how he just says what he thinks. I wish I had the courage to do that.

I sigh. "I don't understand what you hate about history so much."

"It's that chick that sits next to me!"

"Ooh does Kevin have a crush!?" I grin.

"Shut up, I think she's gay or something, I dunno" I remain silent, too tired to hear one of his anti-gay rants right now.

"I was assigned to work on a project with her, and when I asked if she wanted to hookup, she deadass said I'm lesbian with a girlfriend like it was just a casual thing." I laugh.

"You asked her to hookup?!" I say, trying to change the topic from his rant.

I remember one kid I did a project with in class once, Thomas. He was chill and down to earth, but then he told me he was gay. One day I accidentally slipped and told Kevin that Thomas was gay. I was being stupid and inconsiderate, but I didn't realize Kevin had such strong feelings against gay people at the time. He told everyone and I've felt terrible since. In a school like ours, being gay is an insult. Plus, I have to save my reputation. My dad is the vice-principal of this school and I can't have him think I'm different.

Kevin chuckles. "Yeah I know, I can't believe I asked a fag to hookup," I notice a familiar set of eyes, and realize it's Thomas at his locker. Speak of the devil. Seriously, I don't know what's wrong with me. I feel a pain in my chest every time I walk by Thomas, but I don't know why.

"Shhh, be quiet Kev."

"What do you mean be quiet?" Kevin sees Thomas, and I bite my lip, knowing what's coming.

"Oh, it's because of this fag here!" Kevin says loud enough for Thomas to hear. I see Thomas clench his jaw and close his locker. And then he walks right into me.

"Woah! Watch it!" I say.

Kevin snickers and points at Thomas, whose face is turning pale. I'm impressed that he still has the courage to keep his head held high. I give him a sympathetic look. Wait, why did I even look at him? Especially after what happened between us. I turn away from him towards my Biology class.

Rinnnnng

Shit, the bell rang. "Bye Adam, see you at lunch!" Kevin calls across the hall.

"Byee Kevie!" he glares at me and I laugh. God, I need some better friends. I take a seat in Bio. Thomas used to be my lab partner before he switched to chemistry. Now I have a new lab partner. Because Woodcreek is having some overflow problems, the girls and boys are mixed during this class, so now this purple emo-looking girl with cute eyes sits next to me. I think her name is something like Elizabeth?

She taps my shoulder, and whispers in my ear "I hope you rot in hell" she smiles sweetly and went about her work. What the fuck just happened!? What did I ever do to her? I think she's bi or something, maybe Kevin pissed her off, I dunno.

I take a leaf from Kevin's book and write a note saying I'm sorry, do I know you? You're cute;) I pass it to her. I am expecting a blush or eye roll but instead, she glares at me, then smiles and takes out a pen.

"Sorry but I don't take compliments from deadbeats" She's pissed but still smiling, so I whisper,

"Look, I don't know what I ever did to you, but I'm sure we could make it up" I smirk, this worked on girls sometimes, right?

"I'm sure you could make it up to the person whose life you ruined" She looked away. What on earth is she talking about!? Why was she so passive-aggressive? Seriously, that was so goddamn random, but before I can ask her what she meant, the bell rang.

I walk to lunch and meet up with my group of friends. We usually sit in the hallway right next to the courtyard, meaning we just sit around the lockers and eat. Kevin is the extreme one of my friends. The rest are chill, but either really sporty or preppy. The kind of popular guys you expect to attend a top-notch private school like Southview.

"Yo Adam, my man!"

"Sup Brandon!"

I sit down at my usual spot, ignoring the rest of the conversation. I couldn't stop thinking about that girl. Despite what many people think, I have empathy, and I don't want any more beef than I already have. I can't think of what I could have possibly done to her. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted her sitting next to Thomas, no wonder she was so pissed at me. She sees me staring and flips me the finger.

Finally lunch ends and my phone buzzes.

Mom: Hey sweetie, I'm able to come to your swim meet today!

Me: Really? I thought you had work?

Mom: Well I can go, but please don't expect me to talk to your father

Me: Well I was going to meet with Hannah for coffee.

Mom: Ok, I guess that's fine, I'll see if I can come to next week's meet.

Me: No it's fine, I know your busy so I'll swim today

Mom: Yayy!!!!! I miss you!

Me: Miss you too! Cw!

I guess Hannah will have to wait. My family is complicated, to say the least.

"Hey Brandon" I yell "I'll be at the swim meet after all!"

"Awesome!! You doin freestyle?"

"You know it!" I respond cheerfully. I just want to make my family better, I don't actually care that much about winning the meet.

My mom and dad divorced a couple of years ago. It was messy. My dad, being head of the school, cheated on my mom. To say the least, It was disgusting. What's more disturbing is that I caught them in the act. Once she found out, my mom was so shocked and angry that she threw my dad's phone in the toilet.

Of course, I didn't know about the divorce until that night when I got home and saw my dad's stuff packed up. My mom tried to build her life back together. She sold our house and got promoted to the CEO of her company. But it was never the same. She was really hurt, my mother. I kind of hate my dad now. I started going to his apartment on the weekends with my stepmom Julia (UGH), and spend the weekdays with my mom. I had no one to talk to, my friends wouldn't understand. The only one who would understand was Hannah, but of course, she moved 2,000 miles away. The only person I ever revealed this too was Thomas before he came out as gay.