Ask what High School is like and you'll get mixed answers along the lines of Scandals, Cliche Teen Romance, Break ups, Drama, Friendship, and most importantly Betrayal that's handed out like gift bags.
Ask the popular kids and they'll usually say it...
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The soft laughter from my mom and annoyed criticisms that laced my dad's voice hailed from the living room.
They were snuggling watching some Netflix series while Bee was at the dining table eating.
" Hi honey ! How was school ?" My mom called to me.
Tanners face and Laurence's anger popped into my head.
" Oh nothing really, the usually day to day stuff."
" How about practice ?" My dad asked, eyes still glued to the TV.
" Nothing too eventful, feel like we have a good chance for tomorrow !" I said walking towards the kitchen.
Bee looked up at me and swallowed her food in excitement.
" Oh my god, Hassan, you will not believe what Michelle did today in our music class. Number one, that girl is TALENTED, she says I'm a natural at the keyboard but I think she said that just to make me feel better-but anyway her and this really snobby guy were getting into it and they had an instrument off. It sounds less epic but it's a 'you had to be there' kind of thing, but she DESTROYED him. It was like a real life episode of Glee." She bursted ecstatically.
I could tell Bee was super accustomed to here. She definitely adapted to the move way better than I did and seeing her genuinely happy will forever make my heart skip beats.
" Eventful day huh ?" I questioned with a smile.
" Always is ! But spill the tea, what's goin on with you and L ?"
I looked over at our parents.
I know they 'know' now and are accepting of me, probably waiting for the chance they can meet Laurence but they didn't need to overhear anything they weren't fully ready for.
" Can you come upstairs with me really quick Bee ?"
Without saying a word she took one more mouthful of her food, packed it away in the fridge for later and bolted up the stairs.
When I got to my room she was waiting at the corner of my bed arms and legs folded.
" Okay Bee, so theres this guy..."
" GUY !? Was Laurence not enough ? How are you gunna go through ALLL this just to have some new-
" This guy found out about me and Laurence and is threatening to out us to the entire school." I interrupted.
Bee fell silent with her head cocked to the side, mouth slightly ajar from disbelief.
" What's his name ?"
" Tanner, I don't know wha-
She pulled out her phone and her eyes moved across the screen rapidly.
" Wait what are you doing ?"
" Fighting fire with fire, everyone has something they don't want others to see. It's the era of social media, who has a clean record or didn't over share a little bit atleast just once ?"
" I don't know how well that will work, the championships are literally in a few hours."
" I thought it was tomorrow ?"
" You're not thinking in athlete time !"
She rolled her eyes and handed me her phone.
" Is this ?" I scrolled through the Facebook page she was showing me.
" I don't know you tell me, he was the first 'Tanner' to pop up but I'm pretty sure there's a handful of Tanners in that school."
" The posts seem pretty deluded and arrogant just like him so far...the profile picture of a skull matches his aesthetic too."
" So its a match ?" Bee asked.
" Looks like but now what ?"
" SOOOOO you find something embarrassing from his past and bring it to his attention. Jog his memory about who he's dealing with."
" There's two things wrong with that. One I'm not gunna stoop to his level and two, I think he would be proud of most of this cringey shit. The guys a psycho Bee." I said handing her back her phone.
" So he just gets to win !? What does he even want from you ?"
" He basically wants the spotlight for the game tomorrow, I even had to get him a spot back on the team cause he was kicked off."
" Okay, now let's say you do everything he says for tomorrow. When it hits 12a.m then what ? Does his blackmail stop or does he make you into his personal maid for the rest of the year ? You have to do something !" She demanded.
I threw my head back with a soft grunt. " You sound like Laurence, I don't know if this is a battle I can win Bee."
" It's a battle you can win but you're choosing not to...why ?"
" I just...I want to be a better person. More methodical on how I see things and not so brazen for false or immoral conclusions. I feel like that's what closet means did project, attack and destroy."
She nodded at me then squinted at her phone. " Well all is fair in self defense and I think I just found your Ace."
I raised a brow in confusion.
She handed me her phone and Tanner was apart of some memorial thread.
" Bee...."
She remained silent.
" Bee I can't use that against him, even if he's one of the most horrible people I've ever met."
" I'm not saying to use it against him but to remind him. That right there could be the reason he acts like such a horrible person. If you really wanna go the pacifist route then bring that up. Be the therapy to his trauma."
A sick feeling overcame my body gripping the phone.
" Anyway do what you please with that my password is 121141 incase you lock yourself, and make sure it's charged for the morning or else." She turned around and imitated a throat slash before giggling and closing my door.
" Night !!" I called out to her.
I was all alone now. Felt like it's been ages since I've finally had privacy and now that I do I'm caught with a twisted decision.
