Skurdulka's House (a LGBTQ chosen-family thriller)

Part 16: Outsider

Chris's, Lee's and Heather's friends were welcoming enough, but Storm didn't really feel like he belonged. Today, he seemed to be the only one not involved in some kind of tiff—and felt more like an outsider than ever.

There were eight to ten in the group that congregated together before school, at lunch, after school. They were probably the most diverse clique Storm had seen, but they all shared at least one of three things—they were all from either drama club, school council, or they were LGBTQ. Storm wasn't any of those things. At least, not that anyone knew.

Lee, Heather and Chris weren't speaking to each other. As soon as they all got to school, Chris stalked silently to the library. Heather found the usual group hanging out in the hall, but Lee didn't follow. Shooting a sharp look at at Heather, Lee stormed off down the other hallway. Unsure of what to do, Storm lingered with Heather and the rest of the group. He didn't want to be on anyone's side of this fight, but even doing nothing seemed to always piss someone off.

"What's wrong with her?" The tall goth standing against the wall watched Lee turn the corner. Looking out from underneath the long black hair hanging over her face, Marie seemed to always be quietly watching. Wearing a ragged, black, long-sleeved band shirt faded past recognition and baggy black pants, she looked about as gender-neutral as Chris and some of the other genderqueer kids, but Marie was a girl. Storm knew the other girls at the school weren't always nice about her unorthodox style.

Storm didn't know what they wanted; the boys made fun of him for having long hair, and Chris for having short hair; the girls made fun of Heather for 'trying too hard' and Marie for not trying hard enough, apparently.

"Some kind of fight," Storm murmured back.

Marie craned her neck, trying and failing to see where Lee went. Her dark-shadowed eyes lingered on the empty hall. "Hmm."

Storm hadn't known Marie long, but he thought he saw concern in her eyes. "What?" He studied her, keeping his voice low so Heather didn't hear. "You and Lee hang out, right? What's up with her?"

Marie's black lips turned to a frown. "She's probably going to get more abuse."

"Huh?"

"Beth Keyes." Sighing, Marie looked at the floor.

"Beth Keyes? The JV basketball point guard?" Marie didn't answer and Storm took a breath. "Lee likes Beth Keyes?"

Marie sighed quietly. "She said no, but she totally does. She keeps trying to make a move but..."

Storm shook his head. "What?"

"Beth's an asshole."

Storm frowned. "Oh."

"Don't tell her I told you, okay?" Marie said.

"I won't." Storm bit the inside of his lip. "I wonder if that's why she was wearing makeup."

"Lee was wearing makeup?" Marie snorted contemptuously. "Like that'll help her chances."

Storm opened his mouth to reply, but didn't. He wasn't sure why Marie seemed to hate the idea of Lee and Beth—and Lee and makeup—but he knew he wanted to get to Lee before she got to Beth.

Storm glanced at the hall Lee disappeared down. "Um, I'll see you at lunch."

Marie only shrugged.

Storm's locker was down that hall, but it was also where Beth Keyes and some of the JV basketball girls hung out before class.

He saw them before he got to his locker. Working the lock, he listened. The girls were laughing loudly and it was hard to make out everything. But he heard enough.