No Ordinary Exchange

she's here whether you like it or not!

1. BLACK-OWNED BUSINESS SHOUTOUT! I was introduced via Wattpad to a user named @ nostalgicspidey; now don't go spam their account, lmao, because their Instagram is @ sweetie (dot) et and their website is sweetieet (dot) co (dot) uk! They sell cosmetics, body care items, etc. If you're financially able, go buy from them!

2. If you live in the USA and are 18+, MAKE SURE YOU'RE REGISTERED TO VOTE! I think vote (dot) org has a super easy way to check if you're registered.

Like I said last time, this is a bit of a shorter chapter, but one of my favorite OCs is introduced and I hope you love her as much as I do. Side note: I'm (ideally) posting an atla fic later today, and I'm not saying you have to read it if you're into atla, but... ;) Anyways, I hope you're all doing well and staying safe during this time of quarantine - remember to wear a mask if you must leave the house! Enjoy the chapter :)

xXxXxXx

"Are you coming to the game tomorrow?" Rayla asked eagerly as she slid into her desk next to Callum's. "It's not against a big team, so I can't hold it against you if you don't want to or didn't plan to go, but..." She offered him a small, almost bashful smile. "I would really appreciate it if you came."

Callum chuckled. "So... what I'm hearing is you missed me during your away game?"

Rayla made a mildly disgusted face. "You have no idea how hard it is to be surrounded by obnoxious amounts of testosterone in such small areas. It's enough to make me claustrophobic." She rolled her eyes. "At least you talk about something other than how you're trying to hook up with some girl in your history class."

"That's only because I already managed to hook up with a certain girl in my history class," he teased, satisfaction rushing through his veins when he saw his girlfriend blush at the comment. "But come on. Be fair. There's no way that's all they talk about."

"True," Rayla admitted with a sigh. "Sometimes they talk about trying to hook up with the girls in their science class. Or even the boys in their math class! I guess they have a thing for nerds."

Callum snorted. "You know what? Good for them." If society had progressed to the point where football players, the most stereotypical macho-y, masculine men, could talk about how much they liked guys - nerdy guys - without shame, then surely that was a sign of tremendous growth. He pulled his binder out of his booksack. "It's great to know that they're not ashamed of their sexuality."

"You Katolians have always been weird about that kind of thing," Rayla mused, tucking her hair behind her ear before getting her own materials for class out of her bag. "Xadia never had to 'legalize' same-sex marriage. It's just always been a thing there."

Callum rolled his eyes, though he was unable to stop himself from grinning. "I know, I know. We of Katolis are inferior to the high and mighty Xadians. No need to remind me."

"Pff. That is not what I meant and you know it." She reached up to push Callum's bangs out of his face. "Don't forget, Xadia has its own issues. Remember how long it took them to be okay with inter-clan relationships?" She shrugged. "Xadia and Katolis are just very different countries. Nothing wrong with that."

Callum nodded and placed his hand on top of hers. He supposed the action was rooted in being a comforting gesture, but the truth? He just liked holding his girlfriend's hand.

"Anyways," Rayla continued after a pause, "at least Katolis embraces technological advancements with open arms. It took me years to convince Runaan and Ethari that I needed a phone if I was going to be staying after school for drama practice four days a week in high school."