Until I Met You

9

TW's:
-(Cyber)bullying
-Homophobia (usage F-slur)

George's POV

I was sitting on my bed, staring at my ceiling once again. After a short talk with my mum I left to go upstairs again. My phone was constantly making sounds because I was getting spammed with mean texts and pictures. I tried ignoring them, but every second got harder and harder. It had been going on for such a short period of time, but I honestly hated it already. I didn't want to come across like a pussy, but it hurt me a lot, having people constantly call me slurs, fat, ugly and even wishing me to die.

I was staring at my ceiling still as my phone rang, someone called me. I quickly checked and smiled as I saw Darryl was calling me. I accepted the call and waited for them to start speaking.

'Hey, George! Are you okay? You haven't replied to my texts in hours.'

'Sorry, homework,' I lied. I hadn't even touched a book.

'Oh yeah, sorry. I have a question, you know Zak and Karl right?'

I hummed softly. Zak was a friend of Darryl, only they weren't that close. Zak didn't know much about us two to be very honest, but we sometimes hung out with us four. Karl was Zak's best friend, Karl was always a bit different from the rest and I respected that a lot.

'I had an idea,' Darryl continued. 'My parents aren't at home tonight and I wanted to ask if I could maybe invite you three over. I texted Zak and Karl already and they agreed.'

'Oh, that sounds like fun!' I said, sitting up. I was genuinely enthusiastic, although I wished they would have invited Clay. I knew that would have been pretty weird since Darryl, Zak and Karl never really spoke to him, but still.

'Maybe we can just watch some movies together. I can also invite you alone over, but I thought, maybe it's fun to have more people.'

'Yeah, sounds good.'

'I have different rooms. I don't mind sharing a room with someone, but you can have a room alone if you want to.'

'I would like to, definitely now I accidentally outed myself.'

'I'm sure they aren't homophobic, I was planning on maybe coming out to them.'

'I already did by accident,' I sighed, rolling my eyes even though they couldn't see.

Darryl giggled a little. 'Well, yeah.'

'That guy was just hot, no discussion possible.'

Darryl started laughing. 'You're so weird.'

'I'm gay, all those popular football guys talk about girls that way.'

'True. I'm pansexual so I honestly don't care about gender, but I agree.'

'But fine, what time should I be there?'

'If you can around nine?'

'Okay, I'll be there.'

I ended the call and I saw I had ten new notifications in that short time. I read some of them, but most were just calling me ugly, fat, a faggot and a lot included pictures and texts such as: just kill yourself, the world is better without you and so on. I got death threats, them telling me they would kill me because I was too disgusting to be at school.

I felt my eyes filling a bit with tears and I closed my phone again. I sat up in my bed as a few tears rolled down my face. I didn't want to cry about something stupid like this, but it was genuinely hurting me. I sighed softly and I stood up, looking in the mirror. I smiled at myself to practise my fake smile and wiped my tears away, walking downstairs with a smile on my face.

'Hi, mum,' I said. 'Darryl asked me to come over to their place for the night and I'm going there at nine. They invited two other friends.'

'Oh, that is unexpected.'

'Is it alright?'

My mum nodded. 'I'm glad you and Darryl are fine. Who else is coming?'

'Zak and Karl.'

'Sounds good!'

I smiled and I went back upstairs, I acted happy but I wasn't. I wasn't at all, I was drained by all the hate I was getting. I laid in bed, just to fall asleep a few minutes later.

It was late in the evening when I left to go to Darryl's house. Darryl lived close so I just cycled for ten minutes to ring the bell after. Darryl opened the door immediately and they smiled. 'George, you came too!'

'I said I would.'

'I texted you to ask you to make sure, but you didn't reply to me.'

I nodded. 'Sorry, I don't really check my phone a lot.'

'That's fine, Zak and Karl are already here.'

I smiled and I walked behind them inside. Zak and Karl greeted me happily and I smiled at them. I honestly just wanted to go home and sleep. I was really sad and everything had been breaking me.

Darryl made space for me on the couch. 'Do you want a drink or something to eat?'

I shrugged. 'Maybe later.'

Darryl nodded and they sat down on the couch next to Zak. I noticed Darryl was acting a bit weirdly around Zak, but I ignored it. Zak and Karl looked at me and smiled. 'Hi!'

'Hello,' I muttered, laying back on the couch. I just didn't feel like talking.

Darryl noticed that I didn't feel like talking and they left me alone, putting on a movie. I didn't watch the movie at all when I heard my phone constantly buzz. The bully had a great time again. I got so hopeless that midway the movie I stood up to lock myself in the bathroom. I literally cried for a few minutes. I threw some water on my face, practising a fake smile again.

I walked back after a while and laid back down on the couch again, not locking eyes with anyone in the room once. I didn't want them to notice I had cried. I didn't want them to notice anything, nor the bullying nor the fact I was broken. I would just have to act tough.

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