Shucked Up || Newtmas AU

2☂ homosexual

I'm ready for the flight or to fall off a cliff
But if it's alright with you I'd rather not miss out on us
Cause your face is all I need to stay sane. - FrankIero

________
Newt
________

Thomas the greenie, sat with me all through lunch, prizing me several confused looks from the other boys here.

Everyone knew I sat alone.
Except him.

Soon enough it was time for the daily group therapy we have after lunch for my group, which luckily Thomas is in too.
Also known as the worst, the worst, hour of my life.

This month alone we've had 10 shouting matches, 6 angry chair-throwing incidents and 3 fist fights.

I can tell Thomas has no bloody clue about what's what here- so going against my usual custom of silence and being alone, so I hatch a plan to help him.

"Everyone take a chair!" Doctor Paige flashes the cheesiest smile she can muster while she sits delicately on her own plastic chair, resting a black leather notebook on her lap.

The room we use for this session is slightly smaller than the cafeteria, ugly and cheap plastic chairs stacked up along one wall.
Two arched windows looking out onto the institute's renowned gardens; drown the rectangular room in sunlight.

Thomas and I take our chairs, however Thomas hesitates and picks up two, his reasons unknown.
I pace straight away to the far corner of the room, Thomas in tow.

"Why'd that shank take two?" Gally spat, pointing a shameful finger at Thomas.

Thomas' face seems to shut down in fear, his bottom lip begins to tremble as he glances nervously from Gally to Doctor Paige.

"For Teresa." He states, putting his hands in his lap, clamping them together to try and hide their shakiness.

"Who the shuck's that?" Minho furrows his eyebrows, his response similar to the others around him.

"Nobody's there, slinthead!" Gally puffed, snatching the chair away from beside Thomas, who shouts "No!" yet it's too late.

"You hurt her!" Thomas' voice dripping with anger and hatred for the first time since he's been here.
He stands up slowly from his chair taking a couple steps towards Gally, who in turn steps closer to Thomas.

Both their faces portrayed looks of exasperation and annoyance.

I'm caught by surprise when when on the two makes a move by throwing a punch. Thomas, would be the owner of the fist that hit Gally right in the jaw.

Thomas?

He's either brave, or stupid.

Or a mentally ill schizophrenic.

But what's even more surprising is the words that escape his mouth as he punches Gally.

"Teresa, no!"

I notice Doctor Paige is now using the wall phone, hopefully to call the guards before Gally cracks Thomas' head open.

Standing in the corner of the room, well away from the fighting, I'm overjoyed when the guards arrive and Doctor Paige orders Gally to be taken to isolation, not Thomas.

"It's okay, Thomas. This wasn't your fault." Doctor Paige says calmly, as everyone sits back down in their places.
"I know, it was-" Thomas begins but he's cut off by Doctor Paige.

"Today, we're going to look at a slightly new topic to you all, homosexuality and homophobia." Doctor Paige announces.

Shuck.

Why the hell are we doing this then?

We may be an institute of 50 teenage boys, but none of us have ever come out as gay.

I have, in my head.

Nobody knows, absolutely nobody.

Yet I am gay.
I've always known it, always preferred guys to girls.

So I must be gay.

But how the shuck do I tell this obnoxious lot?