Algid (#TronnorAU)

Chapter 16: "Don't tell"

-"Our houses were full."-Troye explained with a sigh, surrendered at the situation-"And she had just gotten back from a weeklong family trip."

-"Oh I remember! That was about a year ago!"

-"Yeah, yeah... we hadn't seen each other ok? It's not like we're rabbits or anything."

Joe placed his hands on his hips and paced around the bathroom, twirling his wet towel around.

-"Well I gotta give it to ya, if I had a girlfriend I'd have trouble trying to keep it in my pants."

-"Oh, Joe, we all know you can't keep it there anyway."-Caspar commented.

-"Shut up Caspar!"

Joe whipped his towel at Caspar, whom grabbed it in a reflex and took it away from Joe. Suddenly he wasn't that almighty anymore. Caspar took a glance at Connor, and curiously asked.

-"How about you Connor? Any past girlfriends we've never heard of?"

Connor thought about it for a second, dubitative if his answer would be valid or not. He figured it didn't exactly count, but something had to be something.

-"Well, we never dated."-Connor said-"But I went to school with this girl once, Bethany, when I was fifteen. But I moved away in less than a month so I never saw her again."

-"Wow. That's a bummer..."-Caspar said.

-"Yeah, I doubt anyone's able to get something such a short time."

-"I dunno. I mean, we did have sex."-Connor said, as if it were the most common thing in the world.

Caspar, Joe and now Troye were all looking at Connor dumbfounded. He looked back at them confused.

-"What?"-he questioned-"That's what we were talking about, right?"

-"W-Well, yes!"-Caspar said-"But...? When you were fifteen...?"

-"And in under a month!?"-Joe exclaimed.

-"Well, I never stay for too long. This place has been the exception."-Connor said, putting on his last shoe and standing up-"And I dunno. All the girls who've liked me have been sort of in for the fact that I'm a foster kid and that I wouldn't stay, I'd say."

-"Wait-how many of these girls have there been?"-Joe asked, genuinely interested.

-"Well if you only count the ones I've fooled around with..."-Connor said patiently-"Then it's gotta be three of them."

After a brief moment of the other three kids staring at him with their jaws dropped, and Connor not getting the picture one bit, Joe started clapping slowly.

-"My. Fucking. Hero."

-"... Literally."-Caspar added.

Apparently, Connor's brief but existing sex life was rather to be admired by his friends for some reason. He had never given it too much importance. He knew what sex was since he had been little; his parents did give him the talk rather early. It had all been quite accidental, because well, he'd accidentally found his older brother's porn magazines. As a result he needed to get the talk early. But still, he knew how to take care of himself and the few times he'd have the need to do so, he had. But unlike most teens, he never made a big deal of it. He'd also never talked about it. It was very private, he figured. Besides he was certain Alexis didn't want to know shit about such subjects. And that would be correct.

As they all left the bathroom and joined the rest of the kids and the teachers for a last campfire by the lakeshore, Connor noticed how Troye seemed to be oddly silent. He had been surprised to see him so shocked at Connor's stories. He didn't see why he should in the first place, Troye was no virgin either. Lia and he were a couple for over a year, and now they were again. Things are bound to happen. Still, it seemed to have a certain effect on him. One he didn't quite understand.