The Homo Norm - WattPride

fourteen - forbidden

Straight. 

She had heard of the term before in History class, though she had never paid much attention to it. It had slipped her mind before Bryce had brought it up again.

"Is it . . ." she asked slowly. "Is it a bad thing?"

"It's forbidden," he replied. "People shouldn't know that you're attracted to me, or any other boy, OK?" Desperation laced Bryce's voice as he had lowered his voice to a hoarse whisper.

Jules felt uneasy at his whispering. "Why? Is it so bad?"

She gulped, facing away from her best friend. She couldn't believe what he was telling her. Jules did not understand why it seemed so bad for her to like him. Of course, she knew it wasn't normal, but liking Bryce felt so . . .

So . . . right.

"What's so wrong with me liking you?" she asked, her voice constricted. "What's so wrong with being straight?"

"Jules, I'm trying to protect you!"

"Protect me from what?!"

"From the extremists!" Bryce knocked over the books from his desk in rage. "They'll kill you, Jules! If they know you're straight, they'll torture you and might kill you, dammit!"

Jules could see his frustration. He breathed heavily and his fists paled from clenching too hard.

She felt her eyes water. "I don't get why you're so intent on this."

"I'm just looking out for you," he said after calming down a bit. "Because I care. You're my best friend after all."

She nodded, understanding a bit of what he said but not getting fully why he was so insistent. Being killed sounded too outrageous and she couldn't help but think he was being paranoid because of her feelings for him.

Bryce let out a huge breath. "All I'm saying is that you should delete your feelings for me and keep on loving your girlfriend. That's all."

Jules stiffened. Bryce noticed.

He faced her fully. "Wait a minute . . ." he drawled out. "You do have feelings for Khadija, don't you?"

Jules kept quiet. She shut her eyes tightly as though in pain. "I don't know."

"Crap," he muttered.

Jules looked up at him and decided to swallow her fear of what she would ask next.

"Bryce," she started. "Do you have feelings for me?"