Walking to school with my friends is always fun. We laugh and push one another, but we never mean to cause harm. Everyone, and I mean everyone, has been talking about this new boy joining our class. Some say he moved from Virginia, and others say he's from Russia! Nobody can be sure, but we're all sure of one thing. More drama. Hooray.
I arrive at school and sit in my desk, scanning the classroom for anyone who might look unfamiliar to me. As I continue looking for the new kid, three girls strut toward me. One of them taps on my desk with her long, clicky nails, gaining my attention. I smile at them.
"Hey Trev, how've you been?" The one who tapped on my desk says, I think her name is Becky, but I can't be sure. I grin and start talking about my football game which happened over the weekend. I can tell this isn't the reason they walked over, but the girls nod along anyway. As I finish my story about how a cheerleader's top flew off, another of the three girls clears her throat.
"So, Tre-Tre, how'd you like to come to a movie with us on Saturday?" She says, her smile sickeningly sweet. The three girls bat their eyelashes innocently. I open my mouth to reply, but I am cut off by the bell. The girls sashay away from my desk, giggling and whispering to each other.
The teacher rises from their desk, beginning the class period with the words every person is familiar with. "Today, class, we have a new student!" The teacher exclaims, clapping their hands together. A boy hesitantly stands from his desk and everyone turns their heads to look at him. He smiles and walks to the front of the classroom. "Hey, I'm Dylan." He grins, waving at us. I can definitely tell that he isn't the sports type. It doesn't matter, though. A potential friend is a potential friend either way.
My hand shoots into the air before he can continue. The teacher calls on me and I ask the question most of us have been wondering. "Where did you move from?" I say, grinning. Could he be from across the country, across the world, or from the fictional country, Canada?
He smiles at me. "I'm from Ohio." The guy next to me raises his hand.
"Like Jake Paul?" The boy asks, causing the class to laugh. Dylan nods, grinning. The teacher shakes their head, smiling.
Questions continue until the teacher stops us to start actual class. Someone coughs and walks by my desk, dropping a piece of paper in front of me. I unfold the paper and read the small note inside.
"That Dylan guy's pretty cute. Not as cute as Trevor, though.
-Becky"
The note was clearly given to the wrong person. I sigh and fold the paper back into its original shape. I look up to see Becky, wide-eyed and open-mouthed, gaping at me. Obviously, I wasn't supposed to read the paper. I grin and wave the paper at her and stuff it into my pocket. After that, school continues as normal, no weird shenanigans or creepy notes.
That is, until the end of school. I stood in the hallway, placing my books neatly into my locker. Just as I had finished, the trio of girls, lead by Becky, walked up to me. Becky smiled like nothing had ever happened. "So, Trevor, how about that movie, huh?" She asked, batting her eyelashes. I glanced over her shoulder to see Dylan silently watching me. "Oh, uh, sure. Only if I can invite someone." I said, smiling at Dylan. Becky smirked, snapping her fingers. "Thanks, Tre-Tre. See you then. Let's go girls!" She clicked her tongue, the girls' footsteps echoing in unison as they walked away, swaying their hips with every step they took.
Leaving school and beginning the walk home, Dylan decided to join my friend group. Nobody minded, and he had a lot of fun stories from where he used to live. I arrived at my house and waved goodbye, stepping inside. Finishing my homework, I sat in my room, scrolling through my phone. A text message called my attention away from my game of Candy Crush.
"Yo dude. I think that Dylan guy is gay."
I frowned, reading the message over. Why would that matter? That doesn't exactly change who he is.
"Okay, and?"
I responded, sighing. Of course my class would make a deal out of this. The guy I was texting and I chatted for a bit, after changing the subject of our talk. After we both said goodnight, I turned off my phone and got ready for bed.
As I rested my head on my pillow, a thought occured in my mind. What if Dylan really is gay? How would I react? I sighed and decided to ponder this in the morning. I need sleep, anyway.
As I float deeper into sleep, a few images pass in and out of my sight. One, is of me, kissing a boy. I can't see the boy's face, though. Another is of me proposing to that same boy when we are older. The last is us standing at an alter in front of a priest while wedding bells chime in the backround.
I wake with a start. Those weren't wedding bells, it was my alarm clock. I shake my head and turn off the clock, standing up and getting dressed for school. I meet my friends outside, and I decide not to bring up my dream. I don't know how they would react if they thought I was gay.
Dylan didn't join us to walk to school. In fact, he wasn't at school that day. It didn't shock me. Most new kids were a bit, how should I put this, frightened by our class. We're loud and obnoxious and certainly not the politest kids you'll meet, but we can behave when we want to. Anyway, Dylan didn't show up.
The day dragged on as normal, and I didn't stop once to think about my dream. I stared down at my desk before my last class started. The bell hadn't rung yet, so most people were talking and sharing homework answers. The clicking of heels caused me to raise my head.
Becky and her posse stood before me, smirking. "So, who ya gonna invite?" She smiled, but I knew it was fake. You can predict people like her. They're the stereotypical dumb girls in movies who always want the main character's love. I could tell Becky had a major crush on me, but I didn't say anything about that. Instead, I replied to her question.
"Hmm. Josh and.." I trailed off, thinking. I needed one more person to make the number of us equal. "Dylan. So, what movie are we seeing?" I asked, changing the subject before Becky could object.
"Oh! Love, Simon. I'm sure Dylan will love that." She sneered, giggling to her friends. Wow, I guess rumors sure do spread fast. Even after only being here for a day, Dylan was being dragged into drama. I felt sorry for him.
I nodded, staying silent. How was a person supposed to respond to that without taking sides? I sighed as Becky began to walk away. Just then, she turned around, whipping her friends with her hair in the process. "Oh, Trevor! Meet me after school, okay?" She asked, but it sounded more like a statement or a command.
"Okay, sounds good to me." I smiled, thankful when the bell rang seconds later. They quickly sat in their seats and the classroom fell silent as the teacher walked in. Then, I knew, this was going to be a long class session.
The bell finally rung, and I slowly rose from my seat. I wasn't that interested in what Becky had to say, but I was willing to find out. Grabbing my books and such, I walked out into the busy hallway to find my locker. Shoving my items which I didn't need inside of the metal box, I slung my backpack over one shoulder and stood outside of the school, waiting for Becky. I told my friends I would meet up with them in a second.
Becky walked up to me, looking slightly nervous. Her gang wasn't with her, so this must've been something personal. Although, I could see a group of three or four girls standing a while away, snickering and giggling to themselves. "Hey, Trevor," she spoke quietly, occasionally glancing at the group of girls for help. This was a drastic change from her normal personality, so I listened carefully.
"I know you said you already wanted to go to the movie, but," she sighed, pausing. "Will you go on a date with me?"
I was taken aback. Yeah, it was pretty obvious Becky had a crush on me, but I thought she would never ask me. Yet again, she'd probably date someone like me to become more popular.
"Oh, uh, I don't know.." I sigh, switching my backpack to the other shoulder. Her girlfriends ran toward her, hugging her tightly. Becky stared at the ground, and I sigh as a response. I didn't mean to be rude, but it ended up sounding that way.
I silently waved goodbye and ran to catch up with my friends. I smile sadly at the friendly faces who laugh and surround me with support and comfort. They'd accept me if I was gay, right? You can never be sure, so I decide not to bring it up in conversation. I arrive home and wave goodbye, finishing my homework and slipping into more comfortable clothes.
I fall asleep early, eager to see if the strange dream is reoccurring. This time, instead of a faceless person, I see Dylan. He stands before me, smiling that same smile he showed off on the first day of school he was present. I wake with a start, alarm clock again breaking me from my peaceful dream.
I put on my clothes for the day, a simple t-shirt and shorts. I play on my phone for a while, setting it down once the time reads 7:30 A.M. I grab my backpack and dash out the front door, grabbing a muffin on the way out. I grin when I see that Dylan is walking with my friends. "Yo, wait up!" I call, scarfing down my breakfast and shoving the trash into my backpack.
We laugh and I bring up the topic of the movie, which is when Dylan and I exchange numbers. I can't help but smile as we arrive at school. With the weekend fast approaching, the movie seems like a greater and greater idea.
I sit down in my desk, and I happen to notice an empty desk. Becky's. I sigh. It was a sacrifice I had to make. I wouldn't be happy with her. I chat with Dylan to get my mind off of her, and the teacher quickly silences the whole class.
Days fly by quickly and the weekend is here before we all know it. Everyone laughs and talks to each other as we shove textbooks into our lockers, hundreds of pairs of feet stomping on the tile floor as we walk out of the school. The dream has visited me every single night, and it has been eating me up inside. I know that I should say something to Dylan, but the only thing I say is, "See you at the movie!"
Walking inside my house, I kick off my shoes and fall onto my bed. I can't help but smile. Wait, do I have a crush for Dylan? I shrug off the thought, grabbing my phone. I've kept a short dream and thought journal in the notes on my phone. I type the following sentences.
"Today, Friday, was the day before the movie. I am feeling excited and nervous at the same time, if there's a word for that."
I've never been that good at writing how I feel. It's not one of my strengths, but certainly not a weakness. I sigh, staring up at the white, popcorn ceiling of my bedroom. A text interrupts my waterfall of thoughts.
I quickly grab my phone, unlocking it and reading the text over. I smile and sit up, typing away.
"Dylan 💖:
What movie are we seeing?"
I reply truthfully, saying Love, Simon. He thanks me and I can tell that he is as excited as me, but he also seems nervous, even through text. I eat pizza for dinner and fall asleep late, the idea of my dream and Dylan temporarily forgotten. During my dream, this time, I don't see a vision of my future wedding.
I see me and Dylan standing outside of the movie theater, standing under a street lamp, kissing. I wake with a start, breathing heavily. Yeah, I definitely have a crush for him. Guess I forgot to set my alarm, because the time reads 4 P.M on my phone.
I throw on an outfit and a plain black jacket, almost exactly the same as what I was wearing in the dream. I trust myself as I comb my fingers through my hair. I smile as I look in the mirror, proud of my appearence.
We planned to meet at 5:30, so I grab some money and walk out of the house. I internally groan as I arrive at the mall next to the theater, spotting Becky. I totally forgot she was going to be here. Thankfully, I spot my friends. Cody and Josh wave me over, but Dylan is nowhere to be seen. He'll show up, right? Yeah, of course he will.
I pull out my phone, charting my dream in my notes, and texting Dylan.
"Dude, where you at?"
I gain no response, which makes me worried. I don't show it, though. Instead, I laugh with my friends, and I even smile at Becky. Eventually, I bring up the conversation topic I've been dying to talk about.
"Guys, what are your opinions on gays?" I ask, my voice smooth and calm. I state it as normally as I can, and I wait for a response. Cody is the first to speak. "They're great. I mean, they're not really doing anything wrong." He shrugs, and everyone else nods in agreement.
"Hey, somewhat speaking of, where's Dylan?" I ask, looking around. I see him running across the parking lot, raising a hand at a car so that the driver notices him. He smiles, coming to a stop beside me. "Sorry I was late, guys."
Everyone forgives him as we walk inside the movie theater, buying our tickets and snacks. As we sit down inside the screening room, Dylan pulls two boxes of candy out of his pockets. How he managed to sneak the candy inside, I will never know.
He hands me one of the boxes, and I gladly take it. Who would refuse candy? We watch the movie, Dylan and I sharing a bag of popcorn. I glance over at Dylan and see him crying many times during the movie. My eyes water as well as I continue watching the movie. I distract myself from the temporary sadness with more popcorn which has the signature taste of artifical movie theater butter.
Once the movie ends, I dry my eyes and stand up with everyone in my group. I ended up giving my jacket to Dylan, which I didn't mind doing. We throw all of our trash away, and I text my mother to come pick me up. One by one, people either start walking home or get picked up by a family member or friend in a car.
Eventually, it's just me and Dylan waiting outside in the dark, underneath a street lamp. I sigh, leaning against the metal structure. "Do you have anyone to drive you home?" I ask Dylan, eyeing him from the side of my vision. He shakes his head, and I sigh again.
I take a step toward him, and I can see him raise an eyebrow. Rain drizzles over us, painting the pavement like a mural. "Are- Are you gay?" I blurt out, averting eye contact. I can tell that he's startled but nonetheless, he replies.
"Yeah, I am." He pauses, and I glance at him. "Are you?"
This was the question I had been dreading the last few days. My mind couldn't decide whether I wanted to like Dylan or not. I smile, looking up.
I grab the collar of Dylan's shirt, pulling him forward. I smash my lips against his, and he kisses back. I close my eyes, rain drenching our clothes as if we're in some cheesy movie. That doesn't bother me, though. The only thing I can focus on is Dylan, or really, the feeling of his lips against mine.
Fireworks explode in my mind as I break away from him. I grin, opening my eyes and gazing into his. For the first time, I feel proud to be in love with someone, especially Dylan. I smile, teeth showing as I reply to his question which he asked me.
"I guess I'm somewhat straight."