Nerris: y'all should come to my place tonight
Nerris: we can play board games and crap my parents are on a business trip
Max: sounds fun i'll be there
Nikki: max you're just gonna nap
Max: accurate i'm just tired
Neil: I'll be there. We should play Monopoly.
Harrison: HECK YEAH
Nerris: i was thinking escape room in a box but monopoly works
Nerris: so everyone's coming?
Max: yes
Neil: Yeet
Nikki: si
Harrison: oui
Nerris: rad
Nikki, Max, and Neil showed up at Nerris' door. Max was practically already falling asleep and Neil was holding him up because Nikki was still on her crutches. Nerris opened the door and grinned. "C'mon in, guys." The three of them walked in and Max jumped on the couch.
"You good Max?" Harrison chuckled.
Nikki spoke up because Max had already crashed. "Yeah he's good. He just hasn't slept in like a week."
"Oh damn," Nerris replied. "So should we start with Monopoly?"
The group gave their opinion and Neil pulled Preston to the side. "How are you?" Neil asked.
Preston shrugged. "I'm fine."
"I heard what you said to Normand. She's brutal," Neil sympathized.
Preston was confounded. "What? How did you hear?"
"Um, I had a meeting with Normand after class and she asked me to wait for her to talk to you."
"Oh," Preston sighed. "I'm just really sad, ya know? I can't even focus. None of my teachers are even giving me extensions."
Neil tilted his head and frowned. "I'm really sorry Preston."
"Neil, it's fine. I'm fine. Let's go play Monopoly," he said urgently.
Neil nodded and they walked over.
---
"You bitch Nikki! You took MY fucking railroad!" Max raged.
Nikki flipped him off. "It's not yours asshole. I bought it!" She raised her arm to punch him, and he flinched.
They all sat in awkward silence for a few long seconds.
"Well, I'm still winning so neither of your actions matter," Nerris snarked.
--
It was nearly 11 pm and everyone had crashed except for Preston, Nerris, and Neil.
"Anything new in your life, Nerris?" Preston asked. They were all bored.
Nerris shrugged. "Not really. Harrison and I had a fight yesterday but he apologized so we're all good."
"Cool," Preston said. "What about you, Neil?"
Neil sighed. "Guys, if I tell you something will you promise not to tell Max or Nikki?"
Nerris and Preston nodded. "What is it?" Nerris asked.
Neil looked around to make sure everyone was sleeping. "I think I'm gay."
Nerris' eyes widened. "Huh. Congrats?"
"Really?" Preston groaned, annoyed he now wouldn't be the only gay one. "What made you realize?"
"Well, I realized I haven't had a crush on a girl since I was literally 11, but I've really always looked at guys... differently. You know?" Neil said with a strain in his voice, feeling mildly embarrassed.
"Neil, why don't you want Max and Nikki to know?" Nerris inquired.
Neil shrugged. "I'll tell them eventually. It's just I don't want them to see me any different."
Preston rolled his eyes. "That doesn't make sense. They're not homophobic, Neil. If they're good friends, they probably have figured it out by now."
Neil raised his eyebrows. "Really?" This scared him.
"Yes! You guys knew I was gay years before I came out," Preston mentioned.
Nerris snorted. "True."
Neil responded, "Yeah, but you're the classic gay. Musical theatre, effeminate. I'm a nerd."
"Yes, I'm the classic gay, but you're the other gay stereotype. Uptight, Jewish, nerd, tall, scrawny. Neil, I wouldn't have guessed it because well... you're you and I don't assume, but they probably know," Preston continued to convince Neil.
"Oh god," Neil sighed.
Nerris put a hand on Neil's shoulder. "You should just tell them."
Neil groaned but then nodded. "Fine. I'll just tell them"
---
"Bye Nerris! Thanks for having us over!" Nikki shouted as Neil, Max, and her walked out of her apartment.
"That was a fun night," Max remarked.
Nikki scoffed. "Well, well, well, positivity from Maxwell Edmund Green?
"Shut up, Nicolette Madeline Walker," Max belittled.
Nikki cringed. "Oh god Max, you know I hate my full name."
"You hate your name?" Max sneered. "Try being in court and stating your name as Maxwell Edmund."
"Yeah, I guess that's worse. Edmund is so fucking ugly," she smirked. They continued walking in silence until Nikki perked up again. "Neil, you haven't talked all morning."
Neil groaned. "Ugh, I need to tell you guys something but it's kinda embarrassing."
Max shot a confused look at Nikki, and she shrugged. "Alright, just say it," Max said.
Neil took a long, deep breath." I-I'm gay."
"We know," Max and Nikki said in unison, both looked surprised, and high-fived.
Neil raised an eyebrow, shocked that Preston was actually right. "What? How?"
Max shrugged. "You act gay."
"You talk gay," Nikki chirped.
Max lit up. "You dress gay!"
"And you're the complete stereotype," Nikki added.
Max nodded his head in agreement. "You act like an uptight, Jewish, gay man. That's just how your personality has been."
Neil buried his face in his hands. "I really do act gay. How long have you known?"
"Well," Max started, "Nikki told me she's known for a while, but for me it really hit me that you're gay yesterday, when you were defending gay rights."
"Yeah, and when we walked away he asked me if you're gay," Nikki said.
"Fuck," Neil murmured.
"Dude it's no big deal," Max said. "You're still the same person."
Nikki nodded. "Yeah, I've known you're gay for a while and I still love you the same."
"Yeah, I guess. Thanks guys." Neil said.
"No problem," Nikki and Max said in unison, both looked surprised, then high-fived.