*Warning*
there will be homophobic slurs (just one i think) in this chapter, nothing too severe tho.
enjoy
Axxx
-
"It'll be fine baby. Ignore them." Mattia wrapped his arm around kairis shoulder pulling him closer so he could feel comforted of some sort.
Kairi nodded leaning his head on Mattia, sighing softly. "Is it just me or is everyone staring?"
Mattia looked around and indeed, everyone was staring.
He had a feeling it wasnt just because this was the first time they'd walked in the hallway together.
But he wouldn't tell Kairi that.
"No ones staring, stop worrying so much."
Kairi nodded, trying to ignore the looks. Maybe he was just being dramatic.
"Want me to walk you to class?" Kairi shook his head no. "I'm good."
Mattia stopped walking, having already arrived at his first period class. He briefly glanced around the hall, watching as the people who were staring quickly looked away. "You sure?" He let his arm fall off kairis shoulder.
Kairi was quick to nod. "100 percent." He gave him a smile before shoving him towards his class. "Don't be late."
-
Kairis class was on the other side of the school, and on the third floor. It probably wouldn't take him that long but he knew he wouldn't make it before the bell rung.
With a groan of frustration Kairi made his way to class. He'd be late either way so he decided not to rush.
On his way up the stairs someone stopped him.
He looked at the boy, it was easy to tell he was a freshman.
"Kairi right?" His blue eyes were wide and he looked to be expecting kairis face.
"Yeah, and you are.."
"Kayden. I just wanted to let you know I heard some people talking shit about you."
Kairi raised his eyebrows. "Okay.." people were always talking shit about him and his friends, every since they started blowing up on tiktok.
It was nothing new.
"This girl, Cynthia I think. Was telling me and my friends that you're gay, and fooling around with a senior, I don't mean to start anything I just wanted to tell you so you know before it starts getting around."
Kairis reaction was delayed. It was almost like he couldn't process it.
His sexuality was never a real problem for him. He always knew he liked both boys and girls and he was in no way ashamed of it.
He wasn't necessarily out. His parents knew and didnt care much and his close friends knew, but the whole school?
there was a reason why he wasn't technically open. it was because his school was extremely judgmental. and when it came to the lgbt+ community people were better off just staying in the closet.
so hearing that his sexuality was being discussed around the school- or would be soon -really worried him.
especially if Alejandro- his best friend -was confirming the rumors. he just had to hope Alejandro would think about the fact that they are, or were friends and what the backlash could do, and chose to defend him.
"kairi?" the boy, kayden, waved a hand in front of kairis face, eyes furrowed in confusion.
"don't worry, i'm pretty sure no one will believe her. shes new." and that didn't comfort kairi at all.
he knew his school and the people in it. they eat up gossip. if he was lucky these accusations wouldnt end up on tiktok room. even though that was highly unlikely.
"unless its true?" and the boy actually looked excited, probably thinking he'd get some gossip to spread around.
"no, no of course not. im gonna talk to her." kairi said quickly, feeling a little uneasy denying his sexuality but he wasnt ready for everyone one at Passaic valley to know.
and with that he walked away with no idea how he was going to deal with this situation.
-
this period was almost over and kairi was anxious. he'd made it throughout the day so far without seeing alejandro or cynthia, which was good but at the same time not, since he actually had to confront them- more specifically cynthia.
it was lunch, luckily today was the one out of two days kairi had the same lunch block as mattia. he wasn't sure where he'd be sitting, he didnt want to sit by himself and look like a weirdo but he also didn't want to sit at his usual table. Alejandro would probably throw a bitch fit and he didn't know where he stood with his other friends.
so he just found a table with mattia. he could feel eyes on him the minute he and mattia walked in and he wondered if mattia noticed it too.
"please tell me you notice everyone staring." kairi finally said, looking at mattia who glanced around. "yeah, i don't know what the fuck their problem is."
"i think i do."
mattia gave him a look as if telling him to elaborate.
"this guy came up to me this morning to tell me cynthia, the new girl is was telling you ahout, is telling people that im gay. and that im sleeping with a senior." kairi kept his voice low not wanting anyone around him hearing their conversation.
"what the fuck is her problem?" mattias eyebrows furrowed and kairi could tell he was getting upset.
"matti, its fine. ill handle it." kairi turned towards him, letting his hand fall on mattias thigh in a comforting manner.
"its not fucking fine. kairi, people cant find out about us. especially not in school." he narrowed his eyes at kairi trying to find out why he didn't look worried at all.
and kairi understood that, he did. he didnt want the school finding out either.
but him, being the insecure person that he was, took offense to what mattia said.
"why do you sound so repulsed by the idea of people finding out about us." and he really needed to stop doing this to himself, finding the absolute worse of a situation or statement.
mattia froze, realizing how badly what he said could be interpreted. he sighed heavily, he really needed to start thinking about what he said around kairi.
"kai, i really didn't mean it like that. but you know this school, you will be treated like shit if the truth really came out."
mattia knew he'd most likely be fine, he was a senior and he could fight so no one really messed with him. but he was worried for kairi.
kairi was not only terrible at confrontation and sticking up for himself he was also a junior and he'd be left alone an entire year after mattia graduated. before he wasn't that worried because he knew kairi had Alejandro. but now he didn't so he had to he careful how he presented himself in school.
the shorter boy sighed, wishing he could pull mattia into a hug, as if to show that he understood. but he couldn't, so he just nodded. even though it made him sad that he couldn't act like mattias boyfriends in public he knew why things were how they were.
"fags." both mattia and kairi turned around to see familiar faces.
Alejandro, Alvaro, roshaun, and robert.
but the word didn't come from them, instead it came from the one girl in the group. Cynthia.
kairi held his breath, whole body tensing up. this would he the very first time he was called something like that, and it was quite easily one of the worse things he'd have to hear someone say about him.
kairi looked at mattia who's jaw was clenched and he looked about to flip out on someone.
kairi shook his head. "ignore them."
"yeah listen to your little bitch." cynthias voice was cold and kairi looked at her like she was crazy. she literally just met him and it seemed like she hated his guts.
"what the fuck is your problem?" he glanced at his 'friends' who stood there watching.
"my problem is you kairi. Alejandro is my friend-"
"how the fuck is Alejandro your friend? you just met him. you're just finding a reason to be a hateful bitch."
"watch your mouth." Cynthia narrowed her eyes and stepped closer.
"or else? back the fuck up." mattia spoke standing up, and infront of of kairi who was still seated, so that he was in between the two.
"mind your business mattia." mattia turned to look at Alejandro and he scoffed. "shut the fuck up. Seriously stop talking to me, cuz you're acting like a bitch letting your dirty friend disrespect kairi like that." and he turned to look at the other boys who were silent. "and y'all are bitches too. this is your supposed friend and you got some bitch you barely know attack him."
it was easy to see they felt bad, if their sorrow expressions said anything.
but they remained silent.
"i don't owe kairi shit. im not being a loyal friend if he wont do the same for me." alejandro's expression was smug, almost as jf what he said made sense, when to mattia he still sounded as stupid as ever.
both kairi and mattia had things to say but because they were in school and they didn't need everyone in the cafeteria knowing their business they said nothing.
"cmon. if we want to eat we have to get in line now." roshaun said and everyone nodded, not saying anything further and just walking away.
mattia turned to look at kairi. "you good?"
kairi nodded, he really wasn't good.
his best friend doesn't care about him clearly. no matter how mad he was at any of his friends he'd never let someone talk to them the way Cynthia was talking to him. never mind a random he'd just met. and alejandro was extremely aware of kairis hatred for the word fag yet he said nothing when cynthia called him that.
so no, he wasn't good.
but he didn't want to keep talking about it, and he didn't want mattia to worry about him so he just nodded.
"im fine."