Chapter 1 - 01
There was this boy who showed up one day. He was new, no one knew who he was or even what his name was. I didn’t expect to be friends, I was the quiet kid that everyone knew but no one actually hung out with. I was the gay kid, no name or personality, just the gay kid. So when he walked to the empty seat next to me and introduced himself, I couldn’t help but straighten my back and look around me. As if somehow there was someone behind me, even though I was sitting against the back wall, at the last pair of desks.
I often lay my head against the desks. These days I’m more tired than usual but it turns out that’s just depression.
The young boy smiles at me and I realize I left him hanging. “Oh, sorry, I was lost in my mind.. What's your name again?” I blush a little as his smile somehow gets brighter.
“I do that often. I’ll assume this class isn’t much fun if you’re already napping..” he chuckles a little and I turn into a cherry tomato immediately. “I’m Parker… I’m uh new here.” He blushes in return and I can’t help but grin back. His smile melted my thoughts before I could respond. Why out of all these eighteen thousand chairs had he chosen to sit next to me? Also why did he immediately introduce himself? Yeah it is common courtesy but we’re high school students. No one cares really and it’s not like I look cool. It’s probably because he doesn’t know I’m the school gay and–
“So mystery guy, are you ever going to introduce yourself?”
This time he doesn’t take his eyes off the paper he’s drawing on.
Oh, he’s an artist, my heart melting again. He side eyes me without judgement but curiously. Like he’s waiting for an answer. Smiling he continues on drawing some kind of masterpiece based entirely on anxious stimming. “Everyone likes to stare here, huh?” a statement, not a question.
I looked up and all eyes were on us. Shriveling into a ball I immediately turn red again. “I mean no one knows who you are and out of all the empty seats you choose to sit down next to me. A really cute—“ I immediately stop talking. Okay, wrong choice of words…
He grins again, but this time bigger than before. “go on…. “
“Well, no one here expected you to sit next to me, I’m not necessarily the most popular kid.”
He stops for a second before responding. “And how would I know that? As you said, I’m new here.”
“Well why did you sit next to me?” I blurt out before thinking. Oh no, do I want the answer to this?
He sits there for a second as if making careful choice of his words. His pencil starts tapping the desk and his foot joins in harmony. His eyes meet mine finally and my heart stops. Completely and utterly stops. I take in a breath before quickly looking away, resisting the urge to take another look back. His voice is quiet this time. “Well to finish your thought, I saw an opportunity to meet a new cute boy.” He doesn’t look my way. He just continues doodling. “I mean, of course, I don’t want to make you uncomfortable, I just…” His pencil stops moving and I take another breath. “I’m sorry I’m not good at this I, uh, I don’t even know what I’m saying now, ahhh stop talking Parker!” We both chuckle at this point before the teacher barges into the room.
Without thinking my hands hovers over his stopping the quiet but obvious pencil taps. He looks up at me and I smile before leaning over again to whisper in his ear, “Sage. The names… Sage.”
He looks me in the eyes and smiles back. Without hesitation he whispers, “Well Sage, it’s nice to meet you.”
♡
