I wasn't shy about my sexuality, but I wasn't crazy bold about it like Emilio was.
Apparently, that was okay, according to my old therapist, who had informed me that coming out was a choice and that nobody really had to come out unless they wanted to. "You don't see straight people coming out, do you, Carter?" She'd informed me.
And as weird as that comment was, it was a lightbulb moment for me.
I didn't have to come out to anyone; I could just show up with a boy on my parent's doorstep and boldly proclaim the fact that I was a raging homosexual without even saying anything.
A day after my therapy session, I kissed Creed Foster when he tried to steal my lunch money.
Two days later, we hooked up in my bedroom and were subsequently caught by my horrified mother, and that was the end of that. Creed didn't want anyone to know about us and what we'd done. And he definitely didn't want the rest of the school to know that I'd topped him big time. So I respected that, and our fling cracked in half and sank like the Titanic, never to be seen again.
"So, who's the new kid, and why are you so crazy about him?" I ask Emilio as we walk to school together so I could shower and grab a change of clothes from my locker.
"He's really weird, Carter," Emilio answers, and he opens up his compact and examines his reflection for zits or smudged makeup. "And by weird, I mean you two are going to be best friends. Miranda Hearst posted a video of him on TikTok freaking out in the hallway. Apparently, he carries this dumb stingray backpack around, and Jace Osman snatched it from him and used it to play football with his boys. "
"Wait. Really? " I stop walking for a moment and squint, my eyebrows lowering.
"Yeah," Emilio bobs his head, his eyes flickering over to me before he snaps his mirror closed. "So the kid started screaming, and then he bit the hell out of Jace's face. He had to have stitches and shit. "
"Whoa," I breathe, my eyes round, "I always miss the good stuff."
"Hmm," Emilio hums. "Probably because your head's always in the water. Your mom should have named you Ariel, especially with all that adorable red hair. All you need is a giant dolphin tail to flip around. "
"Dick!" I shove him, he laughs, and together we run the rest of the way to school, getting there right before the bell for first-period rings. Emilio ends up heading to class so he can sit next to his cute chemistry partner, and I promise to meet up with him during lunch before we break off and go our separate ways.
Honestly, I wasn't even thinking of the new kid at this point, I just wanted a shower to wash all the salt out of the crevices in my body and a fresh pair of clothes. So I run down to the locker rooms and the pool where I practiced with my team, and I push the door open with a squeak, the smell of chlorine instantly washing over me.
Swimming had practically been my life since my dad died. On the days when everything went gone to shit and I didn't know who to turn to, I went to the pool or the ocean. Sometimes I just sat there and stared out at the water with my headphones on. Other times, I just let myself float.
Emilio thought I was a freak, but he knew how I felt, so he didn't complain unless he wanted to go to the arcade or the mall.
I walk across the edge of the pool and make a beeline toward the locker room, but as I'm crossing past the bleachers, the door at the other end of the building opens up and Monty Gray, captain of the swim team comes sauntering in, a towel chucked over one broad shoulder.
Oh my fucking God.
I freeze in place when I catch sight of his gorgeous blonde locks, tousling when he turns his head towards me, his eyes widening slightly when he realizes who I am and what I'm doing.
"Tennyson?" Monty calls out to me, sounding surprised. "Practice doesn't start until, like, after school. What the hell are you doing here? Coach doesn't like it when we're here by ourselves."
Oh, shit.
"Oh... I... I was just getting an early start!" I call back, trying not to sound too bothered by the fact that I was standing there mostly naked and soaking wet. "What about you? Why are you here? " I ask him.
"Brah, the craziest thing happened," Monty says. "Coach Freeman wanted me to show the new guy the ropes before he decides if he wants to join the team." Then he moves aside and I notice the super quiet guy standing behind him for the first time.
My heart begins to race because this guy was incredibly attractive, and he was staring me down from across the pool with his big blue eyes.
Holy shit, did I have a type?
"Carter, this is Theodore Fish," Monty introduces us, and he holds a hand out towards Theodore like he was a celebrity or something. "He just got here like a week ago."
"I... er..." I sputter for a response, unsure of what to say to that. "I like... boys?" I burst out.
Monty and Theodore stare at me, and then Monty quietly escorts him out of the building. "Don't worry about him, Fish. Carter slammed his head against the bottom of the pool too many times. "
Fuck me.
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