There were so many different stories going out but the main one that first came out was that I had stolen him from Nina and betrayed her, Mathew was getting called a cheater and asshole for cheating. Some anti gay stuff obviously came along with the both of us. It was being said that I had planned it all along and they started making videos putting together all our interactions they could find. Comments said things like

“Nina must feel so betrayed right now.”, “This is why you can’t trust gay guys around our boyfriends.”, “I don’t know if I can watch him still now that I know he’s gay.” Talking about Mathew. “This must be why Troy and Alexis broke up. He must have figured out he was cheating on him and kicked him out.” They brought him back up. “Why would he pass up Nina for a guy? I would have never thought he would be gay.”, “Us REAL Nina fans have been known this. We put it together when they went on vacation together. We knew he was weird.” There were group chats and subs that would come out of screenshots of what they “tracked”.

They started painting Nina and I in videos like I was always trying to take her place. Editing videos of me looking at her and them together at the awards. Her being excluded when Mathew and I would talk and “rub it in her face.” When he would pay attention to me and not her.

The weird Nina stans had made up a “time line” of the events. They had that Nina and Mathew started dating in high school, technically not completely wrong. But dated up to now. How I was always in the middle trying to get them separated. Showed a timeline of me and her being friends, “confirmed” them dating with the prom photo, have the group photo proof that I was always trying to separate them and was dating Troy. The line up was Mathew me, Nina, then Troy. And that proved that I was always  getting between them. Which was the opposite of who went with who.You would think it would only be minors doing stuff like this but it was a lot of adults. 

Mine and Nina’s followers started fighting even though I had a bigger fan base at this point. I'm still just internet/fashion world famous. This was the second time mainstream media have gotten my attention. Some of Nina’s “fans” were just right wing of all genders saying this is another lgbt thing trying to confuse straight guys. They really pushed the gay boogy man in their narrative. Some “feminist” also turned it into men trying to take a real woman’s place. Then just the typical right wing guys saying the same things.

All three of our teams told us not to comment on anything. Mathew and I tried to stay home as much as possible in the upcoming days. Nina was recording her movie and avoided the press. At this point the three of them tried to see how they would handle the situation. Nina’s team and Mathew’s kinda hinted that they wanted to clean up the image and say it was a joke. Bad angle and the other pictures are just of friends hanging out. Nina’s team was getting pressure from the movie company to try and keep the couple's image together till after the movie was out. So like another year or more. She was okay with anything we wanted. She told me people on set she wasn’t close with tried to console her in a non direct way. She never told anyone my secrets. The only reason her team knew was because I told them and I knew some of the people on her make up team. Mathew and I both didn’t want her being affected by this either. The incels were already trying to attack her like they do any girl coming up in success.

Mathew’s team was getting pressure from the teams pr to try and clean it up because he was going to do press for the upcoming drafts and other engagements he had for the team. He was really popular because of his performance his first year plus the media attention he got from his looks and connection to Nina. At least we had a year being able to kinda have a normal relationship. 

Mathew got on a call between his team, his pr team, the teams pr department, and my manager. We sat in our living room that morning after they wanted us to stay home.

“Okay so it’s out now. We all knew it was going to happen.” Mathew told them. 

“Yes we’re aware of that. Maybe if we put out a statement that it was an edited picture we could lessen the heat off the situation?” The teams pr chimed in. Mathew looked over at me annoyed. We sat on the couch with the phone on the coffee table. “I think if all three of our teams get on the same page we can decide how we move things along.” They told us again. “Maybe include Nina’s team in on what we decide?”

“Like I’ve stated before I’m willing to say and push anything Alexis wants. We have no dog in this fight to keep it a secret or not.” My manager told them. We’ve already had a conversation about what would happen when the day came. It’s just Mathew who would be affected the most. 

“We hear you.” Teams pr person said. Silence followed. “So we’ve had talks already about how to handle this situation.” Mathew knew already that his team was getting pressure from the teams pr and the league for him to keep a low profile. Maybe even getting a fake girlfriend. “If we do say it’s fake and push for Mathew and Nina to do some public appearances. We could brush it under the rug with some paparazzi photos of the two of you out together. And when awards shows start, have them go out.”

“Okay. Mathew, what would you like us to do?” His team asked. “We can also say nothing about it and hope it gets drowned out quickly.”

“If we get them to kiss in public it might end all the rumors.” The pr team injected. Talking about Mathew and Nina.

“Look, I don't care. The only reason we kept a low profile was to not draw attention to the relationship and risk anything happening. I’m not going to kiss Nina just so we can keep this going a little longer. It’s out and it’s done.” He sat back on the couch. “What do you think?” He turned to me.

“I’m fine with whatever you decide Mathew.” He rubbed the back of my neck.

“You see… there’s a risk that with people knowing you guys are together. People might bring negative attention to the team knowing one of the players is gay.” The team's pr rep started saying.

“I’m bi.” They would all label him as gay anyway. It didn’t matter to the media.

“Right, sorry, but they won’t care. It will affect your jersey sales, ticket sales, It might affect your teammates too. It could lead to a boycott of you or the team.” 

“Right so we’re clear I don’t care about any of that. I don’t care about making less money. I’m here to play a sport. The team will survive a couple of people not coming to the games. I don’t care if my jersey never sells again. Everyone on the team and who works for the team gets paid enough without the extra sales. When that contract was signed I was clear that I’m in a relationship with Alexis. I made it clear that I was in a same sex relationship. The team had the chance to back out. I’m not going to be guilt tripped into going into the closet. What’s going to happen is no one is going to say anything and we’ll keep living like we normally would. What I want is for him to get a security guard.”

“Mathew it’s not-“ he cut me off.

“He will need a security guard to go with him to all events or public arrangements. We’ll need to make sure our families are also not affected in any way. Erase any information that can be tracked back to them and sue anyone that gets pictures of us in our home or our families houses. Send any cease and desist form to anyone spreading lies going forward. Alright?”

“We’ll get on that.” His manager told him. 

After the call ended we both called our families to not go online. My sisters accounts went private and I told my parents to stop looking at things. My dad always watches the sports channel so I know he would still pay attention to what they would say. I made my sisters stay on the look out. My mom had asked me previously why people think Mathew is dating Nina if we’re together? Some of her friends asked her since they know we’re together back home. I told her to ignore them because trying to explain to her how this all works would confuse her more. The team didn't release anything about hate not being allowed on their pages. They are probably trying to get back at Mathew for not going with their plan.

Mariana commented under one of these posts that was talking bad about me. “You people judge and believe everything without knowing anything.” Someone replied to her, “Of course you would defend him. He’s your friend.” There were pictures of us on her profile but she also just had a normal account. She privated her account after getting attacked. I appreciate her standing up for me but told her not to risk getting doxxed or harassed. 

Under one of these many posts someone we went to high school with commented “Lol they’ve been dating since high school. Idk why it took people so long to figure it out.” People called them “liars”. To “show proof”. Someone else under that comment commented “We figured out like two months ago. There’s a whole thread showing their relationship.” They linked a link to a page showing everything. It took a few hours for it to blow up and everyone went to see it. Someone who followed Mathew had to have shared our prom picture because it’s not anywhere else but in physical form then Mathew’s private instagram account. Someone we went to school with or he was friends with must have screenshot it and sent it to them or they started the sub. 

It had outlined us dating from now to back in high school. Them trying to put everything together from pictures of us together of recent events to going to both of us living in the same city at the same time in college. To his school taking pictures of us at his game and events for the basketball team. There’s a few of us the school had posted standing in front of a poster with him in uniform. They got back to high school from our prom picture and one of us kissing on spring break. They also found the hate channels Mathew had in college.

After this came out to mainstream outlets. Posting our high school pictures and college all over. Highlighted all of it and the channels that would attack him in college to being confused by the whole situation with Nina. People kept posting how they were shocked and so clueless. How it was in their face the whole time. 

More pictures came out later of people highlighting us in the background of their picture at Mathew’s college parties. People made videos about us now saying it’s actually cute now and they kinda like it. Saying we were a cute couple.

A few days after Mathew went to a draft event he had to do. They were thinking of removing him but with all the rest coming out the hate died down a bit but the interest in the relationship grew. I didn’t go with him to not draw attention. I watched him as he arrived and during the interview. 

A reporter asked Mathew if he had a comment to say about everything being said about him. “Look,” he rubbed his chin. “This is going to be the last time I ever talk about my relationship going forward. Yes I’m in a relationship with Alexis. We’ve been together for four years. There is nothing else to say. It was never a secret. It was known when I was in college playing ball, it’s been known since high school. My private life outside the game is my own. If me being Bi offends you, I don't know what to tell you. Get used to losing to a guy who has a boyfriend,” Mathew laughed. The room laughed with him and the tension went away a bit. 

Some people still think Nina and Mathew did date for a bit and I took him from her. Other weird ideas that are out of this world. After Mathew’s interview rumors now came out that Mathew had cheated on me in college but we never addressed it. If it wasn’t for what we went through in college I don’t think our relationship would have survived this or the years after this. 

After that things went back to normal. Now I had people following me when I or we would go out to dinner or whatever if I wanted to say anything. I didn’t go to some of his first games but did end up going to some after. The difference now is that it was always highlighted. If they won it was because I was good luck. If I was there when they lost it was because of me. Sometimes crowds would yell things at Mathew or me but I told him to keep his cool. He would cuss them out though when I wasn’t there sometimes. Mathew’s team and the teams pr team was right. There was calls to boycott his team and him. It didn’t last when he performed well. Not to say the people who root for the team or did sports highlights stopped being homophobic. They just ignored the fact that he was dating me. 

Most players also mind their business even if they are homophobic. It helps that Mathew even for his height is bigger than you would think. His size is more muscular than guys the same height as him. He also doesn’t back down when guys would buff up to him before and after this came out. One time Mathew almost fought was with someone from another team doing things while I was at a game. He had been taunting Mathew the whole game. He wanted him out so they could win. Kept making sexual moves at me and saying things to him and me. During one of their pauses to regroup he came up in my face telling me things and thrusted his hips inches away from my face. I moved back. Mathew had run over and pushed him back in no time.  

“Get the fuck out of his face!” Mathew told him. 

They both started cussing each other out and getting in each other's face before they were separated. He put his hands behind his back and was pushing up against him before they did. Mathew got timed out. That was the closeted he got to ever fighting while I was there. 

There was this expectation for him to change all of a sudden as non straight people only come in one font. Our parents did end up finding out eventually. They worried a lot after. I took a while before they started to relax a bit. I didn’t tell them about any other minor incidents we had.

***

Thankfully Mathew had an amazing year again even though his team did worse this year than last year. Even the sports commentators backed him up on that. Mathew always had fan boys. It’s not all bad but can become really scary. If small creators get stalkers, a pro athlete his size it was only a matter of time. I hate how girls get generalized with being “Stans” or “unhinged” when it comes to famous people like actors, singers and celebrities. Well it does happen and they can be weird about them and them dating. Guys are just as bad or worse. I mean how many guys have actually taken the life of a singer or actor they were obsessed with? It’s rare but does happen.