I Am Invincible

Mom and dad were a bit shocked when I came home with silver bars through the skin near my hips, but they said it was fine; because after all, it is my body. They also asked what brought on my sudden urge to get a piercing there, but I told them I’d been thinking about it for a while. If I told them that Zach was the one who suggested it, they might’ve been a bit suspicious.

Emilie loved them. She nearly fainted when I showed her, and then forced me to show Sarah and everyone else, boasting as she went about how “sexy” her “boyfriend” is. I just did I was told, and showed whoever she asked me to obediently. What was the point of resisting?

Eventually, practically everyone in 7th grade knew that I got my hips pierced, and about three-quarters of them had seen the jewellery protruding from the skin near my hip bones. When she got tired of showing me off like I was in some kind of piercing showcase, Emilie sat me down with her friends and situated herself on my lap. I automatically put my arms around her to stop her from falling, and she looked around and grinned at me. I smiled half-heartedly back, and she turned around again to chat animatedly with Sarah, Madison and some of the other girls. I sighed and fell into a stupor while half listening to their conversation, which turned out to be about how much they hate Kristen Stewart because she’s apparently dating Robert Pattinson in real life. Or something. I don’t even know, and I especially don’t see why it’s all that important; it’s not like they’d be able to get him anyway. Or why they’d want to; he’s just some dude who plays an ugly vampire in a crap movie. I’d much rather them talk about Taylor Lautner; at least he’s actually half good looking. Girls are stupid. End of discussion.

Anyway, when I got tired of Sarah whinging over and over again about how she’d be a better girlfriend then Kristen Stewart, I un-wrapped my arms from around Emilie’s waist, and asked her to move.

“But where are you going?” she whined as she very slowly stood up. “Can I come with you?” she added, hopefully.

I laughed, “I gotta pee. Sorry baby, I don’t think you wanna see that,” I lied. I was actually going to go visit Zach and Rachael, at least they wouldn’t be planning their weddings to characters in a novel, like Sarah and Madison had just started doing.

Emilie’s face dropped. “Oh,” she said, “Well, hurry back?”

“Yeah, yeah.” She wrapped her arms around my neck when and pulled me in for a kiss. I just stood still until she finished assaulting my mouth, and then walked off towards the bathrooms; trying to get the peach lip-gloss flavour out of my mouth.

I found my boyfriend and his best friend exactly where I’d accidently tripped over Rachael over 6 months ago; seated on a bench just outside a History classroom and opposite the male bathrooms. Rachael was re- enacting some dance that she’d seen on TV the night before, her arms flailing and legs kicking and head shaking madly. As I rounded the corner, Rachael screamed out and thrust her arm out wildly to complete her dance, but I was nearly knocked out in the process. Rach hadn’t seen me so when her arm was thrown out into what she thought was air; she narrowly missed my face by millimetres.

“OMG! I’m sorry, Cam!” Rach shrieked when she realised just how close she was to punching me. She threw her arms around me in a bone- crushing hug.

I laughed, “It’s fine, Rach. No harm done.”

When she let me go, I walked over to where Zach was and sat facing him on his lap. His arms immediately found their way around my waist so I didn’t fall backwards off his lap. I took his face in my hands, and kissed him lightly. He kissed back within an instant and it turned into a full on make-out session. Zach's hands had found their way into my back pockets, and mine were tangled in his hair when I heard a gasp from behind me. I broke off from the kiss, shocked, and jumped off Zach's lap straight away. I looked at Emilie guiltily and gulped, anticipating the shouting match that was sure to follow Emilie getting over the initial shock of finding her boyfriend making out with another guy.

Emilie's face was blank as she stared at me. I willed her to just yell at me and get it over with; I couldn't stand the waiting.
"Explain," she demanded; her voice quiet.
I glanced at Zach before looking Emilie in the eyes and breathing in deeply.
"I-I'm gay."
Emilie was quiet for what seemed like forever. I began shaking, and Zach stood up and wrapped his arm around my shoulders.
"Em?"
She looked up. "How long?”
"Six months." She exhaled loudly. "Em, I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I- I didn't know how you'd take it, and I didn't want Sarah and that to dump you because we broke up a-and I... I didn't want to see you get hurt. You're my best friend and I hate seeing you sad," I finished with a sob, and Zach folded me into his chest.

"I forgive you."
I looked up from Zach's chest in disbelief, and Emilie was looking at me sincerely.
"Y-you do?"
She nodded. "You can't help who you love. And I don't want to see you hurt because you're pretending you're someone you're not by pretending to be with me." She smiled. "You're my best friend and I hate seeing you sad," she quoted me, and opened her arms wide. I left Zach's embrace and threw myself at my best friend. I was so relieved.

Emilie pulled away and held me at arm’s length. "I can't believe it. My little gay best friend. Does that mean we can have girly sleepovers and gossip about hot boys, and swap fashion tips and stuff?" She sounded so excited. I laughed, "I guess so. Just as long as you never mention Robert Pattinson in the 'hot boys' category. I am so sick of hearing Sarah and Madison swooning over him. There are sooo many hotter boys out there," I finished flamboyantly, making my voice sound totally gay
and making everyone laugh.
Emilie hugged me again. Finally things were back to normal with Emilie and I, and I couldn’t be more relieved.