The Boy Behind a Mask
II
(Next day)
'How are you today Alex? Was yesterday okay?' Miss McDougall asks,
'It was pretty good. Better than when I was in America.' Alex smiles,
'Thats good. Now, I asked you to come see me so I could invite you to the LGBT meeting today at lunch. It's a private group that is only open to people that sign up or have been invited. No one judges and everyone is supported. I'd love for you to come.' She smiles,
'Uh, sure.' Alex shrugs,
'Great. I'll see you then.' She grins before ushering Alex to his first lesson.
---
'I didn't expect to see you here.' Someone says as they sit down next to Alex, he turns to see Jack smiling at American softly,
'Oh, um, hi.' Alex mumbles,
'Sorry for the way I acted yesterday. I was having a bad day. I am really sorry.' Jack sighs,
'Don't worry about it.' Alex shrugs,
'You shouldn't just brush it off like that, I was a right dick.' Jack says quietly,
'Look, I've been treated worse. What you did was nothing. I understand to be honest, I did just kind of appear. Some people like to stick to the friends they have.' Alex says, not looking at Jack,
'I want you to be a friend. You seem nice. I'm just not good with new people.' Jack sighs, his voice softening as Miss McDougall starts talking,
'Understandable.' Alex nods, paying more attention to what the guidance counsellor is saying.
'Right guys and girls, since we have a new edition to this group, I want us all to introduce ourselves again, beginning with Alex.' She says and Alex feels himself turn red,
'Um, yeah, I'm Alex Gaskarth and I moved to Essex from Baltimore in the US because of things that happened revolving around me being gay.' He explains and people smile sadly at him and Alex feels Jack's hand press against his lower back soothingly through the gap in back of the chair he's sat on,
'I'm Jack and I'm very, very gay and I don't give a fuck what anyone thinks about that. But I do give a fuck when someone says something bad about it.' He says nonchalantly and Alex can't pinpoint the exact moment he falls in love with Jack, but he does.
---
'Hi darling, how was school today?' Alex's mum asks when her son walks into the kitchen,
'It was okay, you know I told you about that guy that seemed to hate me?' Alex asks and his mother nods, 'He spoke to me today and apologised for what he did. We were both at the LGBT meeting thing at lunch.' He continues and Isobel smiles,
'That's good... So he's gay then... Is he cute?' She asks,
'Mu-um!' Alex whines, 'He is, yes. But he's way out of my league.' He sighs,
'How so?' Isobel frowns,
'Oh I don't know, maybe the fact that he's gay and I'm a girl.' Alex mutters and his mum hugs him quickly.
'How are you today Alex? Was yesterday okay?' Miss McDougall asks,
'It was pretty good. Better than when I was in America.' Alex smiles,
'Thats good. Now, I asked you to come see me so I could invite you to the LGBT meeting today at lunch. It's a private group that is only open to people that sign up or have been invited. No one judges and everyone is supported. I'd love for you to come.' She smiles,
'Uh, sure.' Alex shrugs,
'Great. I'll see you then.' She grins before ushering Alex to his first lesson.
---
'I didn't expect to see you here.' Someone says as they sit down next to Alex, he turns to see Jack smiling at American softly,
'Oh, um, hi.' Alex mumbles,
'Sorry for the way I acted yesterday. I was having a bad day. I am really sorry.' Jack sighs,
'Don't worry about it.' Alex shrugs,
'You shouldn't just brush it off like that, I was a right dick.' Jack says quietly,
'Look, I've been treated worse. What you did was nothing. I understand to be honest, I did just kind of appear. Some people like to stick to the friends they have.' Alex says, not looking at Jack,
'I want you to be a friend. You seem nice. I'm just not good with new people.' Jack sighs, his voice softening as Miss McDougall starts talking,
'Understandable.' Alex nods, paying more attention to what the guidance counsellor is saying.
'Right guys and girls, since we have a new edition to this group, I want us all to introduce ourselves again, beginning with Alex.' She says and Alex feels himself turn red,
'Um, yeah, I'm Alex Gaskarth and I moved to Essex from Baltimore in the US because of things that happened revolving around me being gay.' He explains and people smile sadly at him and Alex feels Jack's hand press against his lower back soothingly through the gap in back of the chair he's sat on,
'I'm Jack and I'm very, very gay and I don't give a fuck what anyone thinks about that. But I do give a fuck when someone says something bad about it.' He says nonchalantly and Alex can't pinpoint the exact moment he falls in love with Jack, but he does.
---
'Hi darling, how was school today?' Alex's mum asks when her son walks into the kitchen,
'It was okay, you know I told you about that guy that seemed to hate me?' Alex asks and his mother nods, 'He spoke to me today and apologised for what he did. We were both at the LGBT meeting thing at lunch.' He continues and Isobel smiles,
'That's good... So he's gay then... Is he cute?' She asks,
'Mu-um!' Alex whines, 'He is, yes. But he's way out of my league.' He sighs,
'How so?' Isobel frowns,
'Oh I don't know, maybe the fact that he's gay and I'm a girl.' Alex mutters and his mum hugs him quickly.
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Short chapter sorry