Status: Work in progress
Queer Maria.
Chapter 2
Rian awoke to the annoying sound of his alarm clock, the loud ringing interrupting a strange dream he was having about giant spiders showing up to band practice, and dragging him into reality, the early morning sun coming through his window's blinds and burning his opening eyes slightly. He threw his duvet to the end of his bed kind of aggressively and sat up. Rian wasn't usually a very social creature so school certainly wasn't his favourite thing in the world. However, he still managed to be branded a geek because he was in marching band. He tried to brush the teasing off though, reminding himself how good of a drummer Travis Barker from Blink-182 was every time he was taunted. That was why he was doing this. He wanted to be as good a drummer as Travis one day. Blink-182 were easily his favourite band, closely followed by Green Day. His music taste really helped him make good friends with Jack and Alex almost immediately, although Alex tended to put the guys' favourite bands in order a little differently. Alex would constantly argue with Rian and Jack about who was better out of Blink and Green Day. Alex preferred Green Day, pinning them as the whole reason he was even into punk music in the first place. The three boys never had any real arguments though. They liked each other's company way too much for that and as the months dragged on, they began to get closer and closer still. But we're getting ahead of ourselves.
Rian pushed the doors to his high school wide open, wincing slightly at the painful sound they emitted as they hit the walls. It's safe to say Rian was pissed. His mom's car had broken down that morning, making him late. He didn't care all that much about being late but he did care that he had missed an important marching band meeting that was scheduled to happen before first period. The lead snare captain had recently graduated and so they were looking for a replacement. He was hoping to be chosen but there was most likely no way in hell now that he'd missed this meeting. He'd missed an important meeting the previous week due to his terrible excuse for a memory and he knew that the other students in marching band would only lose respect for him the more meetings that he missed. As he stormed through the foyer and up to the front desk to check himself in, two guys sitting on the soft chairs beside the large desk caught his attention. Sitting there were his newfound friends and bandmates, lifting up their heads and sending him toothy, dorky grins. Rian's mood instantly softened and he walked up to them.
"What are you guys doing here?" Rian cried. "You should be in class!" Alex chuckled, standing up to greet Rian.
"You're such a dad, Rian." He told the teenager, still smiling. "We decided to wait for you."
"Yeah, man." Jack interjected. "We know you get picked on so we wanted to make sure you were OK." Rian smiled at that. No one had ever taken such a liking to him in his old schools. He was beginning to feel very grateful for both of his new friends.
"We're your knights in shining armour!" Alex laughed and smiled as he said this but Rian could swear he saw a flash of panic in his friend's eyes. He daren't question this, though. He felt he may have ended up putting his foot in his mouth and he certainly did not want to ruin his friendship with either Jack or Alex so early on.
Jack and Alex stumbled through Alex's front door, their boundless energy still surprising Rian. Rian, however, hung back, trailing behind them. He knew it was silly but he still felt shy and a little awkward walking into Alex's house, especially since band practice had now been moved to Rian's own basement. He didn't see Alex's house or family all that often anymore and it made him shy away a little. Alex and Jack ran into the kitchen, Rian closing the front door quietly and following them. He knew that Alex's mom, Isobel, would be cooking dinner as usual and it made him chuckle just how excited Alex and Jack got over food.
"Rian, go upstairs and put some Green Day on!" Rian heard Alex call from the kitchen and he laughed. Of course Alex would want Green Day. Rian did as he was told, taking off his coat and hanging it on Alex's family's coat rack before heading off upstairs and to Alex's room. Rian got to his friend's door and opened it, going to the stereo atop Alex's dresser and looking for Green Day albums. He chose Dookie and put it in, about to walk away from the stereo once the CD had started playing when something caught his eye. Lipstick, next to Alex's stereo. It looked like it had been thrown there in a rush, laying on it's side with the lid a little off. Rian put the lid back on and placed the product the right way up on Alex's dresser, a thousand questions plaguing his brain. Did Alex have a sister? If so, why would her lipstick be in his room? Just then, the drummer heard two pairs of feet bounding up the stairs. Knowing it was Jack and Alex, he walked quickly away from the dresser, going to sit himself down on Alex's bed. He tried his best to look like he'd been sat there waiting for his friends all along.
Hours had passed since Rian had spotted the lipstick in Alex's room and now, both him and Jack were leaving Alex's house. It was only 7 pm but they had to make sure they got home before it got dark. Plus, it was a school night. Rian grabbed his coat off the rack, putting it on, Jack already having put his on and raced out the door, now screaming and jumping around excitedly in Alex's front garden. Alex laughed, jokingly telling Jack to shut up, to which Jack responded by stopping and pouting like a little toddler. Rian and Alex both laughed at their friend. As Rian looked at Alex, the earlier incident was pushed to the forefront of his memory. The words danced on his lips but he wasn't sure whether he should say them. He really didn't want to jeapordise this new friendship but he also didn't like the idea of forever being curious. He decided he was going to say it, if not just so that he would stop staring at his friend.
"Alex," He began.
"Mhm?" The brunette responded, looking Rian in the eyes.
"Do you have a sister?" Rian could feel the anxiety building up in his chest, scared that he would say or do the wrong thing and end his and Alex's friendship forever. Jack heard Rian from where he was standing outside and sent Rian a look of confusion.
"No, why?" Alex shook his head, his bottom lip jutting out slightly and catching Rian's attention for a millisecond.
"Oh." Rian stated, now dumbfounded as to why he found what he found. "It doesn't matter, I just saw some lipstick in your room, that's all." Rian just decided to brush it off, concluding that Alex's mom probably left it there when she was tidying her son's room or something. But both Alex and Jack now looked panicked, Alex more so than his lanky friend. A million thoughts raced through Alex's head and in that moment, he honestly felt like he was going to explode. He had tried so hard to keep this feminine side of his personality away from people outside of his little circle but now he felt as though his attempts had been unsuccessful and that Rian was going to leave before he'd even had the chance to get to know Alex enough to know the truth about him. Alex had to think of a lie, and fast. For the band and for his and Jack's friendship with Rian. He thought and thought for what felt like a lifetime, just searching for a good enough deceit. He knew Jack was worried about him, scared of what Rian might do if he knew the truth. Both Jack and Rian were staring at Alex, just waiting for his response, and Alex just felt so sick. The teenager just decided to go with the first thing that came to his head, the one thing everyone else his age seemed to have, the one thing that he did not want, the one thing that his lack of want for made him feel like an alien to his peers. A girlfriend.
"I-it's my girlfriend's!" He all but cried at Rian and Rian found himself slightly taken aback by this revelation. He had never expected Alex to be involved with anyone. Throughout the few weeks that he had known Alex, he had been under the impression that Alex was like him, not interested in girls or sex. But now, Alex had a girlfriend. Rian felt a pang of sadness in his chest thinking about it and he decided he just wanted to go home now. He had gotten his answer, it was time to leave. He managed to stutter out a quick goodbye to Alex, and then Jack walked him to his house before the younger boy set off to his own home. Rian got a lecture for being a little bit late but he didn't take in much of it, deciding that he just wanted to go upstairs to sleep and just end this day. He didn't even know why he cared so much about Alex's girlfriend, if he was honest.
The next few band practices were awkward, to say the least. Well, they were for Rian anyway. Alex and Jack were still Alex and Jack, screaming and yelling and bouncing all over the place. It was as if Rian was the only one who felt as though something had been off since that night. He was even contemplating telling Jack he didn't want to be in the band anymore. He just wished he'd never asked about that god damned lipstick. One Saturday afternoon, he was laying on his bed, using the landline to talk to Jack, who was as happy and hyper as usual. They had band practice scheduled for that evening and Rian just wanted to tell his friend how he was feeling right now, rip it off like a band-aid. But Jack spoke first, and he said something that made Rian stop in his tracks, the drummer's curiosity getting the better of him yet again.
"Did I tell you we found a bass player?"
Rian pushed the doors to his high school wide open, wincing slightly at the painful sound they emitted as they hit the walls. It's safe to say Rian was pissed. His mom's car had broken down that morning, making him late. He didn't care all that much about being late but he did care that he had missed an important marching band meeting that was scheduled to happen before first period. The lead snare captain had recently graduated and so they were looking for a replacement. He was hoping to be chosen but there was most likely no way in hell now that he'd missed this meeting. He'd missed an important meeting the previous week due to his terrible excuse for a memory and he knew that the other students in marching band would only lose respect for him the more meetings that he missed. As he stormed through the foyer and up to the front desk to check himself in, two guys sitting on the soft chairs beside the large desk caught his attention. Sitting there were his newfound friends and bandmates, lifting up their heads and sending him toothy, dorky grins. Rian's mood instantly softened and he walked up to them.
"What are you guys doing here?" Rian cried. "You should be in class!" Alex chuckled, standing up to greet Rian.
"You're such a dad, Rian." He told the teenager, still smiling. "We decided to wait for you."
"Yeah, man." Jack interjected. "We know you get picked on so we wanted to make sure you were OK." Rian smiled at that. No one had ever taken such a liking to him in his old schools. He was beginning to feel very grateful for both of his new friends.
"We're your knights in shining armour!" Alex laughed and smiled as he said this but Rian could swear he saw a flash of panic in his friend's eyes. He daren't question this, though. He felt he may have ended up putting his foot in his mouth and he certainly did not want to ruin his friendship with either Jack or Alex so early on.
Jack and Alex stumbled through Alex's front door, their boundless energy still surprising Rian. Rian, however, hung back, trailing behind them. He knew it was silly but he still felt shy and a little awkward walking into Alex's house, especially since band practice had now been moved to Rian's own basement. He didn't see Alex's house or family all that often anymore and it made him shy away a little. Alex and Jack ran into the kitchen, Rian closing the front door quietly and following them. He knew that Alex's mom, Isobel, would be cooking dinner as usual and it made him chuckle just how excited Alex and Jack got over food.
"Rian, go upstairs and put some Green Day on!" Rian heard Alex call from the kitchen and he laughed. Of course Alex would want Green Day. Rian did as he was told, taking off his coat and hanging it on Alex's family's coat rack before heading off upstairs and to Alex's room. Rian got to his friend's door and opened it, going to the stereo atop Alex's dresser and looking for Green Day albums. He chose Dookie and put it in, about to walk away from the stereo once the CD had started playing when something caught his eye. Lipstick, next to Alex's stereo. It looked like it had been thrown there in a rush, laying on it's side with the lid a little off. Rian put the lid back on and placed the product the right way up on Alex's dresser, a thousand questions plaguing his brain. Did Alex have a sister? If so, why would her lipstick be in his room? Just then, the drummer heard two pairs of feet bounding up the stairs. Knowing it was Jack and Alex, he walked quickly away from the dresser, going to sit himself down on Alex's bed. He tried his best to look like he'd been sat there waiting for his friends all along.
Hours had passed since Rian had spotted the lipstick in Alex's room and now, both him and Jack were leaving Alex's house. It was only 7 pm but they had to make sure they got home before it got dark. Plus, it was a school night. Rian grabbed his coat off the rack, putting it on, Jack already having put his on and raced out the door, now screaming and jumping around excitedly in Alex's front garden. Alex laughed, jokingly telling Jack to shut up, to which Jack responded by stopping and pouting like a little toddler. Rian and Alex both laughed at their friend. As Rian looked at Alex, the earlier incident was pushed to the forefront of his memory. The words danced on his lips but he wasn't sure whether he should say them. He really didn't want to jeapordise this new friendship but he also didn't like the idea of forever being curious. He decided he was going to say it, if not just so that he would stop staring at his friend.
"Alex," He began.
"Mhm?" The brunette responded, looking Rian in the eyes.
"Do you have a sister?" Rian could feel the anxiety building up in his chest, scared that he would say or do the wrong thing and end his and Alex's friendship forever. Jack heard Rian from where he was standing outside and sent Rian a look of confusion.
"No, why?" Alex shook his head, his bottom lip jutting out slightly and catching Rian's attention for a millisecond.
"Oh." Rian stated, now dumbfounded as to why he found what he found. "It doesn't matter, I just saw some lipstick in your room, that's all." Rian just decided to brush it off, concluding that Alex's mom probably left it there when she was tidying her son's room or something. But both Alex and Jack now looked panicked, Alex more so than his lanky friend. A million thoughts raced through Alex's head and in that moment, he honestly felt like he was going to explode. He had tried so hard to keep this feminine side of his personality away from people outside of his little circle but now he felt as though his attempts had been unsuccessful and that Rian was going to leave before he'd even had the chance to get to know Alex enough to know the truth about him. Alex had to think of a lie, and fast. For the band and for his and Jack's friendship with Rian. He thought and thought for what felt like a lifetime, just searching for a good enough deceit. He knew Jack was worried about him, scared of what Rian might do if he knew the truth. Both Jack and Rian were staring at Alex, just waiting for his response, and Alex just felt so sick. The teenager just decided to go with the first thing that came to his head, the one thing everyone else his age seemed to have, the one thing that he did not want, the one thing that his lack of want for made him feel like an alien to his peers. A girlfriend.
"I-it's my girlfriend's!" He all but cried at Rian and Rian found himself slightly taken aback by this revelation. He had never expected Alex to be involved with anyone. Throughout the few weeks that he had known Alex, he had been under the impression that Alex was like him, not interested in girls or sex. But now, Alex had a girlfriend. Rian felt a pang of sadness in his chest thinking about it and he decided he just wanted to go home now. He had gotten his answer, it was time to leave. He managed to stutter out a quick goodbye to Alex, and then Jack walked him to his house before the younger boy set off to his own home. Rian got a lecture for being a little bit late but he didn't take in much of it, deciding that he just wanted to go upstairs to sleep and just end this day. He didn't even know why he cared so much about Alex's girlfriend, if he was honest.
The next few band practices were awkward, to say the least. Well, they were for Rian anyway. Alex and Jack were still Alex and Jack, screaming and yelling and bouncing all over the place. It was as if Rian was the only one who felt as though something had been off since that night. He was even contemplating telling Jack he didn't want to be in the band anymore. He just wished he'd never asked about that god damned lipstick. One Saturday afternoon, he was laying on his bed, using the landline to talk to Jack, who was as happy and hyper as usual. They had band practice scheduled for that evening and Rian just wanted to tell his friend how he was feeling right now, rip it off like a band-aid. But Jack spoke first, and he said something that made Rian stop in his tracks, the drummer's curiosity getting the better of him yet again.
"Did I tell you we found a bass player?"