The Price of Popularity (BoyxBoy)

{16}

Asher had started to believe that his name was actually ‘Danny’s Asher!’ about three hours into the party as that was what everyone seemed to be calling him. Apparently Danny spoke of him often, and to everyone he had ever met. People would come up to him with a strange look on their face, almost as if they believed that Asher was some secret that had been kept from them. They would introduce themselves with practiced kindness and when Asher explained who he was they would respond with the now infamous ‘oh you’re Danny’s Asher! I’ve heard all about you!’

It didn’t always end there, sometimes the person who, by the way, was quite happy with themselves for realising who Asher was, would tell him about stories that Danny had told them of him. He supposed that they were just trying to find some connection with him but all that it did was make him feel ostracized even further, almost as if the stories were about different people entirely and he was just an outsider looking in. He nodded periodically and hummed out a yes when necessary. Their story would finish and he would smile politely and then they would separate, leaving Asher vulnerable to more introductions.

It had happened again. Asher was standing in the kitchen, leaning against the counter with his first and only beer of the night in his hands, when a girl walked up to him. She had hair so blonde it rivalled the sun and her heels made her legs look almost inhumanly long. Her eyes caught his as she was striding over on those long legs.

‘Hi, do I know you?’ she questioned, her tone suggesting that he ought to know her if planned on making it out of this party with any social standing.

‘I’m Danny’s boyfriend,’ he replied almost mechanically. It was the thousandth time that he had identified himself as such. It was conflicting. The words themselves were like magic, flowing through the air like butterflies, making Asher’s heart swell because he was out in the world and able to tell anyone and everyone who he loved while at the same time knowing that all of these people would accept it with open arms. It was the sentence that Asher had dreamt of saying over and over again, but there was a limit.

‘You’re Danny’s Asher?’ the blonde asked with a huge smile on her wine stained lips. She seemed to accept Asher in a heartbeat, his social standing now no longer in question.

‘Yes I am,’ he replied, taking a swig of beer and wishing that it was something stronger.

‘He has been talking about you at school for as long as I could remember! I’ve been asking to meet you this whole year,’ she told him with some fake, not to mention flirtatious, resentment in her voice. Apparently she blamed him for the absolute tragedy it is that they hadn’t met before now. She placed her hand on his arm, ‘I’m glad you finally made the effort to come tonight! I’m sure that Danny appreciates it.’

‘Yeah,’ Asher muttered.

The blonde seemed to have no inclination that Asher was severely bored of this conversation and she kept talking. He tuned her out after a while. The girl spoke nonstop and she didn’t even notice when Asher checked his phone. It had one message on it from an unknown number. He opened it with mild trepidation.

Hey Asher, It’s Ivy. I hope you don’t mind I got your number off Beth. Want to hang out tonight? – Unknown Number

He knew full well that the only impromptu hanging out activities she was looking for where ones he was most definitely not interested in. There were many, many, numerous reasons why he declined the offer. Thoughts of Leon popped into his mind as he thought about Ivy. He really seemed to be interested in her and this was what she was doing. Ivy was going behind everyone’s backs it seemed. She was a snake, with motives and strategies that he just couldn’t put his finger on.