Here For the Credit • Gawsten (boyxboy)

Chapter 8: You're Not My Real Dad & You Never Will Be

sorry this took longer than expected. i'm trying out a new writing style sort of. also i've had a major block lately and haven't been liking my writing much. tell me what y'all think.

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March 30th, 2018

"Okay, what do you guys wanna do today?" Alexa asked as she looked around the room at the varying faces within the club. "Without Geoff here, I have no fucking idea what to do after check-in. He didn't give me any sort of plan. Fuck Pierrepont Finch."

"We could watch some sort of movie on the projector?" Lynn suggested from the left corner.

"We could just hang out, maybe?" Inigo asked with a shrug.

"Actually," Awsten said hesitantly, swallowing his own spit with a large gulp. "I have a question? For like, everyone, almost."

Alexa quirked up an eyebrow, unintentionally elongating her winged liner. In the past few weeks, with a lot of practice, she'd gotten pretty good at it. She wasn't Nikkie Tutorials good, she was about average, but it looked nice.

She'd also gradually discovered that her parents didn't really give a shit about what she did, with the exception of if it interfered with her tight schedule, and had thus decided to dress more femininely. Only slightly, as she wasn't necessarily a super feminine girl and wasn't quite ready for that jump. She was pretty satisfied with life, if she were honest.

"Yeah, dude. What's up?" She's said almost immediately. Her and Awsten weren't necessarily friends, but over the weeks of getting to know him, she'd realized something: He wasn't really an asshole, just rather ignorant at times. However, he was trying to further his learning and made an effort to apply it to everyday life.

He wasn't insistent on his original opinions and was willing to learn about other people's perspectives despite his obvious internalized homophobia. (Alexa had a strong theory of knowing why it existed in the first place.) She respected him, and she respected his flexibility.

Okay, so maybe they were kind of friends.

"How'd you like... know you're not straight? For sure?" Awsten blurted out. The whole room practically went silent. Alexa and a few others shared a knowing look as subtlety as possible. Hayley, Westen, Inigo, Kortney, Nick, Lynn, Carter— okay, all of them exchanged knowing looks before Awsten continued. "Cause you know, my friend thinks he likes a friend who's... not a chick. He asked me to ask you guys how to know. Because he knows I'm in this club and stuff."

Carter's eyes widened. Him and Awsten had been talking a lot lately, and they would definitely consider them friends. It got kind of flirty at times, as well, and they couldn't help but think what if Awsten were talking about... him. They were about to answer, but Lynn shockingly did it for zem.

"I knew because I got crushes on girls. I thought they were pretty and nice, and I thought maybe I was jealous or wanted to be their friend, but as I got older I realized it was more." She said simply. "I got a crush on a girl, full-on butterflies in my stomach, and I just kinda knew. I'd assume it' similar for those who like multiple genders, but I'm not positive."

Awsten nodded. "Yeah, I- cool. I'll tell him."

———

Club passed by quickly without Geoff there, and Awsten had successfully ignored him for roughly two weeks.

Okay, not actually but practically. He hadn't shown up to club that afternoon because of rehearsal, same with the last week. Why did Geoff get to miss club, but he couldn't? Whatever. They didn't really talk in Biology in the first place, but Awsten was extra sure not to talk to him at all.