But Simon, Sometimes Life Is Blue [A Sequel to Love Simon]

Chapter 2

During our senior year, drama club experienced a number of huge changes. It all began when Ms. Albright somehow convinced the school to allow her to put together a show based on the Broadway hit, Kinky Boots. The play was about self-acceptance and accepting others, and it revolved around a shoe manufacturer who gets the help of a drag queen to start a line of men's sexy footwear in order to try to save his business.

Upon hearing the news, I noticed a few guys and girls trying to be subtle while giving each other worried or disgusted looks. Although some kids pretended nothing had changed and others simply kept quiet, you could still feel the homophobic bend of the students at Creekwood. Ms. Albright was really pushing the envelope this time.

"The lead character is Charlie, the son who inherits his father's show business." She pauses and rubs her hands together a bit too excitedly, in a most un-Ms. Albright way, then draws out her next words slowly, "But the role that truly stands out and will require an individual of unique talents is obviously that of Lola, the drag queen!" 

As she announced the roles, I became very aware that I was the only outed gay in our drama club. I couldn't help but wonder if Ms. Albright was just trying to capitalize on the newly outed gay talent on her roster. I had little doubt that she secretly wanted me to cross-dress. Last year, she made me wear eyeliner for Cabaret. [LS; Ch27, 30] Even though I received all sorts of compliments, I wasn't entirely comfortable with it; I had no desire to look like a girl. [Ch7] 

But drawing attention to myself with thigh-high sparkling red stiletto boots was so far out of my comfort zone, it might as well have been Mars; it was way "too gay" for me. [LS] Not to mention painful and dangerous -- in the ankle-twisting kind of way. No, this role was made for someone like Ethan, Creekwood's resident flaming gay, but he wasn't even a member of the drama club. Maybe Ms. Albright was taking the gay/cross-dressing thing too far? 

"We are also going to rock this thing by including a real band to perform Cyndi Lauper's "Sex Is In The Heel!" she called, but she had already lost me. 

My eyes drift to the other side of our circle, noticing cute Cal Price staring in my direction. His cute brown bands fell over his forehead, almost covering his eyes -- in that ever so adorable way. He gives me a small smile, just subtle enough not to be noticed by anyone else. His eyes boldly never break from mine.

I return his smile. Last year, I had really gotten my hopes up and half plunged my heart into Cal when I had guessed he was Blue. And although it turned out he wasn't Blue, he was still just as adorable as he had been before I had wrongly suspected him. Make no mistake, Bram was my boyfriend and nothing was going to change that. But you had to be blind to not notice how cute Cal was. [Ch5, 7, 9]

After Ms. Albright finishes reading off the roles and encourages us to quickly sign up for auditions, our circle broke. 

Cal cut through the bodies and made his way over to me with the sign up list. "Hey, Simon," he says, his lips forming my full name with his cute accent. 

"So, I get to sign up first?" I glance at the clipboard in his hand, extended in my direction.

"Your lucky day," he says, his beautiful blue eyes boring into mine.

I don't know what to say. Thinking about Bram. Thinking about Bram. I take the clipboard and run my eyes down the list of roles to break away from our eye sex. 

"Do you get the feeling she's kinda hoping you audition for Lola?" he asks softly.

"Yeah, I think it's a set up," I grin at him, feeling a bit goofy. Where did my normal confident self go? I guess he fled and left my heart beating fast in his place. Stupid heart. 

"Is it something you'd be interested in?"

I start to speak but end up I staring at him blankly; my mind going with my confidence.

"The role of Lola," he reminds me. "Are you going to go for it?"

I shake my head vigorously, "No chance! I don't even want to be Charlie. Too much spotlight. I think I'll just..." I run my eyes down the list. "Sign up for the role of Charlie's dying father."

The heat between us is interrupted.

"What?! You can't," my friend Abby interjects, snatching the clipboard from my hands. "That's a useless role, Si! You need to go for something that shows your talent!"

I laugh, "What talent? Remember, this is just an extra curricular, for me." I nudge her playfully, "And an excuse to make fun of you messing up your lines!"

She pushes back, "At least try for Charlie!"

"The lead? No way!" 

"Why? Afraid you will win?" she challenges, stepping into my space bubble and pushing out her lower jaw. The girl was aggressive. 

"I could never win the lead," I mutter under my breath. 

"Yes, you could," Cal says with his soft whisper of a voice. "You should totally do it, Simon."

Abby looks at Cal, as if noticing him for the first time. "Yeah, you should!" she says determinedly. Two against one. 

I lose. 

She pencils my name in next to Charlie, handing the clipboard back to Cal. 

She hooks her arm in mine and marches me away toward soccer practice, where we both would make eye candy of our boyfriends. She was dating my best childhood friend Nick and their cuteness was almost unbearable. They were definitely the cutest couple - after Bram and me.

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Author's note: Thank you for your patience and for waiting Chapter 2. I am at the end of the worst move from one apartment to another! Kinda a nightmare and lots of stress. I really appreciate the comments and encouragement. Feel free to leave requests or plot ideas that you would like to see! Thanks for your votes and comments! Hope you enjoy!

*Updated: To add references to movie [LS] and book [Ch]