face the strange // f.w.

💘 chapter six 💘

When I woke up the next day, I looked at how the cover I uploaded last night did. What I saw nearly blew me away.

Usually, my covers didn't do as well as my vlogs, so I expected at least 50k views by the morning. However, when I checked on it, it had at least 500k. It was enough to make me wonder if I was dreaming, hallucinating, or both.

Even though it was the one thing people told me not to do, I checked the comments to find out why. When I saw the top comment, I got my answer.

Finn Wolfhard: damn. if I ever die, you're taking over the band

Pinning it, I replied, ignoring how I was starting to blush.

hey it's ali: put that in your will and we have a deal lmao

After commenting, I checked the rest of the comments. Half of the people were congratulating me, the other half were calling me a clout-chaser, a few asked me to "choke me queen", but everyone was screaming about how I knew Finn Motherfucking Wolfhard.

Snorting, I went to my messages, and called Finn. When he picked up, I started talking.

"Dude, if I knew you commenting would get my videos viral, I would've been your friend a long-ass time ago."

"And you wonder why you're called a clout-chaser," he laughed. "Seriously though, that was fucking dope. Like, I actually feel honored."

"Says the guy with a fucking record deal!" I grinned. "I'm just pissed that in my one viral video, I just had to look like an actual fucking troll."

"Don't say that," Finn said absentmindedly, "You looked good."

I choked, but quickly regained my composure. Maybe Finn didn't notice-

"You okay, man? Sounded like you were dying."

Shit.

"I'm fine," I said weakly. "Something in my throat."

"Should I take that in a good way?" Finn said, and I could imagine him raising his eyebrows as he started to laugh. I rolled my eyes, as my cheeks started to burn.

"Shut up," I smirked, and checked the time on my laptop: it was 7:32 in the morning on a Tuesday, so I should be getting ready for school. Getting up from the bed, I put Finn on Facetime so I could still talk to him. When I saw him, however, I started laughing.

"Christ, dude! What time is it by you?" I asked, seeing how dark it was in his room. Only the light on his phone screen allowed me to see him, but even then, it as just barely enough light. 

"Like... Four in the morning," he said sheepishly, and I raised my eyebrows, before remembering something.

"Oh, yeah! Time difference. I forgot," I grinned, but widened my eyes in concern. "Oh shit! I probably woke you up. Sorry."

Finn yawned, before smiling. "Don't apologize. I wanted to hear you, anyway."

"HOLYSHITHOLYSHITHOLYSHIT," I thought, probably turning beet red, so I panicked and put him on call instead of Facetime again. Laughing nervously, I internally cursed at myself. Because putting him on call like that was a totally smooth move, right?

"As much as I'd love to keep talking," I said, unable to stop grinning. "I have school soon. And you should sleep. Cause I'm not enabling your bad sleeping habits. Talk later?"

"Hell yeah, son," he said, his voice lilting up in amusement. "Yeah, I'm probably gonna pass out soon. Bye!"

With that, he hung up on me, and I giggled, before groaning to myself.

Those nice words, that comment on my video, the way he spoke to me... He was just being a friend. Nothing more than that. And I wasn't gonna risk one of the few friendships I had with these stupid feelings. These stupid feelings on a boy who lives in a different country, is famous, probably straight, with the cutest laugh-

"He's straight," I thought to myself, as I began picking out an outfit from my closet. "That's enough reason why you shouldn't like him."

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It was time for lunch at school, and I already wanted to go home. Though I did well in my classes, no one gave me shit anymore, I was still alone. Part of that was my own fault, but it was too late in the game to regret anything now.

Like any true loner, I sat by myself in the cafeteria, nibbling on a french fry, scrolling through Instagram. Although most people would be mortified at the idea of sitting alone in a packed cafeteria, I was at the point where I stopped giving a shit. All I could do was count the days down until college, where I'd never have to see any of these people again.

However, even though I didn't care about them, I still flinched whenever I saw the same group of jocks that bullied me throughout middle school and freshman year. 

"Fag," they used to cough under their breaths whenever I passed by them, even before I came out. Calling me female names when I started growing my hair long, or when I wore feminine clothes. Yelling, "Allahu akbar," and imitating bomb noises when we were out in the yard. It wasn't like the teachers gave a shit, either. Even if they heard the insults, or heard me crying by myself in the bathroom stalls, they always turned a blind eye. Because it was probably easier to cheer on the football team with the rest of the school, than to comfort the depressed gay kid they bullied.

It was only when my Youtube channel grew that they finally stopped fucking with me. Maybe because they knew I could expose their asses in an instant with one video or post, or maybe out of respect for my following count, I don't know. However, it got the bullying to stop, even if a few of the desperate kids tried to get close to me so they could show up in a video. That was the catalyst of what led me to sitting alone at lunch, accepting the dirty looks from the people who tried being my friend, just so they could get some of my following.

"He sits alone like he's too good for us," I heard once from them. And for a while (I'm ashamed to admit), they were right. I thought I was too good to get close to anyone, just to see myself get hurt by them again. I thought all I needed was my mom, my cousin Zaynab, and my fans, and no one else.

As I scrolled through Instagram, however, I passed a photo of Finn from the shoot that day, and bit my lip to keep from smiling too hard. I failed at that, and let myself grin, my face growing warmer.

I used to keep to myself, just so I wouldn't be hurt by anyone. That was until I met a boy, who, even if there was the slight chance he'd hurt me, I'd still love him all the same. 

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woo hoo! another chapter! also, sorry for the wait! i got back from my trip from spain, but im back, and better than ever! hope you enjoyed this chapter! also, the outfit above is what i imagine ali's wearing to school.

love, the author