Road To Happiness ✔

TEN

"You went to the uni's GSA?" Renee asked incredulously. They were sitting in the library together after a lecture, trying to review their notes. Renee had missed two days of class because of her flu and was still sniffling every couple of seconds. There was no doubt that Hugo would get sick at some point. It was that time of the year after all.

He shrugged at her. "I thought it worth a shot," he replied.

"That place is full of weirdos!"

"I noticed." He hoped she meant that they were just odd, not weird because they were gay.

She frowned at him. "Was it that bad? You look slightly terrified," she asked.

"They were just rowdy. I wasn't prepared for it," he answered with a straight face. "I didn't handle it very well."

She patted his hand, warm and comforting. "You should have told me you were going. I don't like them very much, but I would have come to comfort you," she said. The smallest of smiles pulled at her lips.

"I didn't really think it was your scene," he replied, eyes locked on the table between them and the notes that were scattered across it. "I wasn't sure if-" He dropped his hands into his lap and bit down on his lip.

Renee let out a laugh. "I'm a lesbian, Hugo. I thought that was obvious," she said.

"It was a bit, but I didn't want to assume." He felt like an idiot. How had he not realised? Of course, she was a lesbian. But he hadn't wanted to assume. You couldn't just look at someone and say they were a lesbian just because they looked like the stereotype. Short hair and seemingly masculine clothing didn't mean anything when it came to someone's sexuality.

"It's all good, Hugo, I don't mind. You don't need to worry about it, alright?" Renee told him, grabbing his hand. He nodded at her and finally looked her in the eyes, at the familiar, comforting grin that was always plastered on her face. "I didn't know you were gay. Or are you bi, or do you not use labels like Stefan?"

"I'm gay," Hugo signed. It was so strange, being able to say it knowing that the person in front of him would accept him no matter what. His old friends had fobbed him off like it was nothing, like he was nothing. He'd been terrified to tell his parents, even though they'd been completely supportive of him. But with Renee, he knew would be alright with it. He didn't have to be scared around her.

Her grin widened. "Awesome! I'm glad you were able to tell me," she said and pushed a sheet of paper towards him. "Now, help me out with this stuff."

When he got home that night, he thought about what Renee said to him. Not about the gay stuff, for once he wasn't worried about that, but the stuff she'd said about the GSA. She didn't like the people there, not because they were gay, but because they were strange. It was reasonable enough, but Hugo couldn't help but think about what Rose had told him.

She wanted him to come by next week, just to try it out. She was going to text the others about calming down, something he felt bad about. He didn't want them getting in trouble because he was an anxious mess, but it was too late to tell her otherwise. Part of him was still scared about going back, but she'd said they were usually calmer.

Maybe he could try it. They hadn't seemed to mind much that he didn't speak, not that they bothered to talk to him anyway. One more try; it wouldn't be so bad if they were calm. From the looks of things, they just sat around a table and talked. That he could do. He wouldn't have to write anything if he didn't want to. He could just listen.

"Are you alright?" his father asked in the middle of dinner. "You haven't heard a word I said, have you?"

He hadn't even realised his father had been talking to him. He stared at him with wide eyes, terrified of what the old man might say. "I was just thinking," he signed, grateful that his hands didn't shake.