[Twice Featured Noteworthy Novel & Staff Pick on Tapas.io] ✔
[Previously featured on Tapas.io's LGBTQ+ Community collection] ✔
One night. That was all it took for Senn Reyes' life to change drastically--and permanently.
Senn Reyes is a seventeen-y...
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Monday
School had started two weeks ago, and now Senn was nervous to go back into class. But Killian had insisted and since none of the medical specialists who were treating him had anything against him going back to school, there he was.
School, the place where teens spent hours on end together, forced to by law. And obviously those teens weren't solely focused on solving mathematical equations, translate foreign language or studying the history of the world. No, they all searched for ways to entertain themselves too; and gossip was one of their go-to options. Especially when something out of the ordinary happened, like a new kid, or a couple getting together while nobody expected it—or when everybody had anticipated on it for months already—or in his case, a terrible accident that had been talk of the town for weeks on end, at the end of last schoolyear.
It was no secret Senn had been in the accident. The town was small enough for people to know one another, or at least know someone who knew someone.
As expected, as soon as he road his bike to the sheds behind school, heads were turning, and the whispers started. In response, Senn pulled the hood of his black hoodie over his head and tried to make himself invisible as much as possible while walking to the front office. He needed his schedule, he needed a signature because he obviously hadn't done his homework, and he needed teachers to know he was still recovering, and possibly needed to leave unexpectantly.
By the time everything was arranged—they hadn't expected him back already—the hallways were empty, and the first classes had started a few minutes ago. That offered him both an advantage, and a disadvantage of the situation. He could get to class without the hundreds of students shamelessly staring at him, yet once he opened the door to the classroom, nearly thirty pairs of eyes focused on him.
At least Lucas and Joyce were both in this class.
He swallowed the lump that formed in his throat and slowly walked up to his teacher; Mr. Bell. He smiled warmly when he took the note about his homework and the explanation about his medical situation and read them both while the entire class was silent.
And it annoyed him. For five weeks, he had longed for silence so badly that he got mad at everyone who broke it and ruined his bubble of solitude. But in that moment, he rather wanted Lucas to blurt out something stupid like he'd usually do, taking all attention away from him.
"It's okay Senn. Just tell me when there's something wrong." Mr. Bell gave the papers back and gestured towards the class. "You can take a seat next to Elio."
Who the hell was Elio? Senn thought as he stuffed the papers into his pocket, making his way over to the back of the classroom to take a seat next to a guy with blond hair and piercing blue eyes.
"Hi, I'm Elio."
"I would've never guessed," Senn sarcastically answered. "Need me to repeat my name too?"
