[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
Senn had stayed the rest of the weekend at Avan's place after Avan's father Malik had called Tessa to tell her he wasn't coming home. Though Lucas had offered him a bed too, he rather accepted Avan's offer since he knew his parents better. Their conversation had been hard, mostly because Senn had a hard time explaining to Lucas why exactly he felt guilty for surviving the accident.
Much to his surprise Lucas, and later Avan, had both reacted understanding and with compassion, causing Senn to spill more of the dark thoughts that clouded his mind every day.
All but the fact he was that upset because Elio had kissed him, and instead of pushing him away, Senn had allowed the kiss to drag on for way too long. He wasn't ready to find out what his friends would think of him if he'd admit he was into guys.
Avan, as a Muslim—even though he was raised by Western standards.
Lucas, as a typical hot jock who was a little too obsessed with girls, and specifically their boobs and asses.
Joyce, his ex, who he still liked; just not enough.
What would their reactions be?
What if it actually was wrong to be gay? What if the accident had been God's way of punishing him for acting upon those feelings, by taking away nearly every person he loved unconditionally?
It all made him nervous to go back to school on Monday, for the simple reason Elio could expose him to everyone. He could—accidentally—out him to his closest friends if he was planning on talking about what happened in their presence. Elio didn't know he wasn't out to anyone. Elio didn't know more than the fact Joyce was Senn's ex, and that was that.
Maybe Joyce, or any of their other friends, had told Elio more about the break-up; like the fact Senn gave her no clear explanation as to why he was breaking up. Or had he? But did those memories get lost thanks to the accident?
But if they hadn't told Elio anything about it, he could think Senn had told them exactly why he broke up, while Senn was pretty sure he hadn't been ready to come out to them. But he lost a few months worth of memories, and in those lost memories could lay the answer—or the answers—he was desperately looking for.
What if he did come out to his parents? What if he did tell his friends? What if all of them were okay with it, and he simply forgot about it? But he didn't dare to ask, because if he hadn't done any of that, he would out himself accidentally. No, it was best if nobody would find out like that, or through Elio.
When Senn took his seat next to Elio in their first class of the day, Elio simply greeted him with a casual 'hi' and a smile. No awkwardness, no shame, no acting hurt over the fact Senn had left him behind in a fucking alley. Nothing of that. Which made Senn feel all the more awkward.
"I heard you ran away from home, stayed with Avan all weekend?"
