False Confidence (bxb) (NOW ON KINDLE VELLA)

Seven

Guys, meet Arron. He's a big teddy bear. Daddy, if you will. Do you want me to post photos and a cast list?

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"Your head ain't in it today, man. What's up?"

Reid looked up from his gym bag, frowning at his trainer and best friend, Arron. "I'm fine; don't know what you're talking about."

The large man stood to his full height of six-three, leaving his water bottle on the bench he'd just been sitting on. The bench squeaked with the release of weight. His blue-gray eyes narrowed as a bushy eyebrow raised in question. "Yea? You didn't get a single punch on me. You're gonna be bruised up—make sure to ice 'em up."

"I'm fine. Really. I'm just... going through something, I guess. And then there's Mom on top of it all; I haven't even heard from dad in weeks. Just the usual, man."

Arron frowned. He was only four years older than Reid—twenty-three—but he felt a sense of responsibility for the kid in front of him. Arron had trained him since he was fifteen, after all. Four years of teaching the kid how to block and how to punch, along with how to take care of wounds, built up a relationship that couldn't just be pushed aside.

"You can tell me, you know. If you need anything, I'm here. I ain't gonna think of ya any differently. All I care about is your fighting and that you're okay, and judging from your shit fighting today, you're not okay."

Reid sighed as he scratched his jaw uncomfortably, eyes focusing on the floor. "There's this project..."

"'Kay, and? It's difficult, or?" Arron trailed off, sitting back down once he realized Reid was going to open up a little bit.

"No, it's not that," he nervously choked out, eyebrows furrowed so hard the muscles started to ache. He wasn't even completely sure of what the issue was. "My partner—he's new to the school and he can't speak—he's just been making me wonder some stuff lately."

Arron nodded, looking away from Reid and to the lockers in front of him. He had a feeling he knew what this was all about.

"Like... I saw a drawing he did of me. It was my eyes—it was like he put everything I have to always hide at school into that drawing, and I guess it startled me. 'Cause, y'know, he's new and I don't know how he can know me so well when even my own parents can't. I feel exposed and powerless, but I don't hate it like I feel I should. It feels...," he trailed off, trying to come up with the words.

"Liberating?"

Reid nodded, tense shoulders falling as he ran his hands over his face. Running his fingers through his blue hair, he looked up at Arron with a sheepish, nervous look. "What does it mean, though?"

Arron rested a hand on Reid's shoulder and looked him in the eye, a serious look on his face. "It means whatever it needs to mean. It means that you're finding yourself and discovering new things... Did you know I'm gay?"

Reid's eyebrows furrowed as he shook his head, biting his lip. "No, but what does that have to do with this?"

Arron gave him a deadpan look but Reid was still confused. This lead Arron to believe that Reid wasn't quite ready to admit what they both already knew.

"I was eighteen when I realized. Girls were pretty and all, but the boys? My heart jumped against my chest any time some cute guy looked my way or talked to me. I didn't let myself realize it until I was eighteen, though, like I said, and I think I did that on purpose... 'Cause, y'know, my parents and I don't get along, and it's 'cause of that. I told them, and luckily I was old enough to move out on my own. It's how I ended up fighting; I was so angry at everything. I didn't wanna be gay, y'know? From what I knew about it, it just meant my life was gonna be harder and filled with hateful people."