Malachi was deeply anxious as he entered his classroom.
It was his first day in his new school, and he wasn't sure what to expect. He glanced around and found a chair at the back, near the door. He sat there and waited.
Some of his classmates had already tried to socialize with each other. He wondered if he should introduce himself to anybody. To his right was the door and to his left was an empty seat. The one in front of him was a girl who was happily getting to know her seatmate.
Malachi took it as a sign to stay quiet and find something interesting about the floor.
Frankly, it was his choice to come here. His parents were a little iffy about the fact that the school was far away so they would not see their son unless it was the weekends but he seemed to have wanted to be here so bad and they could not say no.
The reason (to which he had yet to tell his parents) was because the first thing that caught his eye when he had read about the school was they were proud of their "Diversity" principle meaning that they would force students to be open to people of different walks of life, including race, religion and sexual preference.
They had him at "sexual preference".
~*~
There were a couple of instances that indicated that Malachi swung the other way.
When he was 5 he told his friend that "he had pretty eyes", which he had found out at that moment was something you were NOT supposed to say to another guy. When he was 9 he was a big fan of Recca No Honou, as well as a fan of Recca but not in the way most boys would like him for. When he was eleven while all the boys were rambling on about Emma Watson on the big screen he hid a picture of Rupert Grint somewhere in his notebook.
Even with these events, Malachi was still pretty unsure. He did find girls pretty. He wasn't really picky with his clothes or shoes either, which was the usual indication for one to be gay. So, he had thought it may have been just a phase in his life.
He was proved wrong at the age of 13 by a kiss. Two kisses to be exact.
The first one was by a girl named Annabelle. She was a girl at his old school who had a big crush on him and had found the guts to ask him out. Malachi had not expected that, but she had been a nice girl and his friends had told him to give it a shot. (Given he was the only one who didn't show any interest in the opposite sex)
They had watched a movie, shot some hoops, played Drum Mania (Malachi's favorite game) at the arcade and he took her home around 7 in the evening. They both had big smiles on their faces.
"Today was great. Thanks for hanging out with me." She said.
Malachi smiled. "Thanks for asking me. I'm quite flattered. I've...never been asked out before."
This made Annabelle's heart swell. So if ever, this was going to be Malachi's first (and only- she hoped) girlfriend.
Before she had unlocked her front door she spun and pressed her lips to his.
The blond froze in his spot, eyes staring at her. Annabelle had sensed it and pulled back.
Malachi shook off the surprise and muttered. "Sorry...I..I got caught off guard."
Annabelle pursued her lips. "You...you didn't kiss back."
"Huh? What?"
"You...you just stared at me." She smiled sadly. "You don't like me..."
"What?! No no don't get me wrong I think you're pretty and all but..."
"But you don't like me like that." She finished quietly.
Malachi looked down. He didn't want to hurt her, but he could not lie to her. He was trying to figure out what to say in the hopes the next time they meet it would not be awkward.
Annabelle suddenly had a thought. Her tone was normal now. "Malachi..."
His head shot up to look at her. "Yes?"
She suddenly gave a smile,although Malachi was certain there was something mischievous about it. "Nothing. Nothing. I have an idea. Meet me tomorrow after school, okay? You are free tomorrow right?"
Well, at least she wasn't crying, he thought. "Um, yeah I guess. Alright then..."
"Good."
~*~
"Is this seat taken?"
The blond looked up to see a slim brunette boy standing next to him, pointing at the seat to his left.
"No. You can take it."
"Awesome." He flashes a smile and sits down. The boy squints his eyes at Malachi, as if trying to see if he had seen him before and said "I don't remember seeing you in the dorms."
"I haven't settled in yet. I just arrived to get to class. I'll be moving in later in the afternoon."
"Ah alright!" He extends his hand to him. "The name is Garret."
Malachi took his hand and smiled back. "Malachi."
"Hey that's a pretty cool name." Garret smiled. "Whenever I hear my name I think of the guy in X-men."
Malachi ran through his knowledge of X-men for a fit. "You mean Gambit?"
Garret snapped his fingers in recognition. "Yeah! Exactly! Not most people totally see why though, but seriously doesn't 'Gambit' sound like 'Garret'?"
"...A little, I guess." Malachi found that thought to be too random though. "Isn't his real name Remy though?"
He waved the air with his hand "Irrelevant. So you watch X-men?"
He shrugged. "Not a faithful fan, but I did watch the movies."
"Aww the movies were nice! Of course the comics are probably always better but I dunno I liked it. Rogue was more badass in the older tv series. Don't you think so?"
Before Malachi could speak, Garret continued and was started talking quickly. "But Storm was pretty kickass too in the movie. I also like Mystique and Shadowcat, but Shadowcat didn't get much coverage and she should have because she was REALLY cool if you think about it. I mean come on she's talented in the Computer Science field! They should have made her fix the jet or some crazy stuff than just be some possible love interest to Iceman."
Malachi snorted, smiling. "Well that would have actually been more cool than her mutant power."
Garret nodded. "But still it's pretty useful. It's also simple to explain her powers. I think when I was a kid I wasn't totally sure what Jubilee's power was."
"She...had the power of fireworks? I...I'm not sure."
"Exactly!"
The teacher had arrived, almost ending their conversation, but Garret managed to whisper "Hey since you're new and all, I'll introduce you to the guys later alright?"
Malachi smiled and mouthed the word "Sure."
Garret gave his most charming smile back. "Awesome."
~*~
"Annabelle?" Thirteen-year old Malachi called. He spotted someone who looked like her outside the school and it seemed she was looking for someone else.
The tall girl with a braided ponytail turned around and smiled to see Malachi running towards her.
"Hey. Sorry. What was it you wanted to show me?"
"Well, it was more that I wanted you to meet someone."
She turned and it was then Malachi took notice of her older male companion. He was about two inches taller than him, with oak brown hair. The boy wore a jersey jacket from another school, washed out jeans and sneakers.
He flashed a smile at the blond, and Malachi felt his cheeks turn pink.
Annabelle smirked. "Malachi, I want you to meet Jonathan. Jonathan, this is Malachi the guy I was talking about."
Malachi did not suspect Annabelle's intentions. All he could do was try to keep calm as he held out his hand to the boy in front of him, who shook it.
"Um...nice to meet you Jonathan." He said.
"Likewise. Annabelle was right. You are kinda cute. I can already feel this date is going to be great."
Malachi shot a look of confusion to his female friend. She in turn just smiled. Jonathan looked at her as well, taken aback.
"Oh God! Annabelle you didn't tell him!"
"Tell me what?" Malachi asked. This was getting more confusing.
The girl looked around to see that nobody was in sight or within earshot before she pulled him a little farther and spoke softly. "Malachi, I know."
"Know what?"
"Your secret."
"What? What are you-"
Her voice was a whisper now. "I know you're gay."
Malachi eyes widened in horror. "What...I..."
She gave a sincere smile. "It's okay. If you don't want me to tell anyone, that's fine. But I wish you had just said so than just use me for an experiment to see if you were straight."
"No! Annabelle, that's not what you think-"
But she would not have it. "I saw how you looked at Jonathan. Face it" She glanced a moment at her friend, who was not within earshot and oblivious that he was the topic of the moment. "If I placed a raw egg on his stomach it would cook itself into a sunny side up."
The image was pleasant for Malachi but he forced it out of his head.
"Annabelle, just because I didn't like you doesn't mean I'm gay. You and I both know it doesn't make sense."
"I know...but...I've been watching you for a while." She turned pink at having to confess that, but continued. "And I see the way you glance at guys. It's not that subtle, actually. You're lucky not many people pay that much attention. But I never thought about it until recently, so I decided to set you up with Jonathan. He manages to attract all humans." She gave an airy sigh.
Malachi opened his mouth to ask something, but she was two steps ahead.
"Yes...he is too."
This was all going too fast for Malachi. He knew he had some tendencies, but he wasn't really sure. Suddenly this girl just shoves a handsome boy at him and she expects him to just deal with it? He wasn't even sure for HIMSELF.
Annabelle could sense the struggle he was going through, so he took his hands in hers and looked at him with her most sincere face.
"Malachi, if you're unsure, this is one of the ways to find out."
"But..wouldn't that be treating him as an experiment?"
She smiled mischievously. "Maybe, but come ON it's not like you don't want to."
Malachi turned to Jonathan, and he considered.
"O...okay. And Annabelle?"
"Yes?"
He smiled softly at her. "Thank you but on other circumstances I would have probably told you that you were crazy."
"It was worth the risk." She winked.
~*~
"Okay so if you had to be one of the X-men, who would you be?"
This was Garret's question as Malachi unpacked his clothes from his luggage and placed them in his closet. From the time they had finished class to the time Malachi got his stuff up his room, Garret would talk about ANYTHING under the sun. It's like he had a card full of ideas for Ice-breaking tattooed to his brain. Malachi didn't mind too much. He felt comfortable around the brunette.
"Huh. There's a lot of them to choose from. I guess it would have to be Juggernaut."
"What? Just superhuman strength?! Psh..." Garret shook his head, as if Malachi had chosen to become a corrupt politician than helping the people.
Malachi raised an eyebrow. "Okay, so I throw the question back to you. If YOU could choose to be one of the X-men, who would you be?"
"Ha! I already know! Gambit, remember?" He mimicked throwing playing cards. "Kinetic energy for the win!"
Malachi folded his arms on his chest and raised a eyebrow. "As Juggernaut I would be immune to your cards and throw you to the nearest wall."
Garret smirked. "But I know Gambit has this charm of suggestion. I can hypnotize you to not throw me to the wall!"
Malachi smirked back. "You forgot Juggernaut wears a helmet to protect him from mental attacks."
Garret thought it over for a moment, then yelled. "Dang it! Well I could somehow remove the helmet."
"Yeaaah...like Juggernaut would make it easy for anyone to do THAT."
There was a knock on the door. Malachi opened it to find a lanky boy with glasses.
"Oh hi! So you're the recent arrival. I'm Thomas." The boy smiled. "I'm in the room a few doors down."
"Hey. I'm Malachi."
Garret now spoke. "Tom! Great timing! Now, tell this guy right now that superhuman strength is a lame superpower!"
Thomas did a double take and turned to Malachi, who explained. "Garret is trying to find a way to defeat me if I was Juggernaut and if he was Gambit."
The other boy laughed. "Dude, Gambit is totally screwed. Juggernaut will just throw him to the wall and it's game over. Maybe you should find a mutant who nullifies all mutant powers like in the Last Stand. You may not have kinetic powers, but you may just have a chance for removing the helmet."
Garret frowned. Malachi laughed and placed some of his books on the desk. In the process a photo fell out and just before he was going to catch it Garret swooped and picked it up.
"Hey who's...Rupert Grint?" The brunette was confused. "Why do you have a picture of Rupert Grint?"
Malachi swiped the photo from his hand and hid it in one of his notebooks. "Uh...I like his hairstyle. Am using it as a reference when I get a haircut."
"Oh." Somehow Garret felt that wasn't the real reason. The brunette noticed his friend looked a little jumpy. "You okay?"
"Yes! Fine! Uh...I think I'll take a lot of time so...you guys better come back later."
He pushed Garret out of the room as Thomas backed out before shutting the door.
Thomas gave a quizzical look to Garret. "What was that all about?"
Garret bit his lip. He had an idea, but he felt he could be jumping the gun. This seemed all too familiar.
"It's probably nothing. Come on Tom."
He turned to walk back to his room.
~*~
Thirteen-year old Malachi wasn't sure if he was gay, but right now he was having a great time.
When Annabelle had said he attracted all humans, he thought it was probably just because he was good looking. (Good-looking being an understatement to Malachi) What she didn't say that he was utterly a lot of fun.
He was skilled at any game you could throw at him in the arcade. Jonathan had saved him from zombies many times in House of the Dead, won him a couple of stuffed toys from gathering tickets, and they played some hoops before the boy walked him home.
"Wow...I haven't had so much fun in a long time." Malachi commented.
Jonathan smiled. "Glad to hear. We do owe Annabelle a thank you, huh?"
Malachi's smiled faded. "Yeah about that..."
They both stopped walking on the sidewalk near his home as Malachi faced him. "So...you're..." His voice was now sotto voce "...gay."
Jonathan smiled sadly and nodded. "Why? Aren't you?"
"...I...I honestly don't know..." Malachi could not look at Jonathan for a moment. "I was hoping to ask you...how you knew..."
"Ah. Well..." He chuckled. "I've been sure for a while. It just..it just felt right, you know?"
Malachi sighed in defeat. "I don't."
"Well...let's just say...the way guys feel around girls they like in movies.." Jonathan took a step closer, inches from Malachi and whispered. "That's how I felt when I saw you."
Before Malachi could even swallow his heart down back to his chest, the distance between them was gone as the other boy pressed his lips on his.
~*~
Garret and Malachi's first week had been tiring. Every class had homework, which were all due the next week. The dorm had been quiet as everyone was trying to make the deadline and hopefully have time to have some fun.
The incident with the Rupert Grint photo was never brought up, mainly because there really was no time to even think of it. If the guys at the dorm weren't having a study session in the common room, they were bolted in their own room finishing their work.
It was Sunday afternoon when Malachi finally dropped his pens and rejoiced. He got up from his seat and dropped on his bed, deciding the best way to spend the last few hours before another weekday was to sleep it off.
He heard a knock on the door and he just muttered loudly under his pillow. "Come in."
He heard footsteps and opened one eye to see Garret standing by his bed.
"Yo! How's the homework coming?"
Malachi shut his eye again before mumbling. "I finished it all. The Gods have been kind."
Garret chuckled before pulling a chair and sitting down next to Malachi's bed. "Anyway...there's something personal I want to talk to you about."
The blond opened one eye at Garret and examined him carefully. He was not his usual energetic self. He was reserved and quiet now, and this was making the other boy uncomfortable.
Nevertheless, he got up and sat on the edge of his bed. He rubbed the sleep off his eyes and looked at the brunette.
"Okay...what is this all about?"
"I want to tell you a story." Garret pulled out a photo from his back pocket and showed it to him.
The picture was of two boys. One was obviously a younger version of Garret who was being carried on someone's back...
Malachi's breath hitched upon recognizing the other boy. He had the same oak brown hair as someone he had known not too long ago.
"You okay?" Garret asked.
The blond looked at Garret. "Who...who is this?"
"Oh...well, this is Jonathan...um..he's my cousin. He was the best. He taught me how to play the guitar, basketball, and all other kinds of stuff. He was a really swell guy." Garret smiled as memories of him and Jonathan flashed back.
Memories of Jonathan flashed to Malachi too. It had to be him. This had to be the Jonathan he met.
But something wasn't right about how Garret told the story. "You said...was..."
The brunette took a deep breath. "Well...yeah you see...he was also gay. He wasn't sure at first, but he started to feel comfortable about himself, so when I was 13 he told it to his parents and well..."
His hands were fidgeting, as if trying to hold on to something so he could talk straight. Suddenly emotions were flooding to his face.
"There...there was nothing I could do. My uncle couldn't deal with it. He kept saying he was a freak. His mom was trying to think that maybe it was just a phase, and maybe all he needed was the right girl or some therapy." He laughed bitterly. "They thought he was just sick or something...but he was normal...just like you and me...UGH..."
Garret dropped his head in his hands. Malachi could only pat his shoulder.
There was silence as Garret gathered his thoughts and emotions before speaking again. He lifted up his head slightly. His eyes were tearing up.
Albeit terrified, Malachi had to ask. "So...what happened to him?"
"I...I don't know. He was r-really hurt about it. I mean, I don't blame him. He loved his parents...he thought they would understand. They had ALWAYS been supportive of him. So...he ran away..."
Garret sighed, wiping away the tears with his arm. "I s-suppose...I shouldn't even be upset. I mean, he probably found a job and some place to crash. I'm sure he'll be alright...but what if he isn't? What if he was beaten up or robbed or something? And I'm just here, in a stupid school having a NORMAL life that he should have had too?!"
Malachi patted his back to comfort him. This was hurting him more than his friend knew. Had he known about him and Jonathan? Is this why they were having this conversation?
After his first date, Jonathan never called back. He had asked Annabelle if he was okay, but she was just as clueless as him. He had spent months wondering if there was something he had done, or if he was just some jerk who played with him.
"Garret...why are you telling me this?"
At this question, Garret smiled at him. "Dude, when I was 13 I knew nothing. I couldn't fend for anyone let alone myself. I didn't really know about these things. But...I'm older now. This time, I'm going to do what I couldn't have done before."
He placed his hand on Malachi's shoulder. "I can tell you're not ready to tell the school about your secret, but when you do I just want you to know that I'm right here. I'm going to be the guy that will punch every single asshole that thinks you don't deserve the same rights as you do. I'm going to be the guy who will fight when you can't do it anymore. I will be like Ron Weasley to Harry Potter. You hear me, Malachi?"
The boy in question was at a loss for words. But then he chuckled a bit before he smiled. "Alright Garret. I heard you."
He chuckled again as Garret calmed down. "You're silly, you know that? Plus Ron Weasley DID at one point leave Harry Potter because he got fed up with it."
Garret groaned. "I'm being very dramatic here and you need to point out the flaw in my analogy? I would have thought you'd at LEAST blush that I referred to your crush."
Malachi laughed even harder, tears coming out of his eyes.
What Garret didn't know was that Malachi was also crying because he was touched. After Annabelle, there was nobody else who had known. While relieved, it was a little miserable to have nobody to run to. Nobody who understood you.
But Garret knew, and he was okay with it.
He suddenly remembered Jonathan, and hoped he was okay wherever he was. Malachi hoped that if ever they meet again, he would tell him what a wonderful cousin he has.
~*~
Jonathan pulled back from Malachi, whose eyes were now closed. When he realized that the kiss had ended he opened his eyes and they were met with smiling ones from the other boy.
He wasn't sure what to say. What does one say to that kind of event anyway, he thought.
The brunette laughed. "Wow, I'm very flattered you are speechless. I didn't think I was a good kisser."
Malachi was flushed. "Um...sorry. You caught me by surprise. On a different note I can tell you're friends with Annabelle. She also pulled one on me last night."
"Haha, so I see. Too bad I wasn't your first. You were definitely mine." He smirked.
Malachi smiled. "Well, no offense to Annabelle but this was one kiss I definitely enjoyed."
"Ah...so you're pretty sure now?"
"Haha...so it seems." Malachi looked down, shuffling his feet. "But I'm not sure how to tell my parents about this."
"Ah...well, if it makes you feel any better I haven't either."
Malachi's head shot up to meet Jonathan's face. "You haven't told them?"
He shook his head. "Don't get me wrong. I knew who I was, but I guess now I have a reason to. I mean how else are they going to meet my boyfriend if they don't know?"
Malachi could feel his heart leaping out of his chest. "B-boyfriend?"
The brunette slapped his palm on his forehead. "Oh God sorry I jumped into conclusions. This is all going too fast and I..."
The blond took his hand in his and squeezed it. "It's...okay." He smiled. "I just got...surprised...that's all."
"So...so you're okay?"
He shrugged. "This is all going too fast really, but right now I don't want to be with anyone else anyway."
Jonathan gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "Wonderful. I'll talk to my parents tomorrow. I'll call you then."
Malachi nodded and smiled as he waved goodbye to Jonathan. He felt he was on cloud nine. Not only was he sure of who he was now, but he miraculously found a boy who liked him and was now official with.
This was the best night in Malachi's life.
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