#‘token straight friend’ are you sure about that imogen

[samnelsonwrites]

Chapter 2: A Mundane Monday Morning

Monday mornings always begin the same way: I drag myself out of bed, get some coffee, and begin the dreaded walk to school. The scenery, the people, and the music I listen to at full volume is always the same. I meet Jamie at the school's main entrance; god, I despise this place. I always wonder why I didn't switch for 6th Form. I attend Viridis Grammar, a Co-Ed school full of students who have no chance of passing any exams, let alone attending university. I'm not smart in the least; I didn't get any grades higher than a B in my GCSEs, and yet I'm the smartest person here. It really just goes to show how dumb students are.

My friends and I are deemed "nerds" since we are not screwing up classes. We've all been friends since year 7 and we're extremely close. We haven't allowed anyone new into our friend group because we know it will ruin our dynamic. Tori is the eccentric one among us, and she is where the energy is. If she's around me a lot, my introverted self finds her a little socially draining. Imogen, I believe, is the "trendy" one among us. She has always been up to date on the latest trends and is constantly criticising our sense of fashion; it was irritating initially, but now we all roll our eyes at her when she starts being "influencer Immi," as we call her. She’s the token straight friend. Max is Imogen's boyfriend; I'm not quite certain how they hooked up since Max is the quiet, nose-in-a-book type of guy and Imogen is quite the contrary. Max doesn't say much, but when he does, it's usually with a witty remark. And then there's Jamie, my boyfriend. I feel like he's the only one who truly understands me, but I still feel alone. We've been dating for a year and a half, and I think it's safe to say things are going swimmingly. Jamie is the coolest person in our group; he is the lead vocalist and guitarist in a band called "Purely Purple," so named because all of the instruments in the band are purple. I am a huge fan of the band and go to every concert they perform at. One of their YouTube videos has received over 16K views. I imagine them becoming well-known one day.

“How y’doing?” Greets Jamie.

“Couldn’t be better” I replied sarcastically. Jamie grinned at me as if my comment was hilarious. He leaned in and brushed his lips against mine—instant butterflies. You would have thought that I would have gotten used to the idea of Jamie kissing me but no, I haven’t, I feel as if we are still in the “Honeymoon Phrase” as Imogen likes to call it. 

Imogen and Max walked through the gates, clearly arguing, as they frequently do. Argue one minute, then fall hopelessly in love the next. It's as if they're an elderly couple. Absolutely adorable. 

"Are you okay?" "Fine," Max grunted as he aggressively pushed past me.

"What in the world happened this time?" Jamie asked.

"It's just about how Max doesn't pay enough attention to me," Imogen responded.

"Oh my God, Imogen, he lavishes you with attention; quit bitching!" I sigh.

"I'd like for us to be like you guys." She directed her finger at us. "You guys can't stay away from each other for long."

"Immi, different people express affection in various ways, but we just like PDA," Jamie explained.

"Yeah, I don't think Max wants to engage in PDA." I agree.

The school bell rang at 8.30 a.m., indicating the start of classes. Jamie and I are heading to English lit.

"Ah, Twelfth Night, the gayest play ever," I said.

"Viola is obviously struggling with gender dysphoria," Jamie explained.

Viola would be someone I frequently associate with. I definitely have gender dysphoria, just like Viola. I really want to tell Jamie about my gender fluidity, yet I'm not sure how. I guess I need to find the right moment. 

"Hey, Jamie?" "How did you realise you were non-binary?" I ask.

"I suppose I've always known to some extent. I've always associated more with men than a woman, but I wasn't sure I was entirely a man."

"Huh, did you have a lightbulb moment or was it a gradual process?"

"I actually realised I'm not cis about 2 years ago, then came out to you a few months later, what's the sudden interest?"

Shit, do I have to come out now? Or no? Why am I asking this, did I completely screw up? "I don't think through my questions." Oh, I was just wondering" Is that a sufficient excuse? Will they buy it?

"All right," they said.

For the remainder of the English lesson, we sat in complete silence. I was replaying the conversation we just had in my head, cringing at how I handled it. After what felt like the lengthiest lesson ever, the bell finally rang at 9.30 a.m. 

"What are you going to do after school?" Jamie inquired.

"I'm not sure, probably curled in blankets in front of the TV, watching His Dark Materials or something."

"So nothing,"

"Sums it up"

"Would you want to come to mine? We could watch His Dark Materials together?"

"Sure. At 4, I'll meet you at the gates." I grinned.

Mundane Monday isn't so mundane after all now I'm going to Jamie's after school. Although I can see how the evening will play out. I predict we will watch about 10 minutes of His Dark Materials before Jamie does something so incredibly hot that my immense attraction to him will overpower all of my senses and we will start necking it. It's a tradition.

The remainder of the day dragged on. I was very excited about the evening. I attempted to finish all of my schoolwork at lunch and failed terribly since Tori was telling me about a band she really wants to see, The Ark.  I enjoy The Ark, but I wouldn't want to go to one of their gigs since the fans are so intense. When one of the guys, I believe it was Rowan, had a girlfriend, a jealous fan hurled a brick at his head. A bit mental, most of them are screaming teenagers who have nothing better to do than fantasise about shagging one of the members. Don't blame them, Jimmy Kaga Ricci is a snack. 

#gay writing #alice oseman #lgbtqia #his dark materials