I decided to text Charlotte since I was still new to campus. I asked her if she could meet me by the office building and walk me to my next class. She replied with a smiley face and said she'd be here in a few minutes. Great, so I'm missing two classes on the first day! Dad is going to be so disappointed. The bell rang five minutes later and two minutes later Charlotte was by my side.

"Hey," she smiled. I sighed and got up from the ground. Mother will have a fit if these pants are dirty.

"Hi," I said dusting myself off.

"Have you been sitting out here the entire time?'

"Well after I got my schedule I came outside but didn't know where classes were, that's when I texted you."

"You could've asked for a campus map, or better yet you could've asked a staff member to show you the way to class. That way when you show up late the teachers can't do shit." her swearing catches me off guard and she notices.

Scoffing she says, "What--is swearing a sin, too?"

I almost am offended. "Not really, but swearing from a girl is unlady-like." she rolls her eyes with a smile. We pass so many boys and girls, but I notice the guys. Some are slim, others are muscular and tan. I have a weird feeling in my stomach again. They look good, maybe that feeling is jealousy? I would like to have a nice set of biceps.

"Okay, guy, this is your class." she says to me. I make a face.

"My name's Tristan, I thought we had already established this?" She smirked and opened the door for me. I walked in and was surprised that she did too. I looked at her confused.

"I have the same class." she says pointing at her seat next to the window. Although I'm not very fond of her I'm glad there'll be someone I know in this class, since I've missed my first two.

"Come on, guy, I'll introduce you to my friends." she grabs my hand and walks us towards her desk.

My name's Tristan." I say. She rolls her eyes.

"My bad, Tristan."

"Just out of curiousity, what type of people do you hang out with?" I asked. She snorts while laughing.

"Let's just say your parents wouldn't like us." My eyes widen as we approach people with piercings, tattoos and smell like weed. "Hey, guys this is Tristan. He's new here so show him some love."

"Hey, Char." some preppy girl says from behind us. Charlotte turns to her with a smile.

"Hey, Liz, how are you?"

They exchange small talk as I watch Liz and Charlotte converse. Charlotte and Liz looks like they have nothing in common. Liz is sweet and nice and looks so innocent, while Charlotte is cool and confident with a badass demeanor.

"Okay well Jay's here, she has hi by the way." I am now focusing and I look to where Charlotte looks and I see a girl who has the same demeanor as Charlotte; badass.

"Hey, Jay!" Charotte waves to this Jay person and she waves back. Liz walks towards Jay and what I see shocks me. Liz kisses Jay sweetly on the lips. I am sure my eyes are popping out of my head. Charlotte smacks my arm.

"Don't stare it's rude." she whispers.

"They--she, they're..."

"Yes, Tris, they're together

"But, Jay she's a, a--"

"Yes, Tristan, Jay's a girl and Liz is a girl. No big deal."

"No big deal? That's a sin!" I whisper the last part to Charlotte not wanting to draw attention to myself. She glares at me and walks me back outside. I hear someone say there's 5 more minutes till class begins.

"Listen here, Tris, you're a... Sweet looking guy but don't let your religion cloud your judgment."

"Cloud my judgment? Are you serious? Homosexuality is a sin! Two women cannot reproduce a child, it's abnormal!" I am repeating everything I've read, heard and learned from church. Everyone has always told me that being gay is bad. God made Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve.

"Tris, just because your folks raised you to believe that doesn't mean it's true. Trust me, your feelings will change soon." I'm about to ask her what she means when the bell rings signalling class is beginning. I walk in with Charlotte and sit beside her, surrounded by her friends who may or may not be just like Jay and Liz.

"Hello class, I'm Mrs. Rivera. Please stay seated as I take attendance and say 'here' so I know not to mark you absent." she starts calling names and everyone says here, hey, or yeah when their name is called. There's one name she has to repeat twice before the boy I saw from the office walks in late to class saying 'here'.

"Damon, you're late."

"I know my bad. I was just getting the janitor since the restroom was clogged up." his excuse is insincere and sarcastic but the teacher huffs and tells him to take his seat. He walks by Charlotte and they do some bro fist thing before he takes a seat behind me. I turn to look at him and he nods and smiles.

"Nice to see you again." he says. My heart thumps erraticly. I don't know if it's from fear, but I look to the front of the class again hoping to ignore him.

"Tristan Douglas?" the teacher calls my name. I mumble a shy 'here'. She stops taking attendance to acknowledge me.

"I don't believe I've seen you in my class before." she says thoughtfully.

"Uh, that's because I'm new." I'm so awkward and everyone is staring at me.

"Oh, well why don't you come up to the front and introduce yourself." I get up and try to seem confident as I walk to the front. I see Charlotte and Damon talking and he glances at me before looking down. I wonder what they're saying.

"Um, hi. I'm Tristan, I'm 17 and I play the piano. Uh, not sure what else to say." My cheeks are red I'm sure of it.

"Thank you, Tristan. You may take your seat." I try to look at the back of the class while I walk back to my seat. I trip but am able to catch myself. Damon is avoiding eye contact and Charlotte is smiling at me.

"Okay, now everyone's here. Why don't we discuss the project I'm assigning to you all?' the class groans while Mrs. Rivera smiles.

"I will be randomly partnering you all up as I explain to you what the assignment is." She turns on a projector and shows the entire class partnered up in two's.

"For this assignment, you'll be doing research on Martin Luther King and what is like when blacks and whites were segregated." I noticed my name wasn't on there. I also noticed Damon's wasn't, that frightened me.

"Now, Tristan since you're new I'm gonna have to partner you up with the one person who wasn't here yesterday when I was matching everyone up." she smiled behind me. I closed my eyes hoping she wouldn't say his name.

"Damon, you and Tristan are partners."

I involuntarily said 'shit' causing everyone to look at me. "Oh, um, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to swear I just, um, may I go to the bathroom?' the teacher nodded her head as I scurried out of class. When I entered the bathroom I looked in the mirror and saw I was as red as a tomato! Oh the humiliation.

I wet my face and took deep breaths. "It's okay. I can do this. Nothing to worry about." I made sure my face was back to normal before I walked out. I shrieked when I saw Charlotte outside the bathroom.

"What are you doing here?' I asked her. My face is red again.

"I had to make sure you were okay. Are you?'

"I, I don't know, honestly." I leaned up against the wall as she stood observing me.

"What's wrong?' she asked, seeming genuinely concerned.

"I don't know, it's that Damon guy. When I see him my heart beats really fast, I think I'm scared of him." she laughs.

"That's not fear you're feeling."

"Then what is it?'

"I can't tell you yet, that's for you to figure out."

"....What the hell does that mean?" I ask completely irritated. I've sworn twice today, I embarrassed myself in class and now Charlotte is being kryptic.

"Come on, class is almost over." she said. I walked to class with her and Mrs. Rivera asked if i was okay. I told her I was fine before taking a seat.

--

"Hey," Damon said catching up to Charlotte and I. "Here's my number, call me when you wanna meet up to work on the project."

"Uh, sure." I tell him. He smiles.

"You look cute when you blush." he says. My eyes widen. He looks at Charlotte and tells her he'l see her later.

"What was that?' I ask.

"It was a conversation." she says teasingly.

"No, I mean why did he call me cute?"

"Well you are pretty adorable, Tris." I'm blushing again.

"Yeah, well guys don't call guys cute."

"Whatever you say, Tristan." she walks me to the lunch table with her friends. Soon the day is over and I'm being driven home by Theresa.

"So how was school?" she asked with a smile.

"school was... Interesting."

"What do you mean?"

"I'd rather not talk about it right now." I'm in a bitter mood. She raises her eyebrows in surprise before she continues to drive in silence.

"So, son how was your day?" father asks me as we sit at the dinner table. We've just said grace and are eating mom's special lasagna.

"It was okay, although there are lesbians in my class." Forks are dropped and the table is silent.

"Ask your teacher if you can switch classes then." Mom says before slowly beginning to eat again.

"I don't think I can, but they're in the back of the class so they won't bother me much."

"It doens't matter." father begins. "being anywhere near those homosexuals will effect you, you may end up choosing to like boys one day because of them."

"No, dad I won't. I will be too busy working on this project for class to be thinking about anything else."

"Well, just know that you're a follower of God, and God loves all his children. Those lesbians will go to hell for choosing the life they've chosen, and unless you wanna end up like them I suggest you stay away from them."

I've lost my appetite to eat, but I nod my head and eat regardless. "Yes, sir."

--