"And? What did Lesley say? Got off alright?" Micah, one of Max's teammates asked. The blond didn't seem that concerned about Max's run-in with the Principal, however. He sat back on the bleachers with his hands behind his head and his legs spread wide as they waited for their wrestling training to start. 

"No consequences, just a warning," Max replied, his eyes sweeping over Micah and the rest of his wrestling teammates. "But we need to watch our backs. No flag stealing stunts until the next tournament."

A collective, disappointed sigh went through the gym. 

"But that was the best part of Roe's tournament," Bryan complained. "Axel got so pissed I thought his forehead veins were gonna fucking pop!"

"Well, obviously for you it was the best part since you were eliminated in the second bracket. Train harder if you're bored," Max bit, earning him some chuckles from the others and a middle finger from Bryan.

"And I'm sure you and the coach made a killer training schedule for the winter break, didn't you?" Micah asked, not even trying to hide his thorough lack of enthusiasm.

"Sure did!" a rough but cheerful voice replied. The gym doors slammed shut, and coach Martín marched up to his wrestling team. He was holding a stack of papers, which he immediately distributed among everyone in the gym. 

Max got a copy first, recognising the training schedule he and the coach had made yesterday. Well, the schedule the coach had made. Max had mostly nodded along as was his privilege as the team captain. Any useful suggestion he made should be credited to his friend Selene, who was a much more disciplined wrestler than he was.

"The gods are merciful, no training on Christmas," Adrian sighed, though Max knew it was mostly for show. Especially from Adrian, who was so driven he'd likely end up jogging for 'just a little bit' on Christmas Eve anyway. 

In fact, most members of the team were a focused bunch when it came to wrestling. They joked around a lot, pretended they didn't want to train, but ultimately they were very invested. More invested than Max himself was by far. 

"Yo Max," Micah called out, "is your hotel gym open during the break?" 

Max nodded. "Yeah, sure, even on Christmas. Free food and drinks for the wrestling team as well." 

"Awesome!" 

Coach Martín clapped his hands. "Alright boys! We'll work hard today and during the winter break. But don't forget to rest, and come back to Ackerley ready to kick ass in our next tournament!" He gestured the boys to get on their feet. "Now, give me five minutes of warm up jogging!" 

Martín started running and everyone rose to their feet to join him. Despite the man being like sixty years old, he was still in top condition. Max always thought it was very cool of him to join the team exercises, always setting the right example and being encouraging. Martín was no doubt the best coach the school could've hired, and obviously they would with their money pile. 

Today, they worked on their legs and calves. Max's least favourite, as he knew he'd probably be waddling like a penguin tomorrow and stairs would be hell. He already felt his muscles protesting as he made his way to the locker room. 

Groaning, Max dropped his copy of the winter break training schedule next to him on the bench and took out his phone. He had a message from Selene: 

Selene: cafeteria now? [Sent: 17:15] 

Max eyed the '17:20' at the right upper corner of his phone screen. His mom would ground him if he was late for one of her fancy dinners. Whatever, he'd still make it. Especially since his mom thought a good excuse for a speeding ticket was needing to be home in time. 

"You leaving early today?" Adrian asked when Max immediately grabbed his bag and walked towards the exit without even changing. 

"Yeah, I have some stuff to do tonight."

"Alright, see you later man." 

Some more murmurs resembling 'bye' and 'later' went up from the other guys, and Max typed his reply to Selene. 

Max: on my way. [Sent: 17:21] 

Selene: good. so, what did the guys think of the winter training schedule? Did the coach take my suggestions? [Sent: 17:21] 

Max came to a full halt. Shit, the training schedule. He'd left his copy on the locker room bench. Turning on his heels, Max headed back. 

His teammates were already in the shower. The dressing area was empty, and the sound of water clattering on the tiles blended with indistinct chatting and laughing in the back. Max didn't pay attention to what they said. His attention was focused on the schedule, which was in the exact same position he'd left it in. 

Snatching the piece of paper, Max was ready to leave until he suddenly picked up one word from his teammates' murmurs. One word he could never miss and which made him stop dead in his tracks again: his name. Stepping a little closer to the shower area, Max pricked up his ears. 

"--Max is the captain and gets away scot-free with everything, including fighting Axel at a tournament, because his mom pays for your luxurious busses, your expensive jersey, and the training equipment you just used," Micah's voice sounded. "Duh."

"I didn't say I don't understand why, idiot," Bryan retorted. "That's called being rich and loaded even among the richest and most loaded. But it's still annoying."

"Right!" Adrian snorted. "Imagine any other Ackerley wrestler coming out as bisexual. Kiss that chance on a good college wrestling deal goodbye. I mean, no college will ever admit it's because of that. But, I don't know, some will definitely try to get rid of them with stupid excuses." 

"That's being rich and loaded," Micah repeated. "Max will never get in trouble for anything and he doesn't rely on a scholarship or wrestling abilities to get into a good university anyway."

"You think Max means it though?" Bryan asked. "Is he really bi? You never know with him, his mom, and their publicity stunts, and I sure never saw him with a guy." 

"I hope we never see him with a guy!" Adrian added. "It'll be a media circus focused on our wrestling team if he introduces his boyfriend. Not in a good way. My money's on he's just a poser."

"Either that, or he comes out as gay later," Micah said. "You know, once he decides what 'team' he wants to play for." 

Adrian huffed. "Nah man, we should find him a nice girlfriend or something. Get his mind off of these ideas. Isn't Marissa single again? She's hot and Max's type. We should hook them up." 

Max had crumpled the paper in his hands to a ball, a dull feeling in his stomach. That was enough. Quietly inching towards the locker room doors, Max dodged around the other guys' clothes and bags and held his breath. His teammates would never know he was there. 

Once he made it out, Max took a few deep breaths. He hadn't cared about everyone knowing he was bi, that's why he came out in the first place, but his mom had never considered what the whole media circus and tabloid headings did to him in school. Max could imagine her answer already if he ever told her: a pat on the head, a smile, and a 'no exposure is bad exposure, love. You'll always be in the spotlight. Own it.' 

He was also sure his wrestling team captain title had everything to do with his mom owning the big Topas hotel chain, and donating shit tons of money to the school. In reality it was more of a formality than a real responsibility. Max got to represent his team in certain conditions, but in the end he was just a member of the team. Not even the best one. It was another bullet point on his resume, that should've, in all fairness, gone to Micah or Adrian. 

But it didn't and it wouldn't. Mom would never allow it, and there was no point crying over spilled milk. Squaring his shoulders, determined to let all the negativity slide off of them, Max entered the cafeteria. 

Selene was at their regular table, tapping phone buttons with a bored expression on her tan face. Her literal rainbow coloured hair was tied up in a ponytail, and she was wearing a miniskirt with black pantyhose despite the cold weather outside. 

The first question Max had ever asked her was how she wore skirts which looked more like belts all through the winter and never got a bladder infection or hypothermia. She'd flicked her hair over her shoulder and asked how he'd like a fabulous high heeled shoe up his ass to help him mind his own business. Cue more insults, some actual conversation when they found out they both wrestled, and they'd been friends ever since. 

Frankly, Max had been crushing on her a little bit at first. Then she'd told him she was a lesbian, and he'd told her he was bisexual. They still jokingly agreed they'd be a perfect couple if only Max had been a girl. 

Selene looked up when Max took a seat. "Hey! Saved you a drink," she said, pulling a can of coke out of her bag, uncaring that the gym cafeteria owner could see her. 

"Thanks." Max opened the drink, and Selene nearly knocked it out of his hands by punching his shoulder.

"You never replied!" she accused Max. "Did the coach Martín take any of my suggestions?"

"Ow." Max rubbed the spot where Selene had hit him. "He did. All of them."  

Selene nodded, satisfied. "Good. It's the same one me and my girls will follow during the winter break."

"You and which girls?" 

"I'm trying to set up a girl wrestling team for Ackerley." Selene pressed her lips together. "It's absurd there are two male teams, and no female teams, isn't it? I think it is."

"Right," Max said. "But you know you're always welcome to join us, right? If anyone gives you smack, you just pound them into the ground."

"I know," Selene replied, her brown eyes holding a sparkle at Max's compliment on her strength. "But I'm going ahead to try to set up a meeting during the break anyway. I've got a few girls interested and I think I can pull it off." 

Max hummed in approval. "Nice."

"Speaking of meetings... There'll be an LGBT+ meeting in Roe Ridge, too. First week of the holidays on Tuesday." 

Selene observed Max carefully, but Max rolled his eyes. "I don't need an LGBT+ support group to talk about my feels, Selene." 

"Oh Max," Selene laughed. "You naive child. It's not just about needing support. You know lots of people find themselves a few hookups or even a partner there? Just join me sometime, and you'll see."

"Fine. I'll check it out sometime. But nothing else. I still don't need some stupid support group. Nobody picks on me or treats me differently since I came out, anyway."

Selene raised one sharp, drawn-on eyebrow. "Really. They don't? Not at all? You don't count all the people talking behind your back then, I suppose." 

"There were always people talking behind my back, even before I came out Sel." Max raised his shoulders. "Better to be talked about than to not be talked about, right?" 

"Cheers to that." 

Selene held up her can of coke, and clunked it against Max's in a sort of improvised toast. 

Max looked down at the fizzy drink in his can, watching the bubbles pop. Being talked about came with being the son of the Christina Desera, rising hotel chain CEO and self-made woman, who thinks no publicity is bad publicity. That much was true. But not being believed about his bisexuality and having it swept off the table as some publicity stunt left a sour taste in his mouth. 

He should give them a better reason to talk about him. Drag Selene to town, use her network to find and kiss a guy, and have her post an image of it. 

Max gulped down his coke, banging the empty coke onto the table. That ought to shut the nay-sayers right up.