[Andy]

NINE:: when your life is a teen movie.

The soccer field was my home away from home, we were a family, or at least that was what I thought as I walked into the boys' locker room before practice, my co-captain, Andy, on my tail. We were discussing his new ideas for the team and he hadn't once brought up the trending topic.

But regardless of our differences, we all wanted one thing and that was to win and to make a name for ourselves at school. So screw me for thinking they'd act like I wasn't any different from who I was before I came out. Screw me for thinking that nothing had changed.

So when one of the sophomores on the team approached me as I walked in, I greeted him. And he greeted me back but the mischief in his eyes only burned brighter, "Hey Julian, you know I was kind of wondering..." He looked around at his friends, making sure he had full attention of the locker room before getting in my face. His eyebrow was raised as he questioned, "When'd you become such a fag?"

I wasn't concerned about my captaincy or the fact that I could get him kicked off the team as I responded, pushing his shoulders sharply until he hurtled back into a locker. His back collided with the metal, my fists clenched as he pushed himself off and tensed up, squaring his shoulders before stepping closer, attempting to intimidate me.

I don't know what made me use violence but something in me was tired of just letting it slide off my shoulders. The only way people wouldn't think they could get away with shit was if you hit them back ten times harder.

"Ricky, you're running laps the entire practice," Andy, who I hadn't noticed was behind me, countered, he placed a hand on my shoulder as the guy in from of me tried to reason, "no exceptions," and then Andy turned to the guys' friends, "Anyone else wanna take a shot a the captain? We're a team and just because one of us likes dicks not chicks doesn't make us any less of a team. Go set up before Coach flips."

I turned to face him when everyone dispersed, Andy unpacking his jersey and shorts from his bag, stuffing the rest of his crap in his locker, "Thanks Andy."

What really got me was the fact that he had no problem whipping off his shirt to place another one on. He wasn't afraid to change, as if nothing had changed. I was undressing and digging through my sport bag when Andy responded, sitting on the long bench in the middle of the lockers, "You realized that could've cost you your spot on this team, right?"

Coach didn't tolerate any violence and I knew this so it even surprised me that I pushed that sophomore without any problem.

This caused me to roll my eyes although I knew he was right, "whatever."

It was silent as I found my jersey and pulled it on, my shorts and shoes already on. I pulled up my Nike socks, sitting beside Andy. He seemed to be deep in thought, he only stayed in the locker room when he had something to say, normally about the guys who he felt weren't pulling their weight on the team.

But when it was about the team, he wouldn't shut up and in the locker room that day, he seemed out of it.

Although I had a feeling I knew what was wrong, I had to ask, "You okay man?"

Andy had shook his head, eyebrows drawn together as his head turned and his brown eyes examined me. He licked his lips looking down at his phone before opening his locker and placing it in there, "Why'd you do it?"

Why'd I almost rearrange the guy's face?

"What?"

"Why'd you..." He seemed a little uncomfortable as he plucked at the Nike wristband he was wearing, "You know, come out?"

An unplanned, bitter laugh escaped my lips at that. My sexuality seemed to be all anyone could talk about recently, but maybe I was just paranoid, "You haven't heard?"

It was running fairly close to the time when practice would start and I was trying to keep out of having the conversation. I had more going on in my life than being gay but apparently all my problems started when I came out, my family was falling apart, my school life was a disaster, and I had been bailing on my religion.

"I heard something but I know better than to trust what I hear..."

Exhaling, I sighed and began to explain, my head falling into my hands as I once again recalled where my already plummeting life went even more downhill, "I didn't mean to come out to the whole school, it just happened. I was telling Calum and he made a big show about it."

"Yeah, he has some serious issues..."

And despite how much Calum had hurt me, I still wanted to see the good in him, I had this weird fantasy that I could open his mind and maybe he'd accept me. I was still hanging onto those seven years of friendship.

Andy, thankfully interrupting my thoughts, stood, slapping my shoulder, "C'mon, we gotta go before coach flips his shit."

"Thanks."

He was laughing as he made his way out the locker room. Sliding off my LGBT ring, I placed it in my locker along with my phone when he responded, me catching up to him as we made our way to the field, "It's more to save my ass, I don't want to be running laps-"

"No, I mean thanks for not treating me differently."

Rolling his eyes, he jogged backwards to the other side of the field, yelling across to me, catching the attention of several guys on the team, Coach blowing his whistle to round us all up, "No problem, just don't go turning into a pansy on me, I need you to be ready for the ball not running, alright?"

I chuckled, making my way to the circle, "I've got you."

: : :

"I swear, Coach has a whistle shoved up his ass," Andy muttered after practice, his hair sweaty as he tried to catch his breath, grabbing his clothes from his bag.

I laughed, silently agreeing that he'd been tougher than usual, the team wasn't doing so good after our best defender was cut due to his grades. The chances of winning our next game weren't all that great so we'd considered doubling up on practices.

It was getting that bad.

Andy shut his locker, grabbing a towel from the supply room and on his way to the shower, he extended an invitation, "My friends and I are going for pizza later, you in?"

It was already eight and I had no intention of going home, "Yeah, sure."

And he gave me a friendly smile going to take a shower and leaving me in the locker room alone.

: : :

I hadn't expected my new 'friends' had all known each other but apparently they'd been a group for a while. It was a shock, driving down the street, Benji and Will hopping in the backseat and they dragged an unwilling Caspar in. I'd only ever seen Andy hanging with guys on sports teams, he didn't even sit at the same lunch table with these guys. But when Andy threw his arm over Will's shoulder and gave her a brotherly hug, you could tell that their friendships were genuine although unexpected considering their social circles.

Andy was driving to the nearby pizza parlor after I'd dropped the car off at home and escaped the pity looks from my sister. I didn't need anymore pity and these guys didn't give it to me.

The song playing on the radio didn't leave ay room for pity. Reaching in between the front seats of the car, Will turned the radio louder, an anthem for the broken playing through.

And Benji was playing an air guitar as Willa belted out lyrics, nudging a reluctant Caspar.

"Chances thrown, nothing's free, longing for whaaaaat used to beee," Will sang with Caspar, her voice strong and soulful as it carried throughout the four door interior. I felt her fingers pressing onto the side of my head in the form of a gun.

And then Andy was joining in loudly and head banging with the beat, voice like nails on a chalkboard.

But they were having fun and they didn't care. I envied their friendship when Caspar started laughing, enjoyment in a barely-there smile.

"Julian, sing with me!" Will yelled, laughter in her voice but the song was coming to a close and we were pulling into the parking lot.

So I promised her a next time, hoping there'd be one.

: : :

We'd picked a not-so-secluded booth in the middle of the restaurant, Caspar only slightly uncomfortable until Will grabbed his hand in comfort, the tenseness in his form evaporating with the gesture. And I secretly rooted for them as a couple, hoping that he'd leave Jade some time to think about herself rather than boys.

The conversation at the table never seemed to cease and for that I was happy because if I wasn't talking, I was thinking and thinking about my situation wasn't the best idea. We'd gotten into a light hearted chatter about soccer.

"So, if you want to learn how to play so bad, why don't you just ask-"

"Andy?" Benji interrupted without thinking twice of it. Through knowing him, I'd realized that he was kind of talkative and had this thing where he didn't notice he was cutting someone off but I didn't mind, "He gave up on teaching me-"

"Because you suck."

Benji snorted, rolling his brown eyes at his friend before raising an eyebrow and retorting, "At least I get puss-"

And I was so thankful for the disruptions at the table, Will dropping her fork to stop her brother and Andy coughed sporadically.

"Seriously, guys, you get used to it," Caspar said quietly. I'd known that Benji was basically his brother and apparently that hadn't changed since diaper days.

Andy mumbled something along the lines of 'known the guy for two years as I'm still not used to it.'

Leaning over, Will grabbed a slice of pizza from the half-gone dish and that was when I heard him.

"Jules?" It'd been a week since I'd seen Paul or any of the others if I was being honest, I had developed something around Paul and that was no boundaries. I didn't want anything romantic to come out of our friendship and whenever I saw him, I couldn't overcome the urge to push him against a wall and kiss him until we got bored of it. His voice had an effect on me, also known as 'i-can't-breathe' and when his body grazed mine I felt on fire, my knees going weak.

So as a result, I'd kept my distance but seeing him there with nicely done hair that wasn't all that done anyways and a TRXYE t-shirt that showed off his toned arms, the map tattoo over the definition of his muscles, it was hard keeping it in my pants.

I'd tried to convince myself it was just a physical attraction.

Paul was just sexy and those shorts were clinging to his ass so perfectly, anyone would be turned on.

My voice came out weak, "H-hey."

My eyes were centered on his neck, the hickey thankfully fading and there being no other evidence he'd hooked up with someone else. His smile was on his face and the friendliness of his brown eyes, too deep to fall into, "Where're the guys?"

He must not have realized the sexual frustration radiating off of me because Paul just tilted his head slightly,"Rilee has another date so Brandon's moping around at our table. I don't know where Lanny is..." and then he realized that I was with people, "These your friends?"

I didn't answer in fear that I'd say the wrong thing and Andy catching my drift decided to nod anyways, holding out a hand for Paul to shake, "Name's Andy."

Paul was smiling, "Paul."

Benji gave Paul a nod as he leaned back, "Benji." And then, as if it were normal to ask for sexual oreintation a minute after you met, "You gay too?" spluttered from his lips as Will, who was previously taking a sip of water, let her jaw drop, the water flowing back into the cup.

"Uh-"

Will wiped at we mouth, hand coming around and slapping the back of Benji's head. She has him a stern look before turning back to Paul, "Don't mind him, he lacks this thing called a filter. My name's Will."

"I'll show you a filter," Benji grumbled, grabbing her pizza and taking a bite.

Paul looked taken back -whether it was by her name or by the way Benji had basically outed him- I didn't know.

But Will looked offended and that was never a good thing, "Problem?"

"No, of course not," Paul assured, his eyes wide in innocence; he didn't have a judgmental bone in his body and that was one of his highly attractive traits, "an original name for an original girl."

Willa blushed, face turned down as she stared at her slice, a bite missing as Caspar's hand slowly inched its way toward it for another. And that was when our eyes were on him and he retracted his hand as slowly as he'd put it there, he looked like a sullen deer in the headlights, eyes a little wide as he kept to himself and eventually his face transformed back into its usual with a bored-melancholy look.

"Hi," Paul turned to the side to Caspar who still hadn't greeted him.

But Caspar wasn't one for conversation and was clearly making no indication that he'd planned on speaking to Paul anytime soon so as his eyes widened, Will nudged him in the side.

"Cas," she scolded like a mother, a disapproving tone in her voice and a stern look on her face, "stop being a dickwad and say hi."

Benji threw his head back and barked out sarcastic laughter, causing people within a forty-foot radius to jump in surprise, "Says the girl who nearly bit his face off because he looked surprised at your name."

"No one asked you for your two cents, mister 'are-you-gay-too?'"

Benji rolled his eyes, "It's an honest question. You almost killed him-"

And that was when Andy groaned, gaining attention of the few tables near us -the ones that hadn't died of a heart attack- and the bickering siblings, "Seriously, can you two get along for five fucking minutes?"

And at the same time, Will and Benji turned his way, eyes narrowed simultaneously, "Stay out of this, Andy-"

Caspar picked up Will's pizza, taking a bite before she caught him. And when he'd finished swallowing, his placed it back where he found it and then decided to speak up, holding act the smug grin, "Why do I even hang out with you guys?"

Ben tossed a napkin at him while the heated discussion got even more intense and the situation switched over to 'who-does-mom-love-more' and 'who-was-an-accident,' it was entertaining but I was also becoming uncomfortable with the family subject, "Because you're a lonely psycho who no one else wants to be friends with."

"Way to boost my self-confidence, seriously Ben, thanks..." He drawled sarcastically, his mood visibly lightened as he turned his head slightly, still not making eye contact with Paul, "I'm Caspar and I'm the most normal one here, to be fucking honest."

And Paul's welcoming smile after that was so fucking beautiful.

A/N:
Wow, it hadn't even been two weeks since my last update.

So I have a Quinceañera to attend and I still haven't had my hair done or nails or gotten a gift. I'm freaking out man, freaking out.

What do you think of Jules' new friends?

Updated: Saturday, May 9.