As crazy as Zara had sounded, she was right. And Scooter should have taken her rules a little more seriously. The day had gone by and although not many people seemed to understand, only a handful of students had gone out of their way to harass them. There was plenty of misgendering and cold glares, but Scooter quickly noticed that those went away when they stuck next to Zara... People left others alone when they were in groups.

Scooter just hadn't realized that those rules applied to after-school as well. Zara had warned Scooter... She had told them that they should just hang out after school while she had volleyball and she'd give them a ride home. But Scooter was stubborn and always looked for the best in others. They had way too much hope for this town and had thought that one walk home alone wouldn't hurt.

Scooter had noticed the small group of teens walking behind them - but they simply assumed they were just heading in the same direction. They had no reason to believe otherwise, especially since Scooter's neighborhood was a lot bigger than the others and was close to the main parts of the town. Scooter soon realized they were wrong when a strong hand gripped their shoulder.

"Where are you going?" The question sounded innocent enough, but Scooter knew the menacing look in his eyes. They knew that they weren't safe around this boy or his friends.

"Live him alone, Ryder" A pretty blonde girl rolled her eyes. She was engulfed in an oversized leather jacket and she had smokey makeup that in any other situation, Scooter would have complimented and asked for tips.

"I'm not sure it's a he" The other boy chimed in with a light laugh. "What are you? Girl or boy?"

"Neither" Scooter mumbled. They shrugged Ryder's hand away and put a couple of feet of distance between them. "I'm just going home"

"That's not a thing" Ryder deadpanned. "What's in your pants?" Scooter felt their face flush, maybe from frustration or embarrassment. But they were certain their face was as red as their hair.

"Just... Fuck off" Scooter muttered.

"Fifty bucks says it's a girl" The other boy chuckled.

"I'll take you up on that offer" Ryder smirked.

"Ryder" The blonde girl snapped. "We're gonna be late. Just leave him be"

"One sec" Ryder scoffed. Scooter silently cursed and turned to leave as fast as possible when a hand caught their arm.

"Let go" Scooter snapped. They struggled to pull away, squirming as Ryder easily put his arms under Scooter's armpits and rested his hands behind Scooter's head restraining their arms.

"Shh... Just gotta check to see if I'm allowed to beat your ass or not" Ryder laughed. All blood drained from Scooter's face as they thrashed around more and harder than ever. They needed to leave and soon. They could already feel themselves begin to panic, their heart rate picking up and breathing slowly becoming impossible. They knew they were getting air... They were breathing too quickly not too. But it was like trying to inflate a balloon with a hole in it - pointless.

"Hey!" A deep, yet feminine voice snapped. Whoever it was, grabbed Ryder by the arm and yanked him away, giving Scooter a chance to pull away from his restraint. They spun around and were surprised to see not only a girl but a very short and petite one. There was no doubt in Scooter's mind that Ryder could toss her over one shoulder and be done with the fight as a whole.

She had honey-like skin, two hooded brown eyes, and her lips were drawn back in a sort of snarl as she sized up the much bigger boy. Her hair was long and a straight jet black and she wore a baggy and cheap jean jacket with an assortment of patches sewn into it. A black skateboard was in her hand and they looked ready to use it too.

"Surprise, surprise. It's the dyke who thinks she's a dude" Ryder snapped.

"Yeah? Then I'll kick your ass like one too" The girl shouted. "Get out of here you prick"

"Why should I?" Ryder demanded, leaning down to get more on the girl's level.

"Ms. Valencia, Mr. Samuels. Is there a problem here?" A deep voice suddenly cut in. Scooter's heart stopped as their eyes landed on an older man - maybe late thirties, early forties - standing in front of the two teens ready to kill one another. They weren't sure if this was one of the bad cops or Sherrif Rick, but they hoped to god it was Sherrif Rick.

"No sir" Ryder muttered, finally taking a step back.

"Yes," The girl snapped before receiving a stern look from the cop. "No, Sherrif" She huffed. And just like that Ryder and his friends slowly backed down and left. Leaving Scooter alone with this mysterious girl and officer.

"Who's this?" Sherrif Rick asked as he nodded toward Scooter.

"Oh - Um... Scooter Kelly. I'm May's sister's kid" Scooter admitted.

"Alright then. Give May my best and stay out of trouble. Alright?" Sherrif Rick asked. Scooter quickly nodded, wanting this interaction to be over as soon as possible. "That goes to you too" He scoffed as he glanced down at the strange girl. She waved him off with an eye roll before turning to Scooter.

"Do you live nearby?"

"Um... Yeah"

"Great"

_________________________________________

Emrys groaned as he walked down the familiar dirt road filled with potholes. The one thing he hated about him and Arran's families having such large properties was how long it took to walk from his house to Arran's. And he didn't dare ride his skateboard over such a bumpy and twisted road. He had learned that lesson the hard way a few too many times.

He shoved his curls off of his forehead and glanced back down at the note Bay had slipped into his pocket. Bay Sandros, quiet, reserved, never showed up to school... One of six possible heirs to the Burrows mansion and the only one that lived in close proximity. Bay was lucky in Emrys's eyes... His family was well off, he managed to get perfect grades just by picking up his schoolwork for the week on Monday and doing it all at home to return it on Friday. Nobody questioned him either.

And that went without mentioning the fact that he had complete control over when the mansion was open, who came in, and who left. He'd pass out invitations in the hallway on Monday mornings, slipping notes in people's lockers or pockets. And then he disappeared. If Emrys wasn't such an attention whore he'd love that lifestyle.

But today was special... Because today he was going to try and convince Arran to go with him. To go dance around a ton of intoxicated kids. To makeout in front of people simply because they could. To let the more artsy kids paint butterflies on their cheeks, to just be them. And he hoped to god Arran wasn't still mad at him for the gay comment he made that morning.

Arran was... Sensitive when it came to his sexuality. Emrys could jump on a picnic table in Arran's backyard and shout the names of every guy he'd ever been attracted to. He could shamelessly dance to any queer music or artist. Hell, he memorized the lyrics to most Whitney Houston songs and had proudly sung them in public. But Arran struggled to even flat out say the words "I'm gay" to Emrys. Hell, sometimes he still liked to claim he wasn't.

Emrys walked through the junkyard of old cars, some long beyond repair and too rusted to be recognizable. Others were much newer to the yard and even showed signs of recent repairs. Arran would never admit it, but his dad was a hoarder and it was becoming a serious issue. He winced when he heard a gunshot fire from across the property and mentally scolded himself as he followed the sound into a clearing. A clearing where Arran was half-heartedly shooting at tin soda cans he had lined up.

"Knock it off" Emrys scowled. "You know I hate that" He'd never say it out loud... But he had good reasons to hate it. Every time he heard someone fire a gun from Arran's house his heart stopped. Arran's dad was... Troubled. He was nothing more than an angry drunk with a strong hate for queers... Emrys was convinced he was apart of the murder of John Haymitch in the eighties. Outed when he was sixteen, beaten and harassed by Arran's dad and his friends until one day his body was found in the lake. It was classified as a suicide but everyone knew the truth. His worst fear was that one day, Arran's dad would finally lose it and a single gunshot would signal the blonde boy being taken from the world.

"You weren't here" Arran deadpanned. He put it on safety and set it on the table.

"Well, I don't like it at all... It makes me uncomfortable, alright?" Emrys sighed as his eyes flicked down to the simple handgun. Arran shrugged and walked off to take a seat under an old apple tree. Emrys glanced around to make sure Christian was nowhere to be seen before happily joining and laying his head across Arran's lap. "So..."

"So...?" Arran gave Emrys an odd look. "You have a million things to say every day but now all you can say is so?" He snorted. Emrys gave a small nose laugh as he silently admired his pretty blonde boy. Arran was his, whether he'd admit it or not. He just had to make Arran see that it was okay.

"Okay, okay. Promise you won't hate me?"

"What did you do?" Arran demanded. "I swear to god Em, if you try putting another rainbow button on my shirts again I will kill you" Emrys rolled his eyes but couldn't help smiling.

"No, it's not that" Emrys chuckled. "I didn't do anything... Yet... I just wanted to ask you something"

"Alright?"

"It's a gay thing..." Emrys bit down on his bottom lip, silently praying Arran didn't flip out on him.

"I'm not having sex with you" Arran deadpanned. "We've been over this a million times"

"It's not that either" Emrys groaned. "Although, you should seriously consider changing your mind because I am so far out of your league and you'll never get a chance like this again" Arran snorted at that before leaning his head against the trunk of the apple tree, his fingers subconsciously twirling the ends of Emrys's hair.

"What is it then?" Arran sighed.

"Okay... So there's this thing... It's at the Burrows Mansion and it's been going on for literal centuries... It's kind of like an underground gay party? I've been to it a few times and it's really cool... It's happening tonight and I guess it could be fun?" Emrys felt dread build up inside him as Arran fell quiet.

"Did you tell them about me?" Arran quietly asked.

"What? No. Of course not... I figured you'd come on your own eventually" Emrys mumbled. He reached up to run his fingers through Arran's hair like he had a million times. To push it out of his face, but Arran pushed his hand away.

"Well, I won't... And quit going to that" Arran scoffed. "It's a fucking death sentence"

"I'm fine... Nobody there is going to out me or anyone... It's all safe. Just give it a shot" Emrys reasoned.

"Just please stop going"

"No" Emrys sat up and glared over at Arran. "You don't have to go but you aren't going to spoil the one place I actually get to be myself at"

"So what do you do? Just go around and screw other guys or some shit?" Emrys' eyebrows shot up at that. Arran was... Well, Arran. He didn't get jealous... Even before they decided to be exclusive and Emrys had made out with and even slept with a few girls to keep up an image. Arran just never cared.

"What's your issue today?" Emrys muttered.

"What's my issue? You're the one that's been trying to get caught" Arran snapped. "You kissed me only a block away from the school. You made that stupid comment to Zack. You wore nail polish to school and sewed a rainbow peace sign patch to your jeans... You sneak off to gay parties" Arran rambled.

"I'm not trying to get caught, I'm trying to have fun" Emrys scoffed as he brought his knees to his chest. He was used to outbursts from Arran... But it was never about him. He never yelled at Emrys for being Emrys. It was always about Christian or his dad or him having a bad day... "Why are you taking this out on me? I didn't do anything"

"John Haymitch. Patricia Patricks. Quinton Rogers. Louis Abraham. Cathleen Kristen. James Colts" Arran quietly recited. Emrys's stomach twisted as he thought over the names. John, a gay man beaten and drowned. Classified suicide. Patricia, a trans woman shot in the back of the head. Classified suicide. Quinton, a fifteen-year-old boy suspected of being queer in the seventies. Beaten beyond recognition. He died of a heart attack if you ask the police report, which was true enough but it didn't even mention the beatings. Louis and James, moved to Asper Hollows and were happily engaged. Both shot in "a home invasion gone wrong". Cathleen, a lesbian from the early two-thousands. Stabbed sixteen times. A robbery gone wrong.

"What about them?" Emrys quietly asked although he already knew the answer.

"Go to the party if you want, but I'm not going to sit back and watch my best friend become the next dead boy in the lake" Arran scoffed. Emrys swallowed the lump forming in his throat and wrapped his arms around his legs, pulling them closer to his chest. He rested his head on his knees and stared at a patch of grass in silence as the sun began to disappear. He didn't dare say a word at that point. Even if he wanted to, he wouldn't know what to say.

_________________________________________

Scooter didn't even know the girl's name and she was dragging them through the woods eating Cheez-its. She had skated down the streets and walked down the trails with Scooter and Scooter was too lost for words to say much. Maybe a little intimidated by her too. She was obviously queer based on the conversation she had had with Ryder earlier... But Scooter was a little afraid of saying the wrong thing.

They had spared quiet and meaningless conversation on the walk over there. Mostly her making sure Scooter was alive and in one piece. She'd occasionally mumble something that Scooter couldn't even interpret but they didn't dare ask her to repeat herself. Especially when the girl was still practically fuming.

The scenery around them was beautiful though... Bright and shimmering trees blocking away the majority of the dying sun. Pine needles dotted the pathways and in the distance the top of an ancient building. The dark brown rooftop was peeking out from behind the trees and the smallest sliver of a cream-colored stone that created the walls of the mansion was beginning to show.

It didn't take long for the dark-haired girl to slip through two large black gates that had carelessly been left open. That was when Scooter saw the mansion completely. A large stone fountain stood in front of it all that hadn't been touched in over a century. The stone walls seemed to touch the skin and the windows were all tinted a gorgeous blue.

The mansion wasn't Scooter's favorite part... Scooter's favorite part was the neatly trimmed gardens and the numerous statues and stone benches that filled the courtyard. The one that stood out most of all, was of the virgin Mary... Her hands folded in prayer, her skin worn from centuries of rain and harsh winds, and her star-filled gaze staring up at the sky.

"Where are we going?" Scooter suddenly blurted out. Scooter glanced around, half expecting to get jumped or possibly killed.

"Inside" The girl deadpanned as she walked up to the front door. Scooter's stomach twisted in discomfort... They'd always been down to break into abandoned buildings or cause a bit of chaos. But this time was different. This time they were uncertain. Maybe this was a cult thing. Maybe they were going to get sacrificed or were about to be tricked into worshiping chickens or some shit.

"I think I'll pass" Scooter muttered.

"Trust me, it's safe and we have permission to be here" The girl scoffed.

"I barely know you"

"I saved your ass from Ryder, didn't I?" The girl rolled her eyes. "My name's Arcadia..." Scooter sighed and eventually gave in, following her inside. That was when the sound of Indie music caught their attention and spiked their interest. They paused to focus on the words until they recognized the song to be Deadly Valentine.

"Where are we?" Scooter quietly asked in amazement as they glanced around. The building smelt of dust and bits of light peaked in from the tinted windows giving a dimming effect. Ancient paintings and large bookshelves filled the front room and the small girl turned to face them with a bright smirk.

"Welcome to Burrows Mansion, the home for LGBTQ plus people for centuries" She carefully set her skateboard down next to a pile of bags, coats, and other skateboards. "Bay Sandros' family is descended from the original owners. Bay just happens to be queer and restored it to its original glory... The occasional party, a safe place to stay the night or to just be you, I guess" Arcadia shrugged.

"That's... Incredible" Scooter's heart leaped at the thought of not being alone. At the possibility of meeting other people like them... Of feeling safe for the first time in months.

"Yeah, well first you have to get past Bay" Arcadia grabbed onto Scooter's hand and pulled them down a long and narrow hallway, the music slowly got louder and Scooter couldn't help smiling as they emerged into a large and open room. Two girls were making out in the corner on an old and worn sofa, people mindlessly talked to one another, passing around drinks and laughing. Many of them had a small butterfly or heart painted on their cheeks. But they all seemed so happy... So alive compared to the tired and plain people that walked around in a repetitive lifestyle in Asper Hollows.

Arcadia pulled them past a few people, sparing polite hellos and smiles. Scooter recognized one person in it all... A tall and lean curly-haired boy with golden skin. A blue butterfly was painted on his cheek and his nails were painted a pretty light blue. He was sitting criss-cross on top of a tabletop with a red solo cup in hand. His lips were pulled back in a smile as he talked to a couple of people... Maybe his name was Emery? Or Easton? Scooter couldn't quite remember, but they knew they had a good feeling about him.

But in the center of it all, was a boy. He was sitting on a white tarp with a paintbrush in hand. A small red-haired girl was smiling as his paintbrush lightly glided across her cheek painting a gorgeous green and blue dragonfly. His lips were pressed tightly together in concentration before a smile erupted on his face as he placed the finishing touches on the dragonfly. He placed a quick kiss on her forehead before sending her on her way. Scooter internally groaned as they realized Arcadia was pulling them toward him.

He was pretty... He had hazelnut skin and dark brown hair. He had more European features besides his plump lips, tightly wound curls, and thicker eyebrows. He wore a white, paint-stained t-shirt and light blue jeans with Mickey Mouse neatly painted on the leg. His hands were covered in dry paint and held a paintbrush in hand. To top it all off a small smudge of purple was across his cheek.

Scooter could already feel themself internally panicking. He was pretty... Too pretty. Scooter was certain that if they opened their mouth no real words would come out. Just a mouthful of gibberish and a lifetime of embarrassment. Scooter couldn't talk to pretty people to save their life...

"You're late" The boy commented as he washed off his paintbrush and finally looked up at Arcadia. Arcadia rolled her eyes and pulled a dark green folder out of their bag before extending it to the boy.

"Yeah, well you should actually show up to school next time and get it yourself" The girl scoffed as he accepted the folder.

"Who's this?" He asked, ignoring Arcadia's previous comment.

"Kelly... I mean Scooter- Scooter Kelly" Scooter mentally face palmed themself, but the rambling didn't stop no matter how badly they wanted to. "I can leave - or not... I mean if you want me to leave I'll leave but if I can stay I'd like to stay... If you wanted me- owe" Scooter winced as Arcadia roughly pinched their arm. "Thanks..." Scooter mumbled casting a grateful glance down at the annoyed girl.

"Ryder found a new victim" Arcadia rolled her eyes. "Thought you could... Well... Handle this" She looked Scooter up and down before bringing her gaze back to the boy. He sighed and gave Scooter a small smile.

"Hey, welcome to Asper Hollows. I'm Bay"