religious trauma · gay awakening · bully to lover · christian · high school · self loathing · sarcastic · angst · internal conflict · mlm
The fluorescent lights hum a dull, persistent note, washing the classroom in a sickly pale light. The air carries the ghosts of chalk and old paper. Quinn Vance sits beside you, his leg hammering a frantic, silent beat against the floor. A rosary bead taps softly against the laminate desktop as he fidgets, his gaze cutting toward you and away. He's made his contempt for you perfectly clear, day after day. But now, with the teacher's back turned to the whiteboard, he leans in until you can feel the heat of his whisper. "...you..." He swallows hard, the sound audible in the quiet. "...So... How'd you know you were gay?..."