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“No, I don’t care about your stupid dress code. I think it’s entirely too restricting.” Al complained, crossing his arms across his chest. His older-step brother may have been the Vice Principal of his school, but he certainly wasn’t going to be the boss of him. Their father would never let him dress like this around the house and school was the only way he could express himself through the one medium he truly appreciated—clothing.
“Alfred—“
“It’s Al.” Al corrected him curtly.
“Sorry, Al, but I don’t make the rules here, okay?” Arthur said before running a hand through his hair. “Look, just go get changed. Don’t make a mess out of this.”
“It’s just some makeup and some accessories, it’s not killing anyone.”
Arthur sighed. “It’s heavy makeup and a distracting headband, both of which are against the school rules.”
“What’s so distracting about a flower headband? And I’ve seen girls wear way heavier makeup. Mr. Edelstein just picks on me and you know that.” Al didn’t want to point out the obvious. This was the fifth time he was sent to Arthur’s office in the last two weeks. He had already been given countless detentions due to the write ups that had been piling up ever since he started school here. They were always from the same teacher, for the same stuff.
Edelstein was just like his father.
He had begged to be transferred out of his class since the beginning of the year. The teacher purposely embarrassed him in front of the class. While taking attendance, he called out Al’s name and was “surprised” when it turned out to be the "boy" in the pink shorts and makeup. It only gave more fuel for the haters who whispered about Al in the hallways and occasionally tripped him during gym. He had also refused to call him Al, which made him want to choke the teacher.
“Just, take off the makeup, okay? Or I’ll have to send you home and you know your father will have a fit.”
Al clenched his fist, his step-brother’s frustrated attitude was really starting to piss him off. If there was anyone who was supposed to be frustrated, it was him. “I just don’t get how you could let someone do this to your little brother. Can’t you see that he’s obviously—“ Al swallowed. He bit his bottom lip to stop the tears that threatened to fall from his eyes.
“I know, Al. I know, but I don’t have much power. How about you spend the rest of the day in my office and you could just help around, okay?” Arthur had come to stand in front of him. He rested a hand on Al’s shoulder.
Al nodded. He was a little embarrassed that he almost cried, but he was glad Arthur was going to get him away from that damned class and the cruelty of the other kids.
“Now, I need you to run about three copies of each of these papers for me.”
Al grabbed the papers that Arthur held out to him. “Alright,” he mumbled before leaving.
On his way out of the office, he bumped into a familiar face. “Oh, sorry, Kiku.” Al met the other boy’s eyes. He stopped in his tracks for a moment. “Wait, what are you doing here?”
Kiku was known for—well, not being known. Everyone tended to overlook him because he wasn’t outgoing, but not a total nerd in school to the point of ridicule. Him getting sent to Arthur’s office was like, well, the complete opposite of Al getting sent there—unheard of.
Kiku looked visibly upset. His eyes looked close to watering and Al could tell he had been shaking. “It’s nothing.”
Al grabbed Kiku by the hand and they sat on the seats outside the office together. “It can’t be nothing, if it were you wouldn’t be here.”
“They all found I—“ Kiku stopped himself and he looked down at his lap. “That I liked someone,” he managed.
“But why would you get sent for the office for that?” Especially since Kiku was in Mr. Edelstein’s history class along with him. He wondered how all this could go down without him in the room though he was glad he wasn’t the center of the drama this time.
Oh, how wrong was he.
“I-I was defending you, A-Al. I know you didn’t ask for it and you could probably do it on your own, but I couldn’t take those stupid boys comments anymore and how Mr. Edelstein could just go along with it all. But then one of them said something and I just…I said something I regret I’m so stupid.” Kiku covered his face with his hands.
Al had never seen him talk so much. He must have been really worked up. Al rubbed his back with one hand. “Thanks, Kiku. No one ever does that for me—not even my own brother.”
He still couldn’t figure out how this was connected to Kiku liking someone.
“So, who is it that you like, if I may ask?” Al tried to be as careful as possible while asking, not wanting to upset him more.
Kiku tensed up visibly. “I—I, uh, that’s not important. I’m sure someone will tell you later. Anyway, thanks, I feel much better now! Thank you,” he said hurriedly as he got up from his seat red faced and went into Arthur’s office. Al thought to eavesdrop, but opted to just text one of his friends from class while on the way to the office.
To Angelique:
What happened?
It took a minute for him to receive a reply.
To Al:
Ki went totally wild after u left!!! told a bunch of dudes off and even yelled @ mr. e!!! then they were like “what did u like that thing” & he was totes like “maybe I do like al”!!!
To Al:
I was dying!!! Ki is new bae I luv him!!!
Al stopped in the middle of the hallway. Kiku had a crush on him.
Kiku had a crush on him.
It was rare, to say the least. Not many people ever “liked” Al at his school. Mostly because of the stigma that was attached to dating someone like him and he understood. This was high school, better spend time enjoying it than getting with Al and subjecting themselves to the riducule of their peers.
And not only did he like him. He stood up for him when no one would. Angelique had done so in the beginning of the year, but Al had told her to stop so she wouldn’t risk her scholarship for him.
Al had quickly got the copies made and raced back to the office so he was in time to catch Kiku as he was leaving.
“Uh, Kiku?”
Kiku nearly jumped while closing the door to Arthur’s office when he heard his voice. “Yes, Al?” He turned from the door to face Al. Kiku probably knew that Al had already found out, so he was looking at his feet.
“Let’s go out for milkshakes after school sometime.”
Kiku’s head snapped up at his proposition. “Really?” He looked really confused.
Al winked. “I’ve always wanted to ride that sweet ride of yours.”
Kiku blushed at the double-entendre. He cleared his throat. “I-I would love to go out sometime.”
"Great then. Milkshakes after detention?" Al suggested.
Kiku, who looked much better than before, smiled. "Y-yeah, sounds great."
"Good."