The Queerest [🗸]

so damien cortez is art

sobbing bc my excitement for this chapter is insane >:))))

***

The door to the art studio is pushed open and I think I nearly lose my fucking shit.

Because there he is. The guy I haven't spoken to in a week, who I almost kissed at the party and who most definitely did not want to let me down the hard way and opted to not talk about it instead.

In almost every respect of my life, I haven't ever actually utterly avoided a topic with the exception of Ezra Choi. That's easy to avoid, because it's fucking difficult to talk about him. With most things, though, I have to talk about it or shit will bother me for a very long time.

Damien steps into the space. He's wearing a t-shirt, the front slightly tucked into washed out jeans, one hand slipping into his pocket and the other adjusting the necklace hanging from his neck as he exhales a breath.

Hard as fuck to be angry at him when he's so effortlessly Damien that he doesn't even notice the other eyes in the room that drift towards him. Instead, his eyes flicker about the space before they land on me.

I can feel my breath hitch, not a word filling the space. 

I have no idea what to say, and it's clear that he's trying to pull his words together as well.

Emerging next to him is one Weston Doherty who clears his throat somewhat awkwardly in the midst of all this. Finally, Margot—who is situated at the center of the art room— steps away from her canvas and rises to her feet, blinking.

"Uh, anyone wanna head to the bakery today? I heard they're serving a special. Apple fritters!" She says, hands clapping together. 

Viv, who is seated next to her also blinks. "Don't they serve apple fritters, like, every day?"

Margot sends a glance her way and Viv blinks before rising to her feet, Margot's not so subtle message dawning on her. And soon, everyone—Paxton, Archer, her, Gianna, and Margot—are ushering out of the art room.

Weston runs a hand through his hair at the doorway before ruffling Damien's hair and tipping his imaginary hat at me. "Well," he announces, raising a thumbs up, "I'll leave y'all to it."