How To NOT Be Straight✓

16: All Roads Lead To..

I stared at the blank canvas, trying to envision my final project. I had picked the topic of 'Fallen Angels' and I really didn't know what to paint or even draw. Of course I could draw a fallen angel, but isn't that a little too simple?

It's now a Thursday, and instead of doing sports like the rest of the school, the seniors were out here studying. Some where helping the coaches, while we were here trying to get the perfect vision. I'm in the art room with Felix and Chloe, who are also doing art as a subject. They seem to be busy, while I'm here stuck with 0 ideas.

I walked over to the shelf to get black paint. It was high on the shelf, and I tried reaching for it to no avail. Lucas, another art student, came into view and smiled at me.

"Need some help, Cam?"

"Nah I got it." I groaned, getting on my tiptoes. "Okay, help me Luke."

He got the paint canister with ease, and gave it to me with a small wink. I gave him a brief nod, and went back to my corner, staring at the canvas again. The rest continued talking and making a lot of noise, and as I began to draw, the chatting stopped. I turned around to find all the art work was covered up, and no one was in the room. The door was wide open, and I sighed. Of course they'd leave at this moment, with no explanation.

I turned back to my piece and continued to draw until the door shut. In walked Alexis, her bag limply hung on her shoulder. She dropped it by my bag, and walked towards me.

"Aren't you supposed to be studying?" I asked, not making eye contact with her and drawing instead.

"Yeah, but I thought I'd come see you." She said. "Blake said you'd be here."

"She's right about something." She snatched my pencil away and I frowned. "Hey!"

"I didn't come all the way here for you to ignore me." She twirled the pencil around her finger. "Come on, let's talk."

"Alexis, I don't know if you've noticed but, I really don't want to talk right now." I tried taking back my pencil to no avail.

"Cameron, I don't think you noticed but, I really don't care." She blew a kiss my way. "Sit."

I obliged, grinning. "Ah, I see you've taken a page out of my notebook of sarcasm?"

"Most likely." She shrugged. "So, there were rumors going on-"

"Of course there were-"

"That you and I are dating."

I stood up, staring at her in disbelief. "Excuse me?"

Alexis looked away, her voice ever quiet. "Apparently me talking to you and getting close to you has everyone thinking you're my girlfriend. 5 people alone asked me if I was seeing you."

"Well damn, they really put me that low?" I saw a frown on Alexis's face and realized I picked the wrong wording. "No no, that's not what I meant. I meant that people really took it a step far and considered me talking to you was because I liked you?"

She nodded. It took me a bit to process this information, but eventually it dawned on me. Because I'm a lesbian, people immediately assumed I like Alexis because of how stunning she is and how I took her in. People are assuming I like Alexis, whole time I have feelings for Blake, someone who will never like me back.

"Shit." I murmured. "Can you keep a secret?"

"Sure."

"Aight, listen. I don't like you, like you know...that way." I said slowly. "I actually have a crush on Blake."

Alexis looked like she'd seen a ghost. "Blake?"

"It's stupid, I know." I groaned. "But I can't help it, Alexis! I don't know, she's just-"

"I'm not saying it's wrong, Cam, I'm just saying...why her? Like dude, there are thousands of people in the world and you choose her."

"Why do I feel like you don't like her?" I asked.

She shrugged. "I don't know, she has this weird aura to her. It's like there's something making her act all...weird and funny. She also seems like she doesn't like me either."

"I mean, that's how she is, someone who doesn't like you once she gets to know you!" I laughed. "That's Blake for you, she doesn't care until she cares."

"Or is it the Blake that you've created in your mind?" I frowned as she continued. "Hear me out, did you just listen to yourself? You said she doesn't care until she cares, so do you think-"

"Oh spare me the lecture Alexis, I don't need it." I yawned. "Can I get back to my work now?"

"You mean that half finished piece?" She pointed at it. "What are you even drawing at this point?"

I walked over to the painting, super glad for a subject change. "Oh, me? I'm just trying to make a piece which is in line with the 'Fallen Angels' topic that I picked. I have a rough idea, but I'm not sure if it'll work."

She nodded, walking over to me placing a hand on my shoulder. "So what are you drawing then?"

"I'm drawing a dichotomy of one angel perhaps." I rubbed a hand on the smooth canvas. "Like, one side could be the devilish side..."

"And the other the heavenly side." She finished off.

I smiled, happy that someone got my vision. "Yeah, that's what I wanted to say."

She grinned at me. "You know what you should add? Maybe if you paint the devilish side with lust and greed and all the seven sins and the heavenly side has a halo and shit like that."

"I could even make a halo for the heavenly side, and make the other side have a horn."

"I like that idea."

As we continued talking, I felt a sense of belonging with Alexis. No one, besides my art teacher and Terry, had ever taken an interest in my artwork like this. They hadn't even given an input. But with Alexis? She cares, and she wants to make me feel comfortable, when I should be doing that instead.

"Wanna name it something?" She asked. "Like, to spite the creators of that nasty rumor?"

"Sure, why not?"

"All roads lead to homosexuality." She joked. "Like, the stigma of 'if you talk to a lesbian or bisexual, you might become one yourself' type of thing?"

I gave it a bit of thought, before breaking out into a smile. "I like that. I like that a lot."