Going Off Script by Jen Wilde

Author:Jen Wilde
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Later, Shrupty and I walk out of the party and into what looks like the aftermath of a fight.

One of the bouncers holds ice up to his cheekbone, and an ambulance is backing into the alleyway, red lights flashing silently.

We walk through the gap in the fence to find Archer on the other side of the alley, stretched out on the ground next to a puddle of vomit. Two paramedics climb out of the ambulance and hurry over to him. Shrupty and I stand out of their way as they kneel beside Archer.

“How you feeling, buddy?” one of the medics asks.

Archer doesn’t respond. More people filter out of the party to see what’s going on. The medics take Archer’s arms, trying to lift him up into a seated position. Suddenly, Archer starts thrashing around like a toddler who doesn’t want to be disciplined and falls back to the ground with a thud.

“Fuck off!” he yells. “I said fuck off!”

A girl standing next to me takes her phone out and starts filming. I glance around the growing crowd and see another five or six phones held in the air. This is not good.

Archer groans and pushes a hand through his hair, and I notice red marks on his knuckles. He must have punched that bouncer. What a dick.

One of the paramedics crouches down again and puts a hand on Archer’s shoulder. “Listen, bro,” he says. “We’re just trying to help you out. Let’s get you to sit up, okay?”

He reaches down to try to help Archer up one more time, but Archer just swats his hands away.

“What are you, gay?” Archer spits, staring at the paramedic with his nose scrunched up. “Quit touching me.”

And suddenly, a party that was supposed to be a safe space feels the exact opposite. I feel a pit form in my gut. My skin starts to prickle and I break into a sweat. Shrupty stiffens beside me, her jaw clenched and gaze glued to Archer like she’s cussing him out in her mind. I look around and see dozens of horrified faces. But everyone here who’s queer? They just look tired. Tired of that kind of shit. Done.

The paramedic stops moving, like he’s shocked. “What did you just say to me?”

Archer waves his hands in front of him wildly. “Fuck, everyone is gay now. This whole party is the gayest fucking thing I’ve ever seen!” He finally notices the people loitering in the alley, watching him, then turns his anger on all of us. “What about me? Huh? What about straight people?” He raises a fist in the air. “Straight pride!”

My jaw drops. Scoffs and groans rumble through the crowd. Someone behind me mutters, “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”

But Archer isn’t deterred, and goes on like that for longer than anyone wants him to. His lightly veiled homophobia is peeking out from behind the curtains. With every word he says, I deflate a little more. It’s just another reminder that oh, right, I’m different.

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