Straight Expectations by Calum McSwiggan

Author:Calum McSwiggan [McSwiggan, Calum]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Union Square & Co.
Published: 2023-09-05T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twelve

Alicia and I sit on the grassy bank at the side of the soccer field, the floodlights illuminating it as the players’ shadows chase them around the grass. It’s already dark, even though it’s barely 6 p.m. There’s never more than a handful of spectators, not like in those American movies where the whole town shows up to watch some high schoolers throw a ball around. We don’t have cheerleaders either, but Alicia whoops and claps her hands and makes the noise of a whole squad every time literally anything happens. I’m on my second coffee of the day. It’s getting cold now, so I’ve committed the cardinal sin of abandoning iced coffee for a hot one. It’s pumpkin spice, though, so forgivable.

Woodside is up two to one against Grove Hill, the private school on the other side of town, and it’s nice to see that for once Oliver isn’t the only player with rainbow laces. One of the rival team members is wearing them too. Built like a truck, with a hi-top fade and expertly twisted curls, he’s ruggedly handsome, the kind of guy that looks too old to be on a high-school soccer team.

I guess it never occurred to me that here, on the soccer field of all places, would be somewhere to meet other LGBT+ people. Dean and I always steered clear of anything sports-related. We never even came to watch Oliver play.

“What’s his name?” I say to Alicia, nodding to the mysterious player. He grins as he tackles Oliver and steals the ball. Oliver is smiling too, his tongue poking out with determination as he sprints after him.

“Kedar,” she replies. “He’s the captain. Ollie talks about him sometimes.”

“It’s cool that he’s wearing rainbow laces. Do you think he’s . . . ?”

“Gay? I dunno, probably. Or just trying to show his support?”

She takes my free hand and wraps it around her shoulder, nestling into me. It’s nice to be close to her like this and doesn’t feel like I’m crossing any line. Alicia and I have always been very tactile with each other.

“That’s nice,” I say. “It can be a bit isolating sometimes, feeling like you’re one of the only queer kids in town.”

Alicia looks at me strangely.

I hurriedly correct myself. “For Oliver, I mean. I’m talking about Oliver.”

“Oh yeah.” She nods. “I still think he misses his London friends. He knew a lot of LGBT+ kids back there. It must have been hard leaving them . . .”

“Well, he has me,” I say. “I’m always here for him.”

“And me too, obviously, but we don’t know what it’s like to be gay, Max. Sometimes I think he just needs someone who understands him.”

“What about Mrs. A?”

Alicia snorts. “She’s like a hundred years old but, sure, she and Ollie should start having sleepovers. You should definitely suggest that.”

I shrug. “I bet she’d be good at Fortnite. Something tells me there’s dexterity in those fingers.”

Alicia turns to look at me. “Was that a lesbian joke?”

“No, what do

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