Boseman High School Shenanigans: Episode 1

"Y… yeah? Didn’t you hear the gun going off right in our faces?" Lily says to Emily, but giving an odd side-eye towards Wendy.

"Do you want to go and see them?" she says, pulling Wendy by the hand towards the entrance. She turns then to Emily:

"Your brother can wait five minutes, right? Come on. Let’s go see them!"

If Emily is willing, then the trio will go to find their friends, while Lily fills Wendy in on the events of the day.

"Ah fuck off now," Emily says to Lilly but there's no anger in it. "Yeah I guess I do. Steve can wait a few. Ok, let's go."

The Interrogation Hallway

When he mentions Belinda (the colossal perv), Freddie decides he better just package everything into a tiny ball and suppress it. For now. He's got stuff to do immediately.

He pokes his head into Zach's room. "Hey buddy, you on the mend?"

After the initial response he says sheepishly, "I overheard some stuff you didn't want me to know, so I'm sorry. I won't tell anyone but if you ever want to talk I'll be there. Here. Wherever."

Zach's Room

Zach nods at the nurse. He's not upset at her, just unhappy about the general situation. He couldn't have expected his secret to stay much of a secret to the police. And it seemed like Akins didn't even understand what was going on in the first place. He thanks the nurses and then, once they leave, Fred suddenly shows up and Zach immediately redoubles his efforts to hide his chest.

"I'm alright," he replies to his friend's initial question. "They're going to let me go home when my parents get here. No cracked ribs, just some bruises." His cheeks then redden noticeably when Fred says he overheard some things. He bites his lip, then asks, "What, uhm, what did you overhear?"

Zach's Room

"Oh, uh, nothing I guess. Just medical stuff," he says, suddenly embarrassed, even ashamed.."Ribs, maybe. Nothing that needs for me to think about. Sorry I said anything. So, I got to go see my sister then get back to the school to pick up Sarah. Belinda is still missing."

He backs out.

Zach's Room

Zach hesitates long enough that Fred is already halfway out the door before he manages to say, "Freddy, wait." He swallows nervously. "Did you hear my talk with Sheriff Akins?" He remembers Fred bursting in at one point, so maybe he was waiting at the door for a bit. "I, uhm, guess you must be confused then. He was, I think." This isn't how he imagined his coming out to go at all, and Fred wasn't the first of his friends he had in mind either, but after everything that happened today, if he can't trust his friends, he's screwed anyway. "Maybe... we should talk?" He nods to the guest chair right by his bed.

Zach's Room

Freddie comes back in and sits beside him. His face is wan and tired. "We don't have to do this, Zach. Not if you're not ready. I didn't mean to coerce you into telling me stuff. It just didn't feel fair having overheard private medical details. Whatever is going on with you, it won't change much between us. I got your back. That's all I wanted, for you to know that."

He smiles thinly. "Sorry, that sounded better in my head."

Zach's Room

Zach still feels kind of uncomfortable with this situation but Fred is so chill about it and so supportive that it makes a small and nervous smile appear on his lips. "I'm trans," he then blurts out, just to get the worst part over with. "Transmasc, before you get the wrong idea. I am a guy." He takes a shaky breath, then says, "The reason my family moved here is because I got bullied at my old school, so I'm trying to keep it under wraps. But I trust you, Fred." He watches the other boy's face closely. He had been more nervous about telling Fred than Lily and Emily, but his initial reaction seemed really promising and reassuring. After another moment, Zach, his cheeks bright red, adds, "I'm also gay."

Zach's Room

Freddie starts to feel weird. He told me! Wow, what do I do with that? That trust? Quick, make a joke!

"No, not gay too!" He laughs. "You're not alone, not even in our school. But even if you were the only person I know going through this, wouldn't be alone, but, that's a lot. How are you dealing with that much?"

Zach's Room

Zach chuckles slightly uncomfortably at Fred's joke, initially not sure how to take it. But then the rest of what he says sounds really nice. Except... You're not alone. Is Fred trying to imply something about himself? For a moment, Zach almost thinks he is, but he can't be. He shakes the thought.
"I have Rose," he says. "I know, she can seem a bit like a beast and we fight a lot, but when it comes down to it, I can always count on her. I also have Abby, my best friend from my old school. We text like half the day, every day. I couldn't do it without that kind of support." He pauses, then adds, "And Lily. I told her that I'm gay, though she doesn't know the other thing yet." He then braces himself before reaching out with one hand towards Fred. The movement disturbs the blanket, maybe granting Fred a peek at something Zach definitely doesn't want him to see before he quickly rights it. Then he takes Fred's hand. "And... I guess I have you as well."

Zach's Room

"I'm glad you have friends and your sister you can talk to. And me too, not that I know anything about this stuff, but I won't like freak out."

He retracts his hand and says, "I've got to go back to the school. I couldn't bring myself to tell the sheriff, so maybe I need to rally some jocks. But what good will muscles, bad attitudes, and terrible GPAs do against that floating thing? But who else is down there that we left?"

"I had an idea," Zach says. "I doubt I'll be able to help implement it. My parents will probably chain me up in my room after I already got hurt again, but maybe it would help. But you should go. I'll text our boardgame group chat so everyone can tell me whether I'm an idiot for the idea or not."

As Freddy turns to leave, Zach has one more question for him first. "Fred, uhm, Rose didn't answer you either, did she? I think she has to be in trouble."

Zach's Room

Freddie checks his phone but knows the answer. He's a beep counter, and no notifications have come since he last looked. "Nah, sorry man. This is fucked up. Okay, you text us your plan and I'll gather the Avengers, then we can get back at it. You heal those ribs. There is a chance you and Aaron can still go to the dance.""
He winks and leaves, his fingers already texting Emily.

Fred > Em, are you okay? Zach and I are OK, mostly. I'm headed out shortly. Need to go back to sch00l. <3"

Zach's Room

"Wait, you knew?" Zach asks, somewhat dumbfounded, as Fred leaves. But then those parting words make a new source of worry hit the injured boy and he quickly grabs his phone to send a message to Aaron.

Zach: Hey Aaron. You okay? I got kind of hurt but I'll be fine

Then he opens the group chat for their little lunch break boardgame group and writes,

Zach: Thanks for stopping by, Fred
Zach: Emily, Lil, you alright? Did that sheriff give you any trouble?

"We went under the school. Gromm tried to stop us. He had a pipe. And well, Priya was down there. And more people, I guess. And a body, and… something else."

It was all too much to really communicate fully in such little time. Especially when a comforting touch after today kept Lily’s mind preoccupied. The stress of it all amplified that tender brush against her hand in her mind.

All: We’re downstairs. Avoided another night in a cell 😋 You guys okay?

Sheriff was a prick, but our story was airtight!

Emily, busy with her phone lets Lilly recount the tale of what they had been up to, nodding along while reading. Her eyebrows shoot up as she reads the text from Freddie. The heart at the end of the message floors her. A welcome surprise for sure, or did he do that kind of thing with all the girls. How to respond? And he called her Em. Should she end her text in the same way?

Emily: Hey, Yeah I'm OK. We are going to school 2. CU there? <3

There! I did it too. Her heart skipped a few beats. Despite the insanity of the day, she somehow had room to be excited about the boy.

To Emily:

Fred > Can I catch a ride?