Our Shot (LAMS school au)

Chapter 4: Not Coming Back

"What did you call them?" I repeated, standing up.

Thomas remained seated, seemingly surprised at my daring inquiry. He didn't reply, but I could tell that James and Aaron were holding their breath, as if no one has ever dared to call their friend out like this.

"I'm sure I don't have to tell you that that word is offensive," I pushed on.

Tom narrowed his eyes at me, and finally rose to his feet. "Do you have a problem with that?" He asked me, "They are what they are. If those guys-" he pointed again- "wanna be fags, I say let 'em be fags; but they'll have to face the consequences."

On the last few words he turned back to James, who gave a halfhearted smile, but Aaron remained silent still.

"What about you?" I said to him, exasperated, "Don't you have an opinion at all?"

"Not right now," Aaron answered simply, nervously looking between Thomas and I.

I scoffed, throwing both my hands up before glaring at Jefferson once more. His mouth was still hanging half open, his eyes narrowed.

"I don't wanna hear any more of homophobic slurs out of your mouth, Thomas; nobody does."

"I-I'm not homophobic," he stuttered, starting to turn a bit red, "People like that just don't belong, Alex. You don't understand."

I looked between James and Aaron, but they both stared down at their work, apparently not having a say on the matter. Jefferson was staring down at his lap, his arms crossed and his face still a color akin to a blooming rose.

"Maybe I don't belong here either, then," I started angrily, gathering up my own work and laptop, "I don't wanna be around a bunch of bigots anyway."

Thomas looked back up at me, his face twisted into a peculiar expression; for a second he looked quite dejected. Eventually he covered up his confusion with a mask of anger. "Then don't bother coming back, asshole!" Thomas yelled after me as I turned away from the group, but I could tell his heart wasn't in his insults.

I wondered why, and froze for a moment. "Don't worry about it," I replied quietly, not looking back.

I flung open the large wooden door angrily, not caring much where I was going, and I couldn't hear a call after me.

"Alex!"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

After almost an hour I had found my way to student guidance, and was now sitting on a bench outside the office. I wasn't at all sure what to do next.

I knew Thomas would never let me back to the dorm with them now. After I had left the library I want straight back there and collected my things, which, unsurprisingly, didn't take long. Here I was, sitting on a metal bench with an engorged backpack, technically homeless. The déjà vu was unsettling.

I put my elbows on my knees and rested my face in my hands, deciding whether or not requesting new roommates would be the best option now, when I heard yelling from inside.

Why does everyone yell in this school, I asked myself before noticing that the person inside was not speaking... English.

(A/N: All of this French is coming straight of google translate so If i'm wrong about any of it let me know :) )

"C'est ridicule!" The person yelled, before the door a few feet away from me slammed open and two familiar faces emerged.

It was the tall one from the library, closely followed by the short one (not the cute one; yes, that other one), who was wearing a bandana. "It'll be fine, Laf," he put a hand on the tall one's shoulder, trying to calm him down, "It's not the end of the world."

"Et is ze end of mine!" The French one exclaimed, "I have no ozer friends!"

They both leaned against the wall only a few meters from me, 'Laf' still breathing heavily. It seemed that only then did the two of them notice that I was sitting there, looking up at the two of them with a dumbstruck expression.

"Puis je vous aider?" The angry one asked me sarcastically, and I immediately identified the language as French.

Diverse community, I thought to myself.

"Ca depend," I replied back smoothly.

They both seemed surprised, the French one even more so. "What did he say?" The short one asked him quietly, and I smiled.

"What's the problem?" I asked helpfully, hoping I could maybe make some friends today after all.