I was being dramatic in that last post lol. I am still less motivated so it’s not gonna be as good as it was but I’m gonna try and do the story anyways. Please tell me if anything is inaccurate. Also warning it’s long. Enjoy!
(First person view- Character 1 (Alex): Blue, Character 2 (Nickolas): Green. Third person view- Teal. Both of their views combined when they join together)
The first bell rang for school, and kids were pouring inside. I was sitting outside against a tree, far enough away from people that nobody paid much attention to me. I didn’t like human interaction, because it could become too messy and I had trust issues. Besides, staying independent fit me better than trying to be social.
The cool autumn breeze ruffled through my hair. I was glad that there was nice cold weather out, because it just felt very relaxed outside.
Once the crowd died down, I sat up, grabbed my backpack and went inside the sweaty, ancient and smelly excuse of a middle school. My class was pretty close. The first turn and 3 doors down the hallway. As I walked over, I noticed the very few kids lingering in the halls still. Two “gamer kids” guffawing at a stupid meme on ones phone, three girls gossiping while one put makeup on at her locker, some kid grabbing his books from his locker. Your average middle school kids.
I reached my class and sat at my desk. The bell almost immediately rang (a minute late as always with ever bell) and my science teacher began attendance.
“Alice?”
“Here!”
“Nickolas?”
“Present.”
After a while of calling names, mine was finally called- almost last on the list.
“Alexander?”
“Here,” I said. I wish she would just say Alex. I don’t like Alexander, it feels too formal. But whatever the case, if you corrected the science teacher who hated being corrected, she’d have a fit. So it’s better to keep your mouth shut. I sighed.
The science teacher droned on and on about whatever she was teaching us, and class was as boring as ever. She never really bothered to look at her students though, so I popped in an AirPod and began listening to music. I decided on classical, and Beethoven’s first symphony serenaded my ears. With nothing else to do, I decided to see what other kids were doing. The only kind of interesting things were that this one girl had her phone out under her desk and was playing Subway Surfers and some short kid actually trying to take notes and not fail the class was having a heck of a time trying to look around the larger kid in front of him leaning back in his chair and sleeping. I averted my gaze forward.
Two seats in front of me was Alex, the kid everyone thought was dumb because he never really talked and avoided people. And unfortunately for me, I saw the genius and the real him underneath that silence.
A little too much, because-
The bell rang, to my relief, and I walked out of class and went to my next one. My teacher decided to just let us read the whole period. After that class was done, it was lunch time. The principal was nice enough to let us kids eat outside too, and that’s what I did. Nobody ever really went outside much anyways, so it was my own little spot. Plus, it was cold outside, so even less people were there.
As I walked outside, I kind of carelessly looked around. Literally no one was there, until-
I had both my AirPods in and was now blasting pop music. My papers from my earlier class were in my hands. I was not paying attention at all and-
Alex and Nickolas crashed into each other, Nickolas (being slightly bigger) knocked Alex to the floor. Their noses almost touched, and the papers flew everywhere. Nickolas’s whole face went pink.
“I am so sorry!” Nickolas exclaimed, getting up and trying to gather the papers he lost. The wind was betraying Nickolas, unlike it helping Alex.
Alex got up. “No, I’m sorry,” he said, picking up the other papers. Looking at Nickolas, Alex felt like there was something very different about him compared to other people. Alex didn’t feel as weirded out by talking to him.
He handed Nickolas the papers. “Here.”
Nickolas grabbed them from Alex and smiled. “Thank you.”
They both looked at each other awkwardly, unsure of what to say next.
“So… wanna have lunch with me?” Nickolas asked.
“Sure,” Alex found himself saying. He was actually surprised of what came out of his mouth. He quickly added, “but would you come sit at my spot instead?”
Nickolas nodded and Alex guided him toward the tree he sat at for lunch.
Upon that lunch, Alex broke out of his shell a little bit, and they both discovered they had a lot of the same likings. Slowly, the two became friends. Every lunch afterwards they sat together, sharing stories and interests, laughing at each other, sharing lunches. They became closer and closer.
One day, the two met up at a park. It was nighttime, and becoming dark because that was the time when they were sure they were free, and the two laughed- Alex being more of the listener and calmer one, Nickolas being the talker and goofier one. After goofing off for a little bit, the two actually sat down.
“Look at the stars!” Nickolas said. “I wonder why there’s no light pollution tonight.”
Alex looked around for a second and laughed. “You dummy, the street lamps aren’t on, which isn’t a good sign. I think there’s been a power outage.”
“Oh, I think you’re right,” Nickolas chuckled. “I don’t think I’ll be able to find my house with it being barely bright out. We might have to sit here for a while.”
They both were staring at the stars. The conversation got kind of awkward, and as the two sat closer together, the tension arose.
The crickets chirped, and the autumn breeze was back at it again. Alex turned his head towards Nickolas, about to say something he needed to get off his chest, but then stopped. Nickolas looked at him. They were having an awkward, unintentional staring contest.
Nickolas, blushing but it was too dark to see, had a quick debate in his head, and leaned forward and kissed Alex. Alex’s eyes widened in shock and he broke away. His hands were on his head as he turned away and rested his elbows on his knees.
“I was about to tell you.. but I wasn’t sure how and… I’m aromantic,” Alex said quietly, “…and also, kissing brings back childhood trauma…” He liked Nickolas, and would take a relationship with him, but he would never let him kiss him. Memories of his childhood trauma made his hands shake, and a tear went down his cheek.
Nickolas realized he had messed up. He though hard of what to say.
“I didn’t mean to push you’re boundaries like that, Alex,” Nickolas said, flustered, “and I had no idea. I’m really sorry.” He put a hand on Alex’s shoulder.
Alex was crying now. “I like you, I really do, and I’ll be in a relationship with you, but I can’t bring myself to…”
“It’s okay, you don’t have to,” Nickolas tried to reassure Alex, “I like you too. But if that makes you uncomfortable, I won’t do it. Are you comfortable with a hug?”
Alex nodded and Nickolas gave him a quick, strong hug. “I’m really sorry. If anything else I do makes you feel that way, please tell me.”
“Okay,” Alex responded, wiping away his tears. “T-thank you, Nickolas.”
The power suddenly switched on, and the light pollution covered up the stars once again. The street lights were on.
“I’m sorry again,” Nickolas said.
“It’s alright…” Alex sighed. He grabbed and squeezed Nickolas’s hand before getting up.
Alex started to walk away, and as he was a few feet away from Nickolas, he said, “If you treat me like I friend, I- I might consider being with you.”
As Alex faded into the distance, Nickolas couldn’t help but smile. They both found trust in each other, and Nickolas didn’t mind Alex not being romantically attracted to him.
Alex was smiling as he left too. It might have not been a great end to the night, but he found someone who could understand his boundaries.
The two were going somewhere. Somewhere spectacular. And who knows, maybe one day the two will get to such a level of trust that the autumn wind will guide them somewhere they never thought they’d go…
So one, yes it’s very long and congrats on reading. Two, tell me if I got something wrong because I’ve never met someone aromantic in real life and was attempting to try and bring it alive even though I have no sense of what it actually feels like-
