I walk into school with Millianna and Wendy. After the incident on the bus yesterday afternoon, it seems that we've formed a friendship. Wendy seems slightly shaken. I notice her little sister, Carla, walking with her friends and see that she is in a similar state. By the looks of things, something happened last night, but I don't question it; I don't want to trigger anything. We make small talk until we reach the students' entrance and Millianna finds her friends. She waves us a "see you later" and joins them. I then accompany Wendy to her locker where a girl and a boy who I remember got on the bus last night are waiting. They seem to share Wendy and Carla's shaken expressions. As I leave them, I give them a small, reassuring smile to show that I know something's up but that I won't press them for it. They nod in response and give sad smiles in return. A silent "thank you" for staying out of it. I reach the end of the corridor and take a right up the staircase to a bundle of lockers where Minerva and Dobengal are listening to an overexcited Sting gushing about the previous night. I walk up behind him and listen in.
"-And then I was like 'You hang up first.' and he got totally nervous and blushy and it was adorable but he was all like 'You hang up first' and it was like that for ages and oh my god I actually love him but I don't stand a chance I mean..." Sting stops as he notices the glares the other two are giving him. He turns around, sees me and sweatdrops.
"Um... H-Hi, Rufus!"
I scowl. As it happens, I'm in a bit of a predicament when it comes to matters of love, and my friends seem to think that everything about relationships will trigger some kind of horrific flood of tears. Whilst I know that they're only trying to help, it ends up making things worse.
"Hello Sting, Minerva, Dobengal. Please continue talking, it's quite a sweet story."
Just then, my "predicament" approaches from the staircase: my lifelong best friend and love interest, Orga Nanagear. Alongside him is Yukino, Minerva's girlfriend, and Rogue, the boy that Sting is head over heels for. To be fair, his love is probably requited. Unlike mine. Yukino gives Minerva a peck on the cheek as she greets us and Rogue waves us a quick "hello". I look up at Orga and he gives me a quick smile and I respond like I have done for the past nigh-on sixteen years: I hold back the butterflies running rampant through my body and return it. He then asks how I am with those brilliant pale chocolate eyes, and I reply that I'm okay with my own. We have conversations with our eyes a lot. It makes hiding things a lot more difficult. Fortunately, all he knows about my issue is that I'm being friendzoned by some mystery guy who I'm hopelessly infatuated with which is true, but he doesn't know all of the details. Orga senses me deep in thought and silently asks if I'm telling the truth. I nod slightly, but am not quite able to meet his gaze.
Oh guys!" Sting announces, tearing me from my reverie and conversation. "I asked Mr Justine about the GSA and the first meeting's Thursday night in his room!"
I smile. I've been wanting something like this to happen for a while now. Then I remember exactly what Thursday is: the sixth. Orga's birthday.
"Sting you do realise you are the world's biggest numbskull." I deadpan.
"Eh? What do you mean?" Everyone looks at me, confused.
"It's Orga's birthday on Thursday." I chide, "Unless you've forgotten."
Everyone stops and realises.
"Shit." Sting replies before turning to Orga, "Sorry dude."
"It's fine." Orga says, "I'm going anyways. It's not like my birthday's a big deal, I've had fifteen of 'em already!" He adds with a laugh. "Besides, if I meet this guy who's being a dick to Rufus then beating the crap out of him will be enough of a present."
The others splutter before coughing or laughing to cover it up. Orga looks slightly confused for a second before the bell rings and everyone heads their separate ways to form. Orga and I have form together so we walk together. We've always been like that; inseparable. Best friends. I'd be satisfied if that's all we'll ever be. Satisfied, but not happy. We reach our form, Mr Justine's, and notice a sign already on the door advertising the GSA. Some kids point and laugh, most ignore it but there's the odd kid who looks at the sign with hope in their eyes. We enter the room and take our usual seats at the back. Lisanna Strauss, who sits at the desk next to us, waves hello and we start talking to her. It's nothing personal like the silent conversations that Orga and I have, but she's a pleasant girl and it's entertaining to talk about the day in store for us. Mr Justine walks in, takes the register and just checks in on everyone. He's a good teacher, showing that he actually cares whilst keeping a high level of professionalism. Suddenly, the door bursts open and a tall teenage boy with navy blue hair which is shaven in places swirling eyeliner around wayward eyes. Bickslow. Some find him scary, others find him fascinating. There's only one word that can describe him: legendary.
"Goooooood morning Mister Justine, kyahaha!" He cries with his arms in the air and a near-feral grin on his face. Most of the form laugh, whilst others cringe.
"You must be Bickslow." Mr Justine replies with a small smile, "I've heard a lot about you."
"I'll bet you have, baby! Kyaha!" A lot of the newer students are in complete shock, but the rest of us laugh. This is how Bickslow is.
"So what brought you to grace us all with your presence this morning?" Mr Justine asks, standing up and making wide gestures to match Bickslow's attitude.
"It's about this wonderful little extra-curricular activity you're running within these sublime four walls." Bickslow replies with equal vigour whilst gesturing towards the GSA poster.
Mr Justine smirks. "Ask ahead."
"Firstly," Bickslow points one finger to the air and says in a serious tone, "Am I okay to bring in sweeties and share them?" Most of the form laugh.
"You may." Mr Justine replies with identical seriousness, "It'd certainly be a good advertising point. And secondly?"
Bickslow remains serious for a second before cracking up in a childish smile, "Will there be stickers?"
"No, there won't be sticker-"
"Well let me tell you something, sir," Bickslow says, jumping up on the table, "I think that we should have stickers. You wanna know why?"
"Well I-"
"Excellent!" Bickslow jumps down from the desk and sits Mr Justine down. "Now Mister Justine sir, stickers are a beautiful thing. You see Orga there?" Bickslow gestures to Orga and every eye drifts to his face.
"I do see him yes."
"He's quite difficult to avoid." This gets a giggle, "Anyway. Whilst he's a very manly man, his heart's one desire is for a sticker." Bickslow places a hand to his heart and looks to the sky for maximum effect. "I sit by him in RM, in dear Miss Olietta's class, and I can feel the agony building inside him over not having a sticker on his chest; the satisfaction of peeling the paper from paper and having it cling to the fibres of your clothes like a baby koala to its mother."
Orga chuckles. "I can confirm this, sir." He calls to him and I smile, looking up at him and giving him a look that says,
"You are never going to hear the last of this."
"There's nothing wrong with stickers, dude." He replies in mock hurt.
I chuckle and let Bickslow continue.
"Alongside this desire within us, stickers are an excellent form of communication." All eyes turn to him again, "I'm afraid, Orga dearest, that I'll have to return to you again and the dire vibes I receive from you in RM. See Mister Justine Sir, I am ninety nine point nine percent sure that Mister Nanagear here has the hots for his little Ruru."
Now, when somebody calls you something like "little Ruru" AND claims that the boy you've been in love with for almost sixteen years and you're convinced is friendzoning you likes you back there are better things to do than fall off your chair, yet that's what I do anyway. Orga helps me up and I sit back in my seat the colour of a beetroot. Fortunately, or unfortunately, Bickslow continues undeterred.
"He brings him into every conversation we have and if, Mister Justine Sir, you look at the way he's sat you'll notice that he is angled slightly towards him and away from poor, third-wheeling Lisanna and by the colour of little Ruru's face it- and he- works both ways."
I deadpan, going even redder than before.
"However! These two don't know that, and with our heteronormative society they may never realise their love! So how do we do this subtly? With a sticker, of course! So you see Mister Justine Sir, we need stickers."
Bickslow takes a bow and the class applaud. I'm still rendered slightly speechless by his deduction and paralysed from embarrassment but I manage to give a couple of small claps.
"That was very impressive, Bickslow," Mr Justine stands up again and looks at the boy before him, "But you didn't let me finish. We don't have stickers because..." He reaches underneath his desk and pulls out a box, "We have badges."
Bickslow's eyes light up.
"Well Mister Justine Sir it seems that you've beaten me. I'm definitely gonna come along now, kyaha! I'll drag Laxus and Ever too, and threaten to touch their hair!" Bickslow turns to the class, "If you're not me, it's a bad idea to do that. Bye byee, baby! Kyahahahaha!"
And as quickly as he came in, he leaves.
"Well that was something else." Lisanna chuckles, "Now then..."
"It's not true." We protest at the same time.
"He likes someone else." Orga says,
"He isn't into males." I add,
"He just doesn't like me, okay?" We both shout at the same time. Lisanna bursts out laughing.
"No, sillies. I was just about to say that Bicks is kinda cute. But if you insist..."
Fortunately, the bell chooses that moment to ring and I head off without Orga. I can't bring myself to face him. I have Maths first lesson anyway, and he's in a different set.

I look at the board in the maths classroom to see that the seating plan hasn't changed again, the same for every year since year seven. I sit by Dobengal at the back of the class and rest my head in my hands, running my hands through my hair. Dobengal taps on my shoulder.
"What's up?" He asks, worried.I look at him and completely demolish my guard. I swallow, brace myself, and say the words I never wanted to say.
"Dobengal. I've ruined everything."
Dobengal bites his lip. "I'm sure it'll be okay."
I laugh bitterly, "It won't be okay. I never stood a chance."

After all, I'm a firefly and he's a supernova.