The Two Alphas of Rosewood Creek [MxM]

I woke to the static humming of my TV. My Hero Academia was paused somewhere in the middle of season two, the faded screen asking if I was still there. I wasn't sure what time I had passed out the night before.

Glancing at my tiny digital alarm clock, the flash of harsh, neon blue numbers notify me that it's a quarter to seven. Time to get up and start my day.

I groaned as I lifted myself from the bed. The heaviness of my exhaustion slowed my movements as I began to drag my feet to the bathroom. My body ached, the bruise on my chest throbbing in pain from the previous day's events.

Right... I have to go back to school. I sighed. Today was going to be a better day, it just needed to be...

Grabbing the basic essentials from my boring wardrobe, I put on a gray hoodie and denim jeans. I finished the look with my favorite pair of shoes from the closet, the faded Vans I wouldn't let Beth replace. I circled back to the bathroom, checking my hair again, quickly restyling my tight curls in the mirror.

I took my morning medications and shuffled downstairs, dreading the start of this day. Beth was in the kitchen cooking breakfast, but there was no sign of Tina.

"Hey, where's mom?" I inquired, taking my place at the table.

"She got called out of town for a work assignment. She'll be back this weekend," Beth explained, placing my breakfast in front of me.

She proceeded to sit down across the table with her plate of country-style breakfast. We were a thousand miles away from anywhere in the Deep South, and yet Beth always found the time to make a good southern meal.

"Sorry I missed you after school yesterday, dear," she stammered between bites of fried egg. "Got caught up at the office with a new project of my own." After putting down her fork and taking a cautious sip of her lava-hot coffee, she arched her brows and cracked a slight but affectionate grin. "How was your first day of school?"

I didn't want to answer her but I knew I had to respond with something.

"It was okay. I made a friend," I said, trying my best to scarf down breakfast as quickly as possible.

"Oh really?! How exciting! What's their name? Is it a boy or a girl? What are they like? Are they nice?" Beth bombarded me with a load of questions. Her sudden attention made me feel overwhelmed.

"It's a boy. His name is Kash and yeah, he's super nice."

I got up, plate half-finished, and dumped the remaining southern comfort in the trash. I felt bad not finishing the things Beth cooked for me, but I was too wracked with nerves over the day ahead of me. If yesterday was any sort of benchmark for how this town would be treating me, then I didn't want to make a scene throwing up toast and OJ all over Mr. Stevens' tattered and yellowing Signet Hamlets.

"Sorry," I mumbled sheepishly, putting my dishes in the sink. Beth was too perfect, though. She never pretended to know what I was swirling around in my head, but she was always warm—always reassuring; her closed-mouth smile a calming reminder that no matter what happened out in the world, I would still have somewhere I could escape to and call home.

"I'm actually meeting up with him at school so I need to leave now or I'll be late," I said, fetching my backpack from the living room.

"Okay, no problem! Have a nice day!" Beth smiled, waving at me as I grabbed my stuff and headed out the back screen door.

The route to school was a bit easier to navigate, and I arrived just at 7:45am, with no time to spare.

As I approached the metal gates, I could see Kash standing there in a vibrant, orange polo shirt with jeans and some white high-top sneakers that tied the outfit together nicely.