I sit on the steps at school with Amerie, Darren, and Quinni. Amerie is watching a GIF of Malakai and the cop slamming him to the ground.
"It started circulating over the weekend," Quinni explains.
"Who made it?" Amerie asks.
"We don't know," Quinni explains.
"Do you think he's seen it?" Amerie asks.
None of us answer. I notice Darren looking around like their trying to find someone.
"He's already in the hall," Quinni tells them.
"Oh, yeah, how's that going? Getting matching mullets soon?" Amerie asks.
"Amerie," Quinni scolds.
"Sorry. I just have feelings about Darren dating the most probbo person in our school," Amerie tells her.
"Oh, okay, he's not probbo," Darren insists. "Sure, he deals drug, but who doesn't?"
We head to the gym for an assembly. Woodsy stands up in front of all of us.
"Good morning, everybody. So, I have an announcement," Woodsy tells us. "It's really very thrilling. Hartley High has been selected to kick off the city of Sydney Interschool Basketball Semifinals." Everyone claps and cheers. "Which will garner some much-needed positive attention after the map debacle."
"Map bitch!" Spider shouts.
"Put a sock in it, Spencer," Woodsy tells him. "It's actually a very big honor and we would like all of you to do your bit and help us clean up our school."
"Don't actual cleaners do that, Miss?" Ant asks.
"Great contribution, Anthony," Woodsy says. "Anything else? As a little incentive, the student who picks up the most bags of rubbish will receive a PlayStation... gift voucher. Valued at $50. It's still a lot."
"I want that gift voucher," Quinni says.
"And, yes, the cleanup is compulsory," Woodsy tells us. "You will be handed out schedules in the first period. Thank you."
Sasha and Missy walk over towards us after the assembly. Quinni squeals as she hugs Sasha.
"You know what? I would rather eat a balding bus tire than clean the girls' toilets," Missy tells us.
"Weird flex, but okay," Darren says.
"They haven't cleaned the sanitary bins in ages, Darren," Missy tells them. "Shit's a horror show."
"Period," Darren says.
"Let me guess, you're going to be the trash queen of Hartley High," Sasha tells Quinni.
"Don't encourage her," Darren states.
"You're jealous she's going to beat you," Sasha insists.
"Yeah, you're jealous," Quinni says.
Darren shakes their head. "No, you sweet, stupid lesbians. I won't be partaking because I don't clean up rubbish after white people. Sorry."
"That's fair enough," Quinni says.
"I could get the Environmental Club to come pitch in and win you that gift voucher," Sasha offers.
"You'd do that for me?" Quinni asks.
"Of course, I would," Sasha tells her. "You are my trash queen."
I sit next to Spider in SLTs. Ever since Spider and I decided to go steady I look around thinking everyone must know.
"So, we all agree that pοrn has given us unrealistic ideas of what sеx should look like. But is it all bad?" Miss Obah says.
"When you watch as much as Ant does," Dusty says.
"Very funny," Miss Obah says. She gestures to Quinni who has her hand raised. "Yeah."
"It can be helpful if you don't know what you like," Quinni offers.
"Or who you like," Sasha adds. "I one-hundy percent figured out I was into girls by watching lesbian pοrn."
"Oh, my God. Me too," Spider says.
"I thought I learned everything I needed to know about gay sеx from pοrn, but it's not real," Darren says.
"Okay, go on," Miss Obah tells them.
"Well, since you can't just jump on a dick without warning... You have to douche first, it takes time..." Darren stops when they hear Spider laughing. "Sorry. Is there something you want to say?"
Spider shakes his head. "No."
"It must be hard, hey? Being jammed so far in the closet you're practically in Narnia?" Darren remarks.
"You wish, yeah," Spider tells them.
"All right, come on. Come on," Miss Obah tells us.
"Miss. I find pοrn a bit hectic. If that's what sеx is supposed to look like, I don't want it," Missy admits.
"Yeah," Amerie agrees. "It's all about getting a guy off."
"Isn't it?" Spider remarks.
"And not at all about what girls actually want," Amerie says.
"That's why I want to talk to you about pleasure," Miss Obah tells us. "Specifically, your pleasure."
"Isn't that illegal, Miss?" Ant asks.
"Yeah. I get why you think that, Ant, because it feels scary. Right? You know, teenagers actually knowing what they want," Miss Obah says.
"I want that PlayStation gift voucher," Quinni states.
"I want a good almond milk," Sasha says.
"I want my dad to be proud of me," Ant says.
"Learning to communicate with your sexual partners about what you want, and desire is important. I know you might think it's embarrassing or even silly, but sеx doesn't have to be painful, physically or emotionally. So, let's try something this week, yeah?" Miss Obah puts a box on the front table. "I want you to put in this box things you like. Things you derive pleasure from. It can be whatever you want, just make sure it's honest, yeah? Then next class, we'll go through them and start to normalize expressing our wants and desires." The bell rings. "Thank you, everyone."
I sit out in the yard on a table with Darren. Everyone else is picking up rubbish but the two of us. I'm not picking up rubbish that isn't mine just so the school doesn't have to pay someone else to do it.
"How is there this much rubbish in our school?" Amerie asks.
"Oi, over there," Darren tells her.
Darren pulls their gloves off and throws one on the ground.
"You're making more of a mess," Jenny tells them.
"Shut the fuck up, Jenny," Darren says.
"What's going on with you?" Quinni asks. "You're more Darren than usual."
"Sorry, it's... I'm getting mixed signals from Ca$h," Darren tells us.
"Sounds like it's going well," I offer.
"He hasn't made a move. Okay, we kissed, and it was hot. Except it should have been more and it wasn't," Darren tells us.
"Maybe he just wants to take things slow," Amerie offers. "Is that so weird?"
"Ew. Yes," Darren tells her. "Oh, my God. Only serial killers take things slow, Amerie. Grow up."
"You grow up," Amerie counters.
"Both of you grow up," Quinni says.
"Sorry. It's just... I'm like... I'm like really hоrny all of the time," Darren states.
"Same, babe," Amerie says.
"Have you tried talking to him?" I ask.
"You could ask him on a date!" Quinni offers.
"No, no. I just got a cold shiver up my spine," Darren says.
"Alternatively, you could just pull him into a classroom and force him to have sеx with you," Amerie offers.
"Yes, that option," Darren says.
"Not that option," Quinni tells them. "Oh, my God!" Quinni dives to pick up a piece of rubbish. "Back off, Jenny. Got it."
Spider somehow convinced me to hang out with him and Ant at Dusty's. So far, it's just been them playing video games and talking about things I wish I would wipe from my memory.
"Hey Ri," Ant says.
"Yeah?" I ask.
"Spider tell you about his Tiger King sex dream?" Ant asks.
I shake my head. "No. I'm pretty sure I should be thankful for not hearing about it."
Dusty laughs. "Spider said the flaps were like human flaps. With stripes on it."
I look at Spider so confused. "What the fuck?"
"It's not as bad as the dream Dusty had about Justin Trudeau," Spider argues.
"No. No stop," I tell them. "I do not need to hear about anymore weird sex dreams."
"You could always tell us about one of yours," Spider offers.
I shake my head. "Not happening."
Suddenly the door to Dusty's room opens. Harper walks in. "Hey."
Dusty stands up. "Harper."
"You forgot," Harper says.
"I'm sorry," Dusty tells her. "Slipped my mind."
"I'll go," Harper offers.
"No. Stay," Dusty tells her. "Please stay."
"Feels weird," Harper explains.
"It's fine," Dusty insists. "Stay. Do you want a beer?"
Harper looks at me unsure as she sits on the bed. I can't do it. I can't sit here and pretend everything is fine.
"I'm gonna head out," I tell them.
"What? Why?" Dusty asks.
"I have to pick up Mason," I lie.
"I'll go with you," Spider offers.
I shake my head. "No stay."
Spider stands up anyways. "See you guys later."
Spider grabs my hand as we walk out of Dusty's room. He walks me over to my house and we stand on the porch.
"You don't have to pick Mason up do you?" Spider asks.
I shake my head. "I couldn't stay in that room with Harper."
"Why don't we go to the beach," Spider offers.
I look at him curiously. "It's half nine."
"So?" Spider asks.
I laugh lightly. "You don't have your swimmers."
"Don't need 'em," Spider tells me.
"Then I guess let's go," I say.
Spider and I are the only ones on the beach. I stick my toes in the surf. The water is warm.
"What are you waiting for?" Spider asks.
I turn around and see Spider taking his shirt off.
He smiles. "Don't get shy on me now, babe."
I don't look away from Spider as I take my top off. Spider laughs and suddenly it's like we can't get our clothes off fast enough. In a minute we're in the water. I laugh as I splash Spider. He smiles as he grabs a hold of me. I rest my forehead on Spider's.
"Do you think Dusty and Ant are suspicious?" I ask.
"Of what?" Spider questions.
"Of you and I," I tell him.
Spider shrugs. "Who cares?"
I nod. "Can we get chips and milkshakes after this?"
Spider laughs. "Anything you want."
I smile as I lean in and kiss him.