You think that it's easy being popular. You think that it's easy having everyone either drool over you or curse your name before they sleep. You think that it's easy having everyone have huge expectations for you.

  I will admit that kissing Maxxie was terrifying. You'd think that me of all people would be mighty and fearless. Usually, I was. But I'd had my eye on Maxxie since the beginning of freshman year. I'd never talked to him until this year because I was scared--yeah, the popular kid was scared--and I didn't want to mess anything up. To me he was perfect in his own geeky way.

"Since when the fuck are you gay?" John demanded.

Maxxie's lips still lingered on mine as I walked into the school on Monday. Friday night had been one of the best of my life. I had gotten to know Maxxie so well and I shared things with him that I had never shared with anybody before, not even my best friends. Being around him, I didn't have to be careful with what I said. I could be myself without feeling the need to be cautious with my words so they wouldn't backfire at me.

I had fallen asleep on Maxxie's lap, the sound of some Batman movie playing softly in the background. Through my sleep, however, I suddenly heard the sound of a key jiggling in a lock. My eyes fluttered open and I raised my head off of Maxxie. He patted my hair once before standing up off the couch. I rubbed my eyes groggily and waited. I could hear an overly high-pitched voice giggling and a deeper voice—one that was definitely not Maxxie's—laugh. In my dazed confusion I couldn't help but wonder, weren't Maxxie's parents split? Then I remembered his mom's date.