(Edited with Grammarly on 4/30/2026)
[Content warning: This chapter contains homophobic language and attitudes expressed by a character.]
'So this is Adrian?'
Albert could see it, see why so many people were laser-focused on this celebrity to be. He was tall, easily standing heads and shoulders above the general population; his blonde hair was more like streams of liquid gold, and bright green eyes that were akin to pieces of jade.
In simplest terms, he looked almost like a lead in a boy band. One obsessed over on some wall, or maybe even someone who would have a shrine made in their honor. Someone who would be both adored by his fans but also picked over every last one of his decisions in life, from the things he ate, to what he wore, to even who he decided to associate with. And if he ever got 'caught' associating himself with a woman...those same rabid fans would probably rip her apart with sharp criticism and unfair expectations.
The teen just knew this actor's life was going to be absolute hell.
"Already?" 'Si-Si' or most likely Sienna spat, flicking her stub of a cancer stick off into a small pile on the side of the cement porch. "Ignore him, he's always been naturally patronizing."
"I'm not being patronizing!" Adrian smiled widely, waving over the teen's rather minute form. "You did make a friend, and he is quite small!... Not like there's anything wrong with that! But hush, Si-Si! You're being rude! I didn't catch your name…?"
"Toby, and it's nice to meet you as well."
Albert rose to his feet and outstretched a hand in greetings, a small smile in place as things began to slide so cleanly into place. Sure, it might've taken some of the thrill of searching and asking around about the actor, but face-to-face like this was going to do so much more for him. Maybe he could start with casual conversations, nudge the conversation down a particular path to get a better handle on the guy, and then...then what?
Helping someone potentially cheat on their partner didn't really sound all that appealing, and honestly, he didn't even really know if his client and this Adrian would even make a good match. From his looks alone, finding someone else wouldn't be hard for him in the slightest. Besides, could he really sit back and orchestrate such a thing when it would hurt a fellow cat parent?
"First Toby," The blonde grinned, but it didn't fade as he accepted the greeting with an overly enthusiastic shake. Green orbs glittering with an intense interest. Maybe even a bit fervent. "I must ask, if you don't mind, who did your make-up?"
"…"
He could barely resist the urge to flinch away from the firm grip, a momentary spike of shock piercing through his consciousness. And for a moment, his eyes turned flat and sharp as a knife. This was a rather...unpleasant surprise. He'd worked extra hard on this particular face and had carefully looked over everything with a fine-tooth comb before leaving. He wasn't going to toot his own horn, but this mask had to have been one of his best to date. Even standing so close to someone, there shouldn't have been a major tell.
Rhea hadn't noticed anything, and it had taken multiple attempts on his part to convince Chelsea that it was indeed him when they met up tonight. But now, someone who barely had even time to scan him over could see this disguise for the mask it was?
"I don't mean to put you on the spot or anything!" Adrian, probably picking up on the tense air, quickly waved his hand in a consoling gesture. "It's nothing bad! I'm not going to run around telling people, and neither is Si-Si...now will you?"
"…" Sienna scoffed, looking over the pair once before taking out another cigarette. "I honestly couldn't care less."
"See? No one here is going to judge you! It's some really good work, and I wouldn't have noticed anything, but I usually work with gelatin when I get cast for an older role...But if I could get whoever did that for you to do the same for me? Oh man, I can just imagine how much better my performances would be! Now, who is it? Someone underground make-up artist? A painter? Sculptor? I just gotta know!"
"…" Albert could lie, could say that he had no idea what he was talking about. Could dig his heels and deny, deny, deny...but what then? He'd already been caught; it didn't matter what manner of excuse he could throw out now. An artist knows their craft. No, trying to lie wouldn't help and would probably harm him in the end. Instead, maybe some truths would aid him here? "I'm pretty good at special effect make-up...but I'm still pretty new to this. Not nearly skilled enough to even try doing this for someone else."
"…" The actor was silent for a moment, eyes growing wide, before he turned back around to let out a bark of laughter to his girlfriend. "See? And you said these parties were a waste of time!"
She didn't say anything, only huffed out another plume of smoke before ceremoniously ignoring the duo.
"But back to you! I need your phone number! Like yesterday! Do you have a business card, a place of work, or something? Oh-oh! You must be new here? You must be going to Gotham High, right? What year are you going to be in? You HAVE to join Theater! Your skills are just wasting away anywhere else! How long did that take you to make? How many more could you make? And can you do some weirder stuff, like attach horns? Make me look like eight years old? Man! Man! Man! Let me tell you, the Theater girls are going to love having another-"
"Slow down." Sienna helpfully pointed out. "It looks like you're going to try to eat him or something. Give him a chance to breathe, damn, all up in his face like that…thought you were going to try and kiss him."
Albert honestly felt like scurrying away from the overly enthusiastic teen and maybe even using the taller girl as a makeshift barrier between the two of them. The guy wasn't insufferable or anything; it was just speaking to him that was the problem. As with every word, he could feel his own social batteries drain to nearly nothing. To the point where all he wanted to do now was leave the party and go home to Sundae. Job be damned.
"Sorry about that." The actor took a step back, scratching the back of his head as he grinned ashamedly. "I just got a bit too excited, you know how it goes. It's just great to meet someone like you, things between the club's make-up artists have gotten pretty tense as of late...but let's not get into that. Just Theater kids being dramatic. You know that saying Don't date your colleagues? Yeah, that advice with you all throughout life."
'Date?' He cocked his head to the side at that, looking back and forth between the two as an oddity made itself known. 'Didn't Chelsea say they'd been together since middle school?'
Did the guy get so overly excited that he just unknowingly exposed his own infidelity? Especially right in front of his girlfriend?
'Unless, they're just 'open' about things?'
"Great." She rolled her eyes hard, sounding...annoyed? Yeah, exasperated maybe. But not betrayed or anything such a revelation should induce, he personally, being cheated on, had always been a massive fear of his. But given his success at dating, it had never ever came to fruition. So he honestly didn't know what he would do if he ever found out his partner had been unfaithful...He would like to believe that maybe he would be calm about it. Reasonable enough not to wind up behind bars for twenty plus years...but even in the best care scenario, there was no way he could ever act as nonchalant and peeved as the raven-haired girl did. "You just had to blab, didn't you?"
"Shit, sorry!" Adrian did look chastened, but not in a way someone would act after slipping up like that. Maybe he should've been stumbling to explain this all away as nothing serious or gaslighting everyone into believing they'd drunk too much. Not just standing there like all he'd done was knock over a glass of water. "Now, I must look like a total jackass, right?"
"Your two's relationship is none of my business." He held up his hands defensively. It had been a slip-up, and if Sienna's reaction was anything to go by, she honestly didn't care either way. People had kinks, and who was he to judge? And if they were in a more open relationship, he really didn't know how Chelsea would react to this news. She really, really didn't seem like the sharing type. "Let's just say I didn't hear anything."
"…" The actor looked a bit relieved, puffing his chest out a bit as newfound confidence filled him. His mouth opened, probably ready to move on from the topic, before he glanced over at his girlfriend. Whatever he saw caused his shoulders to deflate suddenly. "No, no. You're fine. I can't be selfish here, too. A relationship built on lies never really works out. Do you mind?"
"Do whatever you want, I'm not your mom."
Despite her uncaring attitude, she still took a solid step in front of the door. Completely blocking anyone from exiting. Leaning back heavily, she essentially turned herself into a makeshift alarm system. Those dark brown orbs meet his before darting off into the distance.
"Thanks, Si-Si, you're the best!" At that, he gently guided the teen deeper into the yard. Farther away from the loud music, and making any eavesdropping nearly impossible as the distance grew. Stopping only until the two of them were at the fence, back facing any nearby windows. Dropping his voice down low, he started. "I know this might seem a bit excessive, but stick with me, okay? If we're going to be working together so closely, you're bound to find out anyway. First, I'm sure you've heard rumors? About Si-Si and me being together as a couple, right?"
"You really don't need to tell me any of this." It was none of his business what these two got up to in their off time. Even if it felt like there was a lot unsaid, prying wasn't really his responsibility...okay, maybe it was with Chelsea...So maybe he should just shut up? Let the guy spill his lore? That in itself didn't sit right with him, especially not without providing one more chance to back down and keep those secrets under lock and key. "I haven't agreed to anything yet, so I feel like you're jumping the gun a bit."
"Maybe I am." Adrian agreed readily. "Maybe think of it as mutual exhaustion on mine and Si-Si's part. To give you some background, I come from a very religious household. Like a three-generation of pastors kind of thing. My mother thinks heavy metal is Satanic and that anyone not Christian is all going to Hell for being heathens. Before I continue, I should tell you that I am not ashamed or embarrassed of what I am."
'Oh.' It sounded familiar, and suddenly, all those irregularities began to click into their own places. '
"Me and Si-Si are not dating, if that wasn't obvious enough...I honestly think of her more as an annoying older sister than anything else. She's pretty perceptive, you know? Could instantly smell my bullshit a mile away and everything. In truth, it's a rouse, a lie we cobbled up together to keep our families off our backs. My family wouldn't suspect anything, and hers...well, that's not my story to tell. Just know that it works out well for both of us. I do feel bad for it, I feel like an incredibly selfish friend, honestly. I've literally ruined a lot of her dating prospects while I've gotten to go out there and explore who I am as a person. She says it doesn't bother her, or that there weren't any guys she was interested in, but I know her lies. It's not fair to her, and we both know it...But once we graduate, and I'm gone from this city, I will pay her back. For all these years of isolation and scares. Just one more year and I won't have to worry about people finding out who I am...well, more people anyway, I'm pretty sure mostly everyone in Theater knows already."
"Wait." None of this made a lot of sense. This was huge. While things had been more progressive in his own old life, the early 2000s were notorious for being the complete opposite when it came to sexuality that didn't adhere to the norm. Most 'coming outs' were often done in front of close friends and trusted confidants. Not random people met within a ten-minute frame. Where was the vetting? How did he know he wasn't spilling his heart to a guy that would go screaming this at the top of his lungs while running away as fast as possible? "Why are you telling me this? Aren't you worried I might go tell your family or something?"
"…" The blonde's jaw tightened for just a moment, hands turning to tight fists before he loosened up once more. A reassuring smile on his face as he placed a hand on his companion's shoulder. "Si-Si is a great judge of character, almost like a superpower of hers. If she likes you enough to open up even a little bit and hasn't gone all bitch queen on you, then I know it's fine to trust you with this...Besides, guys like us have to stick together."
"Huh?" Albert's mind short-circuited for a moment there, abject confusion clear on his face even through the mask. Thoughts racing, he tried and really tried to pick over the past conversation with a fine-tooth comb. Trying to find the exact moment where anything he'd done could've led to that particular conclusion. So maybe that's why his response was so blunt. "I'm not gay."
"Wha?" Now it was Adrian's turn to look confused, taking the time to look him over a few times. Mouth dropping open and skin gaining a reddish hue as he continued. "You're not? Are you sure? Wait, don't answer that. That was insensitive of me, and I apologize. I'm the last one that should be running around questioning other people's sexuality."
"It's fine, it's fine...but what made you think that?"
"You know, the makeup? Shit, sorry, there I go stereotyping again...I'm trying to say that I put a label on you based on your hobbies and talents, and that in itself wasn't right to do. I am sorry."
"Again, it's fine, no real harm done."
"...This is pretty awkward now, isn't it?" He chuckled, but they both knew it was a forced thing. Craning his neck back, he tried to look at the night sky, probably in hopes of a meteor to come hurtling down from the heavens. "Just...just bury me in the backyard here, I think that'll be better than uh-never-mind, I'm just going to go...Please don't go spreading this around, again, I'm not ashamed of what I am, but I don't want it getting back to my family…I really, really don't want to get sent to a 'conversion' camp."
"No problem, man. I'll see you two around."
With that, he watched the teen retreat expeditiously away. Shoulders hunched as he neared the raven-haired girl, and after a few inaudible whispers, she flicked out the remains of her cigarette before waving farewell to him and disappearing inside with her friend. The loud music became clearer as the glass door slid open.
Turning back around, he breathed in deep. Already preparing himself for the trials to come.
'Yeah, Chelsea's going to be pissed.'
***
"Glad you could finally shake off that whore long enough to come find me." Chelsea was as pleasant as always, her voice coming across as both icy and acidic. He knew it came from a place of heavy insecurities, but that didn't make it any easier. From everything so far, she'd been nothing but negative since he'd met her. Maybe she was envious? Or maybe she just knew something he didn't. But no matter the reason, she just wasn't a very pleasant person to be around. "What? Are you a quick shot? Or did she drop you for the first jock she saw?"
"Neither." Albert shrugged nonchalantly, leaning against the bathroom sink. The place itself wasn't very large to begin with; one person would probably feel cramped, but two? Yeah, it was nearly unbearable. "Just want to ask a few questions."
"You had all the time you needed to ask questions like two days ago!" She threw her hands up in exasperation, frustration clear on her features as she looked right about ready to begin ranting and raving. "Shouldn't you be out there trying to find my soulmate? While you were off rutting like a fucking pig with that bimbo, I have seen plenty of opportunities just wasted because you weren't there to distract that bitch! Why am I paying you if you can't even do one simple, fucking job?"
"Why didn't you speak to him, then?" With every passing moment, the pity he felt was slowly but surely chipped away. He got that she was frustrated, but if she truly saw so many 'opportunities', then it made no sense why she didn't go for it. If she could be this brave, speaking like this to him, then she should have no problem mustering the courage to go try and get what she wanted. Even if it would result in complete failure. "He seemed like a pretty nice guy."
"Of course he's nice!" She spat, sounding almost offended that Adrian would be anything but. Her eyes grew wide and filled with a spark of something...obsessive. "He's perfect! Do you think I only fell for him because of his good looks? Please! My love for him goes beyond the physical! We're destined for each other, I just know! And you spoke to him?! When? What did he say? Did he mention me?"
"That's what I wanted to talk to you about…" Here, he rubbed the back of his neck and glanced off to the side, catching a good look at his reflection in the mirror. The person looking back appeared absolutely nothing like him. First, his frame wasn't completely skeletal, thanks to the multiple layers of padding he'd slid in place to make him appear lean and athletic. It was a balancing game, too much and he would look like a certain 1930s cartoon character. One empowered by nothing but grit and a can of spinach. Too little, and it would do nothing to hide the malnourished body underneath.
But the biggest change was the attractive face, framed by a mess of short, dirty blonde hair. With smooth, healthy skin and a jaw chiseled enough to cut glass. Lips full and pulled into a perpetual friendly smirk. Eyebrows well trimmed and tailored, curved down to form a bit of a smoldering gaze with a pair of dark brown eyes.
All in all, he was handsome but not overly so. Something perfect would sound out loud enough alarm bells for anyone to start feeling uneasy. Hence why he did nothing to his obviously crooked, slightly yellowed teeth, nor the large schnozzle hanging off his face.
He knew this was a stalling tactic, knew that trying to drag this out longer than it needed to be would do nothing but make this even more unpleasant for both of them. But he honestly had no idea how to bring the truth to bear.
'Sorry, the crush you've been obsessing over for years doesn't like girls.'
Yeah, there was no way she wouldn't lock herself into an endless circle of denial and lash out at him in what she would probably see as an attempt to besmirch her 'love's' good name.
"Well?!" She urged, tapping her foot loudly in the silent bathroom. Or at least as quiet as it could be, as loud music thumped through the tiled flooring. "What is it? If my Adrian finds us in here and thinks something is going on between the two of us, I swear to God I'll-"
"Just give me a moment." She was making this far harder than it already was, testing his own patience to the absolute limit. He could be cruel, could be dismissive of everyone involved, and be done with it. He didn't owe any of these people anything, and he sure as hell would feel a lot better to finally be done with her… But that would only be for a moment, before guilt would come crashing down from all around him. That molasses clogging his airwaves for years to come. "Listen, just answer me this...What does a relationship with Adrian look like to you?"
"Paradise!" She perked up immediately, that nasty attitude slipping away as the thought floated across her mind. Even smiling a bit, she actually appeared exactly like a love-struck girl. "I imagine us in a big house, with six-no-ten children! With a whole staff of maids, the prettier, the better! Just so I can see them get down on their hands and knees like the fucking whores they are as they clean up after my family! And-and I see Adrian still acting, but with me at the helm. Picking and choosing so there are no movies where he's even remotely romantically involved with another, and above all else, I see myself in this glorious dress. More Beautiful than anyone else in this world! We'll be happy, while all those other bitches can be miserable as I get him all too myself!"
"…" At that, he could feel his shoulders tense up. Yeah, there was no way she was going to take this news well at all. "Well...that's certainly a dream, alright."
"It's not just a dream!" Chelsea puffed her chest out proudly. "It's already set in stone! Did I tell you I even got this fortune teller to cast a love spell for me? I don't really believe in that kind of stuff, but better safe than sorry, right? A little help won't hurt any!"
"That's nice…" Maybe he would've been able to completely disregard that mention of a love spell if he didn't know better, but knowing what he knows, it did put him on edge a little. He could only pray that she'd simply been scammed and hadn't run into someone who could actually cast such a spell. With everything done, he knew his time was up. "Well, I don't know how to tell you this any other way, but...I don't think you are really compatible."
"...What did you just say?!"
"Hold up, wait a moment. Let me finish. I'm not saying it in a way to insult you or anything...From my conversation with him, I don't think you're his type. And I'm pretty sure he won't reciprocate the same feelings you have for him."
There, he said it. He might not have done so in the best of ways, but it needed to be said. They were simply incompatible with each other; nothing wrong with that. It happened, and from years down the line, maybe she would be far too embarrassed by how she acted now to go crawling into a hole somewhere whenever someone mentioned it.
'Maybe decades.'
If the way her face twisted up in anger was anything to go by, he really didn't believe his initial time frame was adequate. From her clenched fists, teeth bare, and skin growing a concerning red like that of a cherry tomato.
"Did those bitches feed you those lies, too?!" She snarled, slamming the flat of her fist into the wall. The heavy thud sounded even louder in that enclosed room. "Those are nothing but fucking rumors! Spread by that bitch Sienna to scare off anyone from trying anything! In what world does it make sense for a guy as good-looking as Adrian to be into smelly, ugly dudes??! There's no way some cruel creator out there made someone like Adrian a fucking faggot! No way! No fucking way! I refuse to believe it! And you shouldn't either!"
"..Rumors?"
Maybe he should've done a better job socializing here, else he wouldn't have been so blindsided by this sudden news. If he knew this wasn't such a massive secret, then he honestly wouldn't have tried to beat around the bush, especially not after what he just heard. He'd expected her to blow up, to rant and rave, but he hadn't quite expected...well, this. And just hearing this much made him regret taking this job even more than he already did.
'Yeah, for now on, everyone is getting a survey to see if I'm dealing with someone this unstable again.'
"Some stupid whore started this slanderous rumor about catching him and this fucking ugly guy in that stupid Theater club! Said they were kissing or something stupid shit like that! I don't believe it! Haven't believed in it in a year! I just know it's fake! Another ploy by all these loose sluts to keep him all to themselves and keep us apart! I refuse to believe it!"
'Some secret, huh?'
"And I can prove it!" She shoved a hand in her purse, a fervent expression on full display. A glint of something far too familiar to be comforting. "If and I mean if, these rumors are even remotely true and some ugly fat ass has put his lips on my...That just means there's a solution! To prove that he's not gay to both everyone else and himself! If that's true!"
At that, Chelsea finally ceased her rummaging before pulling out two objects. Both small enough to fit into the palm of his hand.
A small white container, with a child-proof lid atop it's neck. Twin egg white pills appeared on its logo, along with an older woman smiling gently while she snoozed away.
And, a plastic zip-lock bag holding nothing but a single pink-colored capsule. The overhead light bouncing off its surface, lighting it up in a distinctly neon glow.