"Strawberry Sorbet"

Karasu

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Summary: (WIP, het, mxf, fxf) Wait a second! I'm a faghag! My gaydar is 97 percent accurate! How could I have fallen for him? And who is his other girl?! She's got herself a guy already! Ugh... highschool.

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Chapter One

Most people don't believe me when I tell them that I only have one straight male friend. But I'm being serious. There's my closest fag, Dag, who has the whole tall, dark, and handsome look down to a "T". He came out during freshman year. Too bad he can't keep a boyfriend for more than a week. Then there's Austin, the baby of our group. He's the most experienced out of all of us... if you get what I mean. Aussie came out just last year, when he wanted advice about his then-boyfriend. Of course, Oliver might have a straight bone in him... somewhere. When there's not, uhm, another bone in him. Haha. Lucien's got those baby blues that make anyone and everyone melt (just ask Dag's many boyfriends).

Then there's... me. The obligatory faghag. I'm not extremely feminine, nor am I off-the-charts gorgeous. I'm not special, nor particularly talented. I'm just Clara. My hair looks better clipped at my shoulders, I'm most comfortable in a tee and jeans, and I just happen to be the most famous faghag my school has ever seen.

Just ask around. Really. They'll either tell you I'm the one who was a slut in middle school (which is quite the opposite, really) or that I'm the one who keeps those gays in line.

I can't help it that gay guys are just more fun to be around than girls. And that they may be drama-filled, but it's a different type of drama. It's not being catty, it's relationship issues.

Besides, I happen to write nummy slash, and I get free porn whenever I want it!

Nah, part of me is kidding about that last part. I really do love my friends. They're the best guys a girl could have. Especially when we're talking about boys...

"He's not good enough for you, Daggy-fag," I picked at my food as I stared at the guy Dag pointed out. "Suzzanne and I were discussing him the other day. He cheats a lot, apparently."

"Well, most of my beaus have cheated, anyway," Dag shot a not-so-playful glare at Lucien's head, which was bowed over "The Da Vinci Code."

Lucien, though, heard him, and he raised his stunning eyes eyes to whisper a very playful "fuck off" in Dag's general direction. Oliver snorted into his hoagie.

"Ladies, can we get to the matter at hand?" I set down my fork to reprimand my precious beauties. Dag, of course, listens perfectly. We'd been best friends since fifth grade (it still baffled me that it had been seven years), and we'd stood strong against the test of time, if I do say so myself.

Lucien, however... had to make a sex joke.

"Oh, yes. Please do, I'm dying." His dry sarcasm made it even more funny.

I snickered, "Very funny, Luc," I turned my attention (however small the span may be) back to Dag, and the sleazeball across the cafeteria. "Besides, Daggy, I didn't think you were into the whole muscle-thing."

Dag's teeth stood out against his smooth tan skin as he grinned, "I thought I'd try something new for a change. Someone who can just tie me to the bed and get at it, y'know?"

After that weird mental image...

"It's not as fun as you'd think."

That would be Austin, our sweet, sexually active sophomore (man, my alliteration is on top of its game today!).

"Who the fuck tied you up, Aussie?" Dag raised a sculpted eyebrow.

"Hmm, Jimmy did that one time..." Austin placed his alabaster fist under his chin, and smiled softly.

"What the fuck?!" Dag shot up in his seat, his pierced tongue clicking against his teeth as he spoke. "Has everyone at this table slept with my exes?!"

I quickly raised my hand, "Hey, I haven't."

"That's because you prefer something softer," Oliver winked to me. I didn't mind my friends joking with me about my being ambisexual. I had kissed a lot more girls than guys. But that didn't stop me from flinging a pea at my friend.

Which got me scolded by the principal.

Everyone laughed, though, and when the old bugger was gone, Lucien said to Dag, "Besides, it's not like you give us a choice. You've dated every gay guy in the school. Plus lots of other ones at the other schools."

Austin placed a hand on Lucien's, "And he's slept with more."

Even Dag had to laugh at that one. High fives made their way around the table between the five of us.

You can see why I love these guys, too. Not only did Dag and Austin have a penchant for making out when they were drunk, they were hilarious. And we all cracked jokes at our own expenses. 'Cause, if you can't laugh at yourself, who can you laugh at?

Well, yes, my gay friends. But go with me on this one, 'kay?

"Do you have anyone you want me to check out, Clara?" Dag scooted his water bottle over to me, and I snatched it up with a smirk. "Who?"

"And is it a girl this time?"

"Shut up, Oliver! Is one lesbian joke not enough today?" I threw my fork at him this time, which did absolutely nothing to help my case (and made the principal glare at me again). Like I said, I had kissed more girls than guys, but when the total only came out to three, it wasn't much of anything. Besides, I was dating the guy; I wasn't dating the girls. And both of the girls were a one-time deal. No tongue. No hands tangling. No passion.

Just kisses.

That meant nothing.

"Really, though. Who is it?" Dag flipped open his cell phone, texted his boyfriend, then slipped it back into his pocket. Damn, that boy was good. I could never be that sneaky.

But I shook my head, "It's stupid." I propped my head on my hand, watching Dag text and Lucien read.

"Just tell us," Oliver raised an eyebrow at me, contentedly munching (and successfully talking around) his wheat roll. Those things are delicious, though.

"Daniel, okay? It's Daniel." I held my breath for the onslaught of horrible comments that were inevitable. Nobody really minded Daniel, but they all hated him for the same reason they liked him: he was straight.

Dag's hand flew to his chest as he gasped. I swear Oliver spit a piece of his roll across the table. Austin and Lucien exchanged that look. I was doomed.

"Daniel Marshall is the biggest hunk of queerbait in the school! Not to mention, he's a total tease. Why, oh why, Clara?" Dag placed his hand over mine in a consoling manner. Like I was just kidding myself.

But, of course I knew that Daniel was desired. Hell, not only did my fags talk about how much they wanted to rim him... I was also (gulp) one of his best friends.

Daniel and I had had two of the four art classes I took together. Last year, we officially met, and formed the first tie in a bond that would become stronger over the coming year. He was a senior, like I was this year.

I knew that if the guys found out I was friends with Dan, they'd try to get his number or use me as a catalyst to form their own bond with him. Then, they'd fuck him and leave him.

It ws how all their relationships went, whether they wanted to admit it or not.

Only Austin had ever had a long term boyfriend. And that was a year or more ago.

I was brought back to the present when Lucien slammed his book shut (it was the special illustrated edition, which was hardback, and it echoed off the walls), stood, gathered his things, and left the cafeteria in a whoosh of Axe cologne.

"What the fuck was that all about?" I watched my lovely friend leave as regret bubbled in my freshly-fed stomach. "Did I do something wrong, guys?"

Dag shrugged, but it was Austin that poke up, "Lucien's had a crush on Daniel since, like, the second grade." His pretty little lips curved into a smirk as he saw my mouth drop.

"Well, it's not like Daniel and Clara are dating, is it?" Dag placed an arm around my shoulder, coming to my rescue. "And, if they do date," he shot me a look that said "please, God, don't", "Lucien has no right to say anything. So Daniel isn't interested in sixty-nining him? He still has a hand and Daniel still has a MySpace. The end."

Oliver, once again, snorted into his food.

But Austin wasn't buying it, "How would you feel if Lucien started dating the guy of your dreams? The guy you'd had your eye on for forever."

I felt Dag tense. His breath came in short gasps as he released me to lean forward. "Fuck you, Austin. You know that Lucien's stolen almost every boyfriend of mine away. Where do you get the balls to fucking ask me that, huh?"

"Then you know how he feels!" Austin's dark eyes widened with emotion. The two of them were practically standing now, and they were definitely yelling. All because of me.

Whoops.

"Clara likes Daniel!" Dag flicked his dark black hair over his shoulder, glaring at Austin. "At least she's not fist-fucking him while Lucien is dating him!"

Austin looked up through his almost-white bangs at Dag. Aussie was there the night that Lucien drunkenly screwed Dag's then-boyfriend, Ryan. Austin and Luc were probably the two closest of the bunch, and therefore, they were hardly ever apart.

"Exactly what I thought." Finally, Dag ass found the seat again. "Clara's also not making lewd comments to Daniel while Lucien's dating him. Or making out with Daniel in front of Lucien. Or--"

"I get your point," Austin hissed, bringing his lips to the edge of his brand-name water. He didn't take a drink, and instead growled. "I'm glad you're saying this to me instead of Lucien."

"Just let it go," I mumbled to Dag as he sucked in a breath to retort to Austin's sarcasm. I stood, knowing I was safe to leave them alone. As soon as I stepped in, they were done. They knew I meant business. Rolling my eyes, I gathered my things, dumped my tray, waved to Oliver specifically, and left just as Lucien had.

I didn't have a specific destination, but I knew that I just couldn't take anymore of their arguing. Cross out whatever I said about not being catty.

I lied.

Girls were the same way, though, which is why I didn't particularly like hanging out with them, either. Except maybe Tanya, my best lesbian friend.

Ugh. It just seemed like everyone thrived on drama. At least once a week, we;d have a big blowout (pun intended, of course) at lunch, over whose boyfriend fucked Lucien, how many times Austin sucked off Dag that week, or the myriad of other things that went wrong.

Oliver and I were the ones who usually stayed on the outskirts of the problems, playing therapist or mediator. He didn't like for people to fight. It upset his delicate balance, I guess.

"Clara!"

I was almost to the art room (my subconscious just kinda led me there) when I heard his voice. Daniel's. I turned to grin at him.

"Where're you goin'?" His navy eyes sparkled at me, and I had to gather myself before I could respond properly.

"Ugh, I'm just trying to get away from all the dramarama," I gazed disdainfully in the direction of the cafeteria, and he got my drift. We talked a lot about the drama centering around my friends, and on more than one occasion, he'd asked for me to sit with him and his friends (who had their fair share of drama, of course, but no where near the amount of my friends'). Always, I politely declined, saying "thanks, but no thanks, someone has to be there to control the scratching and the eyes and the pulling of the hair".

"Clare," he chuckled slightly, taking off his thick-rimmed glasses to clean them (even though he kept them immaculate), "when are you going to learn that gay guys can't get along? They're like straight chicks, only... with dicks."

I knew he was just kidding, "Well, when are you going to stop hanging around straight chicks?"

"Hey," Daniel playfully scolded, "only two of them are straight."

"Two out of what? Three?"

"Five."

I was taken aback. I didn't know that many of his gal pals, "You're such a dutch boy."

He smirked, "Faghag."

"Oh, great comeback," I tossed the sarcastic reply over my shoulder as we entered the art room (read: sanctuary). Our teacher, Mrs. Bunker, had third block off (the admins called it a "planning period," but she mostly just used the time to chain-smoke and paint), so we pretty much had free reign. Which was nice.

"Bunker, we're here!" Daniel shrugged off his messenger bag on the nearest table. "Huh, she must be outside."

"Or in the Back Room snorting coke off of that one plastic-y sculpture that Steven made when he was here," I snickered. Steven was Daniel's older cousin, and he had made some really awesome sculptures a few years back for his portfolio (the same one Dan and I were supposed to be working on right now).

Daniel swatted at me, even though he was laughing, too.

"What? You know your cousin's artwork would be perfect to snort coke off of!" I set down my books as Bunker appeared, coming from, you guessed it, the famed Back Room.

"Nobody's snorting anything, Clara," she shot me a playful look. "What do you kids want, anyway?"

"Very funny, Mrs. Bunker," Daniel batted his eyelashes at her. "Since Clara and I are both seniors, and we have about--"

"A month, thank God," she interrupted, grinning.

"--of school left, we were wondering if we could start painting on the walls of the school." Dan's voice got cutesier and cutesier as he went, and finally, he grinned like the pretty boy he was.

"You have to get it approved by the Good Doc, but I don't see why not," Bunker grinned as we high-fived each other (it didn't occur to us that the "Good Doc," the assistant principal, might not let us paint what we wanted). "But! You two have to turn in your portfolios first."

That took the wind out of our sails.

We shot each other a look, and, immediately I knew what he was thinking...

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Author's Note: Okay. Well. Here's the (I guess you could call it) prequel to "KMKMLM." :D This is, of course, in Clara's POV, where "KMKMLM" is in Dan's. These characters all have a little bit of my friends in them, and it was fun to pass it around the table and let them guess who they were. XD

Dedicated to the AP Studio Art 2008 kids, and the boy who inspires me to write. :3

Music: Josh Groban's "Noel" album. 8D