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Percy would like it to be noted that he doesn’t normally slide into strangers’ DMs. However. He has committed to the Summer Plan, which involves the following: drinking every flavor out of those god-awful Coca-Cola 100 machines, talking his aunt and uncle into driving him to a Florence and the Machine concert, learning to play piano, and most importantly, Getting Over Monty.
It’s not like he’s really meant to give up on what his thirteen-year-old self declared the love of all loves, forever and undying (what a dramatic bitch). It’s just after five years of watching Monty kiss basically everyone except him, he’s made the executive decision that continuing to pine away is just plain sad. It was probably sad years ago, but regardless, he’s drawn the line. This is the summer.
And so here he is, sitting in his room on a Friday night and sweating over what to send to a complete stranger that will come off as charming, but not creepy. He even starts to think Monty is so much better at this before giving himself a stern talking-to. This is a Monty-free evening. He winds up settling, after a cool fifteen minutes, on “Hey, I really love your poetry,” which, in addition to being significantly un-creepy, is wholly true.
See, the stranger he’s currently DM-sliding to has an Instagram account entirely dedicated to cursive scribbles in the margins of schoolwork. @darlingidk ( he/they, pretty bitch, poet, subscribe to my onlyfans xx ) writes about unrequited love and wanting to leave home and fraught family relationships and less-fraught friendships and his gorgeous-sounding ex, and really, what’s not to like about a poet who paints their nails red and has pretty handwriting and also happens to be eighteen and queer? The OnlyFans, as far as Percy can tell, is a joke. (Not that he’s checked.)
(Okay, maybe he’s checked.)
But seriously, this person is prime getting-over-Monty material. And if Percy’s made a separate, cooler account to talk to him, then so be it. There’s hardly anything about pictures of himself and Monty at five years old, duelling with paper towel tubes, that screams dateable. His phone buzzes, and Percy almost falls off of the edge of his bed.
darlingidk: thanks sjdksh
darlingidk: im just dicking around really
darlingidk: its nice to know someone enjoys them
And he’s humble. Okay.
manicrhapsody: They’re seriously fantastic though
manicrhapsody: You should get published
manicrhapsody: if you want, I mean
darlingidk: hadn't thought about it tbh
darlingidk: feel like that would be kind of embarrassing to put my name on
darlingidk: like ‘hey everybody, look at all of my issues’
manicrhapsody: I mean at least you make yours sound pretty sjdfdsj
darlingidk: i suppose
darlingidk: maybe a pen name? so i don’t have to come out
And for some reason, that’s surprising. Maybe Percy should stop assuming every person on Earth has their shit together, even when all evidence points to the contrary.
manicrhapsody: You’re not out?
darlingidk: i mean, kind of?
darlingidk: people know but like
darlingidk: not about the gender stuff
darlingidk: and they didn’t take the bisexuality well so
darlingidk: i mean except for my best friend, he’s been lovely, but i’m kind of scared shitless of telling him
manicrhapsody: why?
darlingidk: he’s straight
darlingidk: and like the only person i can talk to
darlingidk: and so if he doesn't react well then i’m kinda fucked
manicrhapsody: I’m sure he’ll be fine
manicrhapsody: and if he’s not then he’s a total asshole
darlingidk: yeah logically he’s gonna be really good about it, i’m just a coward
manicrhapsody: I mean not really
manicrhapsody: I could never put my poems on the internet sdjkfsjd
manicrhapsody: I think I would die of humiliation
darlingidk: you write too?
manicrhapsody: a little bit, mostly music
darlingidk: ooooh
darlingidk: what about?
Monty. Monty, and how I’m so damn in love with him it hurts, and how he’s never going to feel the same way.
manicrhapsody: I don’t really want to talk about it?
manicrhapsody: friendship problems? I guess?
darlingidk: oh i’ve been there babe
darlingidk: ‘i’m a shadow of myself and he wants to see the sun’
darlingidk: ‘i resist the urge to trace constellations on his shoulders’
darlingidk: ‘boy on my roof, breeze-swept and beautiful, icarus has nothing on you’
darlingidk: et cetera
manicrhapsody: that’s about your friend?
manicrhapsody: I assumed an ex
darlingidk: nope
darlingidk: i’m just hopelessly in love with him sdjfhdjfk
darlingidk: and he’s straight
darlingidk: so
Percy’s heart sinks. So much for a date and a distraction. But there can’t be any harm in staying, can there? Monty is basically his only friend, and spending his free time with the love of his life isn’t really conducive to moving on.
darlingidk: sorry i’m really dumping all my shit on you huh
manicrhapsody: you’re fine!
manicrhapsody: can I make a confession?
darlingidk: sure lmao
manicrhapsody: this was a kind of a cursory attempt at dm-sliding?
manicrhapsody: I’m actually in love with my best friend too, and he doesn’t feel the same way, so I’m trying to get over him
manicrhapsody: it’s like my Summer Plan
manicrhapsody: and I was really impressed with your poetry and I thought you were funny
manicrhapsody: and so I was sort of trying to,,,
darlingidk: oh my god
Oh my God. Oh my God. This was a horrible idea. Abort, abort. Get a fucking time machine and go back and knock yourself out and delete your Instagram. Or just break the whole phone.
manicrhapsody: oh god, you think I’m a total fucking dipshit, I’m sorry
manicrhapsody: I do like talking to you though I’m not just trying to ditch you now that I know you’re not interested I have like no other friends and you seem really cool
manicrhapsody: but I shouldn’t have said that
manicrhapsody: so I’m just gonna,, go??
Percy flops back onto his bed and presses his hands to his eyes. Well. He’s officially become the Absolute Worst at social interaction. Maybe he should just stay in his room and slowly waste away with Lorde on loop. Wait for Monty to wander in and drag him to a bar so Percy can watch him dirty dance with everyone.
(Except Percy.)
He dares to take a peek at his phone after a few minutes, expecting a barrage of messages calling him a complete prick. But there’s only three notifications.
darlingidk: SKJDFHJFHFK
darlingidk: i’m sorry but that’s fucking hilarious we’re both such messes
darlingidk: we match :)
Percy lets out a shaky laugh and goes to type out a response.
manicrhapsody: yeah sdkfdks
darlingidk: wait so let me see some of ur sad emo poetry
manicrhapsody: sad emo poetry?
darlingidk: with the pining for the boy you can’t have
manicrhapsody: that’s literally what you write
darlingidk: and ur telling me you HAVENT written about him
darlingidk: cos that sounds like fucking bullshit darling
manicrhapsody: …
manicrhapsody: okay fine
He flips to his notes app, looking for the least-emo poem he’s written about Monty. It’s a struggle. What is he supposed to send to someone who’s objectively fantastic at this? He finally settles on one from two years ago, probably the emo-est of them all, but he can’t really care. It feels real.
manicrhapsody: you looked like you were going to sink into the rain-soaked earth in your mother’s garden
manicrhapsody: like you wanted to disappear or be put six feet under
manicrhapsody: and you told me how your father, with his blunt fists and sharp words was unable to cut out what he hated most
manicrhapsody: and you couldn’t be rid of it, no matter if you wanted to let it go
manicrhapsody: and I didn’t tell you then, but I felt like I was sinking with you
manicrhapsody: but darling
manicrhapsody: you always call me that, darling
manicrhapsody: you always reach for me when the grass starts to curl around me
manicrhapsody: you’ve always been beautiful, scars and all
manicrhapsody: and so if you truly need to go, I’ll lay down next to you and we’ll be reclaimed together
manicrhapsody: not underneath the earth, not six feet down
manicrhapsody: but laced in green, your eyes on the sky
manicrhapsody: and mine on you
Percy takes a breath. Two. Waits for a response.
darlingidk: holy shit,,,
darlingidk: percy?
His heart drops. How do they know--
darlingidk: percy darling?
darlingidk: call me?