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Clawdeen strode through the bustling corridors of Monster High, her face contorted in a scowl that betrayed her mounting frustration. An undeniably annoying sensation of being followed had been bothering her lately. Every time she turned a corner, a flash of fiery red hair would vanish from view. Each time she glanced back in class, furtive yellow hands clung to a book, guilty eyes peeking over the cover.
Without a doubt, Clawdeen was done dealing with Heath's antics. She knew better than to be ensnared in whatever mess he'd entangled himself in this time. Last time she had done that, she ended up with singed hair and an ash covered blouse. Strangely, he seemed oblivious to the usual cues, not seeking refuge with Abbey or Frankie. As much as Clawdeen adored her friends, their soft spots for Heath's attention-seeking antics were all it took to enable his more annoying personality traits.
This time, Clawdeen was determined not to fall into the same trap.
"Ugh, why can't that fiery little creep just back off?" Clawdeen muttered under her breath, her cautious gaze darting around her locker door. "I thought I made it clear for him to knock it off with this sort of stuff." She sneered, her eyes scanning for any sign of the troublesome imp.
Draculaura chimed in, applying a fresh coat of gloss as she offered her perspective. "Why not just ask him what's on his mind? The sooner you know, the sooner you can address it. Avoiding him won't solve anything, you know Heath, he doesn’t really know how to take a hint." She nudged Clawdeen playfully, her bright smile infectious.
Groaning, Clawdeen tugged at her sleeves, conceding with a sigh, "I get it, but if I give in now, he'll make a habit out of it. And as much as Heath has toned down his “suave asshole” act, he is still by far the biggest chatterbox I know, even compared to you!” She teased lightly “I'm not equipped to handle whatever mess he's cooked up." She huffed, her locker door slamming shut.
Draculaura gathered her belongings, her cheerful tone unrelenting. "Well, if push comes to shove, you can always direct him Abbey’s way and she can deal with it. They are dating for a reason, after all.” She smiled and slung her bag over her shoulder, blowing Clawdeen a kiss “Anyway, I'm off to Clawculus. See you at lunch!" With a wave, she headed down the hallway.
"Wait, Draculaura!" Clawdeen grumbled, her friend's back already turned. She stared after her for a moment, then with a determined huff, she muttered, "Fine, if Heath wants to talk, we'll have that chat NOW. on my terms..." Clawdeen stormed down the hallways with resolve, ready to confront Heath and get this ordeal over with. She wasn't about to let her free period be hijacked by his nonsense.
Heath had always been an odd blend of conspicuous and evasive. It was as if the universe was conspiring to madden Clawdeen; every attempt to locate Heath proved futile when she needed him. But just as she was about to round another corner, she collided with an all-too-familiar figure. She stumbled back, regaining her balance, her gaze locking onto Heath, who wore a sheepish expression.
"Well, uh, Clawdeen. What a surprise," Heath greeted, his usual bravado subdued. He leaned against the wall, attempting a confident pose, but the air around him felt different.
Clawdeen's arms crossed over her chest, her impatience unrelenting despite Heath’s attempt to placate her. "Listen, Heath, I'm not up for any of your games. If you're here to flirt or mess around, save it. I'm not interested." She growled, her frustration simmering. "You've been tailing me all week, and I'm fed up. Tell me what you want and then leave me alone." She grasped his shirt, her grip firm.
Heath's sheepishness transformed into genuine concern, his palms raised defensively. "Clawdeen, hold on, that's not why I'm here. I wanted to talk about something actually important!” He gently pried her hand off his shirt “I just… wanted to find the right words first..."
Raising an eyebrow and cutting him off, Clawdeen's tone remained stern. "...Go on."
Heath's anxiety grew palpable, prompting him to guide Clawdeen into a nearby classroom for privacy. He shut the door behind them, wringing his hands nervously.
"It's about... me." He finally breathed, gesturing to himself slowly.
Clawdeen's curiosity surged despite her unimpressed demeanour. "About you? Oh gee, what a surprise." A teasing smirk danced on her lips as she brought out a file to tend to her nails. Heath sighed and nodded, He exhaled deeply and brought a hand up to rub at the back of his neck. His eyes tracing every corner of the room to avoid Clawdeen’s gaze.
“...Remember a few months ago when you called everyone together…and you had that talk with us…?”
“Well yeah-” She started, scrutinizing her nails as she talked. “That was when i told you guys i-” She paused as his words sank in. Her brow furrowed, and she put aside her nail file, shifting her stance to listen more intently.
"Wait a minute… Heath?"
Heath nodded hesitantly, his gaze narrowed on the wooden floor.
"You're... gay?" Clawdeen's voice softened as she locked eyes with him, the realization settling in as she took a seat in front of him.
Heath shook his head, his nervousness evident. "Well, not exactly. It's more complicated. I think... I think I might be bisexual."
Surprise painted Clawdeen's face, her preconceived notions shattered. Compassion overtook her irritation as she watched Heath's vulnerability unfold.
"You... you do?" She whispered, her demeanour mellowing.
Heath nodded, his gaze dropping to the floor. "Yeah, it's been on my mind for a while. I used to only be into girls, but recently, I've been thinking about guys too. It's like... I thought it was normal for it to feel the same both ways, but, well, apparently…it’s not?" He managed a soft smile before his anxiety resurfaced. “I still think i like girls a bit more- it’s not like…exactly the same, but i realized i liked guys a bit more then how some dudes do…and I'm freaking out about it, to be honest."
Clawdeen's irritation gave way completely to understanding. She moved closer and laid a comforting hand on Heath's arm. "Heath, I'm sorry I got mad earlier. Opening up like this takes a lot of courage. You can count on me for support, no matter what." She crouched in front of him, holding his hand gently. “I promise,”
Heath relaxed slightly and nodded, his gaze meeting hers with gratitude. "Thanks... I really appreciate it." He wiped at his eyes hastily.
Clawdeen straightened up, her concern genuine. "Heath, why did you come to me first? We're not that close. I mean, I'm glad you trust me, but there's Abbey and Clawd. I know they're a lot closer to you."
Heath's face twisted in thought. "It's different for guys. People can be weird about bisexuality. I'm worried they'll think I'm greedy or something, or that they won't want me around anymore." He admitted, glaring at the wall bitterly. Biting his lip when his eyes welled with tears.
Clawdeen's frown deepened, and she enveloped Heath in a hug as he broke down. "Listen, you have Abbey and Clawd, plus me, in your corner. We'll stand up for you if anyone gives you any sort of trouble,” She hummed “I mean, don’t you remember how both of them stood up for you when Gory was harassing you?" She pointed out gently.
Heath chuckled through his tears. "Yeah...honestly I was surprised they cared so much," He nodded against her shoulder.
Clawdeen released him, a reassuring smile on her face. "You can count on us to care. Just remember, being true to yourself is what matters most. And Heath, if you ever decide to come out to others, know that you'll find the support you deserve."
He paused, thinking over his words carefully. “You’re…not gonna tell anyone, are you?”
Clawdeen glared and shook her head, though it very clearly wasn’t directed at him “No no, outing people is seriously fucked, you tell people when you want to, and if someone else forces you to, you tell me- ok?” She hummed seriously. Gently punching his shoulder.
He exhaled softly and nodded shakily, a bit calmer “Y-yeah, got it-” He hummed quietly.
The two friends sat there for a moment, the bustling sounds from the halls of Monster High fading into the background. It was a comfortable silence, a wave of understanding coming through both of them.
“...When you…came out…did.. did people judge you…?”
It was her turn to cringe uncomfortably, sighing heavily and nodding “...Well…yeah. Our friend’s were great, don't get me wrong- but word gets around, not that I was hiding it, but still…and I'd have guys makin’ comments about me that- I really don’t want to think about-” She pinched her brow and rest her head against her hands. “...It sucks…but it sucks more to pretend you’re something you’re not. If I regret anything…it’s not coming out sooner. But we can’t change the past, we can only try and build a better future with what we do now” She whispered wisely, almost forgetting she was talking to Heath.
Heath thought over her words quietly “...I’m sorry you had to go through that…that really does suck-” He whispered. His gaze tracing the tiles on the floor.
Clawdeen squeezed Heath's arm reassuringly. "You know, Heath, I think it's amazing that you're exploring your identity. Remember, being true to yourself is what truly matters. Don't let anyone bring you down or make you doubt who you are." She spoke sternly
“...I know I give you a hard time sometimes…and granted…it’s warranted at times-” She teased, a small smile playing on her face again. “But you’re like a younger brother to me- kinda annoying- always getting into messes I have to fix, but I still care.” She reassured.
“Just know, you can come to me for any of this- I've got your back-” She reassured. “Any creeps give you trouble, I'll be there- in your corner-” She smiled, baring her teeth proudly.
Heath grinned, a mixture of gratitude and growing confidence on his face “Thanks Clawdeen, i think…i think i feel a bit better now,” He smiled sincerely.
She shrugged and smiled “Yeah, coming out does kinda do that sometimes-” She chuckled. Before nudging his shoulder “Anyways, classes are starting again soon- if you’re late for Rotter’s class again you’ll have to do another essay-” She smirked, raising a brow.
Heath jumped up, panic laying fresh on his features “shIT- ok ok- I'm gonna go do that- but thanks!” He ran towards the door, stumbling over his feet in the process.
She smirked and stood, brushing herself off and checking her phone to see if Draculaura was out of class. Which meant she was taken off guard when she was tackling into a full body hug.
“...really, thank you Clawdeen.”
Her surprise melted back into that same fondness she had experienced through this conversation.
“No problem, Heath,” She smiled, patting his head gently.
He pulled away and grinned, nodding as he turned and ran out of the room, eager to make it to Mr Rotter’s class on time.
Draculaura entered, slightly annoyed, wondering what had caused the commotion.
She rolled her eyes and smiled “Relax, he’s only rushing because he’s got Rotter’s class now, and you know what he’s like when students are late-” She moved to stand beside her friend.
Draculaura shuddered “...I’ve lost so many weekends to those essays-” She admitted with a nod, Linking arms with Clawdeen as they ventured back out into the hallways, Her brow furrowed her thought. Turning to Clawdeen curiously.
“So did you find out what Heath wanted? You definitely seem like you’re in a better mood!”
Clawdeen smiled and shrugged “He just wanted some help with his Biteology project, I said I'd let him borrow my notes on the condition he doesn’t follow me around like a lost puppy again, he promised he wouldn’t and that was that-” She hummed, slightly guilty for masking the true nature of the conversation, but she knew that Draculaura would understand.
As Clawdeen and Draculaura continued down the hallway, a genuine sense of warmth lingered in the air. The weight of Heath's revelation had shifted the dynamics between them, and Clawdeen knew that her promise of support was as true as ever.