Page 34 of Spring Awakening

Quickly, as if he realised he’s told her something he shouldn’t have, he relates it to work. “If possible, I’d like to avoid any interview questions about it.”

“Sure. Yeah. Of course,” she replies. Zach’s toes tap against hers again, and she wonders if he knows. He leans back in his chair, and she traces his silhouette with her eyes.

“Anything else?” she asks, because she’s greedy and wants to know everything, even if she wishes he was telling her because he wanted to and not because he wants it to stay out of the press.

“I’m bisexual,” he replies quickly. “That’s not something I necessarily want hidden. I just don’t think it’s out yet.”

Andfuck. He does fancy Ezra. “Okay. If you don’t want it hidden, do you want to put it out yourself?”

Zach frowns. “Like on social media? I don’t know. I’m not against it, it just seems cheap.”

Mali laughs. “I mean, I could get you paid for it. I know you don’t want any sponsorships, but if you wanted something else, you could get it. I don’t have to tell you how much of a big deal it would be for a rugby player to come out. Terrifying also, so I would understand if you wanted to keep it low-key.”

“Well, I have the Blyke one,” he says, rolling his neck. He doesn’t seem annoyed about it. Just wrong.

“No, you don’t.”

“I thought the contract was going through this week?”

“Yeah,” Mali says. “But you didn’t want it.”

Zach frowns again, and she wants to live in the crease between his eyebrows. “So?”

“What do you mean, so? You said you didn’t want it, so I haven’t put you in it.”

“Oh.”

Mali spins a little in her chair, propping one of her legs up as she leans her head into her hand. “Have you changed your mind?”

“No,” Zach replies, and he mimics her movement. She feels her face heat up when his foot touches hers again. “I just… well, I thought you might do it anyway.”

“Why would I do that?”

He shrugs. Then, because he’s the worst person she knows, he stretches, and his top rides up, his stomach tensed with the movement. She sighs audibly. He doesn’t say anything, though—just links his hands behind his head. She’s going to think about his arms and his abs for the rest of her life.

“I’m used to people doing whatever they want,” Zach says. “Especially when it comes to money.”

“Oh. You’re not in it. For real.”

“Is that why Blyke has been so difficult this week?”

Mali laughs a little. “Yeah, but that’s not your problem.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. It’s my job. I don’t want you to sign anything you don’t wanna sign.”

Zach smiles, and she smiles back. “So, the coming-out thing. What do you think I should do?”

“Well, do you want to come out?”

“I’m already out. Well, my mum knows, and you know. So, I don’t care what anyone else thinks. And you’re right. It would kinda be a big deal. I don’t care about that, but if it helps some tiny, scared kid somewhere, then, I dunno. Feels kinda like I should do it.”

“You’re really great,” she says, and it shocks her how true she thinks that is. Even with his inability to talk to her before today, and the way he keeps putting his washing in the machine without turning it on, and the way he gets up way too early in the morning. He’s great. Really.

She clears her throat when he looks at her. “Think about it for a while, but we can do a magazine, or an advert. You know Tradios wants you for underwear so bad.”

“They do?”

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