Request: JC-centric (maybe JoC or TrickC) please? HS or college AU - maybe mid-year transfer in?

This would be different, JC told himself. This would be different than the last two schools he was at. No one would call him strange, call him a freak. No one would trip him and push him. No one would call him girl. No one would call him fag. No one knew him here.

Because so what if he liked art and music? Lots of people did, there were lots of famous artists and musicians in the world and they weren't called names. Most of the time. Or if they were, people were at least nice to their faces. And they had friends, and people they could trust.

And JC didn't even like boys, so he didn't get where the fag thing came from at all. He didn't think he looked girly, not like the guy in the last school he was in, and that guy was popular. It was just... stupid. People were stupid.

But not this time, this time JC was going to fit in. He dressed just like he saw everyone else dressing and didn't ask any dumb questions and didn't drift off every time he had an idea for a new song or a new painting. He was focused and he was ready.

He checked his schedule for the room number one more time, then tucked it in the back pocket of his jeans and ran a hand through -- no, not through, over, since it was very carefully styled -- his hair, and headed down the hallway.

He got curious glances, but not disdainful ones, and he could handle that. That was a huge improvement. He rounded the corner and there, by the water fountain, two guys and two girls were laughing, sharing a joke. One of the guys looked up at him, and JC refused to shy away from looking back. He was shorter than JC but cute, dark spiked hair, heavy silver earrings, friendly smile on his face.

JC waved at him, and the guy waved back guilelessly, still smiling. JC almost went over -- was right on the cusp of it, drawing in a deep, calming breath -- but he was going to be late for class if he did, and the four of them were dispersing anyway. So he just smiled in return and memorized the guy's face and was on his way again.

Okay, maybe he did like boys. But the rest, the rest was true. This would be different.