So, I will be releasing my first book next month, an asexual love story! So, here’s a sneak preview of what is to come. Chapter One of Asexual Agenda!
Chapter One
I am struggling to come up with something socially worse than a family party, I can come up things worse than a family party, but socially, I am struggling. My parents had dragged me, as they thought it appropriate. It was my cousins twenty-first, but not in a social club where you could sit at a table and talk to whoever is at that table, with no other obligations, or requirements, this was a house party, this was a free for all, any relative could approach me and force me to make conversation with them. Any. My parents didn’t seem to agree with my reasoning that I shouldn’t have to attend this party; my first being, I’m twenty-three, it should no longer be an obligation for me to attend family parties. My second, none of my family are my age, therefore I’ll either be forced to spend the night with the Prehistoric members of the family, or the pre-school members, Mum told me that I’d been rude and now I had to go, which was how I actually ended up, stood, leaning on the patio doorframe, trying to avoid eye contact with my family, whilst sipping Bailey’s on ice. Not that I actually drink Bailey’s on ice, but it was ever so slight slim pickings. Mum had walked pass me numerous times, telling me to go socialise, that was when I refilled my drink, so she could witness me walking across the room, and couldn’t stay that I didn’t actually move. I just didn’t actually speak to anyone, and I had no plan, what-so-ever to speak to anyone. They’re too predictable, the prehistoric side, that is; they’ll ask if I have a girlfriend yet, when I say no, they’ll nudge each other and wink and mention boyfriend. They, then will begin talking about marriage, and babies, and how I’m twenty-four in a few months, and many of them had numerous children by the time they were twenty-four. I hadn’t told them that I didn’t plan on having children, I hadn’t told them I didn’t plan on having a girlfriend or a boyfriend, I hadn’t told them I never plan on having sex. I hadn’t come out to any of them, not even half way, and I hadn’t planned to. Although, I also hadn’t planned to attend this party, I even clicked declined when the event notification came up, and alas I was here.
I’d began to plan another refill of my drink, except this time, I was going to reach into the ice bucket and actually have a beer, the Bailey’s was beginning to taste too liqueur like and less chocolate like, so I planned my refill. I knew I had to avoid certain areas of the room, the ice bucket was in the kitchen and I hadn’t scoped out the kitchen, not fully at least, so I’d have to take it slow, ensure that I always had an escape route. I’d just about placed my empty plastic beaker full of melting ice on the table when someone tapped my shoulder, I’d been caught. Dammit.
“I know you.” I heard, so I turned, and it was true, because I really knew them too, like really knew, “And I feel like your names Justin, or,”
“Austin.” I replied, and got a nod, “Never Justin.” I said, they laughed.
“Sorry the first letter escaped me.” They said, putting their hands up then smiling at me, so I smiled back.
“You’re Alex? Right?” I asked, another nod.
“Yep, I’m Alex. I know you through Jamie don’t I?”
“Yes, that’s it, his twenty-second, when we spent the day down in Blackpool.” I said,
“Yep. You had to go home early if I’m right?”
“Oh yeah, I had to get the last train because I was doing something that Sunday, good memory.” I added, a third laugh. “How do you know the birthday boy?” I queried,
“He’s my cousin.” Alex replied, so I frowned, “What?”
“Does that make us related?” I asked, Alex smiled.
“No, I guess not. I’m going to take a wild guess and say, you’re his cousin on his Dad’s side?”
“Yeah, his Dad’s sisters son. You’re the Mum’s?”
“Mum’s sisters,” Alex said, then titled their head at me, “I suppose son.” He finished, so I almost frowned, but something lingered, something Jamie had said, that was along the lines of, don’t ask any questions about Alex. “You’ve saved me though, too many relatives asking questions at family parties. Want to go and escape to the garden? If we’re together, no one should try and speak to us.”
“If I can get a beer first, we’ve got a deal.” I replied, he laughed, took my wrist and lead me into the kitchen, letting me get a beer, open it then take it out into the garden with us, the garden which I can only describe as fresh. As it was dark, we could actually see anything but a wooden bench which must’ve looked over the grass area, but I could feel the freshness of the air, especially after being inside the stuffy living room. So, therefore, the garden was fresh.
“You’re twenty-four, right?” Alex asked, so I looked at him.
“Three.” I replied, watching as he nodded slowly,
“You’re younger than Jamie?” He asked, I nodded.
“Only by a few months, give or take. You’re?”
“Twenty-one.” He replied, “Just.” He added, so I smiled.
“You’re practically a baby.” I cooed, and got hit, not quite assaulted, but hit all the same. “How do you know him?”
“Used to live next door. He felt obligated to invite his eighteen year old neighbour to his Blackpool weekend.” He said, then he laughed amused, “But it was fun, so I can’t complain.” He added,
“I don’t know how much I remember of you.” I said, “I feel like you know far more about me, than I do you.” I said, he smiled.
“Well, yes, most people feel like that.” He said nodding, “Did Jamie tell you to be cautious around me then? Did he tell you?”
“Don’t ask any questions about Alex.” I said, he laughed.
“I can’t work out if he’s overprotective, or if he’s actually uncomfortable.” He said thoughtfully, I frowned.
“Why?” I queried, so he looked at me.
“What gender do you think I am?” He asked, although there was a smile there,
“Male.” I said, he smiled even more.
“Is that because of my name? Or,”
“Well, partially because you said son,” I said, his smile became amused, “But, you also, sort of look male, if you understand that.”
“Yeah. That is because I am.” He said, then leant his head back, looking up at the sky that was so polluted by light that you couldn’t even see the sheet of black. “I am biologically a male.” He said, and must have sensed my frown, “As in, I have all the bits males have.”
“But?” I queried,
“But, I any not assigned to that gender.”
“You’re transgender?” I queried, he shook his head,
“I am not assigned to any gender. I identify as neither male nor female. I am the rather not say box on tick forms.” He said, so I laughed,
“You’re agender?” I asked, he nodded, then looked at me,
“You know about agender?” He asked,
“I’m asexual. It gets mixed up an awful lot.” I said, “So, I researched it, just so I could be as correct as possible when saying to people no I am not agender.” I said, he seemed pleased.
“I have about as much gender, as you have desire to have sex.” He said, I grinned then took a sip out my bottle.
“I can’t say I ever really noticed.” I said, he nodded slowly.
“It depends. Some days I want to dress feminine, some masculine, some just neutral.” He said, waving his hand at me slightly. “Today, conveniently for my parents, I wanted to dress masculine.”
“What’s your pronoun? I keep referring to you as he in my head, but I don’t know if that’s right?”
“I prefer, if people are talking about me, to say they, their. I’m very happy to be referred to as he, I won’t be annoyed at you if you refer to me as he, him, his, but, I request, it is they, their, them when talking to someone about me, in your head, you can call whatever you like.”
“Noted.” I replied, Alex smiled, a more of a relaxed smile, happy smile.
“Are you anything as well as asexual?” Alex asked, so I looked at him.
“I like boys.” I said, “Which I think justified me being gay.” I said slowly, “So, I’m homoromantic, technically anyway.” I said, he grinned at me slightly, “And your sexuality? Because I’m knowledgeable and I know agender doesn’t determinate your sexuality?” I said, he let out a big breath.
“I am impressed. Like, wow.” He said shaking his head, so I smiled, “I’m complicated.” He said, so I frowned, “I guess I like boys.” He said nodding, “But, I also like girls, I don’t care, I’d like to date someone who is also agender, they’d get me.” he said, then sighed, “I don’t know.” He said, so I smiled.
“I get you.” I replied, then looked at him as he tilted his head at me. “You’re bi?” I asked, he shrugged, “Or are you pan?”
“I think, I’m omnisexual.” He said, “Or, I from this day forward will identify myself as an omnisexual, agender.” He said, then put his hands up. “YAY!” he added, so I began laughing because I couldn’t help it.
“I like you.” I said nodding, “We should talk more.” I added, so he grinned at me, “Even if you’re technically a teenager.” I replied, he frowned.
“I am twenty-one.” He said, “I have officially passed my practice round of adulthood, and in full adulthood.”
“Practice round?” I queried, he grinned.
“Well, turning eighteen is so the practice, when you turn twenty-one, it’s when things get real.” He said nodding, “I mean, can drink in America, AMERICA.” He stated,
“You’ve been able to drink in the UK for the last three years.”
“Details.” He murmured, so I grinned, which made him grin back at me then take a long sip out of his drink, so I looked at him, as in really looked at him, he was beautiful, even if that sounded odd, I would never say he was a handsome boy, but he was a beautiful boy. He was very lanky, long legs, long torso, long arms, and his haircut made his face look long. He had the back of his head shaved and his hair swept across his forehead, it appeared long, but wasn’t, I presume sometimes it fell flat against his head, but tonight it had volume in it, not quite making it stick up, but lifting it from his forehead. He was dressed simply in a polo shirt, jeans and Vans, managing to look reasonably boyish, but still feminine.
I slept in the next day, there was no reason for me to be awake, so I decided not to be. I only emerged because I was hungry, and even then I only planned to retrieve food and get back into bed. The sun stopped me doing that, I looked out to my minuscule patio, saw that the sun was blazing and decided to have my breakfast of coco pops on the patio, in the sun. Which woke me up completely. I had moved out of my parent’s house, I now lived on the second floor of a building near the park. Which was quite pleasant. I lived alone, that was how I liked it, but I did have a spare bedroom, just in case. I never intended to live with someone, I was saying since I was sixteen that when I moved out, I will move out alone, no-one had believed me, until I’d actually done it, and moving out independently really got me some points with the prehistoric of the family, no other half, but a house of his own, ten points!
“How are you doing this afternoon Austin?” I heard, so turned, seeing the little old lady from next door who had come out to water her plants.
“Very well, thank you Irene.” I replied, she smiled at me,
“You were gone last night. Date?” he asked, I shook my head.
“No, family party.” I said, “Cousins twenty-first.” I said, she continued to smile.
“How lovely. Was it fun?” she asked, I laughed, “Oh silly question. Family party, twenty-first, must have been a very bad night for you.” She said, so I nodded to her.
“It wasn’t too bad, all things considered, all the ones with the aim to get drunk went into town, leaving us, the old dearies to enjoy the garden.” I said,
“Oh, you cannot call yourself old, my dear.” She said amused, “I’ll see you soon Austin.”
“Tomorrow Irene, tomorrow.” I said, waving to her as she went back into her flat, so I did too, taking my bowl to the sink and dropping it into the bowl before going to get changed.
♥
“So, was it fun?” Jake, my best friend, asked as we both sat down with a coffee.
“Fun. No.” I replied, so he smiled whilst taking a sip out his mug. “I had a good conversation though, so, it wasn’t too bad.”
“That’s good.” Jake said nodding, “And there were no texts of plea, so I figured you were surviving, or drunk.”
“Not drunk.” I replied, then I grinned at him, as he laughed.
“And I take it no hook ups.” He said, then laughed himself, “Sorry, even I couldn’t keep that up.” He said, so I smiled at him,
“There was a guy actually.” I said, and made him choke.
“What?” he asked, I grinned.
“Oh he’s twenty-one, no chance.” I said shaking my head, “He was just a good conversation, he was interesting.” I said, “They.” I corrected, seeing Jake’s frown, “Long story.” I shook my head. “Are you busy tomorrow?”
“Yes.” He said nodding, not even considering it, so I scowled him lightly, “The match is on. You are not dragging me away, again.” He warned I laughed,
“And where are you going to watch it?”
“The pub.” He replied cautiously,
“Come watch it in mine.” I said, he tilted his head. “Well, for some reason I have the sports channels.” I said, he smirked.
“It’s on ITV.” He said, so I laughed.
“I have that too.” I replied, “No seriously, come watch it in mine, I might as well steal your company, even if you’re not paying attention to me.” I said, he raised his eyebrows then laughed.
“Oh, then I’ll let Jamie know, and Damian, and Kyle.” He said nodding, so I nodded back.
“Fine.” I said, making him grin.
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