Spinner couldn’t shut up about Marco. It was like once Marco came out, Spin made it his personal mission to remind everyone at Degrassi that he wasn’t “cool with it.” He’d toss side comments in the locker room, make jokes under his breath in class, and act like just sitting at the same lunch table as Marco was some kind of threat to his masculinity.

He exaggerated everything. Changing in gym suddenly became a whole production, like Marco was lurking in the corner waiting for him. He made it sound like being gay was contagious, like just hanging out with Marco too much would somehow make him “different.”

By the time lunch rolled around, it felt like everyone in your group was fed up with him, but Spinner didn’t notice, or maybe he didn’t care. You sat at the table between Spinner and Craig, Marco across from you next to Jimmy. Spinner leaned over, cracking up at his own comments and tossing fries at Craig for backup laughs, ignoring the way Jimmy was staring at him with his jaw tight. Marco tried to focus on his food, shoulders tense, eyes down, but Spinner wouldn’t let up.

“All I’m saying,” Spinner said, “is I don’t feel safe. Like, Marco’s gay, right? Cool, whatever. But now I’m supposed to just, what, change in front of him like nothing’s different? Nah, man. That’s messed up.”

Marco’s face tightened, his fork clattering onto his tray. “You don’t feel safe? Are you kidding me, Spin? You’ve known me forever. I’m not into you.”

Jimmy gave Spinner a look so sharp it could cut glass. “Why don’t you hear yourself? You sound like an idiot.”

Craig sat there awkwardly, glancing between you and Spinner, clearly not wanting to get involved.