Does Heartbreak High Represent Asexuality Well?
By Christine Kinori
Recently, Netflix dropped season two of Heartbreak High, which follows a group of students from Hartley High as they navigate their teenage years and everything that comes with. While Amerie and Malakai’s relationship troubles take the better part of the show, most of us were paying attention to Ca$h and Darren.
Darren is a non-binary student who is in love with Ca$h. Their relationship has been rough from the beginning. In season one, we meet Ca$h as drug dealer. At the same time, Darren is going through a challenging time trying to get their family, especially their stepdad, to respect their sexuality and pronouns.
In a way, the two keep running into each other and being there for one another. What starts as a friendship soon develops into more. We can’t blame Ca$h for falling head over heels for Darren. Honestly, who wouldn’t? But once they realize their feelings are mutual, they get into a relationship. However, Darren starts to wonder if they are getting mixed signals from Ca$h.
For most of season one, Darren wonders if Ca$h likes them. They feel like Ca$h has been giving them mixed signals. They keep trying to get Ca$h to have sex, but things take a different turn. You see, what Ca$h failed to mention is that he is asexual. This means that while he has romantic feelings for Darren, he does not feel sexual attraction towards him or anyone else.
It took a break-up and a lot of conversation to get the two on the same page. It was not easy for either of them, especially Darren. They enjoyed intimacy and had difficulty understanding that a relationship is more than physical intimacy. Nonetheless, as the season wrapped up, Darren realized they love Ca$h just as he is.
Season two saw the couple try to work on their relationship after Ca$h is released from jail. The two tried to find a way to compromise for each other. Ca$h opened up more about how much he can offer in terms of intimacy, and Darren tried to adjust their expectation. Sadly, even in season two, the couple had not found their footing. Intimacy remained the most significant issue that threatened to tear them apart. Thankfully, the two chose to stand by each other’s side and find a solution that works for them.
Heartbreak High is one of the few shows that dares to tell the story of an asexual and non-binary person. It is not an easy relationship to navigate. As research has proven, asexual people do feel have romantic attraction. Most people assume that asexuals can’t experience romantic relationships. However, asexuality exists on a spectrum. This means that it depends on each individual’s approach to intimacy.
As portrayed by Ca$h and Darren, some difficult and honest conversations are necessary to make the relationship work. It took a while for Darren to understand that Ca$h’s lack of desire for intimacy doesn’t mean he doesn’t want them. It is not personal.
Season two took the couple on a journey to find what works for them. Ca$h was open about his boundaries and willing to explore other ways of intimacy. At the same time, Darren was willing to be patient and understanding.
As much as Darren and Ca$h’s portrayal is not perfect, it is an excellent start to help society understand asexuality. The show gives us a conversation starter that will break the stereotypical and discriminatory views most people have about asexuals.
Given the show’s target audience is young adults, it is nice that teenagers who might just be discovering they are asexuals can also have a point of reference to help them understand what they feel. We all know that we start to understand our sexuality better at this age.
Darren and Ca$h’s relationship is beautiful to behold and reminds us all that it is okay to be ourselves. We are capable of giving and receiving love in different ways, and that is okay. We need more shows that highlight lesser-known sexual orientations. In this case, Heartbreak High is doing a phenomenal job!
About the Author
Christine Siamanta Kinori grew up in a little village in Kenya known as Loitoktok near the border of Kenya and Tanzania. All she wanted to do when she grew up was to explore the world. Her curiosity led her to join Nairobi University to pursue a degree in Journalism and Mass Communications. She later got a job with an amazing travel magazine Nomad Africa which gave her the opportunity to explore Africa. She also writes for numerous travel websites about Africa and tries to create a new narrative in the media about our aesthetic continent.
Christine claims to have somewhat unhealthy addiction to TV and reading, as it is a fun way to keep herself occupied during the long journeys for her travel writing. She is also a believer of letting people be their beautiful selves. To her, love is love and it is the greatest gift we have as humans.
