The rest of the weekend went by with me making passes at Brad at every given chance I had. Either he just wasn’t feeling it or he didn’t know I was trying to get in his pants. Yeah, that’s bad considering the fact that we are best friends, but after what he said Friday night I don’t know how I exactly feel about just being friends. It’s one thing to fall for your best friend, but it’s a completely different thing to fall for your straight friend that has no idea what the hell he wants.
Oh well. There will be more chances.
Monday morning we’re both out of the door and well on our way to school via my mom. She looks into the rear view mirror at Brad and poses a question.. one that caught not only me and Brad off guard, but Jesus and Mary too.
“Have you two been using protection?” she asks Brad in a serious tone. He blushes a hot shade of pink and looks at me.
“Uhm, mom.. he’s not gay,” I nonchalantly say, “but if he was, trust and believe we would.” They both give me a weird look while I look out of the window. What! It’s the truth! I think. Doesn’t matter, someone had to put it out there.
After what seems like an eternity of listening to the annoying banter of the people on The Breakfast Club in silence she gets us to the school and drops us off. Brad is the first to get out and rushes off without saying a word. Wonder what his issue is. I wave at my mom and start walking towards the school. I’m not going to chase his ass down. It’s too damn early for that.
I’m an office aide for 1st period so I guess that gives the both of us the chance to chill out before we see each other in Chemistry.
I hear the bell ring and head to the office. I put my badge on and take a seat at the front desk, getting ready for the crowd of kids that never make it to school on time. One by one they filter in just a minute or two apart. I hand them the sign-in sheet, they fill it out, I verify their information on the system, call their parents who always give me some bunk excuse and then I write a pass allowing them to enter their 1st class of the day. Without that pass, students who are late for 1st period go to “lock out”, which is when they get sent to the lunch room and have to stand in a line silently for the duration of the period. No phone, no talking. Just stand there and shut up. Not too bad if you ask me.
While I’m setting up the next sign in sheet, Carter comes in. I fucking hate Carter. He’s a junior and the captain or whatever the hell you call it of the baseball team. He’s also in my PE class. He’s your typical jock. He stands at 6’2″, overly muscular, blond hair like mine but in a faux mohawk, piercing blue eyes and a killer smile. He likes to showcase his meat in the showers and make fun of anyone he can. He has his own clique of dickheads who swear he shits gold nuggets. Man I don’t feel like dealing with him.
“Hey cocksucker,” he says as he approaches the counter. I ignore him and act like I’m doing something on the computer.
He leans over the counter. “Cocksucker I’m talking to you dammit, what are you doing? Looking at guys??”
I turn in my chair and glare at him.
“I’m not gay, fuck you. What the hell do you need?” I say with a touch of venom in my voice. I guess this is the part where I say I’m not out to the school.
“A pass, dumbass,” he retorts, “and you shut your whore mouth and stay in your place, faggot.” He smiles at what he just said and stands up straight while puffing his chest out.
I manage to hold my peace and say, “Just for that, you and your snotty attitude can go to lock out. NEXT.”
He gets a little red and and looks at me as if he was going to jump over the desk and strangle me. I cock my eyebrow and smirk. He can jump if he wants to, I may be small but I can hold my own when it comes it throwing down. He huffs and he’s out of the door. Another 20 minutes of signing people in and filing papers and then the bell rings for the next class.
I take a seat at the lab table next to Brad. He looks nervous. I’m not going to break the ice first.
“Link.. say something bro”, Brad says. I look over at him and can’t help but smile. I hate that I can’t keep a straight face around this guy.
“Something bro.” I say with a sarcastic tone. We both bump fists and get the class over with.
The next few classes and lunch go by quickly. In debate Kyshea shut the other team down about abortion and we won.
PE came too quick. Today we were playing dodgeball (with basketballs). As usual, i’m one of the first to get a ball and get someone out. Carter is on the other team and he’s trying his best to get me out but I duck and dodge until it’s only us left of the court. His stupid ass throws a ball at me and I catch it. Game over! I pull off a back flip while everyone is cheering for me. Or clapping at the fact Carter lost. Coach Starr tells us to hit the locker room so we all get moving.
My locker is right in front of the showers. I hate it so much. While I’m changing, Carter is making a show of his cock in the showers and I just so happen to turn around. As soon as I do, he comes charging directly at me, pinning me up against my locker.
“Faggot! What the hell are you looking at!”, Carter screams in my face. He looks so damn sexy up close like this. Everyone turns and looks at us. Fuck.
“Your momma, bitch,” I manage to say before I feel a fist connect with my temple and everything goes black.
I wake up in the nurse’s office. My ribcage, chest, and face are on fire! I can barely move. Nurse Dorry is a older lady. In fact, she’s more of the sweet grandmother type. Everyone loves her. She comes over to the bed and greets me. She asks what happened. I can barely remember. She understands. Other than some bruising and scraped knuckles, she says I’m okay and sends me to my last period which is the study hall. Before I limp 10 steps out of the nurse’s office, I hear on the intercom that I’m to report to the principal’s office. Fuck.
While sitting there in the office holding my ribs, I try to recall what happened but can’t.
Mr. Shoppe cracks his door and motions me to come in. He tells me that I’m to be sent home for the day for fighting. Before I get a chance to say anything, he turns his computer screen so I can see it and shows me a video on YouTube posted 30 minutes ago of me and Carter throwing down and me bashing his head into a locker. I start laughing and he smiles when I turn around and slap the hell out of Coach Starr for grabbing me. He hands me my suspension letter and tells me to leave and it was a good match. I get up, shake his hand and head for the door. Before I get a chance to open it he stops me and says that he’s sent Carter home for the week and if there’s any problems let him know. I nod and get out of there feeling thousands of times better.
——-
I’m laying here looking out of the window at Carter’s house a few houses down. Every few houses on the block are 2 stories. His bedroom and my bedroom face each other. Not like he can see me, my lights are out and I’m wearing a black shirt I bought at Hot Topic. Anyways, Brad calls me. He starts talking before I get a chance to say anything.
“Link! Bro! Is it true??”
“Huh..”
“You tried to blow Carter and when he said no you tried to fight him but he handed it to you! At least.. that what everyone is saying. The video was taken down earlier so no on really knows what happened/”
I groan. What the hell.
“Brad, you know I hate Carter. Why would I ever want to do that kind of shit?”
He doesn’t say anything.
“Alright Link. I hope you’re okay.”
“I’ll manage. Spread the word. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
I hang up first. I painfully turn over in my bed and all my feelings begin to hit me at once. This is the last thing I need right now. Right before I have the chance to close my eyes, there’s a knock at the front door. I slide off the bed and limp to the door.
I open the door and it’s Carter. I reach over and grab the bat we keep by the door. Carter backs up and throws his hands up.
“Woah! I come in peace, cadet!” he yells when I raise the bat. He continues, “I just.. nevermind.” He turns around to walk away. Just then something takes me over.
I run after him, the adrenaline numbing the pain, jump in front of him and stop him. I look up at him.
“Why the fuck you do give me such a hard time,” I yell at him, “I stay out of your way and you just fuck me over time and time again! What do you want from me?!”
He pushes me and I swing the bat.
*CRACK*
Direct shot to his knee. He falls out on my lawn, moaning in pain. I straddle him and put my hands around his throat.
“Look Carter, I’m sick of your shit! I should beat you to death with that bat but I won’t,” I loudly say. By now the neighbors are outside watching us.
He begins to cry a little, which instantly snaps me back into my right mind. I get up and grab the bat. I hold it out and he grabs it, pulling himself up with it. We both limp back to the front door and into the house. I tell him to sit down on the couch while I grab some ice for myself.
“Why did you come here tonight?” I ask about as calmly as possible while projecting my voice to the living room.
“Are you a faggot?” he asks plainly. I step into the living room and lean on the door frame with a cup of ice.
“You know what Carter, yeah. I am. I’m a raging fag,” I retort. He looks a little lost for a second before getting up and pulling me back into the kitchen. He backs me up against the sink.
“Just what the fuck are you doing?” I ask in a breathy voice. He smells so good.
Carter leans in and begins sucking on my neck. It felt so great, but why the hell is he doing this? I sit there and let him continue to suck. After an half hour he lets up and smiles.
“Tell anyone about that hickey and I’ll beat your ass again,” he says.
“Carter, there’s so many fucking bruises no one would ask,” I say, annoyed. There’s a moment of silence before I say something.
“So, what the fuck. This is fucking weird. Carter, we used to be so awesome back when we were growing up and you stopped talking to me when you got to high school. I don’t even know you anymore. You bully me, you talk shit, you think you’re so cool but…” I trail off.
He looks hurt when I trail off. I push him gently away from me and continue.
“I guess it bothers you that I’m the only motherfucker at Century High that doesn’t give a fuck about you. I miss being friends with you, but after today, you think you can just come over here and seduce me?”
He perks up and mumbles, “I already ha–”
– SLAP –
I slap the taste out of his mouth. He rubs his cheek and peers at me.
“No one told you to fucking speak,” I say in a slightly annoyed tone, “Now, where the hell was I? Oh yes. Look, I’m already dealing with a closet case, and I have my own shit to deal with. You coming over and giving me a hickey isn’t okay. The shit you pulled today isn’t okay. None of this is okay. Go back to your jock buddies and leave me alone.”
Carter shakes his head. “Look, Link, I’m really sorry I interrupted your perfect little life. When you’re ready for the real world, let me know. I like you and you can’t even see it. I know you want me too, you just let me suck on your neck for 30 minutes… Oh, and for the record, I let you win today and that slap didn’t even phase me. You really think you can overpower me?”
He scoffs and turns to leave.
I pull a steak knife from the sink and throw it, landing it in the wall right in front of him. By now I’m getting pissed again. He stops and stands still with his eyes wide open. I walk past him and calmly pull the knife out of the wall and hold the tip to his throat.
“If you ever want to dance, Carter, let me know. It’s too cold to go to any funerals this week”, I manage to spit through my teeth with every last ounce of venom I had left.