Matt wondered if that was another flirt, but he knew he had to forge on.
“You wanna go get a burger instead? I can skip my study hall.”
Kelly started to wonder why the sudden change of interest.
“Why don’t we just get a burger from the cafeteria and go sit outside?”
“Okay. That’ll work for me,” Matt answered.
After getting their lunch from the cafeteria, they settled into a table under a tree off to the side of the schools outdoor eating area by the library. It was a quiet table, apart from the usually noisy ones.
“Okay. Something’s bothering you, Matt. Out with it,” Kelly abruptly started the conversation.
“That’s what I like about you, Kelly. You always keep me on my toes.”
“Sorry, Matt, but I’m trying to figure you out here. We’ve become friends, but you seem to shy away from me. Why?”
Matt knew that the time had arrived.
“I really like you, Kelly. I mean I really do, but, I think you might be heading in the wrong direction with me.”
“Finally,” Kelly softly said so Matt didn’t hear. “Wrong direction? No, I think we might be finally heading in the right direction.”
“Huh? No, I don’t think you understand. Kelly. I’m gay. I really like you and want to be friends with you. But, I can’t, I can’t like you like you want me to. I don’t want to hurt you, Kelly, and I think being honest with you is the only way I know how. Shit! That didn’t come out right. Look Kelly, what I mean is...”
“Good grief, Matt, it’s about time, you dickhead.”
Matt stopped short.
“I’m sorry, but I’m a little confused here.”
“Oh, Matt, I know you’re gay, at least I’ve always thought you were. I’ve just been waiting for you to finally tell me,” Kelly grinned.
“But, but, how’d you know? Am I that obvious?”
“Only if you know what to look for.”
Matt’s questioning face turned to shock.
“Oh, Matt, you’re so cute when your face turns into a tomato.”
Around the corner of the library, Johnny was sitting alone eating his lunch. Although he was unseen he had heard every word that was being spoken.
“Matt, I’ve seen you looking at guys a little longer than the straight boys do. That’s the first clue.”
“Shit. Busted!”
“And the second clue is how you seem to want to be friends with me, but run like hell at the hint of a date.”
“I’m that obvious, huh?”
“You don’t wear a neon sign, if that’s what’s bothering you.”
Kelly paused looking at Matt.
“Alright, Matt. If it’s not me then, who? Anyone in particular?”
“Maybe. Well, there was a maybe”
Kelly’s eyes lit up.
“Okay, who is he? I gotta know.”
“Promise you won’t say anything. I mean if this gets out, I’m ruined.”
“I won’t be telling anyone, I promise.”
“Kelly. I’m serious.”
“It’s okay, Matt. I may be a flirt, and even too loud sometimes, but there is something that I will not do. I will not betray my friends.”
Matt thought for a moment.
“Okay, it was Johnny.”
Johnny bolted from the table, bulleted his unfinished lunch in the trash can next to him and stalked back into the school.”
“That creep? Are you serious?” Kelly almost shouted.
“I know. I know. But, when I first came to this school, I didn’t know him. He looked so cute when I saw him that first day.”
“Yeah, he is cute. But he’s also one of Jeremy’s henchmen.”
“I had this major crush on him for the longest time. But, then I saw how he treated Cory. Cory’s not even gay. He’s just a new kid at school. It reminded me of, well, times before I came to this school.”
“While you were still in California?”
“Yeah.”
“What happened there?”
“Nothing. Besides, it’s past history.”
“Matt? Did someone hurt you?”
Matt looked down at his twitching shoes.
“Yeah, someone did hurt me. That’s also why I gave up on Johnny. I saw that he could do the same to me.”
“Johnny’s such an asshole.”
Matt looked up at Kelly again.
“Look, I don’t have a crush on him anymore. That’s over.”
“Okay. But who have you got your eye on now?”
“No one really, not right now. It’s kind of hard not knowing who’s gay or who’s not. I know there’s someone out there for me, but it’s not being able to approach them that sucks.”
“I never thought of that. Shit, I can walk up to anybody and flirt with them all day long, if I want. You can’t, can you?”
Matt looked down and just said, “No.”
“Oh, Matt, we’ll work on this together,” Kelly grinned again. “What are you doing after school today?”
Looking back at Kelly, Matt said, “Ah, I have to do some shopping.”
“Shopping? You guys like shopping don’t you?” she grinned.
“No, I don’t! But in this case I have no choice.”
“So what are you going shopping for?”
Matt didn’t answer.
“Well, what’s on your buy list?”
“Just some clothes.”
“Matt, you’ve got nice clothes. What more do you need?”
“Ah, just a pair of swim trunks. I don’t have any.” Matt said.
“But you do. You had those blue board shorts at Cory’s birthday party and they looked...”
Kelly stopped short. She looked straight at Matt. “You aren’t. You’re not, are you? You’re going to swim tryouts with Cory and Kevin, aren’t you? AND you don’t have a pair of speedos, is that right?”
Matt looked down, a little embarrassed, but nodded his head.
“Oh, I am so going with you shopping.”
As Matt and Kelly returned to the cafeteria, Matt’s mind raced with the fear of Kelly ogling him as he tried on new pairs of speedos. He knew that he was definitely NOT taking his shirt off.
Just as they approached the conveyor for their empty trays, a foot suddenly came out from under a table. Matt tripped and what was left of his food tray, sprawled out on the floor as his knees hit the same hard floor. He looked up to see a pair of eyes snarling at him.
“Can’t walk straight, huh, fag?” came from just below those eyes.
Matt got up, stared at the unknown eyes with fury, turned and left Kelly behind in the room.
It was Friday and school was finally over for the week. The hustle of kids running to their lockers to deposit their books or to retrieve others was the usual mayhem in the halls. Cory and Kevin met after their last class to join the mass of teenagers as they headed for their own lockers.
“Hey, Kev, you doing anything after school today?”
“Yeah, frigging History, what do you think?”
“Well, want some help?” Cory asked.
“That would be so cool. You know I suck at History.”
“Yeah, I know you do. Come on. I’ll walk home with you.”
Just as the boys turned the corner to reach their lockers, Cory noticed Johnny standing by his own locker. Johnny looked up and their eyes locked for an instant. Cory had to stop for a minute as what he saw was fear in Johnny’s eyes. But that fear quickly seemed to change to rage as Johnny continued to glare at Cory.
It was obvious to Kevin that his friend was shaken. He quickly grabbed Cory’s arm and pulled him forward to continue their trek down the hall to their own lockers.
“Forget him Cory. He’s not going to do anything here.”
“Yeah, I know, but, there’s something about him that’s not right. He’s scared of something, and he always seems so angry.”
“I just see him as another asshole,” Kevin retorted.
; Cory slowly nodded his head and soon his fears were forgotten. After creating an even larger mess in their lockers from changing books, they slammed the doors closed and headed for the double doors leading to the outside and the weekend.
As the bright sun hit their eyes, a sense of freedom came over Cory and Kevin. They bounded down the concrete steps, avoiding the rest of the mass of kids heading out of the school. Cory noticed Matt walking toward them, and then Matt fell in step next to him as they walked.
“What’s up guys?” Matt asked.
Kevin looked over at Matt.
“We’re going over to my house to bash History.”
Cory had to laugh.
“Sounds good to me. Let’s go,” said Matt.
As they reached the soccer fields toward the back of the school, the number of other students had thinned considerably, except for Jeremy and a group of four boys standing in their path. The three boys were now trapped between two low chain link fences that separated the two soccer fields by 20 feet, and the threat that was just in front of them. Kevin was the first to spot Jeremy in the group.
Cory recognized Jeremy and Johnny in the group standing 30 feet in front of him, and he remembered what Jeremy had done to him in the boy’s shower. Both fear and anger began to fill him. Kevin knew what Cory was thinking and whispered out of the side of his mouth to Cory. “Don’t say anything, man. Just let it be. Just walk right on past him, okay?”
As they continued their walk home, in total silence, Cory was trying his best to just look straight ahead, not even acknowledging Jeremy’s presence.
Jeremy looked up and, seeing Cory approach, began walking toward him. Two of his boys held back, Johnny was one of them, but the other two followed Jeremy.
Johnny couldn’t keep his seething eyes off Matt. He knew what Matt had told Kelly at lunch, and it burned into him as he watched Matt. The thought of Matt saying those words to anyone was almost too much for him to stomach. He wondered what Jeremy would do if that had happened to him, or even his father, or even his minister.
“Hey, faggot!” Jeremy yelled as he stepped in front of Cory. Cory had to stop as Jeremy stood directly in his path.
“Had your ass kicked today?” Jeremy continued.
Cory backed up a few steps as Jeremy continued to get closer. Suddenly, Jeremy reached out and pushed Cory, hard. Cory stumbled backward, dropping his book bag to the ground.
To his own surprise, Kevin mustered the courage that he felt he lacked at the last incident and stepped in between Jeremy and Cory.
“Stop it, Jeremy. Just back off. Leave him alone.”
Kevin was steadfast, glaring at Jeremy. Jeremy continued to look straight at Kevin for a few moments and then stepped forward and hit Kevin squarely in the face.
Kevin fell backward and hit the ground with a thud. He rolled over holding his nose, blood appeared to be going everywhere.
“Oh, Christ,” Kevin moaned as he rolled from side to side.
As Cory witnessed the attack in near shock, his anger quickly returned. He then lunged at Jeremy, hitting him in the stomach with all the force that he could muster. Cory swung his other fist as fast as he could, but Jeremy had doubled over from the first blow, and Cory’s second swing was high, missing its mark.
From out of nowhere, two of Jeremy’s friends grabbed each one of Cory’s arms, holding him. Cory was now defenseless.
Jeremy recovered from the blow to his stomach, and seeing Cory being held by his two friends, started to close on Cory.
Matt saw Jeremy move closer to Cory. He could see that, Jeremy being hit himself, hate had now filled Jeremy, and so he stepped in front of him in an effort to stop him.
But Jeremy was in a rage and didn’t stop.
Matt stumbled backward as Jeremy’s first fist hit him in the cheek, and the second followed in an instant, hitting him in the other side of his face. Matt fell to the ground.
Jeremy continued toward Cory, but Kevin, still lying on the ground, was in his way. As Jeremy stepped around Kevin, he turned and kicked him hard in the ribs.
“Ahhhhhhggggghhhh,” Kevin screamed as he rolled over.
Jeremy approached the imprisoned Cory.
“Good for nothing faggot!” Jeremy yelled. He then hit Cory squarely in the face.
“God damned queer!” Jeremy cried.
Jeremy then hit Cory in the stomach, hard, and then hit him again in the face.
Cory’s blood was reaching his chin.
Jeremy was about to hit Cory again when he was pushed to the side. He looked up and saw Matt slowly moving in between Cory and himself. Jeremy saw Matt’s bloody face before him but something in Matt’s eyes startled him, so he held his glare on Matt, wondering if he should take him on again.
Matt was breathing heavily, charged with determination. In a low voice, he whispered to Jeremy.
“If you make one more move Jeremy, you...are...dead.”
Matt paused for a moment, waiting for Jeremy to back off, but Jeremy stood his ground.
“Believe in me, Jeremy. This is no joke,” Matt continued with resolve. Jeremy saw the determination in Matt’s face and backed off slightly. He snapped his head at his two friends, and they released Cory. Cory dropped to the ground as Jeremy and his friends continued to back off.
Cory looked up at Jeremy with disbelief as he and the other two boys were backing away, but his mind quickly went to Kevin. Still feeling the pain from his own beating, he mustering his strength, and began crawling toward his friend. As he saw Kevin doubled over in a fetal position, he became frightened. He had to help him.
“Kevin!” Cory screamed.
Matt moved over to where Cory and Kevin were lying on the ground, but he kept his eyes on Jeremy. He wasn’t going to give him another chance. As Jeremy and his friends continued to walk away, Matt turned his attention to his friends.
Cory then looked up at Matt with tears in his eyes.
“Matt, we’ve got to get him home,” Cory yelled.
“Oh God, Cory, he looks awful,” Matt answered Cory.
Matt turned his head one more time in Jeremy’s direction and then felt comfortable as he saw them leaving the soccer field.”
“Let’s go Cory. It’s not far from here,” Matt said as he knelt down to help Cory pick up Kevin.
Kevin wasn’t that heavy and he was also able to help himself stand, but couldn’t fully stand erect, holding the side where the kick landed. The three boys walked slowly off the soccer field toward Kevin’s home.
Kevin’s mother opened the door shortly after the first ring of the doorbell. Cory was relieved to see her, but if she hadn’t come to the door, he was going to storm in anyway.
His mother looked at Cory and a smile started to cross her face, but then she saw her son.
“Oh, dear God, what’s happened?” she yelled in horror.
The boys couldn’t speak as they both turned and looked at Kevin, and Kevin’s mother didn’t wait for an answer.
“Help him inside.” She told Cory and Matt as she stepped aside. As they crossed the door threshold, she wrapped her arm around Kevin’s shoulders.
Cory and Matt then released Kevin to his mother’s care.
Sitting at the kitchen table moments later, Cory and Matt waited anxiously for word from Kevin’s mother. She was still upstairs with her son, and the silence was making them both nervous.
“How is he? I need to know.” Cory yelled to no one in particular as he jumped up suddenly. He started pacing the floor.
Just as the suspense was almost more than Cory could bear, he heard Kevin’s mother’s footsteps descending the staircase. He turned and went to the bottom of the stairs, looking up with fear. Matt followed quietly behind Cory and he too looked up with questions.
“How is he? He’ll be alright, won’t he? Cory whimpered.
Kevin’s mother, seeing the anguish in both Cory and Matt, quickly spoke to relieve them before she reached the bottom step.
“He’s fine now. Let’
s go into the kitchen.”
Cory practically ran to the kitchen and quickly sat at the table. His eyes silently followed Kevin’s mother as she took a chair out and sat down next to him.
“Cory, Matt. He’ll be alright. After I cleaned the dried blood off of him, it didn’t look so bad. I’m taking him to the hospital emergency room to have him looked over though. He was kicked pretty hard I hear.”
“I’m going with you!” Cory shouted, standing up.
“No. You boys stay here, or go home. There’s nothing more that you can do right now. He’s going to be fine. I’m just taking him there as a precautionary measure, just to make sure he’s alright.”
“We’re so sorry that this happened. Kevin didn’t do anything wrong,” Cory said looking directly at Kevin’s mother.
“I know. You boys go on home now,” She said rising from her chair. She turned and looked directly at Cory and Matt. “You boys need to get yourselves cleaned up too. You don’t look so good right now.”
“Kevin will be okay, won’t he?” Cory asked again, his eyes pleading. He had to make sure that all was well.
“We’ll call you as soon as we’re back from the hospital,” She replied.
Kevin’s mother saw that same look in Cory’s eyes that she had seen many times before. This was more than mere friendship for her son. She then smiled at him knowingly.
Cory returned the smile, bowed his head slightly, nodded, and then both boys left the room.
They hadn’t spoken to each other during their walk home, both being in their own world. When they reached Cory’s house, Richard went into a tirade. He wanted to know why they were so bloody. After Matt explained what had happened, Richard calmed down slightly and wanted to know all about Kevin’s injuries.
“This isn’t right. The bullying has got to stop,” Richard exclaimed.
Matt was quiet but Cory wasn’t.
“Richard, I hate it too. Our Principal doesn’t seem to put a lot of pressure on the rest of the school to follow the rules, you know, those anti-bullying rules. But I’ve learned something from you, Richard. I’m not going to back down like you didn’t back down when you found out what had happened to me. Matt was trying to protect me. Kevin was trying to protect me. They cared. They cared about me. It’s just something they do. And I care about them too, a lot.”
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