We're Working On It (17 page)

“Are you kidding me? You’re my best friend Cory. There was no way I was not going to be here for you.”

“Thanks, man,” was all that Cory could say.

He wanted to say more and hug Kevin as his heart wanted, but his fear returned. So he just looked at Kevin with glassy eyes.

Kevin didn’t say anything for a long moment and then turned to look at the floor in front of him.

Cory also turned his eyes to his feet below him.

“I guess I made a fool out of myself, didn’t I, Kevin?”

Kevin looked up and directly at Cory.

“No, man, you didn’t. I’m the one that’s the fool. I’m really sorry, Cory.”

Kevin looked away from Cory. His gaze was directed toward the open widow. After a moment he looked back to Cory.

“You’re the one person in the whole school, no the whole world, who I care about the most, and I should have jumped in to help you. It was all my fault. If I had moved faster, this wouldn’t have happened.”

Cory moved closer to his friend, the sides of their bodies touching from shoulder to ankle. He took Kevin’s hand in his own, rubbing his back with the other.

“No, Kev. You couldn’t have done anything to stop Jeremy. He’s just an asshole.”

“I feel so bad. I should have done something, man. I should have stuck by you.”

“No, Kev! You couldn’t have done anything. It happened so fast. I was embarrassed, that’s all. I don’t like going around parading a boner, you know?”

Cory giggled a little. Having Kevin here with him at that moment and thinking about how Kevin wanted to protect him made him the happiest boy in the world.

Cory was a little surprised when Kevin turned toward him and put his arms around him. Kevin held him tightly as he rested his cheek on Cory’s shoulder. Cory brought his arms up and placed them on Kevin’s back slowly rubbing.

“I’m so sorry, Cory. I just wish it hadn’t happened.”

Cory smiled knowing what a true friend he had in Kevin. He knew that Kevin really did love him.

Thirteen

The Attack

Even though the assault in the boy’s shower room at school had been traumatic, with Kevin’s help Cory had forgotten the incident rather quickly. He was more excited about the building relationship with his best friend, Kevin and with his other friend, Matt. For the next week, all three boys seemed to be joined in partnership, doing everything from studying together to just hanging out.

But Matt still had the problem of what to do about Kelly. He really liked her, but he was afraid that if he didn’t speak up soon, she would be led down a path that would lead to nowhere. He really didn’t want to hurt her, like she had been hurt before. On Thursday of that week, Kelly appeared at Matt’s locker as he was rummaging around inside looking for his English Lit book just before he had to make it to his study hall.

“Hey, cutie. How’s it going?” she said from behind the locker door.

Matt hadn’t noticed her come up to him, but he surely knew the voice behind the door. He smiled and closed the locker door to look at her.

“Good. How’re tricks with you?”

“Same thing over again. You know, boyfriend hunting.”

Matt knew that this wasn’t starting out good.

“Hmmm. Kelly, you doing anything next period?”

“Just lunch. I’ve got first lunch, you know?”

“I’ve got study hall.”

“Too bad. You’d like sitting at my table.” She grinned.

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.