As I turn to leave, I see Mark and Joe coming back empty handed. A smile comes to my face as I head to my locker.
"Shit man, I worked three month on Jen, and Justin finishes it in 3 seconds," says Mark.
"I know, I finally started to get some where with Jackie and now I'm fucked," Joe says angrily.
"Why did he do that? Just because Kate broke up with him and is dating you Tony, doesn't mean we all have to be single," Mark says.
"Was dating me," Tony says coldly. "I was dating her to get to get some shit on Justin, but she broke up with me last night ....she said she was still in love with him," He says with the smile now gone.
"I hate that fucker. He's so, so fucking perfect, it makes me sick," Tony says. "But I need him, just to help get me into Duke to play football there. But don't worry gents, before the year is over and we graduate, I'll have some dirt on Mr. Perfect."
Just then something brings an evil smile to Tony's face. "Cheer up guys, I know something thing that will make you all feel better."
He then watches Brad pass by the three of them. Mark and Joe quickly turn around and see what has brought an evil grin to Tony's face. They turn around and see their target. Mark and Joe look at Tony then each other.
"TARGET LOCKED," they say together.
Tony utters, "Seek and destroy," before joining his friends as they run off on an intercept course.
Alisa
I pull my 2000 BMW Z3 into the student parking lot and take my space in the front senior spaces. I sometimes feel like an actress in some movie, the way I have to act at school and around people I know.
"God, 7:00am. I hate doing this", I say to myself.
Here goes, I think to myself as I exit my car and start to walk over to our spot next to the science building. All of the people Blake, Marissa, Meagan...God I hate all of these people. All they care about is money, money and their parents money. They are so fake that they make me ill.
"Hello," I say as I start the game with as fake a smile as I can produce.
"Hello doll, Marissa and Meagan say as they walk over to me to smooch cheeks.
"So, did Blake ask you yet?" Marissa asks.
"Ask me what?" I try to look concerned.
Just then Blake walks over to us and asks me, "Would you give me the honor of going to homecoming with me?"
I just stand there. Blake is the hottest and one of the richest guys in school. All the girls are falling over him.
"I ...I'll have to think about it," I say after a few seconds.
"WHAT!" Blake says, as Marissa and Meagan look at me like I just bought something from Sears.
"Well, I'll give you till first period. You're not the only girl up to my standards in this school, " he says coldly as he walks away.
I start to sit on the bench as Marissa and Meagan keep looking at me.
"I can't believe you just turned down Blake Prescott," Marissa says as she sits down next to me. "What are you thinking about? He's the richest guy in school."
"I didn't say no I just said I'll think about it."
"Think about what? Who are you waiting for" Marissa says.
"What, do you think someone better will come along?" Meagan asks.
That is the last thing I hear. I see Brad coming around from the other side of the English building.
"Yeah, that's it. I'm waiting." I look at Brad.
Both girls suddenly stop talking and look at who I am looking at.
"FAGLY!!" they both say as they look at each other.
They both start on a tirade about Brad, but by now I am completely oblivious to the both of them. The only thing I hear is muffled voices. Time suddenly starts to slow down for me as Brad walks right past us. And for the first time in three years I see Brad. I mean I really see him. I notice his brown curly hair and his blue eyes as he turns to look at me, then looks down at his feet. He hasn't changed. He still walks the same way and still has his glasses. What I really notice is the way everyone is looking at him and bumping into him as he tries to get to class. Then someone knocks over all of his books, papers and folders. He stops to pick them up and no one, I mean no one, tries to help or even walk around him. It's like he does not exist. Brad does not even look at me as he gathers his things and continues to his class. And just as suddenly as it starts it ends and I am brought back ....
"ALISA.." Marissa and Meagan both shout.
"Did you just hear anything we said?" Meagan asked.
"Of course I did." Trying to cover myself up.
"And no I was not thinking or talking about Brad," I quickly say to cover myself. "I just still can't believe after all these years that he's....."
"Gay?" they both say.
"No, that he's still wearing glasses, (Justin, Alex, and I now wear contacts) but now that you mention it, I wonder if it's true," I say.
"Of course it's true. I can tell the fags from the straight guys, can't you?" Meagan says.
"How? I knew Brad all my life and I couldn't tell."
"I don't know, you just can tell," Meagan says.
"How? Did you ask him?"
"No."
"Then how do you know?"
"Why all of the sudden interest in fags?" Marissa asks.
"His name is Brad, and I just want to know how to tell so I can tell who's gay at school and who's is not. That's all, " I say coldly, not wanting to lose my temper and trying to change the subject at the same time.
"I know what his name is, " says Marissa.
"Why are you getting mad at us? Besides, it was Justin who outed him, not us. After Fagly, I mean Brad, told him he was gay", Marissa says turning to Meagan.
"No. I heard Fag. Brad tried to touch Justin's dick while he was sleeping," Meagan says laughing.
I just look at the both of them and suddenly feel ill when I realize that no one has ever asked Brad if he was gay or not, not even me. I then realized I had to find out the truth about Brad, since suddenly I started to have feelings again for him. The only way was to go right to the horse's mouth, if he'll still talk to me.
"What's wrong?" they ask as they look at me
"I have to go," I say. "I want to freshen up before class."
"Ok, we'll go with you."
"NO!" I shout "It's ok I'll see you in class." I rush off to try to catch Brad without someone seeing me
Brad
When we entered high school the four of us were inseparable, then after five months it went to hell. I never got an explanation. I just thought the guys needed some space, so I left it at that. Then right in about the middle of the 10th grade "the rumor" started. I think that is why Justin stopped talking to me. All he had to do was talk to me and ask if I was ...and I would have told him I wasn't, which I'm not. After the rumors started I just about died. Everyone made fun of me and I lost everything
Alex had already stopped talking to Brandon and Alisa and I. Then Justin just became so angry. Alisa, well she just ... I don't know ...just left off on her own. Pretty soon her dad started buying her stuff, and the crowd she hangs with is all about money and power.
Justin was so mad at me; I tried to find out what I did to make him so mad. He never told me. Then one day I stopped him in front of his friends and tried to talk to him.
When he saw his friends looking he pushed me away.
"GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME YOU FAG!!" he said.
I went numb, that was the last I time I tried to talk to him. Then the beatings began. I tried to date, but no girl in school wanted to be seen with me. My parents always wondered what happened, I just never could tell them.
As I rode my bike to school, (yea I know, I don't have a car) my mind was on Justin. Why did he come over to my house? Did he mean to or what? I parked my bike and started to make my way thought the shoves, the bumps, the looks and jokes to class.
I always take a shortcut through the science building for two reasons.
-
It's shorter and less people.
-
To see Alisa.
Every morning she sits in front of the science building with her new friends. I pass by every other day. I don't want her to think I am stalking her. I take a quick look at her and that holds me for the day. As I enter the Science building to get to the math building, I know I can make it through the day. Suddenly I am yanked back into one of the rooms.
"Oh boy," I think to myself.
As I turn around I see the three guys who have been my tormenters for the past three years.
"Hello fag, I mean Brad," says Tony, the leader of the bunch. The other two laugh.
"Oh hi guys," I say with a smile. "You have to remind me which one of you is Neil and which one is Bob, or do you need to be reminded yourselves?" ( I should not have said that).
A fist comes out of nowhere right into my gut.
"My, aren't we a funny faggot," one of them says. I think it was Mark
"Who's laughing now fag?" This time that was Joe's voice.
As I double over in pain, I get another to the face, this time right on the lip and spit out blood.
"Oh Ah, guys while I'm down here which one of you should I suck off first, or do you only do each other?" Mental note to self... SHUT THE FUCK UP BRADLEY!
"Oh you're funny," Tony says as he hits me again. "Well, I've got a joke for you Brad!"
Joe and Mark hold me up. "What did Alisa say to you Brad? Silly faggot dicks aren't for chicks." He punches me two more times as he and his cronies laugh.
Right then I know they aren't going to stop until they kill me. They were still hitting me as I started to black out, and they kept on hitting me, hit after hit after hit. I tried to beg them to stop but no sound is coming from my mouth, just blood...then suddenly they stopped and I hear a voice. One I had not heard in a long, long time, until I heard it lately in my dream. I smiled.
"Excuse me is this a private party? Do I need an invitation? Oh, and may I have the next dance?"
(c) 2001, Alex Nelson Posted: February 2, 2001.