Several hours later and we were heading off for school. I’d had enough clothes to last me until tomorrow, which was good as I suppose as I didn’t have to confront my father until at least tomorrow. I looked over to my left at Bri, instead of seeing my best friend as I’d always seen since like forever, I instead now see what all the girls see – his well toned body, those smouldering chocolate brown eyes, his perfectly styled hair, that gorgeous voice, how his pants sit on his hips, how his shirt hugs his chest and muscular arms, how his hair spiked up and which complimented his face.

I shook my head slightly, as if to get rid of the thoughts that were plaguing my headspace; not that I minded, not at all. I was quite happy to have him in my head, much rather prefer him to having nightmares. “Zacky.” Jimmy cooed in a sing-song voice as he waved his hand in front of my face waking me from my daydreams. He gave me a knowing look, raising his eyebrows, “Welcome back to the land of the living.” he said with a wink, slinging his arm over Johnny’s shoulders as we walked into the school grounds.

Huntington High, the place where you’re mocked and bullied if you’re different, where the jocks and cheerleaders are above everyone else. There were a few jocks and cheerleaders who were an exception to that rule. The Berry brothers Jason and Matt and the DiBenedetto twins Michelle and Val. Val’s the captain of the cheer squad and Michelle’s the co-captain. Val also happened to be my best friend and the girl whom Matty was hopelessly in love with. Michelle’s Jimmy’s best friend, and have been since they were little. Both Jason and Matt were both our best friends, fun to be around and super hilarious.

Jimmy, Johnny and I all hated it here; probably because we’re the 3 only openly gay guys here and they constantly give us shit for it. Matty, Bri, Jason and Matt can only protect us so far, Jimmy pitches in occasionally. Again I was ripped from my thoughts at the not-so-taller-than-me blonde obstructing my view. “Oww, Val that hurts” I said as she squeezed me in a tight hug, which consequently made my back hurt. She let me go, raising her eyebrow she gave me a quizzical look.

“What hurts?” she asked me suspiciously. I glanced over at Bri, he gave me a slight nod. I took a deep breath. “Zee, what’s wrong honey?”

“Well, my father abused me again. And this time he wrote fag on my back and poured salt into the open wounds.” I told her, getting slightly teary as I did. She put a consoling hand on my shoulder, as did Michelle. I smiled at them, they both meant the world to me, they’re the only ones I can tell my heart and soul too; I can tell Bri anything but only so much. I can’t really go on and tell him that I love him. Can I? I was caught up in my thoughts as my vision was blurred by a blonde and a brunette.

“Aww sweetie, so you left?” Michelle asked, as I nodded in reply. “Where did you go?” she wondered.

“I went to Bri’s.” I shrugged. They both gave me weird looks.

“You know that you could of swung on over to ours?” Val said, rolling her eyes.

“I know that, just I stay there too often whenever my dad abuses me.” I said, not so truthfully. I knew that they and their parents didn’t mind me, in fact their mom and dad loves me. But I just needed to be comforted by Brian, to have his arms wrap around me tightly, holding me as I soaked his shirt with my tears. I need him.

‘Wow, I’m in love with Brian’ I thought as I got out our novel that we’re reading in English. I shuddered for what seemed like the millionth time as I read the title; Wuthering Heights, groaning I opened to where I was up too, which mind you was the second page. We’d been reading this book for a solid month; it’s not that I wasn’t interested in English.

It’s just that I wasn’t interested in this particular book, give me Shakespeare or something like that and you wouldn’t hear from me until I finished the play or book at least 5 times. Fuck, I still don’t know what the fuck the book was about. I looked over to my left at Brian; he was absolutely engrossed in the book. It was cute watching him read. While he reads he gets this really adorable look on his face, it’s as if he’s in his own world.

At times like these I really do wish that I could read his mind, just to know what it is that he was thinking. ‘Probably not you’ I thought as my head banged on my desk. When I looked up I noticed that Mrs Hemingway was giving me a really pointed look, then putting her index finger up to her lips, “Shhh!” she called out. I rolled my eyes, ignoring her as usual. I looked to my right at Jimmy; he was busy chucking spit balls at the back of Johnny’s head, it wasn’t a wonder how either the teacher or Johnny didn’t notice by now. Jimmy whisper laughed catching my eye.

“Jim, how long have you been doing that for?” I asked, propping my head on my elbow as I looked at him. He checked his watch.

“Uh, since the lesson started” he said with a shit-eating grin on his face. I grinned back, honestly I really do not know how Johnny puts up with Jim, majority of the time he’s like this over-excited, bubbly puppy that never leaves you alone, but I can’t talk as I love Jim like he’s my brother, but before Johnny and Jim got together Jim used to torture him incessantly.

For example a couple of weeks ago Jim snuck up to Johnny then tugged on his mohawk then before Johnny could turn around Jim ran away giggling like a little school-girl, I sighed at all the times that he’d do shit like that to Johnny, I suppose that was kinda his way of saying ‘Hey Johnny, I love you. Love me back’. “What you thinking about?” Jim asked me, I jumped back as his face was like inches from mine, he cackled as I recomposed myself.

“Uh, well about Bri” I whispered to him making sure that Brian or anyone else couldn’t hear, Jim’s eyes softened a tad before getting that mischievous twinkle in them.

“Brian and Zacky sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!” he sang quietly, just enough so I could hear it.

“What are you, like 5?” I asked him trying not to laugh as he started thrusting his pelvis upwards and his hands downwards stimultaneously.

“Close enough” he winked at me. Pulling his best orgasm face, I lost the plot and started laughing; unable to contain ourselves we giggled like mad. Holding our stomachs and wiping the tears from our eyes we were sent out of the classroom. When we were able to stand up straight I punched his shoulder “Oww!” he cried out, clutching his shoulder. “What was that for?” he hissed at me, jumping up and down as he held his shoulder. He stopped in front of me pulling a hurt puppy’s face sounds and all. I rolled my eyes.

“Brian could have heard you!” I spat, crossing my arms we slid down the wall sitting down on the carpeted floor. He sat in my lap.

“I’m sowwie ZeeBear” he pouted, I sighed pushing him off from my lap. Only to have him pull me into his lap and pouted again. “Forgive me?”

“I will if you quit your pouting and allow me to get the fuck off of your lap.”

“Finneeee!” he smiled.

I ran up to Bri and jumped on his back, making sure I covered his eyes as I did so. He chuckled, “Lemme guess, my Z-best friend Zee?” he asked, I blinked, not sure if I had heard him right. I was sure that he was about to say My Zacky? Either that or my heart was hearing what it wanted to hear.

“How did you know?” I pouted, genuinely upset that he got it straight away. He shrugged his shoulders.

“Lucky guess I suppose?” he said, continuing to walk over to Matt, Val and the others. “Where’s Jim?” he asked Matty. Matty hesitantly ripped his eyes off Val to look at Brian.

“I don’t know. My guess is in the Janitor’s closet with Johnny?” Matt answered, causing Val to giggle, Matt whipped his head around to look at her. She shrugged it off with a wave of her hand.

“You’re funny Matt why wouldn’t I laugh?” she asked and before he could answer she linked her arm with Michelle’s and walked over to where the rest of the squad was. Once she was well out of ear-shot we all rounded on Matt.

“Dude why haven’t you told her?” Brian asked. Matt shrugged his shoulders.

“I don’t know. I’m just not sure how to or whether she does or not” he replied, at the last comment he slumped his shoulders. He had this really sad look on his face, I tapped Bri’s shoulder and leant down to whisper that I’d wanted to go over to Matt. He nodded taking me over to Matt, I hopped off his back and hugged Matty.

I hated seeing him upset, it was especially hard to see as he usually had the total bad-ass demeanour about him and seeing him cry was like seeing a pregnant gay man. He returned the hug then we pulled apart, he’d regained his cocky stance.

“Just tell her how you feel, you may be surprised” I said pushing him with difficulty over to where Val was warming up. “Go on Matty” I gave him a final shove before I went back to Bri to jump back on his back.

Soon after Matty came back hand-in-hand with Val, the cutest look was on both of their faces. “D’AAWWW!!! What did I tell you both?! I’m a fucking miracle worker.” I cooed wrapping my arms around them both.

“Wait, did you just say ‘tell you both’?” Val and Matt said simultaneously, I nodded.

“Yep” I said, a smile worked my way to my face as they were stunned into silence.