Surviving Elite High

Chapter Two

Chapter Two

I was a gay teen. Yes, I am gay, but I had never had the courage to say it out loud.

First, there was my mom. What would she say? Would she still love me? Would she understand me? Would she hate me? Would she disown me as her one and only son?

As for my father, I never met the guy. And honestly, I don't want to meet him. I never asked my mom about him and, in reality, I don't even know his name. He'd abandoned me when I was born because he hadn't wanted the responsibility of raising a child. I'd been a complicated birth, having come into this world at seven months, weighing only two-and-a-half pounds. I was my mom's miracle baby, and therefore I didn't want to disappoint her.

Then, there were my friends. I knew that they would understand and love me, so I felt safe with them. Finally, there was society. Let's face it; society hates everyone that does not fit into its perfect little standards. It instantly discarded them as social outcasts.

I, for one, did not want to be the poor gay guy. It was bad enough just being the poor guy.

I woke up early the next day and went straight into the shower. It was freezing cold. Hot water was a luxury rather than a necessity. After I took my cold shower, I searched for something presentable to wear. I found an outfit that Kitty had given me for my birthday last year. It looked brand new even though I had worn it over a hundred times. After putting it on, I ran downstairs to find something to eat. To my surprise, I found a note from my mom on the kitchen counter. She congratulated me for my tutor position and said that things were going to change for the better now. My mom also left a plate of waffles behind; it showed her appreciation for my getting a new job. The fact that I was being paid to tutor took a huge weight off her shoulders. Making the waffles also showed her genuine love toward me as well. Yes, she worked three jobs, and we barely had anything to eat, but she did all of that just for me. Paying for the most expensive school in the region was not easy. It took a lot of work and sacrifice.

My mom knew that a good education was the key to a brighter future, so we sacrificed a lot.

I ate my food and stepped outside. I hated that part of the day. I had to walk three miles because Elite High didn't offer public transportation to its students. Against my will, I began my long journey to school.

I stood at the entrance of Elite High about an hour later, looking around for Matthew and Jacob. They weren't in sight, so I felt safe and sound. I briskly walked to class in order to avoid meeting them in the open. While I sprinted down the hallway, I spotted them talking to a few girls. I froze almost immediately and glanced around, praying to the dear Lord in the highest that neither of them would see me there. While I stood in front of the first locker, I took a peek at the terrifying duo. s**t! They were staring at me. I panicked and headed toward the entrance again, deciding to come in through the back doors of Elite High. Suddenly, I bumped into Madison, who wore her usual vibrant smile. “Good morning, Johnny Boy.”

“Morning, Madison.”

My shaky voice sold me out. Madison stared at me and followed my fears like a dotted line to where Matthew and Jacob were waiting for me. She hugged me and whispered into my ear, “It's okay.”

Against my will, Madison dragged me down the hallway while Matthew and Jacob stared at us. They were definitely angry about yesterday, and I could tell they wanted revenge. It was always the same s**t with them. If anyone defended me against them, the following day I would get it double. A smirk developed on Matthew's face when we passed in front of him. “Bye, little guy.”

Madison scowled at him with so much anger and hatred. She hated them as much as I did. When we were at a safe distance, I glanced backward. They were making their way toward another corridor, laughing and joking around with some other guys. I let out a loud exhale.

“Assholes! You need to report them, John.”

“I can't, Madison, you know it. They'll have it out for me even more, and the school won't do anything to them because of their rich parents. I don't want to die young, you know.”

She gave me a comforting smile and examined my outfit. “You look so cute.”

“Thanks.” I blushed. All of a sudden, we bumped into Kitty, who looked cheerful.

“There you are. I've been looking everywhere for you two. Where have you been?”

“We just got here,” Madison answered her.

“Cool, let's head to class then.” We walked to Mr. Peterson's math class and sat down in our usual seating arrangement. They quickly turned to me. Kitty was the one that spoke this time. “So, who's the kid you're tutoring?”

“No one important.”

Kitty glanced at Madison, who leaned toward me. “Tell us, Johnny Boy. We'll find out eventually.”

“I know, but I still can't believe it's him.”

“Oh, no! It's Matthew, isn't it? That's why he called you little friend a minute ago.”

“Say what?” Kitty asked.

“Hell no! Thank God it's not him. Anyone but those two freaks.”

“Then who is it?” Kitty questioned eagerly.

I took a deep breath, preparing for their reaction. “Nick Wild Hawk.”

Their mouths dropped open and remained that way until Madison spoke up. “Shut the f**k up. Nick Wild Hawk?”

“How come?” Kitty seemed puzzled.

“I don't know why. I'm guessing that he needs a tutor.”

“You need to get a naked picture of him.” Madison smiled. We scowled at her and shook our heads. “What? Do you guys have any idea how much a naked picture of Nick would cost in the p**n industry? We could sell that s**t and make enough money to survive for years.”

Kitty laughed, but quickly turned to me. “What are you going to do? You hate that guy. As far as I know, he's a huge dick.”

“Kitty's right. Many girls say that he's huge.” Madison smirked.

I had to laugh. Madison turned even the lamest of things into something s****l and funny. “I don't have a choice, Kitty. He seems like a cool and down to earth guy.”

They glanced at each other with puzzled looks. Madison turned to me. “Why do you like him all of a sudden?”

“I don't. It's just that…”

“Just what?” Kitty questioned.

“He…saved me.”

“Saved you? From whom or what, Johnny Boy?”

After a steadying breath, I recounted to them the events that had transpired the previous day. I left out the s****l harassment part though. I don't know why I was so embarrassed to tell them that. After all, it wasn't my fault.

“That's so heroic.” Madison smiled. “That's why Matthew called you 'little guy' a few minutes ago.”

“Yea—”

At that moment, Nick entered the room. He nodded at me when he walked by us. I instantly became nervous and my stomach twirled. I hated the feeling of little butterflies flapping around my guts to the point of nausea. Madison smiled mischievously. I was afraid of Madison now. That smile came before she would make a very s****l comment. Thank God that the teacher came in after him and our conversation ended.

Luckily for me, Madison didn't have enough time to strike.

* * * * *

It was the dreaded third period, or Physical Education. Don't get me wrong. I maintained an A, but what I hated was the locker room. I had to change in front of everyone, including Matthew and Jacob. I was extremely vulnerable here because my two best friends were far away from me, leaving me open to their attacks. One time, Matthew and Jacob had found it funny to wrap their jockstraps around my neck. But you know what was worse? It was at the end of the class! I bathed at least fifty times that day. Another time, they'd locked me inside one of the lockers and left me there for the entire period. On another occasion, I'd only had my towel on, and they'd yanked it away from me. I'd been naked in front of everyone while they'd laughed and made fun of me. I was their little fun target or joyride. I would have loved to trade places with Madison because she always wanted to see naked jocks.

Anyway, here I was again, standing at the entrance of the boys' locker room. I took a couple of deep breaths and pushed the door open, preparing myself for anything.

Inside, many guys were stripping off their clothes or walking around naked. I lowered my head and made my way to my locker. I quickly opened it and threw my bag inside.

I retrieved my gym clothing, which consisted of a white shirt and blue knitted cotton pants with the school's initials on the right leg, and stripped to my boxers. All of a sudden, two voices behind me startled me.

“Hey, little friend.”

“My c**k missed you.”

Fuck! My heart did a somersault. It was Jacob and Matthew. I gulped when Matthew's hand touched my right shoulder and spun me around to face him. Matthew was buck naked, and a blue jockstrap covered Jacob's family jewels.

“What's the matter, little p***y? You like my big d**k?” Matthew taunted, leaning closer. My chest felt heavy, making breathing almost impossible, but I managed to shake my head. “You want it, don't you, little fag? Kneel down and put that thing in your mouth. Please your man. You'll f*****g love it, faggot.”

I walked backward until I bumped into my locker. Matthew smiled evilly.

Suddenly, someone cleared his throat, and Mathew and Jacob quickly glanced to their right. Matthew turned to me, his face white as paper. “See you around, little guy.”

“Remember, we've got your back,” Jacob added. They headed toward the opposite end. “Take care!”

My heart rate slowed down after they left me alone. My attention fell to what had made them act so differently toward me all of a sudden. It was Nick, their worst nightmare. He was walking toward me with his gym bag in his right hand. When he stopped beside me, Nick dropped the bag on the bench and turned to me with a serious face. “Were they bothering you again?”

I shook my head. “No.”

“You sure?”

“Yes.” I nodded. I wasn't protecting them. I just wanted to put them behind me and move on with my life without any violent confrontation between them and Nick. I knew that if Nick found out the truth, he would hunt them down. He was that kind of guy. Everyone respected Nick Wild Hawk because he fought like a professional. Many of his victims ended up in the hospital while he just got a few cuts and bruises. I once heard that he beat up three guys who were bigger and stronger than him at the same time. Nick won easily. Personally, I always thought people exaggerated, but later in life, I'd found these rumors to be true.

“Good. I'm going to change here because my locker is too far away. I switched gym group.”

“Really?” I quickly covered my body with my shirt.

“Yeah, most of my friends are in this group anyway.” Nick took off his shirt. And holy s**t! His body was the living statue of a Greek god. He wasn't buff like many other athletes, but he was almost there. Bottom line, his body was perfect. He proceeded to take off his pants and Hallelujah! The guy looked spectacular in his jocks. Nick sat down to put on his pants and sneakers. “Aren't you going to finish changing?”

“Yes!” I quickly stepped into my gym pants and put on my sneakers. I was so nervous in front of him, and I didn't know why. We were just friends, right? After we finished dressing, Nick led me to the football field, where I met Kitty and Madison while Nick joined his friends. We all had to wait for some other students, but as soon as they arrived, we began to stretch.

“Looks like Nick's in our gym class this year.” Madison stretched her legs on the grass.

“Yeah, and I bumped into my two best friends a minute ago.”

“What? Does Nick know?” Kitty asked, stretching her arms.

“No. As soon as they saw him, they walked away.”

“You should have told him.”

“Nick isn't my dad, Kitty. I shouldn't be answering to him. He's my tutee. Besides, I don't know what his real intentions are.”

“He's right, Kitty. Why is he being so friendly toward him all of a sudden? Jocks like him use people all the time, you know.”

“Okay, just keep your guard up.”

“I will, Kitty.” I turned to Matthew and Jacob. They were on the other side of the field stretching and keeping a close eye on us. Those two were always alone and doing their own thing. Chills made their way down my spine when Matthew turned to me and wet his lips. I was petrified by him, but I knew I was safe with my friends around and Nick now.

“Now that we settled that,” Madison brought me back to them. “Did you see him naked?” She grinned.

“No, but I did get to see his jock.”

“Details!”

I couldn't tell Madison anything because Coach Jordan began with his torture. We ran ten laps around the field and did every exercise demanded by the Children Against Obesity Association. I would have loved for them to go through that one hour of pain that we endured every Tuesday and Thursday. Kitty, Madison, and I did our best, but many students had to stop every five seconds because they were too hot and exhausted.

The jocks, on the other hand, had a blast. To them, it was like a picnic on a cloudy day while we dragged our asses through the finish line. God, I hated them, almost all of them.

“My boobs! I can't feel my boobs.” Madison dropped on the ground and held her precious pride and joy. Kitty and I laughed at her exaggerated action. We were sitting next to her while we cooled off, making the best out of our two-minute break. “I need water.”

“Don't worry, girl, half an hour left,” Kitty told her, fanning herself with her hand.

“Oh, my God! I'm going to die.” Madison sat up straight. We got quiet for a little while and watched the jocks play a short game of football. “Imagine what it would be like to be pounded in bed by Nick? I bet that he could go on and on and on.”

Kitty and I looked at each other. Madison was something else. She hated the double standard that men got over women and expressed herself out loud and in front of anyone. All of a sudden, she spoke again. “Why does Nick keep glancing at us?”

Madison was right, because Nick kept looking at us every now and then. Suddenly, Coach Jordan blew his whistle, and we were ready for the second round.

* * * * *

I was exhausted after our torture session with Coach Jordan. I wanted to go home, drop on my bed, and forget about the world. I painfully dragged my aching body back to the locker room. Now, the shower rooms in Elite High School were different from the ones found in public schools because they contained private stalls. Bottom line: I could have a shower by myself. I thanked God because I did not want to shower with Matthew or Jacob around. I quietly waited outside, because I was avoiding them.

“Aren't you going in?” Nick crept up behind me.

“Yeah, I'm just waiting for the others to finish.”

“Come on, kiddo. They won't hurt you. I won't let them.”

Nick hung his towel over his shoulder and pushed me inside. We were lucky because there were three empty stalls. I went into one and closed the glass door. I quickly undressed and bathed. The school had plenty of hot water, and I could finally get my aching muscles to relax. After I finished, I silently exited the stall, but Nick was still showering. I didn't know what to do. I wanted to leave, but I couldn't leave him behind. He had been so nice to me so I decided to wait for him. He came out a few minutes later with a towel wrapped around his waist. Nick's wet body was anyone's fantasy come true. I imagined him naked and daring me to touch him. I wanted that man. Nick slapped me back to reality when he nodded at me to follow him.

“You don't talk that much, do you?” Nick slipped into his boxer briefs. I couldn't see anything through his towel, though.

“I'm just…”

“Just what?”

“Shy, I guess.”

“I see. It's just who you are, and you should be proud of yourself. We're not all the same.”

“Thanks. I guess…I lack confidence, too.”

“We can work on that as well.” He smiled.

We finished changing and left the room. My friends were waiting for me outside, and a few jocks were waiting for Nick. We parted ways with a short goodbye and with the promise to see each other after school. Madison asked me tons of questions about Nick, and I happily answered them.

* * * * *

After classes, I headed to the library to wait for Nick. I was two hours early, but that gave me enough time to do my homework. Nick walked into the library at exactly five.

Everyone stared at him when he entered the room. Many girls released small sighs of admiration while I tried my best to ignore him. He pulled up a chair next to me and sat down. “We meet again, John.”

“Aha! Tell me, in what exactly do you need my help?” I asked him with a little more confidence than before. To be honest, I was even surprised at myself when I asked him that question. He always made me nervous whenever we were alone, but for some reason or other, I felt more comfortable when other people surrounded us. “We didn't discuss that at all.”

“In everything, actually. I've got to get into Princeton because my parents went there. I've been f*****g around for the last two years.”

Fuck! Nick wanted to get into my dream university. I couldn't believe it.

“Okay. So, basically you need to boost your GPA in order to get into Princeton. Am I right?” I smiled.

“Yeah, that sums it up, kiddo.”

“Princeton is a high ranking university. Getting there won't be that easy.”

“That's why my parents got me the best tutor in school. I had no idea you were that smart.”

How was Nick able to say that? He didn't know that I existed until yesterday. Nick began to search for something inside his schoolbag. I pulled myself together and said what I had to say. “Thank you.”

Nick froze. “For what?”

“It's because of you that I'm still here. Your parents are paying for my monthly school fee.”

“You don't have to thank me. My parents have lots of money. They just want the best for me, and you're the best.”

Anyone would have melted in his arms if he hadn't been talking about academics, but sadly, he was.

“But still, Nick, I'm thankful for the opportunity.”

“You want to thank me? Help me with my homework. Later, we can review the last two days of classes. I've got to get into Princeton.”

“Sure thing, Nick.”

We dove into our English homework. We even discussed the Children Against Obesity Association and Physical Education. Can you believe that? Somehow, Nick made every topic sound interesting. The one thing I hated was how often he glanced at me with a tiny grin. He made me so nervous. I did my best to resist him, but it was useless. He found something amusing in me. The unknown world of jocks was one territory I would never be able to understand or cross alone. Our session ended a little after six. By then, almost everyone in school had already left.

“You hungry, John?” We were walking toward the parking lot.

“Yes, I am. PE left me exhausted.”

“Cool, because I'm in the mood for burgers.”

We jumped inside his car, and Nick drove to the nearest Burger King. I love Burger King. I think everyone does. I could actually count the number of times I had tasted those delicious burgers. Three. Yes, three. I tasted them when I graduated middle school and for my last two birthdays. I should thank Madison and Kitty for those times.

It's so funny that three of the most important people in my life have taken me to Burger King. Where did Nick fall?

“Are you sure you're going to eat that?” I silently gazed at Nick's super size burger.

“Hell yes! The question really is…are you going to get full?” Nick smiled at my medium size burger and Pepsi.

“I don't eat a lot, but it looks like you do.”

“When you train hard like me, you're hungry all the time.” Nick took a huge bite of his burger. I laughed. He had a drop of ketchup at the top right corner of his lip. Nick smiled. “What?”

“You've got a little something there.” I pointed to the right side of his lip.

Nick took a napkin and wiped his mouth. “That's embarrassing.”

I lifted my burger and took a small bite. Now he was laughing, so I wiped my mouth. “What? Do I have something on my face, too?”

“No. It's just that you take small bites. No wonder you're so slim. You need to eat a lot in order to build muscles. Don't chew your food, swallow it.”

“I love my body. I'm not fat or thin.”

“True, but that doesn't help you against Matthew or Jacob.” When I set the burger down, remembering Matthew's words, Nick froze. “Whoa! You really are afraid of them. Aren't you?”

“Yes. They are two mean bullies. Matthew is the worst one, though.”

“Don't worry, I've got your back now. I promise you that no one will ever hurt you again. Now, eat because I'm ordering a second round.”

I examined every inch of Nick while we ate our dinner. His smile was warm and welcoming. His eyes seemed to glitter under the light. He was the perfect guy, and Allison was a very lucky girl. Trust me, Nick did not lie. He ordered a second round, but I took mine home. I didn't want to eat it. I wanted to keep it as a souvenir. I know it sounds stupid, but I wanted to keep something that would remind me of that night. I still have that Burger King paper bag inside my memory box. After he finished with his second round of food, Nick took me back to my world.

When I got home, my mom was there. I found her sleeping on the sofa, so I covered her with a blanket and turned off the television. She looked exhausted even when she slept. I loved her long honey-brown hair and eyes. People said that I was the male version of my mom, which made me really proud. I kissed her good night and headed to my room.

I ran and jumped into my bed. My entire body ached when I hit my mattress. It felt as if every muscle had been tugged out of place. I closed my eyes and relived my day as I did every night. Usually, my days were dull and uneventful. There was nothing exciting about my life or anyone in it. It was the same old routine: survive Elite High.

Yes, Madison and Kitty brightened my day, but aside from them, my life was boring and flat. But something had occurred the last two days that made my life more interesting. Nick probably? Nah! He had always been there, in the background, but now that he was in the foreground, things changed completely. Was I falling in love with Nick? No. I didn't think so or I hoped not.

Yes, I craved Nick's love, but I was still afraid of it. Why? I didn't want to fall in love with someone who would not love me back. That would suck so badly, and I was trying to avoid that nightmare. I simply didn't want to get my heart broken by a naïve Nick Wild Hawk because I would end up hating him. We were from two very different worlds and should remain that way. Nick was superior in every way possible, and I was nothing compared to him. I closed my eyes, and it didn't take long for me to fall asleep.