Chapter 7: Driving With a Broken Engine

Tim tapped my shoulder after class started. I, of course, turned around.

“Why are you crying?” he asked. He didn’t seem to be acting mean.

“Never mind Timothy. It’s not important,” I dried my eyes.

“So it has to do with Atticus. Did he hurt your feelings? Did he break your fragile little heart?” he was taunting now.

I turned back around so I was facing the front of the classroom, “Leave me alone,” I said.

“Why Kenny? Do you not want to talk about it?” he was talking in a cutesy voice that you would use if you were talking to a small child.

“Shut up Tim!” I screamed. Everyone in class was looking at me as if I were crazy.

“Fine you big baby,” he scoffed. He didn’t say a word for the rest of the class period.

I was so happy to hear the bell ring. It meant that first hour was over. But more importantly it meant that I could get away from Atticus.

I was practically running down the hall towards second hour. I wanted to get there as soon as possible. I wanted the day to be over.

“Kendall?” I heard a voice say.

I spun around and saw Travis. He was right up there with the last people I wanted to see. I put my head down, “Hey.”

“Terr-bear told me about the whole Atticus thing. I’m really sorry about that. It sucks really bad.”

“Yeah, it does,” I started to stare at my bright pink chucks. They were the only things keeping me sane at the moment, them and the tube of lip gloss in my pocket. I was playing with it to keep my mind off the boy in front of me.

“Do you need a hug or something?” Travis asked.

“No, I’m good.”

“Well if you do—”

“I know.”

“And if you want to ta—”

“I got it Travis,” I know I was being a jerk, but I was pretty sure that we both knew that I didn’t want to talk at the moment.

“You want to go. I get it. I hope you feel better soon. I’m really sorry,” he said.

I nodded and he waved goodbye. A moment later he had disappeared into the crowded hallway.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

I made it to second hour right before the bell rang. My little chat with Travis totally ruined my plan to get to class early. Hopefully class would go fast, but I highly doubted it.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Surprisingly enough calls whizzed by. I was glad.

So I ran to my locker and then to third hour. I would only have to suffer for a little while before lunch. Then I could get away from it all.

Apparently the first half of third hour wanted to go super slow. But the bell for lunch finally rang.

Terrance was waiting for me in the lunchroom. Her eye shadow was bright pink and her septum piercing was glittering in the florescent overhead lights.

“Hey hun!” she said when she saw me. She gave me a hug, “How are you feeling today?”

“Better. I told him off. I said that I never wanted to speak to him again.”

“Wow,” she said. “How bout we go sit down?”

“Okay,” I said and followed Terrance to the table.

Charlie was doodling when I sat down.

“What are you drawing?” I asked.

“A tattoo design for Thom’s lower back. When I get my needles and ink I’m going to do it.”

“You actually do tattoos?” I was surprised. I had thought that you needed training for that.

“Yeah, Charlie is the queen of tattoos. And as you know, Thom does piercings. I do hair and makeup. I’ve done everyone’s hair at this table. When we graduate and get out degrees for our chosen professions the three of us are going to open a piercing place, tattoo parlor, and hair and make up salon all in one. Speaking of hair, I’d love to do something to yours.”

“What?” I didn’t know what she meant.

“I think I want to put some black and pink in it. I think it’ll look great.”

“Me too!” Charlie said.

“I could come over after school tomorrow and do it. A bunch of us are going to a concert. You should come too.”

“I’ll think about it,” I said. I’d have to check with my mother first. I decided not to tell them that just in case I came off sounding like a huge dork.

“Travis might be there,” Terrance said.

Thom laughed, “You like Travis?” He shook his head, “Baseball boy Olson. What a joke.”

Terrance hit him, “Shut up Thom. Travis likes Kendall. He won’t stop talking about him.”

“He talks about me?” I was surprised.

“Oh yeah,” Terrance said, “I was on the phone with him last night and all he talked about was you. He’s falling pretty damn hard.”

“That’s disgusting,” Thom said.

“Why?” I asked. I wasn’t following the conversation very well.

“He’s a senior. There’s so many things wrong with a senior dating a freshman. It’s basically inviting a statutory rape charge. It’s fucking sick.”

“Thom doesn’t like Travis,” Charlie said. “He never has?”

“Why?” I asked again.

“Because Travis is mean to him. He’s been making Asian jokes at him ever since they met. Not to mention the fact that Travis flirted with Thom’s ex. That guy cheated on Thom with Travis,” Terrance explained.

“I wouldn’t like him then either,” I said.

“I guess,” Terrance sighed.

“And he plays baseball?”

“Yeah. He was captain last season. I doubt it’ll be any different this year. He’s like the best baseball player out school has ever seen. He’s totally amazing.”

“He doesn’t look like a baseball player. I didn’t think they allowed queers to play team sports.”

Everyone started to laugh after that. I didn’t think that it had been all that funny. Terrance patted my cheek.

“I love you Kenny. You’re so cute,” she was still laughing.

“Okay,” I said. I was so confused.

“And you’re right; they usually don’t allow gay kids to play team sports. He was an exception, a huge one. But he was so good that they couldn’t pass him up. Plus it brought more spectators. Most people don’t know that he’s gay because he flirts with everyone. The girls do love him.”

“So there’s a chance that he doesn’t like me? He just flirts with me?” I cocked an eyebrow.

“No, he defiantly likes you. I actually haven’t seen him flirting a lot since he met you. You’ve changed him Kendall. That’s really hard to do. Not even his ex could get him to stop flirting. They were madly in love too.”

“Then why did they break up?” I asked.

“No one knows. He won’t talk about it with anyone. It’s a really touchy subject with him. He gets either really pissed off or really depressed when someone brings it up. That’s why it’s best not to.”

“Gotcha,” I said and took a mental note of it. I didn’t want to piss Travis off.

“So do you even want to go to the concert tomorrow night?” Terrance asked.

“Who’s playing?” if it was someone good I might be interested.

“Just a few local bands. My brother’s band is going to be playing. It’ll be super fun,” she smiled.

“I didn’t know you had a brother,” I remembered I had never asked.

“Yep. He’s twenty. I love him to death!”

“I bet,” I smiled.

“Do you have any brothers or sisters?” Charlie asked.

“Yeah,” I answered, “I have an older sister and a younger brother.”

“How old are they?” Terrance asked.

“Stacy is in the tenth grade and Noah is in the second grade. My dad was so happy when he was born.”

“Why?” Thom asked.

“Because he wanted a boy, one that played sports and did boy things. It’s not that I wasn’t good enough; it’s just that I was more of a daughter to him. I mean I’m way more girly than my sister.”

Everyone laughed at that. It was kind of funny; at least I had always thought so.

“All you guys are so lucky to have parents that accept who you are,” Thom said, “When I told my parents that I was bi my dad almost kicked me out of the house. He was hoping to marry me off to some nice little Asian girl. I mean, it’s not that I couldn’t happen, but it probably won’t.”

“Why’s that?” I asked.

“I prefer guys. I always have.”

“Do you have a boyfriend?” I was curious.

“Not officially, but I will soon,” he smiled.

“Who’s the lucky guy?” Terrance asked. I was surprised that she didn’t know who it was. I thought that she knew everything about everyone.

“His name is Jaron. He’s a freshman in college. I totally adore him.”

“So you like older guys?” I wondered how annoying I was being.

“Yeah, for the most part I do. Why?”

“Just wondering,” I said. Then the bell rang. I got up and started to walk away. Thom caught up with me.

“Here’s my number,” he said and handed me a small slip of paper. I took it before he spoke again, “You’re good to talk to. So call me sometime if you want to talk or if you want a piercing or something. I’ll pick up no matter how late it is,” he offered me a crooked smile.

I nodded, “Okay, will do.”

“Sweet,” he said and walked away.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

The day was over before I knew it. I was glad too. I saw Atticus talking to Tori after school. Seeing that shot a hole through my already broken heart. I wanted to cry, but I didn’t. I wasn’t going to waste anymore tears on him.