Closeted | Boy x Boy

~Fünfundzwanzig~

The fight started before anyone could even do anything, before anyone knew what the fuck was going on. I was sitting at my table with Marley, curled up on the floor because I couldn't be bothered to eat or drink. I just wanted to lie there until my chest stopped hurting, despite Marley's urges for me to try and swallow something other than my own sadness.

There was a lot of whispering before it actually started, rumors of a fight going down at lunch, and I'd heard Jay's name dropped a few times and then just stopped listening. I was sick and tired of Jay, and of Marley and Ollie trying to get me to talk about him. I heard Oliver went over to Marley's house when Jay was there, and I immediately regretted telling him so much. I should've known he would tell someone, and now Jay probably knew everything I had said. I didn't ant Jay mad at me, and I wasn't mad at him or anything, I was just... upset? I missed Jay more than anything, and that sucks ass. Missing someone, even though they had hurt you. I felt hopeless, like there was nothing I could do. I wanted to die- not because of Jay, but beycause now it felt like I couldn;'t trust anyone. What with what my mom had said, whatJay did, and what Charlie had told me about no one truly liking me, I really didn't see any reason to keep living if everyone secretly hated you. But I was holding on for Marley.

When the fight started, I think a handful of other people were arguing first. Throwing insults and harsh words at each oter, the tension in the room was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Then there was a loud scream, and the sound of knuckles cracking across someone's face, and then another loud yell as the cafeteria erupted into cheers, hollers, and loud screeches of terror, bloodthirtiness, and malice.

It seemed like everyone was in the fight, with how loud they were yelling. The crowd was blocking my view when I jolted upwards from where I was laying on my bookbag to see what the fuck all the yelling and screaming were about. Part of me though there was a school shooter or something. But as I sat there, trying to see what was happening, I saw a glimpse of white hair, and I picked out the German accent through the crowd of different voices.

"You-" CRACK! "Fucking-" CRACK! "Bitch!"

The voice echoed around the cafeteria as people whooped and hollered, calling out bets and cheers of encouragement to the fighters. 

"Jay?!" I exclaimed, rising to my feet. 

Marley stood up with me, her brows furrowed in concern. "What the fuck is going on?"

I ran down the cafeteria floor, my sneakers squeaking loudly, until I reached the edge of the crowd and tried pushing my way through. Jay was on top of Charlie, beating her face in and yelling at her. 

"What the fuck!" I heard Mr. Summers bellow, shoving kids away.

I stared at the scene in disbelief. "Jay?" my voice was a small amongst the yelling of everyone else, but I saw his eyes widen, and he slowly looked up at me, holding Charlie by the shirt as he panted. Her nose was bleeding and probably broken, and she had a black eye, but other than that she seemed to be intact. Nothing too serious, but she was probably scared out of her mind.

I walked forward, into the clearing the kids had made as they watched the fight. Mr. Summers was yelling at Jay, but he only had eyes for me. I grabbed his arm, wrapping my fingers around his bicep and tugged him to his feet, off of Charlie. I stared at Jay, my eyes cold. "This isn't what I wanted. I told you to forget about it." I pointed away from the crowd. "Go."

Jay ducked his head. He looked up at me one more time, his gaze hurt. "I'm sorry... please don't be mad," he whispered. "I just wanted-"

"I'm not mad," I said slowly. "I'm upset. Okay? I don't want to see you right now. Go to the office before they come looking for you. I'll... I'll talk to you later. Okay?"

Jay nodded meekly, and stalked through the crowd, disappearing among the fray of clamoring students.

I turned back to Charlie, who was sitting up. Marley was propping her up with her arm, holding a tissue to her bleeding nose. I knelt down with her, rubbing Charlie's shoulder as I inspected her face. She was banged up, and probably a little shell-shocked, but she was okay. She would be okay, I was sure of that. I was positive that Jay didn't want to hurt her, that he was just upset, but that didn't change the fact that half of Charlie's face was now bruised and her eye was swelling up like a baseball. Her lip was split and her nose was still dripping blood.

Charlie held a wad of tissue against her nostrils, the blood seeping through the material. She looked up at me, tears streaking her cheeks. "I'm sorry, Abe. I know he's mad at me for what I did. I didn't know he would do that. I just- I was jealous."

"I get it," I said. "Jay does too. Or he will, eventually. I was over it a while ago. I can't blame you for liking someone."

Charlie nodded. "I think I get that now." She looked at Marley. "I'm so sorry Curls," she said softly, leaning her head against Marley's shoulder. Marley's eyes widened slightly, then softened as she supported Charlie with her arm.

"I forgive you, too, Charlie."

"Really?" Charlie sniffled. 

Marley and I nodded.

Charlie smiled, leaning into Marley. "Thanks."