[BoyxBoy] ✓ I Fell In Love With An Emo Boy

53. EMO

"Is that from.. Is that from people pushing you around?" I said through clenched teeth.

Timothy looked surprised. He ran his hand over his lower back.

"I.. I guess."

I was so disgusted. I couldn't believe my friends had done this to him.

"But.. It could also just be from me running into things. You know how clumsy I am." T said in an attempt to comfort me.

"Don't minimize this! They did this to you!"

"It doesn't even really hurt. I didn't even know it was there." Timothy shrugged.

I shook my head. This was terrible. I can't believe I let this happen to him. My eyes filled with tears.

"Josh, it's not your fault." Timothy grabbed my hand.

"I should've done something! I'm a fucking coward!"

"It's not your job to protect me."

"Yes it is!" I traced Timothy's back again. The bruises didn't look all that old.

"This isn't recent, right?" I growled.

"Josh,"

"They stopped, right?"

T shook his head slowly.

"FUCK!" I screamed. I punched a locker.

"Who?" I growled.

"Taylor and Nick."

I thought after that talk with Dave things would've changed. I was fucking stupid. Of course it wouldn't. There was only so much Dave could do. And something told me he wasn't as hell bent on keeping T safe as I was.

I had to do something.

But what was I going to say? How could I convince them to keep their hands off Timothy without saying how much he meant to me?

I was stuck again.

"Dammit!" I kicked the lockers.

"Josh, it doesn't hurt, I promise."

"That's not the point! They need to keep their fucking hands off you!"

Timothy crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. Once again he was more worried about me than about himself.

I couldn't take this anymore. Something had to change. Maybe.. Maybe it was time for me to be honest. And tell people I cared about Timothy. I could say we were just friends.

But honestly who would believe that? At this point all it took was one glance at the two of us. I couldn't win. If I told people we were together things would get much worse for both of us. But if I didn't T would keep getting shoved around without me being able to do anything about it.

At least if we were public I'd be able to protect him. And I could take a bunch of low lives. Maybe things would even change so that I'd be the target and not Timothy.

But football would be over. I'd get bullied off the team. There's no way to be a good team without being at least respectful towards each other. And I'd definitely not get the scholarship I was working so hard for. It was useless. 

"Dammit!" I banged my fist against the locker.

"Josh," T wrapped his arms around me and stroked my back.

I touched his bruised skin and felt a tear roll down my cheek.

"There's no way that doesn't hurt." I muttered.