The League > jariana (COMPLETED)

four

"He told Reid I pressured him to buy it," Richie said.

"Tell them why you did it, why you gave him the drugs," Justin instructed.

Richie's ears matched the color of the smashed Coke can in front of him. "I guess I kind of liked him. I thought maybe ... maybe he liked me back ..."

I ran my fingernail along a groove in the scratched-up wood floor, unable to meet Richie's eyes. I knew he was gay—everyone did—but it was hard to listen to something so ... private. It was weird, all of us spilling our secrets like this. At least no one had laughed or made fun of anyone else. Actually, it was kind of a relief to talk about things. This is what friends do, I told myself, they talk. I couldn't remember the last time I'd had a real conversation with Sofie.

"I was an idiot," Richie said with unexpected ardor. "I trusted everyone. I trusted Dave, without even knowing him. I should've listened to Justin. He knew what a jerk Dave was! He tried to warn me, but I wouldn't listen."

Justin slung an arm across Richie's shoulder. If I'd blinked, I would've missed Richie's adjustment, the almost imperceptible shift closer to Justin. I was beginning to wonder if he had more than just a bad case of hero worship.

"What about the list?" Zoe asked.

Richie shrugged. "Rumor."

A fly buzzed under my nose, and I waved it away. Justin followed it as it zoomed past Nora's ear, tracking it as he spoke. "At the board meeting, Reid defended his star jock. He said Dave was a good kid with a temporary loss of judgment under pressure. The board didn't know who to believe. Since it was a first offense, they both got suspended. Reid was pissed—he wanted Richie expelled."

"I was out for ten days," Richie said.

"What does Mr. Reid have against you?" I asked him.

"He's one of the biggest bigots in the school." Justin seemed surprised that I didn't already know this.

To be honest, I'd had no idea. Our principal was always in front of the school gym, shaking hands with people coming to after-school events. Mr. Reid seemed to have a smile for everyone. Then again, maybe he was checking to see if kids were drunk or on drugs. Could the caring part be an act?

"But didn't our school just start a gay-straight alliance?" Nora asked.

Justin shrugged. "He'd get rid of it if he could. Trust me, Reid doesn't like anyone who's different from him, which means anyone who isn't straight, white, and boring."

"A few weeks later, Dave and five of his buddies jumped out of the bathroom. They punched me and knocked me to the ground," Richie told us. "Dave called me a homo. He told me that's why he asked me to get the drugs, 'cause he knew I'd give it to him for free."

"He used you," Justin said. "But that wasn't enough for him. He had to prove what a macho dude he was by unleashing his personal pit bulls on you."

"Do they still pick on you?" Nora asked Richie.

"Sometimes, but not as much. Not now that I have a bodyguard, anyway."

Justin made a muscle. "At your service."

"Wow, I never heard about any of this," I said, ashamed that I'd accepted the rumors, sized Richie up, and cut him down. Like everyone else.

"No one did," Nora said. "Lies make better stories than the truth."

I looked away, the guilt of dishonesty rumbling through my stomach. I'd dressed up the truth, too—when my own misery had failed to impress.

Without taking his eyes off Nora, Justin slammed a hand to the floor. I startled, shrinking my knees to my chest. Justin lifted his palm to check what was underneath, then flicked the dead fly across the room. "Richie got a concussion," he told us, "and a broken finger, too."

"Mr. Reid found out what they did to me, but they only got suspended for a few more days," Richie said. "Then Justin overheard Reid talking to Dave Harper." He looked at Justin, waiting for him to take over.

Justin shook his head like he still couldn't believe what had happened. "I was walking by Reid's door when I heard him say that Richie should've been expelled. He was telling Harper he didn't want Richie's 'kind' polluting our school."

"His 'kind'?" Nora let out a breath. "Whoa."

"He didn't have the balls to say it to Richie's face," Justin said. "That guy has it coming to him. He can't get away with treating people unfairly."

"Sometimes he watches us," Richie added.

"He thinks we're lovers." Justin's lips curled into a seductive smile. "So we give him what he wants." He circled an arm around Richie's waist. Richie grinned and dropped his ear onto Justin's shoulder.

"Look at the charming couple," Zoe said, pretending to snap a picture.

The part that still didn't make sense to me was how Mr. Reid could be such a jerk. Kennedy High was more or less a liberal school. But then Reid did seem a bit uptight and old-fashioned. He wore a tie to school every day, even in the summer. He was awkward, for sure—but a bigot?

"It isn't fair," Richie said, lowering his eyes.

Justin slammed the glass in his hand down on the bedside table. "Since when is high school fair?" he asked.

A/N:

that's a legit question right there, Justin.

so, what do you think of the story so far?? let me know!

thanks for reading <3

20+ votes for the next chapter! :)

((also DANGEROUS WOMAN SOUNDS SO FUCKING GOOD I'M SO BALD SLAY QUEEN))