Take Me to Church (boyxboyxboy)✅

Chapter 19

Liam

Nick wasn't in English class, which was weird since I saw him in the hall earlier. He was wearing his glasses. He looked really good in glasses. From across the classroom, Jeremy glanced at me with a worried look on his face.

"Has anyone seen Nick?" Mr. McGuiness asked. As usual, everyone gave him blank stares. After no one answered, he turned his attention to me and Jeremy.

"Liam? Jeremy? Have you seen him?" he asked.

Jeremy cringed, always uncomfortable when teachers called on him in class, even more when they asked him about Nick. It was obvious we were all friends; even more obvious that Nick and Jeremy liked each other more than friends. Still, he hated the idea of coming out at this school and to his parents before he was ready. Come to think of it, I wasn't even out yet.

"I haven't seen him," I lied.

Jeremy looked down at his notebook, choosing not to answer. JT whispered something to him, causing his face to turn bright red, not in humiliation, but in anger.

Mr. McGuiness gave up on questioning us and proceeded to teach. Moby Dick. I hated that book. Jeremy loved it. English was his favorite class and it wasn't just because Nick was in the class.

My phone unexpectedly vibrated in my back pocket halfway through class. As discretely as I could, I pulled my phone out.

'Meet me at the church after school,' Nick texted.

Instead of asking "why?" I texted, 'K.'

As promised, I went to the church after school. Towards the front of the church, I spotted a blond boy kneeling in one of the pews. Before entering the pew, I did the sign of the cross: In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

"I thought you don't believe in God," I said, kneeling down beside Nick.

"I never said that," he said. "I said I wasn't sure."

"Where's Jeremy?" I asked, assuming he must have asked Jeremy to meet him in the church, too.

"He has practice," he said, wiping his wet cheeks. "Anyway, I didn't want him to come."

"Nick, what's wrong?" I asked, placing a hand on his shoulder, realizing he had been crying. Strands of blond hair stuck to his cheek. I plucked the strands away.

"I need a ride," he said, his bottom lip quivering as if to fight off more tears. "Can you give me a ride?"

"Okay," I said, squeezing his shoulder. "Where do you need to go?"

"I need a ride to the community health clinic. It's too far away so I can't walk to it. It's free and they won't tell my parents. It's anonymous."

There weren't any free clinics in this rich town. The closest one was at least ten miles away.

"Why do you need to go there?" I asked. "Are you sick? Why don't you want your mother or Mr. McGuiness to know?"

"Will you just drive me?" he said. "I need a ride. I just need a ride, okay?"

"Okay... okay, I'll drive you," I said. "It's going to be okay. Stop crying, alright?"

Throughout the ride, Nick stared out the window, barely speaking. I had my suspicions as to why he wanted, or needed to go, to this clinic and couldn't understand why Jeremy wasn't with us, too.

"Shouldn't Jeremy get tested, too?" I asked.

"What?" he asked, quickly glancing at me.

"Jeremy," I said. "Shouldn't he get tested, too? Or maybe he already has."