Ratbags and Scallywags [bxb]

Chapter 23

His hand gripped the side of my jaw and forced my head sideways before his lips smashed against mine. His vile, cold tongue tried to force its way into my mouth; and so I let it. But then I bit him.

Hard.

"Ow, fuck!" he cried out, stumbling back while holding his hands over his face. "Jesus, what the fuck?"

"Don't you ever touch me again," I yelled. "Don't even say my name. Don't breathe the same air as me, and if you dare lay a hand on Aubrey then I swear to God I'll make sure your body never functions the same way again."

I marched to the sink and spat his blood out into it, wiping my mouth frantically. Jesse's head lifted behind me, drawing my attention to him in the mirror. He'd been wiping the blood on his face, smearing it across his lips. But his face twisted, contorting into embarrassment and rage as he came marching towards me.

"You asshole," he shouted, hand still under his mouth catching blood. He'd have to see the nurse for that one. I couldn't wait till he had to explain how that came about. "You think he cares about you? Ha! He'll leave you."

Prepared for a second round, I spun to face him right when a tall body collided with his, sending him tumbling sideways. Aubrey paused and held him by the scruff of his neck, cocking his head as if wondering what he should do next. Having obviously not come to any sort of conclusion, he shoved Jesse aside and hurried over to me.

"Asshole," Jesse spat, marching over and grabbing Aubrey's arm. His voice was low and threatening. "You'll pay. Just you wait."

Then he turned to me, face twisting into a cruel smirk. "Don't say I didn't warn you, Charlie Rascal. Straight guys just like to mess around then throw us away the moment we start to inconvenience them. You'll see."

Aubrey picked up a wet toilet paper roll somebody discarded on the sink bench and flung it at him. Jesse made a sound of disgust before kicking it away.

"Who's the inconvenience here, huh?" Aubrey shot at him, standing awkwardly and rigid. His posture didn't suit his moment of bravado, even as his fists lay balled at his sides. "Can people only be gay or straight? Are we gonna pretend like nothing else exists? Leave him alone, he's not interested."

"Whatever," Jesse muttered, turning and storming out of the bathroom.

"You okay?" Aubrey asked, lifting his fingers to my forehead and brushing some fallen hair aside. His expression was so beautifully concerned, worried for me.

Did he see any of that? Hear any of it?

Only then did my heartbeat pick up. My hands started to shake while I broke into a cold sweat. I wiped my mouth with my sleeve, but it didn't help in any way. "Charlie," Aubrey said, but I couldn't respond.

I turned the tap on the highest heat available, which wasn't hot enough, and drank straight from the tap.

"Charlie-"

When that still didn't work, I squirted multiple doses of soap onto my hands and rubbed it across my lips, onto my tongue, swishing it around my mouth until it started to feel course and tender. It still wasn't enough. Paper towels. I looked left and right, seeking out the paper towel dispenser. They were course and dry enough to rid me of this disgusting, vile poison that lingered.

I was dirty.

"Charlie!"

Aubrey grabbed my shoulders and turned me to face him, holding me so that I was trapped against his chest. He shouldn't be touching me. There was blood on my shirt, and it would make him dirty. I didn't want to make him like me. A sob caught in my throat, but the relentless palpitations set my heart into overdrive, thankfully cancelling it out. And my ears were ringing.