Before I even had the chance to shove Timothy aside, my coach pulled me away.
"Josh! What are you doing?!" Coach Falcon screamed into my ear as he hauled me backwards.
T kneeled next to his boyfriend who was acting all hurt all of a sudden. T stroked his cheek and repeatedly asked if he was fine. It made me so goddamn angry I tried to break out of coach's hold just so that I could beat Charlie up some more. I couldn't control anything.
"Think of the season, Josh!" Coach Falcon said to me. "Calm down!"
I tried to but just looking at Timothy in Charlie's deceitful arms made me feel crazy!
"Don't look at them, look at me!" Coach ordered. "Hey!" He spun me around and squeezed my face so I'd look at him. "Calm down.." He sighed.
I took a few deep breaths and focused on Coach's serious eyes rather than the ruckus going on behind me, the image of Charlie's lies.
"Are you calm?" Coach asked.
I took another couple breaths.
"Yes." I finally said.
"What the hell, man? You know what happens to the team if you get suspended?"
"I know! Just-" I pointed at Charlie.
"Doesn't matter! You have to learn to control yourself! You could get suspended over this. Hell, you could get expelled! And then where would we be?!"
"I'm trying, okay!" I screamed. God, Coach Falcon was only making it worse!
"Josh?" Principal Saxton tapped my shoulder.
Not this again.
"Yeah, I know." I sighed of defeat and followed him inside.
✪
So I got suspended. They didn't expel me, thank God. Just a three day suspension and some detention. They also called my dad and made me go to these anger management classes. Again.
They never worked before so why would they now?
Anyway, I was staying at Dave's house. His parents were away so I'd just be spending my three days with him until they got back. My dad had called me seven times already but I was just not prepared to hear his drunk screaming so video games and booze it is.
Dave and I were busy shooting shit and beating people up when he suddenly said:
"So Jen asked me out today."
I frowned. "When?"
"During lunch. You weren't there." There was an accusation is his voice.
What a backstabbing-
"I think I'm going to say yes. She wants to go to the movies." Dave shrugged.
I shot three extra demons.
"You don't mind, do ya?" He said.
"Whatever. I don't care." The sad thing was that that wasn't even a lie- something that bothered me more than it should.
After the game was over I went back to the guest room and lay on the bed. What had I done? I knew it hadn't been my fault in the slightest and Charlie totally had it coming but.. I was suspended and worse than that, Timothy probably hated me now.
Wow. You really have to be a raging asshole to get someone as agreeable as Timothy to hate you.
I was a raging asshole. I almost hurt T today and that was something I had no excuse for. If anything, he was the person I wanted to protect, not hurt.
✪
On the third day of my stay at Dave's I was beginning to get annoyed by him and he by me. As always, we were friends but we needed our time apart.
I was packing my bag and getting ready to go home when my phone rang.
My heart jumped and I reached for it, hoping it would be Timothy calling to tell me he wasn't mad at all.
But it wasn't Timothy. It was an unknown number.
I picked up. "Hello?"
"Son?" My dad's voice sounded much more tired, and older suddenly.
"Dad? Where are you calling from?"
I heard a long sigh across the line.
My shoulders slumped. I'd heard that sigh before. "What did you do?"
"Nothing out of the ordinary." He laughed guiltily.
I balled my hand angrily. Here we go again.
"How long?"
"Four days. Think you'll survive?"
"I've survived all these years with you being off your face!"
"Joshua-"
"No! You know what, dad? Leave me alone! I hope you die in jail!" I screamed before hanging up.
I was about to throw my phone against the wall but I remembered I'd have no way to pay for getting it fixed. I slammed my hand into the bed a few times instead.
✪
I'd said goodbye to Dave, I hadn't told him about anything. I'd grabbed some of my dad's savings from the back of his closet and had just walked (yes, walked) to a convenience store to get some groceries.
The cashier greeted me politely.
I put in some headphones and listened to Eminem as I grabbed whatever was easiest and cheapest.
Noodles. Noodles. Noodles.
I bleakly stared at my pathetic grocery basket and thought of the meat I ate just a couple nights ago.
"Hey there, kid."
I spun around and was met by the kind gaze of none other than the butcher himself.
"Joe." I smiled.
Joe looked at the floor awkwardly. I sighed. He knew. Of course T had told him I knocked out his boyfriend.
"Tim told me what happened.." Joe finally said.
"Yeah, I figured as much.." I said gravely.
Joe began studying a can of soup. "But I figure things probably aren't as black and white as he made them seem.."
"What did he say?" I was already offended.
"He said.. Well, he basically said you wrongfully accused Charlie and knocked him out."
"Wrongfully?!" Here I was getting mad again.
"He said you completely lost your shit. I found it kind of hard to believe, I know you and you're a good kid."
I was happy to know he believed in me. My own dad would've already began yelling at me by this point without even wanting to hear my side.
"Am I right?" Joe asked.
I sighed in defeat. This could never sound good. "I did knock him out.. But it wasn't unjustified! Charlie totally shredded my tires and when he was sprawled out on the floor he was laughing at me! I know I'm not the calmest person and I lose my shit fast but.. he had it coming!"
Joe nodded. "An eye for an eye, huh?"
"Makes the whole world blind, I know." I rolled my eyes.
Joe shrugged. "Timothy is already pretty blind when it comes to Charlie."
I looked at Joe and he didn't even look disappointed. I mean, of course not. I wasn't his son. Still, I thought he might judge me for it.
Joe bent down and grabbed a jar of tomato sauce which he began studying like he cared what was in it.
"How was your date?" I suddenly asked.
Joe looked pleasantly surprised at the question. He smirked. "Glad you asked,"
I began to smile just looking at his happy face.
"Don't tell Timmy but, we're official."
"Seriously?!"
"Yep. I asked her to go steady and uh.. well, she said yes. I gave her a necklace and everything."
"'Go steady'? How old are you!"
Joe laughed and told me how they'd gone on a picnic and went fishing together. He seemed really happy, though he worried T may not be okay with it. I could hardly imagine that. There was nothing T was ever not okay with unless it had something to do with his boyfriend. And just thinking about that ticked me off.
Joe looked at my sad little basket. He grabbed the cans and put them back on the shelf. "There's a McFeebies across the street. Come on, let's grab dinner."
✪
"Your dad's in jail?!" Joe looked very concerned.
"Only for like a couple days. Probably cause he was drunk or something again." I shrugged. "I don't know."
"And this happens often?"
I took a very long sip of my coke.
"And you're staying with a friend?"
"I was but not anymore."
Joe frowned in thought.
"It's fine, I've spent much longer on my own."
Now he looked even more disturbed. "How long does he leave you alone at a time?" His tone was outraged.
"Will you stop worrying? I'm fine, I told you!"
Joe took a deep breath.
"How would Timothy feel if he knew you were here with me?" I asked.
Joe sighed deeply. "Oh, I don't know. I don't understand that kid anymore. All he cares about is Charlie. When it's just us two it feels like there's nothing to talk about. Or more like he's hiding something from me."
Oh, he's hiding something, alright. I felt sort of vengeful, if T had been bad-mouthing me, why shouldn't I tell his deepest secrets?
"I worry so much about that kid, it drives me insane. And I know I'm supposed to give him room and everything but.. As a parent it's just nice to know that if something happens your kid will confide in you and not in his 19 year old boyfriend."
"Just force it out of him." I shrugged. "Should be easy enough, Charlie is his favorite topic."
"Yeah, well, not mine." Joe said sternly. "I guess maybe he senses that.."
I took a big bite from my hamburger. Freaking delicious.
"You're hungry." Joe noted.
I nodded and continued devouring.
"Do you have money?" He asked.
"Joe," I complained.
"Answer the question."
"Yes." I lied. The last thing I wanted was him giving me money after paying for my dinner.
Joe nodded and continued eating too.
✪
"Alright then," Joe smacked my arm. "Call me anytime. You know where to find me, yes?"
I smiled flatly and Joe squeezed my shoulder. "I'll see you around, okay?"
I nodded. "Thanks." I mumbled.
Joe waved and walked towards his car. I started walking to my house. It was cold out. I put my hands in my pocket and pulled out a hundred dollar bill.