I was casually eating breakfast one morning a week after the very strange encounter with Melissa's best friend. I was definitely not a fan of her bubbly personality but I guess I'll have to just live with it.
My phone started ringing and I answered it without bothering to even look at the caller ID, because I already know who it is.
"What's up?"
"What's up? Seriously Ren? Have you not heard yet?!"
"Have you forgotten that we've gone over this? Anyways, what happened?"
"Okay so Jason just outed Chase on Instagram!"
I furrowed my brows, "Wait like outed or outed?"
"Like a homo outing! Isn't this great?!" John squealed.
"I mean I guess but, how does this benefit us, let alone me?"
John sighed in frustration like the answer was obvious, "Because now I have a chance! A real chance! Not just me trying to convince myself that I did!"
"That's great John but there's one problem. Chase hates us. In or out of the closet. He made that pretty clear these past couple of years."
John scoffed, "Look I'll see you at school so I can fully explain the situation."
"What situation?" But he hung up before I could get both words out.
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All day people couldn't stop talking about Chase. I guess Jason has a large following on Instagram because it seemed like everyone knew. And just like they did with me, they exiled him.
All day long people teased him and made it clear they were disgusted with him. Chase never said a word though. He just kept his head down and his mouth shut. Smart I suppose.
The cafeteria was buzzing with sounds come lunch time. But I sat at my usual table with an eerie feeling in my stomach.
"Ren are you listening?"
I looked over a flashed him a playful smile, "Of course my fellow homo."
"Ren I'm serious, pay attention!"
"Alright, alright!"
John straightened his back and looked down at his phone.
"Okay so listen to this. This is the exact thing that Jason posted on Instagram. The picture is of Chase and the caption reads, Hello everyone. Id like to share with you all something very inportant. My friend Chase is a disgusting piece of shit. He forced my girlfriend to have sex with him, only to admit to me a couple of days ago that he's gay. Yes, you read right. CHASE IS GAY. AND A RAPIST. And that's where he ends it."
Even though Chase hasn't been the nicest to me, I felt bad for him. I knew what it felt like. And I understand that it must be worse for him since so many people knew him and liked him.
"John this is serious. Jason is accusing Chase of rape. When we all know damn well it wasn't rape."
Jason sighed, "I know. Ally must've told Jason it was rape just to save herself from seeming too slut-ish. Jeez, do people even think before they act?"
Before I could reply Chase entered the cafeteria and all eyes fell on him. He paid no mind though and got in line for food. The table with his so called friends were whispering amongst themselves.
A sly grin grew on John's face, "Oohhh, shits about to go down." He starting shaking my arm back and forth. I calmed him down because I
admit, I'm curious too.
Jason stood up from his table and walked over to Chase who was looking around for a place to sit.
John practically jumped out of his skin.
"Hey! You're gonna pay for raping my girlfriend!" Jason put his fists up, getting ready for a fight. But we all knew he wouldn't swing. He had gotten in way too many fights before and this would definitely get him expelled.
Chase laughed and everyone got quiet, "Rape? I don't think so."
He put his hands up to his head as if he suddenly remembered something, "I vividly remember Ally twirling her tongue around my ding dong like it was a lolly pop. Get your facts straight before you accuse me of rape."
The cafeteria erupted in laughter and screams. Jason's hands fell to his sides and his face was red with anger. He lightly shoved Chase and stormed out the cafeteria. Surprisingly enough, Ally didn't chase after him. She just sat in her seat at the lunch table with her head down.
I closed my eyes and shook my head in disgust, "I think I'm gonna go stick my head in a freezer."
John was amused, "I must say, straight drama is the most entertaining."
I raised my water bottle, "That it is my friend." We clinked our water bottles and murmured "cheers" before taking a drink. Chase, seeming satisfied with himself, merrily left the cafeteria. Everybody went back to their normal lunch routine.
"Ugh, he should come back. Lunch was so much better with him here."
"Wait why?"
"Because! I could look over and see his beautiful face any time I wanted!"
At that moment my eyes wandered over towards Melissa's table. She and her friends were still trying to comfort Ally. My emotions for her were a mess. It was like those tornado simulators they have in some malls. You pay about three dollars to stand in a tube that blows air around. And your hair gets all messed up and you start screaming, as if it was a real tornado.
But, then you step out and realize how dumb you must've looked. Part of you doesn't care but there's always that part that cares what people think.
Was it even possible to love and hate someone at the same time? I swear that girl made me want to fall face first into a puddle.
John caught me staring at Melissa and scooted closer to me while wrapping his arm around my shoulder, "I know Ren. I know."
"It sucks John! I hate having feelings for her! She just twists it around and uses it against me. She makes me hate my feelings. How can I hate something I have no control over and that I can't run away from?"
John sighed and put his head over mine, "You know what we should do? Let's both just run away and raise goats for the rest of our lives!"
"That's a great idea John! Lemme just go get my flying pig to accompany us!"
John lifted his head off mine and lightly pushed it, "Very funny. On a serious note though, let's go to an amusement park. We haven't gone out in a long time and I've really been craving some good lemonade. With a lot of sugar."
"Which park though?"
"Let's go to Knotts Berry Farm! It's not too expensive and I'm sure we'll have a lot of fun!"
I thought about it for a second. Getting out sounded fun. Plus, the food there was great.
"All right sugar boy. We'll go tomorrow. Pick me up at eleven."
John launched out of his seat and started dancing. I slapped his leg since he was starting to draw attention. He bid me a goodbye and headed off towards his next class
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"Hopefully we see a lot of cute boys." John and I were waiting line to buy tickets. The Southern California sun was beating down on us.
"Is that all you think about John?"
He scoffed, "What kind of single but ready to mingle homosexual would I be if I didn't?"
I started laughing, "You got me with that one, I admit."
We continued our way through the line and bought our tickets. The first ride we saw was this old roller coaster. The line seemed pretty short so I was all for it.
But, things were obviously just going too well for me.
Melissa, Lena, Destiny, and surprisingly Chase, walked in right behind us. Ally and Jason were nowhere in sight.
Melissa scowled, "Oh great! These losers are here. Out of all days, you guys had to come today?"
I turned to face her with a frown, "Excuse us for not checking your calendar, princess."
She stepped closer to me, "Don't call me a princess, I'm a queen."
I rolled my eyes and stepped back, "You're unbelievable."
"Unbelievably beautiful I think you meant to say." Melissa and her friends started laughing.
A little voice in my head murmered damn right. I quickly silenced that voice though and turned towards the front of the line.
Once we got a little closer to the front of the line Chase and Destiny started to argue.
Chase looked like a sad puppy, "What do you mean you're not gonna sit by me?"
Destiny just looked down at her nails, "Lena asked me to sit by her already."
Melissa then decided to voice her concern, "Wait Lena, I thought you were sitting by me?"
Right then, the ride lady told us it was time to start boarding the cars. Destiny and Lena took their seat in the very front while Chase sat down in the middle car. John hurriedly sat next to him.
That left Melissa and I together. She rolled her eyes and sat down in the car.
She leaned forward a little bit so Destiny and Lena could hear her, "I hate all of you." They all just laughed though. I looked down at my feet. Was I really that bad?
I sighed and buckled my seatbelt in.
"Ren, my seatbelt wont lock."
I didn't even look at her, "Sounds like a personal problem."
She grabbed my arm in a panic, "As of right now, I'm your problem. Now help me." Oh but she doesn't know she's been my problem for a long time now.
I grumbled and reached over to buckle her seatbelt in. Turns out she was trying to buckle it in upside down.
Dork.
The ride lady came by and pushed down a bar and made sure our seatbelts were on. After everything was ready she signaled to the ride starter that we were good to go.
I put my hands up on the bar and Melissa did the same. The ride started with a jolt and off we went. We quickly rounded a corner and started our painfully slow ascend of the man-made hill.
Melissa turned to me, "You better not touch me during the ride, freak."
I put my hands up in surrender, "Okaaayyy, sheesh man."
She stared at me for a few more seconds then turned to the front.
There were only three two-seater cars on the ride, so we were in the very last car.
Then the drop came. We slowing rolled over the edge and Melissa grabbed my arm and pulled me closer to her.
She was such a hypocrite! She told me not to touch her, yet here she was grabbing onto me for dear life. Not like I minded though.
The ride was super fun, even though I was screaming the whole time. John was by far screaming the loudest though.
At the end of the ride Melissa released my arm and quickly undid her seatbelt. After her and her friends left, John and I met up at the exit of the ride.
Walking out all the John could say was, "Well that was interesting."
No shit John.