The entire week-end was a torture for Arthur. His father was still in New York, and he would stay there until Thursday. The british boy spend saturday and sunday in bed. He had some horrible bruises on his abdomen, which were causing a great pain. He couldn't remember much from that night, just that after the three boys left him knocked down on the pavement, he managed to "crawl" back home, and when he looked in the mirror he was surprised to see that the boys avoided hitting his face. Now it was monday, and walking to school was never that hard for Arthur. The pain in his stomach was making him weak and dizzy. He went to his locker to get his books, when he saw Kiku waiting for him there, with a worried look:
"Thank God, you're ok!" he almost yelled for everyone in that hallway to hear. "Did you ran away?"
"No, I didn't...unlike someone I know." Arthur replied without looking at him, with an iritated tone. Kiku was looking at him with his eyes full of tears now:
"I'm sorry...I acted like a coward. But I didn't know what to do. I wanted to help...but it turned out to be too late!!" Arthur was listening, while searching for his book in the locker. "Did they beat you hard?". Arthur was too concentrated on finding his book, so he completely ignored Kiku's question: "Arthur! Please don't ignore me." But Arthur was. he was getting more and more iritated by the fact that he couldn't find his book.
"Where the BLOODY HELL did I put it? Fucking locker!!!"
"Arthur, stop it already and listen to me!" Again Kiku was ignored by Arthur, who was now taking out every book and notebook from his locker and slamming them on the floor.
"Jesus fucking Christ....Where the fuck is it!!!???"
"Arthur! Stop it!" And in that moment Arthur punched his fist into the locker's door, making a loud noise:
"What do you want to know? How they beat the crap out of me? How Ivan and Ludwig were holding me so I couldn't defend myself? How Gilbert was hitting me in the stomach, like I was a puching bag? "Kiku was shocked and speechless, while Arthur was looking at him angry : "Do you want to know the fact that I can't even remember how I got home? Or what great pain I am feeling right know? I can't even concentrate!!!" His eyes were now full of tears, but he controlled himself not to cry. Kiku was now looking at his friend with a scowl, then he just left Arthur there. "Where are you going???KIKU!!!!" But Kiku didn't listen to him, he was rushing through the hallway until he disappeared. Arthur left too, but he went outside. He walked aside from the football field, until he got into the little orchard, and under the maple tree, on the wooden bench. When he got there, he couldn't abstain from crying, so he bursted out with tears falling on his cheeks. He was crying like a baby, covering his face with his palms. He was angry and frustrated, but he felt like he couldn't do anything about that. He stood like that for ten minutes, and then he just wiped his face with his uniform sleeve. He took a deep breath, while whispering "It's ok.", but he was cut short by a voice coming from behind:
"There you are! I've been looking for you everywhere! What the hell are you doing here?" Arthur turned around and looked at the person that was talking with him, with shock. It was Alfred, wearing his uniform with a brown bomber jacket, and looking at the british boy with concern. "Hello!!! Dude, you're staring again." Arthur was confused:
"Are you talking to me?"
"Yes I'm talking to you!Do you see anybody else around?" Alfred replyed with confidence. Arthur was silence, he turned his back to Alfred, trying to ignore him. The american boy waited for his classmate to say something, but he was just being ignored. "Ok. That's it! Take your shirt off!" Arthur was more than surprised by Alfred's imposing request. He just kept looking at him with a horrified face:
"Why would I take my shirt off?" But Alfred was now getting closer to him, making Arthur to step back.
"Just take it off already!" Now he was holding Arthur's left hand, and with his other hand he was unbuttoning the british boy's uniform with roughness.
"Stop it Alfred!" Arthur said with a desperate tone, but the other boy was already lifting his shirt, revealing a pale, but bruised abdomen.
"I just want to see what they did to you!" And with that Alfred was looking at him horrified, while he was just standing there embarassed. "Jesus! I.....I'm...I'm sorry Arthur!" Finally, Arthur broke free from his hands, and turning his back he adjusted his uniform.
"You got to be joking me! How can you act like this?"
"Dude, I have nothing to do with this. Trust me." Alfred tried to convince the british boy, but it was in vain.
"They did this for you, ok? They beat the crap out of me, for you!"
"I never told them to do that! Pease, believe me. I would never do such thing!...Yes, maybe I've been mocking you and insulting you..."
"...and throwing a milkshake at me."
"...yes, and throwing a milkshake at you...But I would never, in my life, tell them to beat the shit out of you. I would do that myself. "
"WHAT?"
"What I meant is that, I had no idea what were they going to do. They just thought that I had the bruise on my eye, because of you." Alfred was explaining with a desperate tone, and a sincere look in his eyes. Arthur was now facing him:
"So why do you have that bruise on your eye?" he asked unscrupulous. Alfred sighed and went to sit down on the wooden bench.
"My father. He gets violent from time to time...especially when he finds out that I'm failing at a subject, or when I mess up things. " In that moment Arthur wasn't feeling frustrated anymore, he just felt sorry for his classmate.
"That's horrible!"
"Yeah....but you better shut up!" And Alfred was back to his usual self.
"Oh my god....you really need to see a therapist, because of that temper of yours." Arthur said, rolling his eyes. Alfred was now smiling, but this time he didn't look evil at all, he actually looked quite dashing and cool. He stand up and looked at Arthur, then he got closer and closer to him, until he put his hand onto the other's boy abdomen.
"Take care of those bruises." He said with a concerned look, while Arthur was just standing there speechless. "And don't worry about the guys...I'll have a chat with them." And with that being said, he left, leaving Arthur there, feeling more confused than ever. When he couldn't see Alfred anymore, he just exploded:
"WHAT THE FUCK JUST HAPPENED!"
He went home that day, thinking only about Alfred. Somthing must've happened to him, for acting so nice, but what? He tried to answer that question all day, but it was in vain. There was no logic explanation for Alfred's sudden change of attitude and behavior. He was convinced that the american boy couldn't be trusted, so maybe he was just messing around with him today, maybe that story about the violent father wasn't even true. Finally, Arthur just decided to avoid Alfred, for now. But he wasn't avoiding thinking about him; those beautiful blue eyes were stuck in his mind, as well that sincere smile.
~~~~~~~
The next days were the best days for Arthur, since he moved to Greenville: no one was picking on him anymore, no one was laughing at him anymore, he was treated just like a normal student. His bruises were healing, he got some good grades in history, politics and economics....He was back on track, even better.
In history he was sitting next to Alfred, who was trying to do anything else, than to pay attention to what professor Collins was teaching.
"I've got your essays here, with grades and everything." The professor was now distributing the papers through class, but when he got to Alfred he stopped, with an iritated expression he just looked at the blond boy with disdain: "You may be the best quarterback this school has ever had...but in history.....well, you're failing."
"What do you mean?" He said with a desperate voice "It took me five days to write this essay!!!"
"Alfred, you wrote that the american independence war had place because, and I quote : the americans didn't like the british dudes and their tea. " Alfred was having a goofy smile on his face. "This isn't funny, Alfred. If you don't do something about your grades, you won't be able to play football anymore. Do you understan that?" Now Alfred wasn't smiling anymore:
"That's not fair!!!"
"What is fair today? I'll give four more days...until monday, when I want to see a good essay. Try to use your brain this time, ok?" And the professor left in front of the clas, leaving Alfred extremely disappointed. He turned to look at Arthur's essay, and shock was written all over his face:
"You got an A????"
"Yes, I did." Arthur said proudly.
"But you're british!!!!"
"What is that supossed to mean?" But Alfred didn't answer to that question. He took his bag and his books and just left the classroom.
~~~~~~
Arthur left home, knowing that his father will be expecting him today. When he entered the house his father came in the hallway with a big smile on his face:
"Hey there champ!"
"Hey dad! How was your trip?" Arthur asked with curiosity.
"It was great. I even brought you a gift!"
"Really?" Arthur was looking at his father like a little kid in the christmas morning.
"Yes! But first...your boyfriend is here." Mr. Kirkland said calmly, while Arthur was looking at him confused.
"My boyfriend? I don't have...." But he was cut short in the moment when Alfred appeared from the living room in the hallway, having his usual grin on his face:
"Hey, babe!" Arthur was horrified. How did Alfred found out about him beeing gay. Now it's over. The week that he was treated as a regular student was over, he was back to being mocked and insulted. "I can't believe you haven't told your father about us?" Alfred added.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Arthur shouted with anger in his eyes.
"Arthur! Why are you screaming?" His father asked him confused.
"I'm sorry dad. Do you mind if I have a little talk with my "BOYFRIEND", in private?"
"Sure. I'll go make some tea." And with that he left the two boys alone. In that moment Arthur grabbed Alfred from the collar, like a mad man:
"What do you want from me?" He asked desperate.
"Dude, chillax! Let go of my shirt! I just came to ask you something, and your father assumed that I am your boyfriend. I can't believe you're really gay!!!" he said surprised. Arthur let go of his shirt and stepped back.
"Well...yes I am....now you can go and tell everybody from the school!" Arthur said without facing his classmate. Alfred arranged his collar and walked until he was near Arthur:
"Why would I do that?" He asked with seriousness. Arthur was shocked again. He just couldn't understand what happend with the boy, who last week was constantly insulting him. "Listen. How about we make a deal? You help me with my essay, and I won't tell anybody about your...situation. What do you say?" Arthur was feeling insulted again, or more likely blackmailed, but he knew what would happen if the truth would come out again: London all over again. He was looking at Alfred with pain in his eyes, and the american boy felt that he was hurt : "I really need help, ok? If my father finds out that I could be failing....he would beat the shit out of me!!!" He added desperately.
"You know what's sad? That you already decided to blackmail me, without even trying to ask me nicely if I would help you. And maybe I wiuld've helped you just like that." Alfred's cheeks were red of embarassement, and he was avoiding arthur's look.
"Tea's ready!" Mr. Kirkland shouted from the kitchen.
"Come have some tea, if you want of course." The british boy asked him calmly.
"Thank's, but I need to go now." Alfred answered, again without looking at him.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah....I'll see you tomorrow!"