~~~Grant's POV~~~
We went to our lockers which were literally right next to each other. I took everything I needed for the first half of the day and slung my backpack on a hook. We went down the hallway and made it to class on time.
I mentally cursed as we walked in the classroom. Cale was in here. Good thing the seat he was sitting in was on the complete opposite side of the room from my seat. I hurried over to make sure he didn't notice me. Why? I have no idea. He barely even knows me. We spoke once, but that's it. I plopped down in my seat as Loren and Evan watched in confusion. Loren took his seat in front of me and and Evan took his to my right.
"Oh hey. Did Zoey tell you she invited someone to come sit with us today at lunch? I'm really wondering why she did." Evan spoke scribbling in his notebook. Loren, who had just begun reading a book, glanced up at him and shrugged.
"What about you?" Evan said turning to me.
"I have no idea." I said my cheeks getting warm. No way was I gonna tell them she was trying to hook me up with a guy. I'm still curious who she invited though.
"Well I think we're good just the way we are." Loren said shifting in his seat. Evan turned his attention to him, "What do you mean?"
"I mean that we don't need to add anyone to our group. We're awesome as it is. We don't need some one we don't know ruining that." Loren said.
"Yea I guess." Evan said raking a hand through his red hair.
"How could we possibly be awesome with a ginger in the group?" I ask smirking as Evan glared at me.
"I'm not a ginger." He said his eyes narrowing.
"No. You're a soulless ginger. Remember?" Loren said snickering.
"I'm not a ginger!" Evan yelled.
"Mr. Sanders! Quiet!" Mr. Dean shouted. A couple of kids laughed and Evan sank down in his seat, mumbling curse words under his breath. I snickered at how easily we could get to him. He hated being called a ginger. As the class went on I found myself occasionally staring at Cale. His gorgeous green eyes, his blond hair, even his lip ring was cute, and the lips attached to his ring....
"Hey! What are staring at?" Evan said snapping me out of my daze. I blinked and realized that the period was over and kids were already leaving. He turned and tried to find what exactly I was looking at. I quickly looked down hoping he wouldn't figure out I was staring at Cale.
"Are you gonna sit there all day? We have study hall with everyone next so let's go." Loren said grabbed my hand and dragging me out of my seat. We all left to the cafeteria for study hall. This was the one class we all had together.
"Hey guys." Maya said as we entered. We all took a seat at the round table we always sat at during study hall. It was by a window so their was a bunch of natural light on us. Which reminds me....
"Ugh. I forgot my art notebook in my locker. I'll be right back." I said getting up from the table. I was walking out the door when someone bumped into me.
"I'm sorry. I wasn't paying attention to where I was going." I said looking up. My heart stopped. Cale was standing three inches away from me.
"It's okay. Don't worry about it." He said, his voice smooth and deep. GAHHH, IT WAS SO SEXY!! I blushed fiercely and hurried past him.
Whyyyyyy? Why was this happening? Yea I'm gay, but I've never gotten like that around anyone! Anyone! I rubbed my cheeks feeling the warmth in them as I walked to my locker. The halls were pretty empty and it was really quiet. I put in my combination and open my locker and grabbed my art notebook. As I began shutting my locker I felt a sharp pain in my side. I grunted and turn to face THEM. Marcus, Kyal, and Vince. The things I hated most in this world. My bullies. Kyal, the leader of their group, smirked at me, while Marcus and Vince snickered behind him.
"Hey there, Grant." Marcus said before laughing at me. I glared at them trying to make myself seem confident, but the truth was I was terrified. The three of them could easily beat the shit out of me and no one was around to help. What was I supposed to do?
"Hold him still. I'm gonna beat the living day lights out of him." Kyal said nodding towards me. Marcus and Vince advanced toward me and pinned my arm against the lockers. I struggled to get out of their grip, but they held me in place.
"Let me go." I spat at Kyal. His smirk just got bigger.
"Now, now. I can't quite do that, little Grant." He said waging a finger in my face. He pulled his other hand back and nailed me right in the jaw. I could tell it was gonna leave a nasty bruise. They all began to laugh as I hissed in pain. Vince reeled one fist back, still holding me with the other, and hit me in my stomach. I grunted and began coughing. Kyal punched me again, this time in my lip. I shuddered as I tasted blood from my now busted lip. Marcus kicked me in my stomach causing me to wonder if I was beginning to cough up blood. Vince and Marcus released me as I sunk to the ground clutching my stomach. It hurt like hell.
"Pass it here." I heard Kyal say. He gripped my chin at tilted my head up, forcing me to look at him. He disgusted me so much. He beat me up so much and yet there was nothing I could do about it. I was outnumbered and weak. He brought a sharpie up to my forehead and began writing. I tried to push him away from me but Vince and Marcus easily grabbed me and held me still.
"There. Now everyone will know who you are." He said. Vince and Marcus let go of me and I pushed Kyal away. He laughed and left down the hallway and out of sight, Marcus and Vince behind him. I set my head back against the lockers and closed my eyes wishing it was just a dream, but the pain was too real. I got up, grabbing my notebook and went to the restroom. I looked in the mirror and saw a dark bruise on my jaw and my split lip was still bleeding. I fought back tears as I read what he had written on my forehead. "Faggot". I placed wet paper towels on my lip, wincing at the pain. I scrubbed my fore head with water and paper towels so much my forehead began to turn red, but I managed to get the writing off. A few minutes later the bleeding had finally stop and I left. I walked back into the cafeteria. Zoey gasped when she looked up and saw me.
"OH MY GOD!! WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO YOU?!?!" She said jumping from her seat, drawing the attention of every person in the room. Thanks a lot, Zo. She ran up to me and touched my jaw.
"Your jaw is bruised!! And what happened to your lip?! It's split open!!" She shouted panic and concern in her voice. I swatted at her hand and shrugged.
"It's nothing." I lied, looking somewhere else. GOT DAMMIT!! WHY DID I LOOK THIS WAY!!! I looked straight at Cale, who looked upset. Was it because of me? Did he feel sorry or something?
"IT'S NOT NOTHING!! YOU JUST GOT YOUR ASS BEAT!!" She yelled.
"Just cool it. I'm fine. Now stop drawing so much attention to us." I said and walked over to our table. Loren, Maya, and Evan just gave me concerned looks. They knew I didn't want to talk about it so the let it drop for now. Zoey stormed over whispering in a low voice, "We are not done here."
I shrugged and began drawing, my notebook in my lap. I don't even know what I was drawing. I was looking around the room.
At the end of the period Maya spoke to me to get me out of yet another daze, "Hey Grant. Come on. Study hall's over.....who's that?" She said leaning over to get a better look at my drawing. Who? I looked down at my notebook. OH MY GOD! I shut my notebook before she could get a better look at it.
"Geez, chill out. We need to get to third period." She said to me walking away. She left out of the cafeteria.
I let out a sigh of relief for she didn't see the picture I had just drawn. I slowly opened my notebook back up, revealing an extremely detailed sketch of Cale. I was an an absentminded drawer. I drew without knowing what I was drawing, never paying any attention. That is if I wasn't really focused. I can't believe I had drawn right there the whole time we were in class. I felt creepy. I had even drawn his lip ring and his earring stud. I wanted to throw it away and reduce the chance of anyone seeing it, but he just looked so.....perfect. GAHHH! MY HEAD! I really needed to stop thinking about him. Besides, I was gonna meet some guy Zoey wants to hook me up with anyway. I grabbed my stuff and headed to my third period, history. Ugh. How much I hate history.
I went into the the classroom and sat down in the back. Maya was two seats over from me. Cale want there either. Finally, I class I didn't have with him.
The history teacher talked so much I can't even begin to explain how bored and tired I am right now. The bell rang and I went over to Maya's desk as she gathered her stuff.
"Ready to go to lunch." She asked standing up.
"Yea. Man I'm starving. And we're having chicken nuggets today! Come on!" I said tugging at her arm. Yea, I like chicken nuggets. A lot....Sue me!
"Okay okay. Calm down. We're gonna go get your chicken nuggets." She laughed.
We walked into the cafeteria. I gave Maya my stuff and she went to the table while I got in line to get my food. After I got my tray, I happily skipped over to the table.
"Ahhh, chicken nuggets. Always puts you in a happy mood." Loren said poking my side.
"You're damn right it does." I said shoving one into my mouth. Zoey looked extremely excited. Then I remembered she had someone "special" to introduce us to. And it seemed Evan remembered too.
"So who and where is the person you asked to come and eat with us?" He asked, biting into an apple. Zoey's grin widen as she looked behind me.
"That's him and he's right there." She said pointing behind me and then waving. I turned around and I swear I had a heart attack.