Speak Loudly.

Chapter 12

Date: May 6th, 1999
Joey: Age 14
Shane: Age 15
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{Shane's Pov}
I knew something was getting worse with Joey. Tiny things. Things like his appetite went down and he couldn't run without breathing very heavily and the bruises started multiplying in numbers. Numbers that wouldn't heal, that were a constant reminder of me being clumsy or too rough with his edges no matter how gentle I tried to be, or how other kids pushed him around like he was nothing when I was off guard or in my own classroom. He would often run out of bed in the
middle of the night with a high temperature, swollen lumps around his jaw, and puke out whatever was in his stomach.

But these thins don't matter to how beautiful he is.

Even when he is sick and gross feeling, he's still Joey. And I will be there for him always.

I tucked my hands in my pants pockets and lugged my backpack into the high school. Yet again. But summer would soon welcome me by a month's time and I'd be out of this hell hole and free to talk to Joey as i please. Joey walked slowly beside me, his eye circles dark.

Shane: Didn't get much sleep last night?

I asked him, and he nodded. Sure, every now and then I would sneak over to Joeys house late on a school night, and cuddle and sleep beside Joey until five thirty a.m. came around and forced me to detach myself from his comfort and warmth, and walk home before my parents woke up.

It used to be I left at four. Then Joey begged me to stay for thirty more minutes one day. And then a few weeks later begged me to stay for another thirty minutes. And then another a month later. I could never say no to him, so I was constantly cutting it closer and closer to the time when my parents would wake me up, so I would have to jog thirty more minutes to get inside the house again and be in bed by six fifteen, when my mom would kiss me and go to work. Then I slept until seven and walked to school with Joey by seven forty five.

Joey: I'm pretty restless without you, you know?

He whispered, because we were drawing closer to the other kids, who now instead of playing ball and tic tac toe an giggling with their friends under adult supervision, my piers smoked behind trash cans, texted on their phones rapidly, made out with the person they "love" or bully the gay kid. Insert myself.

Everyone basically figured me out. Besides the fact that I loved Joey. They didn't know one thing.

One time Sawyer had knocked the books out of my hands, and when I went to bend down and pick them up, he slapped my butt.

That was the day he almost died.

Joey always wanted to do something about the way I got picked on, the way I free willingly took his punches for him, the way I got beaten. But he would just have to basically watch. I told him to. If he spoke up about it, and tried to take away my punches, he'd get hurt very badly and I could never forgive myself.

An when it was done Joey would help me off my feet and brush me off and clean me up in the bathroom. If we were alone he would tell me how bad he felt about it and I would refuse to let him feel bad. I had left so many accidental marks on his fragile body, I could never forgive myself for those.

We arrived at the courtyard. Another day, another dollar.

Shane: I love you.

I said blankly as we arrived in the yard, not caring about the people around us.

Joey: Wait, what?

Shane: I really love you. I really really love you with everything I've got.

We caught a couple people's attention.

Joey: I...

People were staring and Joeys eyes finally rested on mine.

Joey: I love you, too.

Everyone stared for a bit, not knowing what we were going to do.

Hell, I didn't know what we were gonna do either.

All of the sudden I felt Joeys lips crash against mine, so hard I thought that my nose was broken for a second, but I continued to kiss him.

Our lips came off each other, and I tried to keep the taste of Joey on them.

No one said a word really, nothing we could hear. They just kinda walked and looked away.

People are so strange determining what bothers them and what doesn't.

I suppose if you ever actually came out, people didn't really feel the need to use the 'insult' gay on you. Because, well, yeah. I am.

Joey: This is crazy, my parents don't even know I'm gay.

Joey tried to look serious but couldn't hold back a little grin.

Shane: Who cares?

Joey sighed.

Joey: I guess I don't. Should we tell our parents? What would they think?

Shane: I'm not sure. My dad already assumes it. I suppose if I told him it would just be an 'I told you so' moment. Then he'd go off eating and watching sports all day or scratching his butt or whatever lousy fathers do.

Joey: My parents might not be very surprised. Probably just... I don't know. Disappointed, maybe?

Shane: Your parents love you, Joey.

Joey sighed.

Joey: You would think that, huh?

Shane: I love you.

Joey grinned at me.

Joey: You would think that, huh?

He chuckled a little bit seeing how serious I was.

Shane: Now you've gone too far you little...

I sighed.

Shane: ...Precious...thing.

Joey giggled and he was just too adorable. It wasn't fair just how cute he was.

The bell rang and a kid threw his cigarette on the ground without completely putting it out.

Shane: Hey! Trying to kill someone?

I asked calmly, stomping the dirty thing out.

???: I don't care if this shit hole burns to the ground.

I sighed and had to agree with that one, Joey still latched to my arm.

Shane: Yeah, probably so. I'm Shane, if you didn't know.

???: I'm Tyler. Your the guy who likes guys?

I chuckled.

Shane: I'm the guy who likes this guy. But yeah, nice to meet you.

I nodded towards Joey on my arm.I was almost astonished at how calm the Tyler guy spoke about me. He didn't even try to insult me.

Tyler: Nice to meet you to. Gotta get to hell, I mean class.

He waved goodbye and we walked in different directions. Joey unhooked himself from me and put his hands in his pockets.

Joey: We're not going to be friends with that one, right? He has a potty mouth.

I laughed at Joey and shrugged.

Shane: He's okay.

I made it to outside of Joeys class.

Shane: See you later, babe?

Joey blushed and shushed me while smiling like crazy.

Joey: Yeah, okay. Bye Shaney.

I walked my way to my own class, barely making it before second bell.

{A/N: I'm sorry it took so long for a lousy update! This chapter had me stumped on ideas. The next one will be a lot more exciting. <3}