War Paint | Jonnor

Chapter 15

Jude's POV
Sunlight began creeping through the window on Jesus's side of the room. By tossing and turning in my bed, I attempted to hide away from the bright light. It didn't seem to work, so I smashed a pillow against my face and blocked out anything that overcame darkness.

Moments later, the sound of an alarm rang.

I reached over and tapped the surface of my phone several times. Once I found where to hit "Snooze", the alarm discontinued from playing. As I laid there staring at the blank ceiling, I went into deep thought. It occured to me that I would be at school in less than two hours.

School, a place that I'll no longer be enjoying after the outcome of today.

Connor's POV
An overflowing crowd of students sat on the bleachers in the gymnasium, awaiting for the assembly to begin. There were still more people arriving and filling in the leftover spots, but not one of them happened to be Jude.

Where was he?

A feeling of worry shot through me as I searched everywhere around the gym. With the amount of students here, I couldn't possibly find Jude. Nonetheless, I pulled out my phone and texted him.

Connor: Hey, where are you?
Jude: I had to use the bathroom.
Connor: Oh, well I was worried sick.
Jude: It's okay, I'm fine.
Connor: Are you sure?
Jude: Yeah, I'll be there soon.
Connor: Okay.

The chatter died down when the principal entered. Jude came in after her and walked across the gym floor. I stood up from my seat, signaling to him where I was sitting. He found me and raced up the bleachers. We sat beside each other as the principal started to speak.

"Good morning, ladies and gentleman. My name is Monte. First off, I would like to apologize for the event being on such short notice. That was my fault and I take full responsibility for that. Second, I would just like to point out that I am very honored to be your principal here at Anchor Beach. Now, there's a reason why you are all here this morning. Recently, one of our students made a speech regarding bullying and may I say, it was remarkable. Today, she'll be sharing to you all about that important topic. Ladies and gentleman, please welcome Daria."

How did I not see this coming?

The name left me in pure shock. I directed my head to Jude and his face was buried in his hands. It hurt me seeing him like this, afraid and scared. I tried my best to comfort him by resting my hand over his back.

You're strong Jude, I know you are.

Daria's POV
I stepped onto the podium with the microphone in front of me. A mischievous smirk grew on my face as I spotted the two boys on the bleachers.

This is what you deserve.

"Hello everyone, I'm Daria. If you don't already know, I was a victim of bullying. As a teen, you are constantly told by others to dress like this and act like that. In my opinion, I think popularity shouldn't matter. Your personality and the way you handle yourself around others is what makes you unique. But since many of us don't realize this, we choose to hide ourselves and become something we're not."

The audience listened fairly well, so I continued speaking.

"You shouldn't have to worry about what others think of you. This leads me to another topic which is dating. Somehow, being in a relationship is important to us because 1.) It makes you feel worth more than just a friend, and 2.) It shows that somebody actually cares about you. I know there are many people in here that are dating someone right now. In fact, I used to be in a relationship myself."

At that moment, murmurs could be heard from around the gym. I waited for the people to turn their attention back on me before I went along.

"Yes, you heard me. I used to be in a relationship with the one and only, Connor Stevens."

I extended my hand out, pointing at him. Everyone turned their heads and looked up at Connor, eyeing him.

This is it.

"Little did I know that Connor never had feelings for me all along, there was someone else."

Silence.

"His name was Jude Jacobs Adams Foster."

All of a sudden, the audience went wild. The sounds of laughter blasted across the gymnasium. Almost everyone called out "gay" or "faggot" at the two boys. I found my eyes on Connor and he shook his head in disgust. Jude ran down the set of bleachers, leaving the area.

Jude's POV
This can't be real, she actually did it.

Everybody was laughing at us and I couldn't handle the pressure. I hurried down the bleachers, escaping the gym. Tears filled my eyes as I ran away from the crowd of people.

I went straight to the bathroom and locked myself in the stall. The thought of Connor didn't seem to cross my mind as I cried. An overflow of wet drops leaked under my eyes. I pulled my knees to my chest, burying my head.

It was all too much.

The bathroom door flew open, hitting the wall. A familiar voice opened when he stepped inside.

"Jude..."

"Go away."

"Please don't make me leave Jude, I'm just as scared as you are right now."

I could hear faint sobs coming from outside of the stall. He was hurt and needed to be given comfort. I unlocked the door, standing still for a moment. All of a sudden, I broke down and hugged Connor tightly. He gripped his arms around me and secured our hug. I dug my face into his chest and cried, the tears never ending.

Connor sniffled and set his cheek on the side of my head. We kept the embrace as he spoke.

"I'm sorry." he barely said, still crying.

I shook my head and rubbed my eyes before looking up at him. Connor's face was dumped in tears, so I wiped them away on each side. Something rushed inside of my body as I stared into his hazel orbs. He focused his attention on me when I opened my mouth.

"We're stronger than this, I know we are."

Connor nodded, giving a half-smile. I went back to hugging him, keeping me locked in his arms. We can fight this together.