Confession About Kyle

Kyle and his minions continued to punch me black and blue behind the school gym whilst he made my best friend, Ruby Parker, watch.

"Stop it! What's wrong with you, stop!" Ruby screeched at him.

He finally obeyed and ceased his actions, dropping me with a thud onto the hard asphalt.

"Fag." One of his minions spat as they walked away.

Ruby got up from the ground where she was pushed and hauled herself over to my practically limp body.

"Are you okay Quin?" She asked softly as she gingerly brushed her fingers over my soon-to-be bruises.

"Yeah," I smiled tightly at her. "You know the drill: let's get to class and if anyone notices the bruises, say I ran into a pole."

"You can't let them keep beating you up like that Quin!" She huffed as she helped me onto my feet, my body weight leaning onto her the slightest bit. "And you also can't keep pretending like nothing happened! Just because you're gay."

That's right. I, Quinten Pierce, was a proud-not really-gay getting beaten up almost daily by the most popular guy in school: Kyle Donovan or-as I like to call him and his minions-Satan and his hell hounds.

"It is what it is." I grunted as I limped towards my next class.

I heard Ruby give out a sigh of defeat then came back to help me walk properly. "You're crazy." She muttered under her breath.

****

The wind was cold against my bare arms as I sat slumped at a bus stop just outside of town. I twiddled with my thumbs absently and avoided everyone's curious eyes. I mean, why would someone like me-a scrawny, pale seventeen year old with no muscles at all-be on the outskirts of town at eight O'clock at night with yellow and purple bruises covering my cheekbones and jaws? It looks like I just came out of the movie Fight Club.

"What are you looking at?" I muttered at a little girl that was staring at me intently who seemed to be coming from a birthday party with her get-up.

"Why does your face look like that?" She asked softly, an air of innocence surrounding her.

I sighed and looked at her with a sad smile, "Sometimes people don't like who you are-what you were born as. Sometimes, they get scared because you're different. Do you know what I'm talking about?"

She thought for a moment before she turned back to me, "I know what you mean! All my bullies make fun of me for my piggy tails but mummy just says they're jealous of me," She smiled widely, letting me see a gap in her teeth where her front teeth should be. "Maybe the people are jealous of you too?"

"Sophie, what are you doing?" Who I assumed her mother was, walked over to us and grasped her daughter's hand in her own. "You know not to talk to strangers." She chided. "Say sorry for bothering the young man."

With her eyes downcast, Sophie mumbled a quick apology.

"Oh no. It's absolute fine. Sophie is actually a pretty smart kid, you should ask for advice sometime." With that I stepped onto the bus that had just pulled up and found a seat near the back.

I lay my head on the window, looking out at the dark, cloudless sky. I let out a large sigh which left a little patch on condensation on the window which quickly disappeared as well as the bus stop behind us.

"Is there anyone sitting here?" Startled by the sudden voice, I jumped and lightly hit my head on the window and winced as it hit exactly where one of my many bruises were. "No? Thanks."

I looked around the bus to find it basically empty. I looked beside me and backed up to the wall quickly when Kyle stared back at me. I prayed to god I wouldn't faint and die right there and then.

"Hey," he muttered glumly, his eyes now transfixed on his hands.

"H-hi." I stuttered out. This is it. He's going to kill me isn't he? Thanks for nothing god!

"I'm not going to hurt you." He chuckled wryly. I just stared at him with wide eyes. "I heard what you said to that little girl." He suddenly announced.

I still sat silent. "You know what? I agree fully."

"W-what?" I choked out.

"You're right," he sighed. "I am scared. I do get jealous. I get jealous at how you're able to openly say you're gay. I'm jealous of how you take beatings in stride, like its nothing."

By this point I was most likely looking like a gaping gold fish.

"I admire you for that you know?" He finally looked at me with a defeated expression and a small smile gracing his lips.

"Y-you admire me? What-why?" I was utterly confused at this point.

"Because you're a very admirable person," He grinned cheekily then sighed. "I've never told anyone because I'm just so scared of what people would think of me. Of what it would do to my reputation but you know what? I really don't care anymore."

With a small smile, Kyle got his phone out of his jacket and started texting away.

Okay... That was weird.

A sudden notification buzzed in my pocket. I got my phone out and stared at Kyle who just shrugged nonchalantly and averted his eyes back to the front of the bus.

Kyle Donovan updated his status: "Hey guys, I don't care if you don't like it or if you now don't like me but guess what? I'm gay and I'm proud. Thank you to that special person that made me realise."

The End