Pavane for a Lost Boy (Or Rather, How to Survive Loss after Rejection)

Chapter Forty-Eight

"Hillman's back?!"

"No freakin' way!"

"I heard that he showed up during Bader and Peavey's art session for their project and is now good friends with Demario! And Cat-Lady McNeese was livid!"

"This mess right here! I can only imagine how Blake and Kendricks are going to react! They're the ones who put Hillman in the hospital last year!"

Those were some of the whispered conversations that flowed through the halls and classrooms of Pacifica Glades High as word of Artem Hillman's return spread like wildfire. And with him now on my team of friends, I was one of the trending topics alongside him and Ryan (who didn't look happy to see Artem as much as McNeese wasn't). By lunchtime, my friends and foster brothers were all ready to get to know more about the REAL reason why he returned.

"Damn, Hillman, you sure know how to make waves," Serenity commented, taking a sip of milk. "And you arriving during Ryan and Demario's bonding-time session set up by McNeese only accelerates what might happen next."

Artem smiled thinly as he reached into his lunchbag and pulled out his meal. "Well, McVeigh, I just had to see what Ryan was up to after hearing about what's going down," he commented as he caught a glance at me and Oliver. "And I'm glad that I came at the right time."

"Theo Blake and Jillian Kendricks" I deduced.

Artem nodded. "Exactly," he said. "And with Ryan now setting his heart on you, Demario, it's more the reason for me to return and make things right. but let me focus on you for a few moments, Bader. When Ollie told me all about you a while back when you two started dating while I was taking online classes, I thought about two things: your late parents and siblings were rotten people who had a gem in their home yet treated you like garbage. And the second was how you managed to survived being orphaned and rejected after burying them and having your relatives cut you out of their lives. The world is a cruel place these days and people who don't deserve to suffer have to while everyone else keeps fighting to be on top."

I huffed a breath. "Well, there are times that I don't feel like a survivor," I admitted. "But it's people like my friends and foster family who tell me to keep moving forward and learn to lean on them in times like this."

"That's good to know," Epiphany pointed out. "You know that we're not going to let you fall back on depression and let you suffer alone, Demario. You have us to help you through the worst times, but you gotta learn to help yourself and reach out.

"Definitely," Javi agreed.

"That's pathetic," spat the voice of one Theo Blake as he swaggered towards us in his Depeche-Mode, steel-toed-booted glory with a sneer on his face. "He ought to save himself the embarrassment and just end his life already. Why should he bother to make a fool out of himself when he's always going to be a poser?"

"Blow it out of your ass, Theo," spat Antonio, eyes narrowed in silts.

"Fuck off, slut. I'm talking to Bader the Bony-Maroney here."

"And whatever you say in front of him can be said in front of us," Evan shot back.

Theo grunted before turning his attention to both Ollie and Artem, the latter keeping a neutral look on his face. "Shit, one tranny in my domain is bad enough, but two of you is a nightmare," he said. To Artem, "And why are you here again, Hillman? Are you a mascochist to show your face again after Jillian and I piut you in the hospital?"

Artem just keep a cool facade. "No, but I can still tell that you're still a closeted little bitch," he said plainly.

Everyone at our table gasped.