Queen Boys

Chapter 9: The Explosive Four Way Call

When the bell rang for the end of Math, I was trying to talk to Veronica when Mr Kane stopped me.

"Hey Deaky I need your folks to sign this to let them know you're failing." he said handing me a test that had a red 62 on it, and the mark required to pass was 65.

"Failing?"

"It's very odd, your written algorithms are correct, but you keep giving incorrect answers," Mr Kane explained.

"Really?"

"Really. Listen John, I know that having a girlfriend may seem like the be-all-end-all for you right now, but you don't have to dumb yourself down to get the right girl to like you," he said.

It didn't feel great to hear my real name used in a lecture, but I tried to feel like I was on top of things. What makes you so sure?

"I know, how could I know right? I'm widowed, I'm broke from burying my wife, the only woman who answers the phone now is Audrey from Liverpool. You know why? Because I'm a pusher. I push people. I pushed my wife to get her university degree and it kept her employed throughout the rest of her life, I pushed myself until I got the job in this school, so now I'm going to push you, because I know you're better than this." Mr Kane said, and I gave him a weak smile.

"Thanks Mr Kane, and if there's any extra credit I could do, please let me know," I said and walked away before he could answer me.

~~~~

"Ugh, I can't stand that old stick in the mud! He's failing me on purpose because I didn't join those damn Mathletes!" I exclaimed to Roger, Brian and Freddie who were lounging around on Freddie's queen-sized bed as I ranted about my little conversation with Mr Kane. Freddie was lifting some small weights as I spoke.

"He was like, 'I'm a pusher John, I'm a pusher'," I recalled and Freddie laughed.

"What does that even mean dahling?" he asked through his laughter.

"Like a drug pusher?" Brian asked while raising an eyebrow, and I shrugged my shoulders.

"Maybe, I bet he pops a pill every morning to get past the missus dying!" I said.

"Let it out bro, put it in the book." Brian offered, handing me the disco scrapbook. I took it from him and turned to a clean page to jot down my thoughts. It may seem like I was being a dick, but that was because I was acting like a dick.

~~~

"Hey Diky I tried to call you last night, why didn't you return it?" Joni asked during the last few minutes of homeroom.

"I was busy, sorry."

"So, you need a lift to my art-show this weekend?"

"Um, no sorry, my family wants to take me to Ireland this weekend," I lied.

Joni sighed and Elton looked at me. "Wanna watch a movie with me tonight?"

"I can't, I'm doing major Plastic sabotage tonight," I answered. Joni looked at me confused.

"But we didn't plan anything for tonight,"

"Oh, I came up with this one on my own, see you later my darlings!" I said, then the bell rang and I bolted out of class, not realizing that Joni and Elton were confused with what I was doing.

~~~

"Brian thinks you're mad at him because he's running for Spring Fling King," I said to Freddie on the phone that night.

"OMG I'm not mad at him dahling, I'm worried about him! I think someone nominated him as a joke or something, I mean if no one votes for him, he's going to have a total meltdown. And who's gonna have to take care of him? Me!"

"So you don't think anyone would vote for him?" I asked.

"Deaky, he's not handsome. That doesn't sound very good, but whatever. Only hot guys like us get nominated, the crazy thing is that it should be Roger, but people tend to forget about him because he's too busy doing their cars," Freddie confessed.

"Anyway, I gotta go, I'm going to bed," he then hung up, and I began talking to Brian, who was secretly on the other line.

"Well, he's not mad at you-"

"Hold on." Brian choked out.

"You alright bro?"

"Sh!" Brian shushed me as he put my line on hold, dialling Roger's number. The line went through pretty quickly.

"Hello?"

"If someone says something bad about you, you'd want me to tell you, right?" Brian asked.

"No," Roger answered absent-mindedly.

"But what if it's someone you thought was your friend?"

"Hold on, other line," Roger put the line on hold before answering the phone.

"I'm not taking this anymore!" Brian sniped, frustrated.

"Good for you, Bri." I affirmed.

"Hello?"

"Let's go out, dahling." Freddie said and Roger smiled. "Ok, hold on, I'm on the other line with Brian-"

"DON'T invite Brian, he's driving me crazy," Freddie ordered, irritated at the sound of Brian's name. "Ok, hold on."

"Ok, hurry up."

Roger put Brian back on the line and said: "It's Freddie, he wants to hang out with me tonight, but he told me not to tell you."

"Do NOT hang out with him!" Brian exclaimed exasperated, which confused Roger. "Why?"

"Oh you don't want me to tell you..."

"Ah, you can tell me, hold on."

"OMG he's so annoying," Roger said, only to hear Brian's voice.

"Who is?"

"Who's this?" Roger asked cautiously, realising he hit the wrong button.

"Brian..." the poodle answered just as cautiously.

"Right, hold on," the blond answered and hit the hold button. "OMG he's so annoying!"

"I know, just get rid of him!" Freddie said.

"Ok, what's up?" Roger asked and Brian blurted out: "Freddie said that no one cares about you since you're a car-shagger!"

"He said that?" Roger asked, his face falling. "You didn't hear it from me," Brian said sadly, and I frowned.

"Little harsh, Bri!" I said, and I knew he'd be rolling his eyes. "Whatever, he deserved to know."

"I can't go out, I'm sick," Roger said in a squeaky voice.

"Boo, you whore." Freddie hung up, and Roger was left with a hurt and offended expression on his face.