Turning Tides

28. Five Kisses

During Ms. Rowe's class, Jayden texted me:

Jayden Kingsley (My BOYFRIEND??? <3): lets take the jayden boat out today I wanna try something I think you might like

Me: Okay!! Wait, what about the hurricane????

Jayden Kingsley (My BOYFRIEND??? <3): it wont hit us for another two days

Me: Okay, I trust you. What are you planning?

Jayden Kingsley (My BOYFRIEND??? <3): just be at my dock after school itll b fun

I stared a hole through the back of his head trying to make him feel me begging to know what he was planning.

Mrs. Rowe was always acutely aware of the happenings in her classroom. She stopped her lecture about the British's attempts to take Charleston during the Revolutionary War to say, "Ellison and Jayden, could you make it any more obvious that you are texting each other? Put the phones up, please. This is important for the test coming up."

Jayden turned his phone facedown, and put it on the desk saying, "My b, Rowe. I was just making sure I could copy Ellis's homework and cheat off his test."

Mrs. Rowe laughed, and I felt a sense of relief that his charm and power were on my side.

However, texting with the local Gay Boy had its side effects to that power. A greasy haired boy I remembered seeing from Jayden's back-to-school-dinner oohed and ahhed saying, "Look at Jayden trying to get some head in the janitor's closet."

The class laughed.

My face burned, and I stared down at my desk. Sure, I was embarrassed, but I was also extremely worried this would ruin anything we had built.

My "boyfriend" said, "Landon, chill, I'm not gay, and you're not funny."

I knew that a defense of his sexuality was probably coming, but actually hearing it made it weigh on my chest and breathing became a chore.

"Landon, out! Now! I have no idea why you would even think that was funny. Honestly, I'm disgusted at the rest of you who laughed," Mrs. Rowe said breaking her sweet personality in a way I didn't think possible.

Landon rolled his eyes and pushed his greasy hair to the side as he walked out with his chest held high that he, a peasant, got one over on the king.

Jayden's eyes followed him as he clinched his jaw and tapped his foot.

"Everyone, get out your books and read Chapter Five. You'll get to read about how a bunch of Palmetto Trees saved South Carolina from the British invasion instead of participating in the fun activity I had planned," Mrs. Rowe said before signaling me over to her desk. I could feel the eyes across the classroom shooting darts at me as I walked up to her desk. "Are you okay?" She whispered.

"Yeah, it happens I guess."

"Well, not in this class ever again. I'm sorry I would never have said anything about y'all texting if I knew the people in this school were so ignorant and so immature."

I said, "Thank you, Mrs. Rowe," I was more concerned with Jayden's feelings than my own. I could handle bullying; it's part of the contract we sign when we choose to be gay. Could he handle having his insecure sexuality publicly challenged?

"Of course," she motioned to Jayden. If there were eyes locked onto me, then there were eyes, cameras, satellites, and x-ray machines focused on him.

I couldn't believe that someone had the gall to challenge Jayden, but I guess using me as a battering ram gave him the confidence.