The Love Square [boyxboy]

The Love Square {22}

                “Ant? Honey, are you awake?”

                My eyes fluttered open and landed on my mom. Her eyes watered and she hugged me to herself tightly.

                “Oh Anthony,” she whispered.

                “Where am I?” I mumbled.

                “Home,” she said, releasing me and gently stroking my hair. “The school nurse called me, and I left work to come and get you. I didn’t want to bring you to the hospital. Zane said you called him and said ‘practice room’. He hurried there and found you barely awake. He got a security guard, and by the time they got back, you were unconscious. How does your head feel?”

                “Better,” I said, shifting and sitting up in my bed as my vision began to clear. “It’ll be fine. I think it just got bruised.”

                “Ant, who did this to you?” mom demanded. I realized that she must have taken her pills again, or else she would be a sobbing mess right now.

                “Mom, it doesn’t m-”

                “Don’t you dare give me that shit, Anthony Andrews. This is different than a black eye and a scratch on your forehead. This is an actual attack. So you tell me who did this to you right now, or else I swear to god that I will personally go down to your school and torture every single student in it until I have an answer,” she snapped.

                “I won’t tell,” I said, dropping my gaze. There were no security cameras in the practice room, or down that hallway. So the only way they would ever find out who hurt me was if I told. And I wasn’t going to do that. They had threatened Zane, and even Collie. I wouldn’t risk them getting hurt.

                “Was it Colin?” mom asked.

                I shook my head. “No, it wasn’t Colin. He wasn’t even there when it happened. He didn’t know,” I said.

                “Ant, please tell me,” mom begged, taking my hand in hers. “Please!”

                “Mom, I told that it doesn’t ma-”

                I froze as everything that had happened finally caught up with me. Every word they had said to me, their reasoning for doing it, and every blow they had dealt me.

                As the delayed reaction finally came, I found myself bursting into tears. My mom pulled me into a tight hug, stroking my hair.

                “Why? Why is being gay so wrong?” I cried in terror. “Why do people have to do shit like this? Why can’t they just leave me alone?”

                “There’s nothing wrong with being gay, Anthony. You’re okay now. You’re safe now,” mom soothed.

                I shook my head, fear pulsing through me. I wasn’t safe. They were always going to do this to me. And now they were threatening Zane and Collie, too.

                I had to find a way to keep them safe. I could keep going with Colin secretly, sure, but what happened if Colin came out? They would blame me and they might hurt him, too.

                I would never forgive myself if any of them got hurt because of me. I didn’t know what to do anymore, though. I was so terrified right now.